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Off to the side, I see what looks like a huge fighting arena. It’s just within the castle walls but still set aside from the main building itself, with room for plenty of people to stand and watch. What goes on in there? Do they regularly host fights there? I have no idea. I would think that vampires would love that kind of thing. Maybe they force people they capture to fight each other to the death?
No, Kiara, stop freaking out,I tell myself sternly. There’s no reason for me to let my imagination run away with me like this. Things are supposed to be different now. Maybe that was what the arena was used for under the last king, but I have to trust that things have changed.
If things haven’t changed, after all, we’re fucking screwed.
I crane my neck to try to get a better look, but there isn’t really a way for me to see more as we’re led away.
Further back, behind the arena, behind the castle proper, I can see there’s a massive garden. It’s not like the front of the castle on our way in, where I just got the impression that the trees had been purposefully planted and wildflowers had been cultivated. It’s a proper garden, with lanes to walk in, and rosebushes that are carefully trimmed, and beds arranged into colorful images using different flowers.
Wow. I’m only getting a small glimpse, but someone has put a whole lot of fucking effort into this garden. I wonder if it’s the queen. It has to be, right? If she’s part fae? I can’t see vampires caring about plants and gardens otherwise. It’s not really their style.
Other vampires stop and watch as we’re led into the castle. Everyone is respectful. That is, nobody’s openly staring at us. They’re all trying to pretend that they’re just going about their normal business and only happening to glance over. But I can feel their gazes on us.
They must be able to smell what we are. Or guess it. Four fae waltzing into the Penumbra with a chained-up vampire between them? That can’t be a sight they’ve seen every day.
I keep my head high. I’m not going to let any of the vampires here know that I’m nervous. I had the audacity to walk in here, into their midst, and so I’m going to let them keep thinking that I have that audacity and nothing else. They’ll never see me flinch, damn it.
Despite the lack of sunlight, the castle feels lighter and warmer than I would have expected. It’s not all dark corners and chilly winds. It’s impressive without being foreboding. It feels like a place where people actually enjoy living.
North, Raven, and even Cain, albeit reluctantly for him, seem impressed and surprised as well. They’re looking around, Raven more openly than the other two, and I can see the curiosity in their eyes. This can’t be what they expected, either.
Cain curls his lip and presses closer to me. “I don’t trust it,” he whispers.
“What,” I whisper back, “you think they realized we were coming and made it look all homey to lull us into a false sense of security? Seems like a lot of trouble for little ol’ us.”
Cain softens a little bit at the joke, but not completely.
The further we get into the castle, the more vampires we see. And the more open they are about their interest in us. A few of the vampires stop what they’re doing, interrupting their conversations with one another so that they can stare at us as we walk by.
I can see their eyes gleaming with hunger, their nostrils flaring as they take in our scent. This is why I can’t fucking trust that things have changed just because of a new king. King Malcolm might feel one way and he might even have a partially fae wife, but that doesn’t mean that he can stop his people if they choose to attack us. The threat of punishment doesn’t mean much if only your king enforces it. He might be the ruler, but he’s only one man.
Can any of us really trust that this is going to be okay? That we can get through this fully unscathed?
None of the vampires attack us, or even approach us. I don’t know if it’s down completely to self-control or if the guards with us are helping. They don’t seem to have any interest in us, at least. Both guards walk ahead with looks of solemnity, and I don’t see so much as a twitch of interest directed at us.
Small mercies and all that.
The throne room, as we enter it, makes my jaw drop in spite of itself. I don’t want to be impressed, but I am. It’s opulent without being tasteless, and it’s a fucking huge room.
Now that we’re in here I can see that this was obviously the room that Donovan was doing his best to imitate at his own headquarters. Fucking hell, could the man have been any more obvious about his imitations? He’s been lucky so far that nobody’s reported him. I don’t think he could’ve been more plainly screamingI want to replace the kingif he’d tried.
I’ll have to make sure to mention that to King Malcolm when we explain the issues with Donovan. I’m sure the guy will want to know that this asshole was subtly placing himself as a replacement.
“Address the king as your majesty,” the blond guard says. “And be respectful.”
I have to hold in a snarl. What, does he think I don’t know how to behave? The idea of calling any kind of vampire by a title makes my stomach turn over, but I have to do what I must to get the vampires on my side and help us against Roanac. It’s a small price to pay over all, just being respectful.
“Yes,” North answers evenly.
Cain looks like he wants to spit at the guy’s feet, but he says nothing. I lay my hand on his arm. I’m not any happier about this than he is. But we’ve got to do what we must, here.
At the far end of the throne room are, not surprisingly, two thrones. They’re of equal size and look new, possibly recently commissioned? A wedding present or something, maybe? How recently was Malcolm married?
Speaking of Malcolm, wow.
All vampires are annoyingly attractive. It’s a part of their charm so that they can lure people and get more victims. But the four people staring at me are something else. And there are four of them. On either side of the thrones, like special guards or perhaps advisors, are two other men.
The woman on the throne is obviously the queen. The one who’s supposed to be partially fae. She’s a bit shorter than I am, with dark brown hair, warm, soulful eyes and a curvy figure. I’ve never seen a vampire with warm eyes like that before. It’s oddly reassuring.
