Page 66 of Golden Queen
My heart pounded as I took the servant's stairs and the long, narrow corridor down to the main central hallway. Only a few steps into that main hall, and I could duck back into the safety of the servant's corridor again.
Another long, narrow hall, more stairs, a final dart across the marble floor beyond, and then his door was in front of me.
I lowered my hood, smoothed my hair, and then I lost my nerve with my hand poised to knock. I stood that way for several long minutes, and then I lowered my hand and breathed a shaky breath.
Go back to bed Aelia Seraphem Lithaway!I thought that might’ve been my mother's voice, but that was impossible since I had never heard it before.
Coward, I told myself in my own harsh voice.
Footsteps filtered to me from down the hall. I turned from the door, ready to dart back into the servant's stairs.
I heard the door click open behind me, and a warm breeze ruffled my hair. An arm came around my waist, and I was pulled gently back into the room as the door snicked closed in front of me.
"You were about to be discovered, you mad, reckless woman," he said, releasing me.
I could hear the smile in his voice even before I turned.
When I did turn, my breath rushed out in a long stream. He was nearly naked, wearing only a pair of loose, black sleeping pants that hung dangerously low on his hips.
His broad chest, the one I had apparently only seen the half of in that little room in the brothel, was lean and chiseled—not roughly like the statues of the muscular gods in the cathedral. Io's chest was smooth, covered by alight dusting of dark hair. The muscles cut into it promised a strength that I had so far only guessed at.
And that stomach—fates save me.I thought perhaps my tongue was the only way feeling that lean, flat expanse of muscle might be given proper form.
His dark laugh jolted me out of my thoughts, and I met his gaze.
"You're staring, Sera."
I sighed, knowing full well there was no sense in denying it. "So I was."
I jerked my eyes away to inspect the chamber. It was luxurious, all dark wood and supple leather, with little comfortable nooks set around the spacious room.
A wide, curtain-draped bed took up the southern wall, where an arched window looked out across the darkened godsgrass plains.
The room looked distinctly masculine, but also somehow totally unfit for the man who stood in its midst.
"You weren't asleep?" I asked. I was already certain that he had not been.
"I don't sleep very much," he said, eyeing me as I walked around the chamber, running my hands along the shelves.
"I wanted to come and make sure they had given you proper accommodations in my castle," I said, unable to prevent the smile from crossing my features at the blatant lie.
"Oh, indeed," he said, his voice rich and deep. "I'm certain you'll be heading down to Aben's room next to verify the same?"
I turned to him and smiled again, perhaps a little wickedly. "Oh no, I only provide such personal service to the Lord of Darkwatch himself."
He chuckled, but there was an edge to it, so it didn't surprise me when the smile faded, and he asked in a more severe tone. "What are you doing here, Sera?"
I loved it when he called me Sera. He had done so since I told him it was my name, save for a few occasions when he had called me Aelia for effect.
He could have called me anything, and I think it would have still rolled off that silver tongue sounding like an endearment.
"I was just...out for a stroll," I said, breezily.
"I'm serious, Sera," he said more sharply. "Teasing aside, this is very reckless."
I shrugged. "I wanted to see you," I told him honestly.
He was silent for several long moments. "That is perhaps not a good enough reason to take such a risk."
