Page 79 of Depths of Desire
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“What the hell is this place?” I mumble to Luca.
“Eldryn Castle,” he replies. “It’s where the vampire council meets.”
The hall itself is massive, the arched ceiling lost in shadow above the flickering glow of floating lanterns that cast an otherworldly light—pale gold and silver, with threads of violet fire. Stained glass windows line the upper walls, depicting scenes of ancient vampire victories and betrayals. The shifting colors create spectral patterns across the black marble floor.
At the far end of the hall sits the Council of Five, each on a high-backed throne of dark stone, set in a semi-circle on a raised dais. Each throne bears the sigil of its kingdom—daggers of varying colors and sizes. The kings wear long ceremonial cloaks, each one more regal and intimidating than the last.
The thing that sets my nerves jangling is the way their eyes glow faintly in the dimness, old and unblinking.
I fight the need to puke. It’s like being called to the principal’s office times one thousand. If their goal is witness intimidation, they have succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest imagination.
In the center of the room is a circle, a wide, inlaid design of runes and what I am guessing are sacred symbols that shimmer beneath the surface of the floor.
“What’s that?” I murmur to Luca, gesturing to the circle.
“It’s the Tribunal Circle,” he says. “It marks the place where judgment is rendered, and truth is bound by blood and magic. It’s where we as the defendants stand.”
Holy shit. This is so intense that my knees threaten to buckle. I will kill Nico myself for not being here for this. Leaving me to face this alone.
We approach the outer edge of the Tribunal Circle, Renzo on my left and Luca on my right. Both brothers are dressed in formal attire—dark, tailored suits edged with the Valdici crest in deep green embroidery. I remind myself that they are here as my protectors, to be my voice while Nico is missing. These are my brothers-in-law, after all. Both of them radiate tension barely held in check. Not exactly confidence-inspiring.
To the right side of the circle—opposite me and the Valdicis—is a tall, curved bench carved from obsidian. A woman is sitting there. She’s dressed in velvet robes lined in orange.
“Who is she?” I breathe.
Renzo answers softly. “Lady Sivara Draethe, Malrick’s appointed representative.”
I look around but don’t see Malrick. “Where is he?”
“Good question,” Renzo replies. He looks at Luca. “I don’t like it. He should be here. Him not showing is a mark against his claim.”
“Isn’t that good for us?” I ask.
Renzo hesitates. “Yes, but it makes me wonder what the hell he’s up to.”
I stare at the woman across from us. “What did you say her name is again?” She looks young, but I know that doesn’t mean anything. She has a cold, flawless beauty, like her skin wascarved out of alabaster. Her hair is an icy platinum, cut bluntly at her chin.
Luca nods. “Lady Sivara Draethe. She’s from a very old family. She’s around eight hundred years old herself. I believe.”
Great. “Is she any good?” I ask, hoping against hope that she isn’t as competent as she looks. I realize it’s not her robes that I find so intimidating. It’s her eyes. They are pale lavender and glowing faintly, as if she’s a conduit of pure energy, able to unleash it on demand. When she speaks, her voice is low and musical, but somehow still cold.
Renzo frowns. “She’s excellent. Sivara is known in the magickal realm as the Widow of the Pale Court, a vampire who once ruled her own minor house before aligning herself with Malrick for reasons known only to her. Her presence at this tribunal is no accident—she’s as ruthless as she is beautiful. Malrick chose well.”
My stomach plummets, and I wrap my arms around myself. Was this just a dream, a nightmare, I’d be able to wake up from if I just pinch myself?. I realize that I want Nico here very badly, despite the truth that he left me to face this alone. However, I know having him here wouldn’t change anything. I try to marshal my thoughts. I have to get through this. Just survive. That’s it.You can do it,I tell myself, but I have serious doubts. Nothing about this makes me feel like I’m going to survive. Nothing.
The room goes eerily quiet, not that it was loud before. The enchanted torches hiss softly, and the faint pulse of magick beneath the Tribunal Circle beats like a second heart. I feel watched, measured. My head starts to pound.
“What is that hum?” I ask Renzo.
He shakes his head. “I’ve no idea.”
One of the vampire kings—perhaps the eldest, draped in a cloak the color of dried blood—clears his throat and says, “Letthe matter of the Valdici union and the claim of Comescu’s house be heard.”
Sivara’s eyes flick to me with a calculating smile. “Thank you, your majesty,” she says as she stands. “It is our intention to prove that Malrick Comescu was promised Ms. Luna Benedetti’s hand in marriage well before she married Niccolo Valdici. By marrying her, he has broken the sacred contract that was signed by Ms. Benedetti’s parents and thereby needs to be punished, and the marriage between them needs to be dissolved.”
The red king, at least that’s how I think of him since I don’t know names, asks, “Where is Malrick Comescu?”
