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CHAPTERELEVEN
ALTHEA
Reve leads me away from the kitchen. I find myself watching him more than our surroundings before he catches me and winks. Looking away, I take in the huge court. Done in mostly ornate black, grey, and gold with gothic features, it’s more beautiful than I expected. He guides me past the kitchen to a less formal sitting room decorated in leather with a pool table, huge TV, a bar, and much more before we sweep out. Next is a formal dining room with large black chairs, a table long enough for a banquet, and doors leading to the kitchen. Beyond that are two open doors that go outside. He stops there and gestures out.
“We have miles of grounds and courtyards, but beware in the dark because the nightmares like to play,” he teases, licking one fang as he watches me.
“Nightmares never scared me,” I reply as I step out without an ounce of fear, and I am transported into an entirely different world.
Beyond is an octagonal courtyard with a dragon statue in the middle, and flowing out in different directions is ornate concrete flooring. The courtyard has open archways made from the same stone as the inside, with flowers of all colours draping over everything. Beyond, I see more grounds, like Reve promised. There’s a maze to the left, and to the right is a flower garden, greenhouse, lawn, pool, and so much more.
There is too much to see before he pulls me back inside. We go back through the throne room, which seems to be in the centre of the court, and out into another wing.
“Here are the living quarters. They used to be extensive and full, but now that there are less of us, only a few rooms are occupied.” He stops before an open door and grins. “This is mine, just in case you ever need it.”
“Sure.” I chuckle as I look farther down the corridor to see closed doors and cobwebs. “This place is huge.”
“It was once the biggest court in the entire world,” Reve replies.
“What happened?” I ask.
“What happens to anything? It was destroyed by greed and pain, and now only forgotten relics and death inhabit it.” He winks, leading me back through the throne room and to another corridor. “You might have noticed that the throne and judgement room is the centre, like a pentagram, with corridors leading off. We have the living quarters and the common rooms, and this corridor is filled with the hobby rooms, as we call it. There are rooms to read, explore herbology, magic, gems—whatever you wish, this court has it.”
I peek into the rooms, but there are just so many that I barely get a glimpse, and then we are moving onto the next point in the pentagram. “Down here is the history of the court,” Reve informs me.
I smirk when I spot Conall in the shadows, following us, but I say nothing, allowing Reve to show me around.
“Nathair can tell you more about this place. I only know what he has told me or I have gleaned from his memories, but it was once a thriving place filled with power, and their control over beasts of the night was legendary.” He licks his lips as he turns and walks backwards, watching me. “Though I guess yours will also be now.” He cocks his head for a moment. “Wait here, Nathair needs me.” He disappears back where we came from, leaving me to my own devices on the tour.
“Are you going to stay in the shadows?” I call to Conall as I turn to see him.
He’s more of a silhouette, a feeling that he’s there, than a person. The darkness wraps around him, obscuring him, and when he doesn’t reply or move, I smile. “Fine.” I step into the darkness, and a gasp slips from my mouth at the sensation.
Power flows over me, judging me, before I am welcomed into the shadows, and then I find myself right before him, where he leans into the wall.
“Why are you hiding?” I murmur.
“I am not.” He sniffs. “I am so used to moving in the darkness, it is a habit,” he adds as an afterthought.
“So can anyone see us?” I ask, looking back, but the hallway beyond almost seems like a memory with the darkness shielding most of it.
“The others can, but only because I allow it. Anyone else would see nothing but shadows.”
“So you allowed me to see you,” I tease, stepping closer. “Why?”
“Because I am unable to resist when it comes to you,” he replies, his voice hungry behind his mask.
I crave to know what he looks like, but just like his darkness and shadows, his mask is another thing to hide behind.
“You hunger,” he snarls.
“I’m fine,” I respond automatically.
“The more you are able to feed in the first days after the change, the more powerful you will be. You almost drained three of us last night and hunger still. Very powerful indeed,” he murmurs, and his reminder causes a hunger I was so used to ignoring to roar to the forefront of my mind. “You seem oblivious to your own hunger, however, so I will make the others aware that they need to remind you to feed.”
The sweetness of that notion is almost my undoing. “I guess I am so used to being hungry, I didn’t notice,” I admit with a wince. Now that he mentioned it and I focus on it, my body growls with hunger, and I lean into him, knowing he’s a source of sustenance. The scent of his blood calls to me, even through his skin.
“I have already volunteered to feed you, Althea, so you do not have to ask.” Hearing my name in his rocky tone makes me shiver.
