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Father will live, and through my sacrifice, he can continue to make the world a better, more hopeful place.
I take a deep breath, waiting for a long moment for something to happen. For some sign that our deal is more than just words. Perhaps, for my soul to feel bound to magic.
Something.
But I don’t feel any different than I did before.
“Come,” my new master says, “I will show you around.”
Numbly, I shift the furs from me and get to my feet. Slipping the black crystal into my skirts, I move away from the warmth of the fire, and a deep shiver instantly besets me.
“You are cold.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
I can feel his eyes on me, the concern in them as I pretend to be unaffected by the unnerving chill of this place.
Despite the cold and shadows, I find myself eager to see the rest of his home. If I’m going to spend the rest of my life here, I might as well make the most of it. And, judging from the size of this one room, there will be a lot to explore.
“Hmm.”
He says nothing else as he sweeps past me, the living shadows that cling to him swirling around his feet as he opens the door. I’m quick to follow after him, my eyes widening as we step out into a large hall.
It’s stunning, the whole place glistens as if it were made out of a single block of black marble. Yet, as we move through the palace, I can’t help but notice how barren it is. It’s as if no one at all lives here.
I shake my head at this thought. Surely, that can’t be right. This place is far too big for one person. He must at least have servants to help tend to it, right?
I peek up at him out of the corner of my eye. He towers over me, careful to keep his distance as we walk in silence. Suddenly, I find myself far more curious about him than the empty halls.
Are there really no others who live here? No wife, no friends to keep him company?
I chew my lip, curiosity burning bright within me, but my manners keep my questions from spilling out.
He has allowed me entry into his home, and I don’t want to make him regret agreeing to our deal. I don’t know if he can take it back now that it’s been made, but I don’t want to risk him sending me back to watch my father die simply because I asked too many questions. Besides, if the past few minutes are any indication, he seems to prefer silence.
So, I remain quiet, for now.
Our footsteps echo through the halls as we walk, his long strides forcing me to double my own pace. Still, I can’t help peering into the rooms we pass, each one as bare as the last.
This palace of his must be even bigger than the king’s castle in the capital. And yet, it’s completely empty.
There are no nobles strolling through the halls, arm in arm as they gossip, or servants scurrying to tend to various tasks. No laughter, no music, no voices.
Nothing but the echo of our own steps.
Somehow, the quiet is even more unsettling than the swirling darkness that follow us, curling up the walls, around columns, and across every surface wherever we go. Finally, the silence grows to be too much for me.
“Your home is stunning, truly,” I say, unable to keep my mouth shut any longer, “but it does seem awfully ... dead.”
I cringe inwardly at my choice of words. I’d meant to say quiet, and quietly curse myself for the slip of my tongue.
My host snorts at this, but doesn’t so much as glance my way, his eyes trained on the hall ahead.
My own mind races as I try to think of a way to fix things, before deciding that perhaps a joke will lighten the mood.
“I suppose, now that I’m here, I’ll be able to breathe a little life into the place,” I say, with a weak laugh.
“I like things the way they are.”
