Page 11 of House of Darkness
“She’ll come back, dear,” said a woman’s voice.
“You didn’t see what they did to her like I did… I almost killed them.”
“But you didn’t?”
“No. She was so frightened already, I couldn’t.”
The voices grew soft and fuzzy.
“You need to give her time.”
“You’re right. It’s probably a good thing I’m leaving for a while. Take care of her, Bells.”
“You know I will.”
A gentle hand brushed my cheek. A voice spoke, soft and sweet like honey. “You’re safe now, Estrella.”
Then darkness fell, broken only by the haunting image of those venomous eyes coming to hurt me.
Chapter 6
ROMAN
Ifucking hated the cold. I grumbled about what the freezing temperatures would do to my beautiful feathers. They’d molt and develop a thick layer of down, a dreadful process that took ages to reverse. But deep down, I knew my brooding was about more than just the chill.
We had returned from Kulta Academy early that morning, and sleep had eluded me, making my morning flight to Haugor arduous. I thought the journey would clear my head, but it only fueled my anger. They had hurt and threatened her in my name, using fear to strip her of everything she was. Her terror had screamed at me, my attempts to help only shattering her further. The woman I saw now was a far cry from the one I’d met nearly a month ago, and it was my fault.
I wanted to kill them all. If not for her horrified expression when I revealed the monster within, I would have wiped them from the earth without a second thought. At least I knew Isabella was taking care of her. For now, I had to focus on the task at hand and not let thoughts of Estrella distract me.
Haugor was a cluster of A-frame cabins hidden among snowdrifts and evergreens, barely visible through the blizzard. The people were just as harsh as the landscape and armed to the teeth. Even the childrenran around with knives. The Fjällräv House's commitment to battle mirrored that of my general of war's House. Except for them, war was a way of life, not merely a matter of honor.
The central longhouse echoed with lively music. Inside, I was greeted by the warmth of the central hearth and vampires laughing and dancing. Long tables were filled with people chugging from steins and tapping their feet to the rhythm.
Across the hearth sat Count Ylva. The bushy white tail of her beast form swayed to the beat. Her eyes were glazed with contentment, yet her ears were pricked and alert. When she spotted me, she flashed a wolfish grin.
I returned the smile and made my way across the room. It had been years since I’d seen Ylva, and I would have preferred to keep it that way. Unfortunately, my generals were unaware of our past, and I had no intention of enlightening them. Her smirk made my skin crawl.
Ylva commanded attention, even surrounded by her imposing lieutenants. Lean and muscular, with stark white features and amaranth eyes, she tracked my every movement with obsessive fascination, like an arsonist watching a building burn.
“I forgot how young you are,” she said, her thick, raspy accent cutting through the music.
“Yet I could never forget how fiercely beautiful you are, Count Ylva.” I kissed her knuckles, and she tilted her head back in pleasure.
“Sit, sit.” She gestured to the seat beside her and nodded to the musicians, who resumed playing. “Have you met my cabinet?” She pointed to the two other vampires at the table and introduced them one by one. The first was her right hand, Erik, a lean man with spikes of gray hair and wild eyes. Then Emma, her sister, though I noticed the lack of family resemblance between the foreboding Ylva and the petite, gray-haired vampiress she called kin. I nodded at them.
An acolyte servant placed a silver stein in front of me and bowed. “For you, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you.”
Her dainty fingers trailing down my shoulder made me tense. “Would you like company, sir?”
Her fear was a palpable, toxic fog. She was a rabbit forced to serve foxes. I clenched my teeth and counted to ten.
“No, thank you, sweetheart.” I offered her a pleasant smile. Her relief was fleeting before her mask slipped back into place.
“Come here, morsel,” Erik barked. His eyes gleamed with hunger, his tongue sliding over his fangs as though he was imagining biting into her warm flesh. The scent of arousal was nauseating. Her hand trembled as it left my shoulder, heading to obey.
I grabbed her hand. “On second thought, sweetheart, I am a bit cold. Why don’t you warm my lap?”
