Page 17 of Blackwarden
I paused, letting his words sink in. After testing the Gatehouse, I was coming to believe him when he spoke of his home as a sentient being. A tickle of unease at being completely surrounded by magic bloomed goosebumps down my arms. I rubbed them away, which didn’t go unnoticed.
“Are you cold?” Keres moved like a wave over the shadows that oozed from the corners of the room. He swept an arm over his horns, wispy strands of darkness wove together until he held a black velvet cloak out to me. “Here.”
He didn’t wait for me to respond before he draped the cloak over my shoulders, stooping to fasten it in the front with a silverbrooch shaped like a serpent. His face was mere inches away from me. As he straightened his eyes slid to mine, a heavy intensity as he watched me. I was too stunned by his closeness to tell him I wasn’t cold.
I was going to thank him but paused. Some tiny memory that I should never thank a Fae—should never owe them any favors—trapped my words behind my teeth. He stepped away, as if noticing how close he was, and back toward the door.
“I hope this satiates some of your curiosity for now,” he said, as he bowed and left without another word.
I was frozen in place, staring at the open door where he’d just passed through. He’d been so gentle, and then he was gone, like the shadows. It left me with nothing but more questions.
Chapter 8 ~ Consequences
Rosalin
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So. Many. Books.
My small village library was tiny compared to this. I didn’t know where to start. I wandered to the nearest shelf, letting my fingers drag along the spines at eye level. After being trapped in a strange cycle of fear and sorrow, this seemed unreal. I traced the letters on one of the spines with my index finger to prove to myself the books were truly there. That this wasn’t some elaborate trick of dark magic. Slipping one from the shelf, I lay the book open across my hand, lifting the pages to my nose and taking a deep breath. It was musty earth and leather and the hint of vanilla. My eyes slipped closed, shoulders sagging, as I relaxed for the first time since I’d been shoved into the carriage.
After what seemed like several minutes, I opened my eyes again and was thrust back into the moment. As much as I would have loved to remain lost in the worlds these books had to offer, there was a strange hum of magic reminding me I couldn’t. I was only passing through. I was in the library of the mysterious Gatehouse, the home of Keres, a Dark Fae. And I needed to get to work.
I took an inordinate amount of time reviewing the shelves of books before I began rummaging through the desk drawers, then the cupboards along the far wall, hoping I’d find something that might help me understand what exactly was going on in this place. Every moment seemed strange, every detail just a little off. And then there was Keres and his refusal to answer most of my questions. It was almost as if hecouldn’tanswer them.
There was something bigger going on here and I needed to know if it was Dark Fae magic or something stronger. The more I thought about it, the more I was certain there was a curse at work. Whatever it was, there were too many questions Keres was unwilling to answer, and I needed to figure out why. Even if what I found just confirmed my suspicions.
“What are you looking for?”
I jumped, smacking my head as I yanked it from one of the cupboards. I wasn’t sure what I expected to find when I met Keres’ dark eyes. Anger or confusion, but certainly not amusement. Heat rose into my cheeks. I couldn’t figure him out. One moment he was as cold as the black stone, the next he was endearing, soft, approachable.
“I’m uh...”
“I assure you, there’s nothing but dusty books and stationery down there,” he said, as he leaned against the arm of a nearby chair, dark eyes glittering with amusement.
But I already knew this. That’s exactly what I was looking for. A dusty book that would give me the answers he refused to share.
I stood up straight, mustering my bravery, which was more difficult than usual. I hated to disturb the amicable friendliness growing between us, and I knew as soon as I said what I needed to I’d be staring at the cold Keres. The one that scared me—the one who was not amused by my questions and didn’t have the patience to deal with a human. I swallowed hard, hoping my bravery wouldn’t fail me.
“I’m trying to figure out this curse.”
A flash of something crossed his face. Fear? I wasn’t sure, but he smothered it with a smirk.
“What makes you think there’s a curse?”
I swallowed the anger that sparked to life in my chest. We’d circled so many topics already with his evasiveness. Why wouldn’t he just answer my questions? My hands fell to my hips. I might have practiced more restraint if I’d taken the tightness in his jaw and the arch to his eyebrows more seriously. But I was feeling particularly confident. If I was going to be dragged to the Unseelie Court, I wanted to know everything.
“The magic of this place for one. Or maybe the way you dodge every question I’ve asked with another question. Or the way you leave without answering at all.” I glanced at the brazier before returning my gaze back to him. “It’s as if you aren’tallowedto answer.”
My suspicions were growing and only being confirmed by the way his eyes grew wide as he dropped his arms to his sides. He looked...terrified. Truly worried by the words tumbling from me.
And I loved it.
“Like someone has ordered you to keep me ignorant,” I said, as I took confident steps toward him, a smile on the edges of my lips. “Or they’ve made it so you can’t say certain things. Maybe it’s not a curse, but it’s something.”
I pushed past him, leaving him staring straight ahead at the cupboard, muscles tense in his shoulders. I dared to glance back. His slender fingers pushed the cupboard door closed slowly, as though his limbs were encased in syrup. I couldn’t stand to stay in that room another second. I’d crack if he failed to answer any more of my questions, and a strange, simmering vengeful giddiness threatened to erupt from my skin if I didn’t remove myself from his presence that instant.
I rushed from the library, the only sound was my hurried steps on the stone tile as I forced my legs to walk and not run. I needed to get back to the safety of my room before I said more. The hall felt twice as long as usual, my heart pounding in my ears.My salvation was the pesky brazier that always burned outside my door. But as if I’d blinked and missed the moment it happened, he stepped from the shadows and leaned casually against my door. He gazed down at his shoes, radiating with the swagger of a male who knew exactly how attractive he was.
