Page 92 of Of Mercury and Mist

“Thank you,” I replied to the backhanded compliment. She left me admiring my gaze in the mirror and I exited shortly after.

We’d be going to what I guessed was a state building, if we were meeting with leaders, and that meant we’d be going outside. There should be opportunities to escape. I kept that in mind as I selected a pair of shoes, settling on something with a low heel.

I’d just slipped my feet into the satin-wrapped sandals when Samuel walked in.

“Oh, don’t you look delicious my dear.”

THIRTY-TWO

Ashley

Samuel had arrived soundlessly in the room, dressed in a black suit and with a tie that matched my gown. The jacket was a bit longer than what was considered fashionable back home, but I had to admit he looked nice. His hair was gleaming, pushed back from his forehead and spilling down his back. He looked better than he had at the gala.

Giving him a tight smile, I said, “I’m ready.”

“I doubt that.” He held his hand toward the door, and I moved into the hall. “This way,” he said, and I followed.

Samuel pressed his hand against the wall and a door slid open, revealing a black space beyond. I trailed after him, the darkness closing in as a clanking noise told me the door at my back had shut.

Wall fixtures bloomed with light, flickering on as he passed each one. “Are we underground?” I asked, wrapping my arms around my shoulders in an effort to get warm.

“In a manner of speaking. This will take us to the palace.”

“They are either underground or not, right? This is a tunnel?”

Samuel reached for my hand and tightened his grip when I tried to shake him off. “These tunnels exist outside of time and space, so they aren’t anywhere.”

“But they’re also somewhere. I don’t know how I feel about that,” I replied, shivering so hard my teeth rattled.

“You have them in the Third Realm, too. But no one knows where they are, not even me,” Samuel said. “That’s where your chupacabras, shadow people, and other creatures come in.”

“I could’ve spent the rest of my life happily devoid of that knowledge.” The demon had literally just told me the scary urban legends I’d heard growing up were real. I preferred them remaining figments of my imagination and not being mentioned while entering a freezing, dark cave.

“You fucked a vampire demon, and you’re worried about scary stories?” He whirled on me. “Now that you’re in, there’ll be no getting out.” He stepped closer to me, flattening me against the wall. The stone was so cold it felt as if my flesh were burning.

“You lay with beasts. Get your shit together and maybe, just maybe, you’ll survive.”

I was freezing to death, and he knew it, my fingertips stiffening and losing all color. I could no longer feel my feet and my chest felt strange when he leaned in, hands pressed to the wall on either side of my head and skirted his lips against the skin behind my ear.

The contact sent a wave of relieving heat through me, warming my blood. It felt like water had been poured down my spine, as if I’d stepped inside a steaming shower. My legs weakened and I tilted toward him, wrapping my fingers in the fabric of his jacket.

Did I have a thing for monsters? Clearly, I did. But Samuel was not mine, nor did I want him. I’d simply leaned into the much needed heat he provided. He knew that was all this was and snarled at me before he clasped my wrist and began dragging me through the corridor.

“I should’ve let you freeze to death.”

“So why didn’t you?” We’d reached the end, and a solid, etched door rose above us so tall I couldn’t see the top.

“I’m nothing if not a creature of opportunity; with a smidgen of hope,” he answered, placing his hand on the door.

It opened, swinging inward, and I moved out of the way. The silence of the tunnel was soon interrupted by the chatter of voices and the noise of a faint electronic buzz interspersed with a beeping sound I would’ve expected at a big box store.

Carefully, I followed him over the threshold and was inserted into a busy, populated space. It was vastly different from the medieval style village I’d visited with him what seemed like a hundred years ago.

Beautiful people roamed around, some hurried, some appearing to take their time, interested in the sights. Uniformed workers rushed through the crowds, some wearing maid outfits and others in what looked like police or SWAT gear. Yet others in suits of armor. It was an eclectic mix, especially given the fancy gowns and tailored suits that threaded their way through.

Somehow, it all seemed to work.

The space was formed of dark granite and black marble, metal work soaring above with girders and in arches, with gargoyles, weapons, and sculptures that could’ve been the modern art seen at a museum back home.

---