Page 21 of House of Darkness
His predatory gaze made me uneasy. There was something he was waiting to ask, but at least I’d get some answers. If he was willing to break his silence I’d tell him anything. “Alright.”
“Wonderful.” Roman set the deck back on the tray and crossed his arms, making his shirt stretch tight over his impressive muscles. “I’ll go first. Who inflicted the wounds on your back?”
I froze mid-bite. Of course, he had seen the scars from my lashings. Matei had usually ensured they healed without scarring, but after so many instances, it was inevitable. I blinked innocently and finished my sandwich before responding. “You saw the vampire who left those marks.”
“Estrella.” Roman’s voice dropped to a threatening growl that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
I swallowed and looked down at the ornate filigree on the tray. My voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t want to say.”
He bared his teeth. “Fine. Ask your question.”
“Why did you purchase me?”
“It was in my interest to do so.”
My gaze snapped to him, incredulous. His narrowed eyes and smirking lips made me pause. “I will provide the same depth in my answers as you do in yours.”
Instinctively, my fingers went to the hem of my shirt, but the gauze stopped me from holding the soft fabric. The restriction made my heart race even faster. “Matei. Ten lashings for every escape attempt.”
Roman snarled, the darkness around him thickening and pooling on the floor in sticky plumes. “I knew I should have killed that monster.”
His comment was darkly reassuring. Knowing he abhorred Matei’s punishments provided some comfort. A black tendril wove up my arms, tingling my gauze-wrapped hands. It was warm, like before, and though the grip was solid, it didn’t make me panic. Instead, I watched it with morbid curiosity, fascinated by how it moved seemingly without his direction. “Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t want to give you more reason to fear me than I already have.”
He had been concerned about my opinion of him even then. I hummed a soft laugh. “I was never scared of you, Roman.”
Acknowledging that truth felt strange. He was supposedly the most powerful vampire in the world and could easily tear me apart if he wanted, yet I had never feared him. I feared displeasing him, but that was because of the monster that had haunted me my entire life, not the one currently at my side.
Finally, I dared to touch the tendril twisted around my forearm with the tips of my fingers. It was odd how I could move my fingers through it and touch my skin on the other side, but there was a resistance, like moving through thick honey.
Roman hummed thoughtfully, drawing my attention back to him. “You would be the first.”
His power released me, and I watched as it crept back into his skin, dissipating like liquid fog. “I have made mistakes in my past—mistakes that have led to people getting hurt. I thought using my position for good might atone for some of my sins. That’s why I purchased you.”
Something within me settled at the revelation, like water stilling after a disturbance. It was still an evasive response, but I felt like we were finally getting somewhere. And I could work with that.
Roman returned to my room the next morning and the morning after. He eventually taught me to play Whist, and we spent hours absently slapping cards onto the bedspread while our game of truth continued. It wasn’t long before we were discussing silly, insignificant details about each other, just to keep the game going.
Roman slapped down a king of spades and smirked. “Your favorite color?”
I sighed as he took the trick and added it to his piles. Despite the game being mostly chance, he kept winning. “Green. You?”
He met my gaze, his smirk fading. “Blue.”
My cheeks warmed, and I broke eye contact. I placed an eight of hearts to start the trick, which he topped with a ten. “What did you do in your free time at the academy?”
I slapped down a queen and grinned triumphantly, only to frown as he put a king on top and claimed the pile once more. “Do you have all the kings in your hand?”
“I am the tsar; it only makes sense,” he said with a mischievous grin.
“I think you’re cheating,” I retorted, placing a four of clubs and sighing. “I liked to sew. I’d take old scraps and worn-out gowns and rebuild them.”
He placed down a six. “That’s impressive. I’d love to see some of your work.”
I spoke without thinking, distracted by the game. “I brought one with me. It’s in the closet.”
Before I could blink, Roman was across the room, riffling through my closet. I was about to complain, then remembered it was technically his closet too. He had gifted me most of my clothing, making it hard for me to claim ownership.
