Page 18 of A House of Fangs & Deceit

I wokeup early the next morning and stared at the intricate design laid out on the ceiling of my bedroom.

All of the Moroi Houses were originally built by the Fae. This fortress must have been built by the Seelie because the mural above me portrayed a bright, sunlit setting of grassy hills.

I loved the painting, but I always thought it was strange because I’d never seen anything like this in Lunaria. Most of the continent was covered by thick forests. The only places the woods retreated were on the coasts and in the badlands, but nowhere were there long stretches of gently rolling hills.

When I was a child, I used to gaze up at my ceiling and wonder why they had chosen to paint this scene.

Had Lunaria changed? Was this what it used to look like once upon a time? Or had the Fae come from somewhere else, and these murals reminded them of a home they had lost?

I never found an answer to my childhood questions. The Fae had loved art, and most of the fortresses that had been repurposed by the Moon Blessed held murals like this in them.Sometimes they were of scenery that made no sense, but other times they were of places that I recognized.

House Laurent had belonged to the Unseelie, and its murals were always of night skies and dark forests. I loved both sides and wished the Fae hadn’t hated each other so much. It would be nice to live somewhere where I had both types of murals to peruse.

My thoughts briefly wandered to Demetri and how he was dealing with my departure. I wondered what had been said to explain my sudden disappearance. Marvina had no doubt spun the story to make me look bad. Did I care?

I chewed my lip as I thought about it and decided that I didn’t. Neither Demetri nor House Laurent were worth it. I would prove my worth here, at House Harker, and make them regret how their actions had resulted in losing me.

A distinct, slow three-beat knock sounded on my door, and a grin tugged at my lips. I’d been curious as to how long he’d wait before coming to harass me.

I hopped out of bed and threw a robe over the thin shift I’d slept in before going to open the door. Kieran’s hand was raised to knock again, but he reached out to pull on my tangled hair instead.

“Sleeping in?” he tutted. “You’ve become lazy in your old age.”

“We’re the same age,” I grumped, swatting his hand away from my hair as he peered over my shoulder and into my room. “Something I can help you with, Kier?” I shoved him back a step.

“Just trying to see how you were settling in.” His lips twitched as he slowly scanned me from head to toe. “Want me to help you pick out your clothes for the day and brush your hair?”

“No.” I slapped his hand away again when he went toteasingly pull on another knot. “I’m perfectly capable of getting myself dressed.”

“Just trying to be helpful.” He shrugged. “Come get breakfast with me?”

“I can’t,” I said reluctantly. But lazing around with Kieran all day sounded really tempting… “I promised Carmilla I would have breakfast with her this morning.”

“Lunch then?” he asked hopefully.

I bit my lip, not really sure what my schedule for the day was going to be or how I’d feel after talking to Carmilla. “Sure, but no promises. I might get caught up in something else.”

“The only thing you’ll be getting caught up in later is me giving you all the gossip you’ve been missing out on.” He brushed a kiss against my cheek before strolling down the hallway.

I closed the door and leaned against it, holding a hand to my cheek. It’d been three years since I’d seen Kieran. Despite being a courtesan who regularly traveled around to the different Houses, he’d never once visited House Laurent, and the few times I’d returned to House Harker, he’d been away. I’d never been sure if he was avoiding me or if his life was simply busy.

I’d assumed that when I returned here, things would be different between us, but instead, we’d slipped right back into our easy friendship that included some light flirting. Okay, maybe heavy flirting.

The sun rose higher into the sky, and golden light filtered in through the windows of my room, reminding me it was time to get on with it.

I tossed on a deep forest-green dress that was made of a stretchy soft fabric, which meant it hugged all of my curves and was incredibly comfortable. After spending a few minutes detangling my hair and tying it up in a bun, I made my way to Carmilla’s study.

Several other Moroi passed me on the way, all flashing welcoming smiles. I wasn’t sure if they knew the exact circumstances of my return, but it felt so damn nice to be somewhere I was wanted.

“Good morning, dear,” Carmilla said warmly as I entered her study. “The tea should be set if you wouldn’t mind pouring us some cups.”

Shutting the door behind me, I nodded. “Of course.”

I noticed several pastries piled up on a plate as I poured our tea, and I quickly snatched the one that had sugary crumbles along the top. I tore off a chunk and popped it onto my mouth, savoring the flavor while I watched Carmilla furiously scribble something onto a scroll.

When I’d arrived yesterday, I’d been in such a weird state that I hadn’t looked that closely at my aunt, but now, as my eyes swept over her, I was happy to see that she looked the same as she always did.

At ninety-five years old, Carmilla didn’t look a day over forty. We had similar facial features and the same straight black hair, but Carmilla’s skin was several shades lighter than mine. I had my father to thank for my darker complexion. Aside from that, I’d taken strongly after my mother’s side of the family, which meant Carmilla and I looked a lot alike. An old pang ran through me as I thought of my parents. I’d lost them over a decade ago, but I still missed them fiercely.

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