Page 7 of To Dwell in Shadows
“Right away,” Arkaya said. She looked up at Sam. “Would you like us to prepare a suite, or do you wish to stay in your former quarters? They are just as you left them.”
“My quarters will be fine.” The thoughtof being alone with Selene in his old room made his blood pump faster. “If you don’t need us, Selene and I would like to relax after our journey.”
“Yes, yes,” Queen Thema called over her shoulder as she strode toward the ballroom’s exit. “Please, amuse yourselves for I have much to do!”
Chapter 4
Selene’s heart skipped with anticipation as she followed Sam to his chambers, weaving through hallways reminiscent of English Gothic architecture. Each Aurelian they passed slowed their steps to stare, reminding her of the first time she had found herself in the Malkina castle. But as they continued, she realized the attention wasn’t solely on her. Sam drew just as many lingering gazes, despite having once lived among them.
They moved through more winding corridors in the south wing until they reached a nondescript gray door. Assuming it led to Sam’s quarters, Selene turned the knob. But when the door opened, she saw it concealed a winding set of stone steps—twisting straight up.
Selene tipped her head back to marvel at the height. “We’re going way up there?”
“Yes.”
“Were there no other rooms available on the first floor?”
“Yes, but I chose the tower. I liked the view, and there’s no one around to bother me.”
Selene eyed the stairs with dread. “Okay, let’s go. But I’d like to tell you about a human invention called elevators—” she joked.
Suddenly her feet were swept off the ground and she found herself eye-level with Sam.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
“You didn’t think I’d make you walk, did you?”
“Well, yes.”
“You would have tired quickly.”
“True, but I could do it. Eventually. I’m not that much of a weak human.”
“I know. But I like carrying you.”
“Oh, all right,” she said, looping her arms around his neck.
Since she had returned to Aurelia, letting Sam do nice things for her had been harder than expected. He was always looking for ways to take away any pain or inconvenience she might encounter and initially, it had felt like a mind game—similar to when her mother would imply that young Selene wasn’t capable enough to do certain things, so Selene would take those tasks on herself. Like shopping for the week’s groceries while her mother napped in the car.
It was Brunie who first had brought the issue to Selene’s attention. When Sam would do things for her—like run her a bath after she had spent the day gardening or bring her breakfast in bed—Selene had insisted she didn’t need him to be so attentive. She was a strong, independent woman, not a delicate flower. But eventually Brunie had pulled her aside and said, “Let him indulge you. He needs it.”
Her words had caused a major mind shift for Selene. She was so used to always giving, giving, giving that she’d never considered how she was denying others the pleasure of taking care of her. Selene never quibbled over Sam’s ministrations after that.
When it felt like they had been climbing for nearly five minutes, Selene asked, “How is it that you’re not even breaking a sweat?”
“I don’t mind the exertion. Plus, you weigh practically nothing.”
When they finally reached the top, a quick peek back at the path they had traveled made Selene dizzy. Sam set her on the landing before a broad wooden door carved with decorative swirlingpatterns. She ran her fingers along one of the door’s raised lines that curved into something like a fleur-de-lis.
“This is beautiful.”
“I carved it,” Sam said a bit sheepishly.
“You what?” She moved closer to examine the patterns and textures. “I didn’t know you could do this.”
“Eldridge taught me. It helped occupy my time here when I wasn’t on duty.”
“Sam! I knew you were handy with building things, but I didn’t know you were an artist, too.”
