Page 16 of Unbound By Shadows
Nim bounded ahead of them to wiggle his rear end playfully at a gray kitten who had appeared from under a bench. The kitten darted out in a counter-attack but then stopped to stand in front of the demon.
Samuel bent to scoop it up, and Selene was seized with a sudden, irrational fear that she was about to witness a terrible, demonic act like biting off the poor thing’s head or tossing it like a football. But he only cradled the tiny ball of fur in his massive hand. Then he began to stroke the kitten’s forehead until its eyes slid blissfully shut.
“Did you need me, my lady?”
The deep timbre of his voice made Selene’s belly flutter.
“Yes! I want you to meet our guest. Samael, this is Selene. All the way from Gaia!”
Selene smiled politely and tried to keep her eyes off his horns. He was much taller up close, and his body was packed with muscle.
“Hello,” she said, trying to appear more confident than she felt.
Samael made eye contact long enough for her to seethat red ringed his black irises. He shifted his weight and mumbled, “Good afternoon.”
“Samael is also a stranger to Aurelia just like you,” the queen said, touching Selene’s shoulder. “He comes to us from the Underworld.”
Selene cleared her throat. Her father had always said the trick to meeting new people was to find commonalities, even if it was about the weather. But how could she respond to that? A weak, “Oh?” was all she managed.
“We rely on him to keep us safe. He has an excellent knack for sniffing out trouble,” Thema said with a wink.
“Um… t-thank you for your service, Samael,” Selene stammered, then cringed at how ridiculous that sounded. What did she think he was, a member of the armed forces?
The glare Samael gave her was unforgiving. “It is my duty! Your gratitude is misguided,” he said with such force that Selene rocked back on her heels.
She pressed her lips together into a tight line. Yikes, hewasterrifying, just as Hollen had said. She glanced at Queen Thema to gauge her reaction, but she seemed oblivious. Gulping hard, Selene focused on the kitten in Samael’s hand. It had started to squirm, so he bent to release it onto the floor. Selene watched the kitten zoom away at a breakneck pace, wishing she could do the same.
“Samael, there's a matter I need to speak with you about later,” the queen said.
“I see. Shall we arrange a time in your study—”
"I will stop by your chambers later.”
"But that's not necessary—”
Queen Thema held up a hand. “I won’t stay long. I just don’t want any disturbances.”
He nodded, looking uneasy. "Is that all, my lady?"
“That’s all,” Queen Thema said. Samael gave Selene a curt nod, then turned to walk out the library’s exit. They both watched hisretreating back before Queen Thema stifled a yawn. “I believe it’s time for my midday nap. Enjoy your afternoon, Selene—”
“Wait! I wanted to ask about what you said yesterday. There’s someone who might be able to help me go home?”
Queen Thema gave Selene an assessing glance. “Yes. I do know of someone. But have patience, dearest.” She started to walk away then said over her shoulder, “We’ll discuss it tomorrow.”
Chapter 7
Sam was stretched out on his couch reading a book when a knock rapped on his chamber door. He muttered a curse and sat up. He had expected Queen Thema to come up later than this, at least after dinner. His mood had been dark after his encounter with the human in the library, and being disturbed in his private sanctuary was not helping.
What could the queen want that was so important? Perhaps she wanted to admonish him for being so rude to her guest. He hadn’t meant to speak to Selene so harshly, but the rush of pleasure he felt at hearing his name spoken in her velvet voice had been… alarming. He didn’t want her to do it again.
A second knock came, and Sam frantically shoved the book he was reading into the couch cushions before rising to his feet. He crossed the room to open the intricately carved wooden door.
Thema stood hunched in the doorway, panting. She looked up at Sam with a pained expression. "How do you do this every day? I feel like I'm dying."
"I told you we could meet in your study. The stairwell can be treacherous."
"How many stairs are there? I lost count after 300," Thema said. She tapped a claw against the swirling patterns on the door that Sam had carved years ago. "This is lovely, by the way. You've always had such a talent for woodwork.”
