Page 66 of Enchanted Kisses
His eyes held mine. “Our kind isn’t affected by the weather.”
“Really?” I smiled. Finally, a sign that showed I had a power—even if it was only resistance to weather.
Dagan smiled, too. “That answers that.”
Comprehension clipped the boastful moment.He knows what I am. The glamour didn’t work. “I’m not…like you,” I said, remembering I couldn’t lie.
“No, you are not.” Long, cold fingers curled over my hand and pulled me toward the castle entrance. “But you’re not mortal, either.”
Panic-induced sweat slid down my back as I trudged through packed snow, Dagan leading the way.
How had I gotten myself into this mess? Worse, what if this was it for me? What if I never saw Dad, Caiden, Raysa, or home again?
“You could have at least let me get my shoes.” I stared at my bare feet, fighting the urge to cry.
Dagan stopped and let go of my hand. “I can give you whatever you want.”
I hugged myself. “I want to go home.”
“Home? Or back to Caiden?” Something like anger flashed in his eyes, but then he drew in a breath and it was gone. “It doesn’t matter,” he said before I could answer, not that I’d planned to. “You’re here now. And I have something to show you. Indulge me, would you?” His tone was lighter and less creepy. He waved with a formal bow.
“Do I have a choice?” I shoved my hands into my pockets.
A trace of disappointment showed in his eyes. “You don’t have to fear me. I won’t hurt you, and I apologize for my earlier playful behavior.”
“Playful?”
“It was before I knew about you.” He stared in a way that made me uncomfortable, as if he were checking me out.
I felt the urge to pull my hair over my shoulders and hide. Why was he looking at me like helikedme? More tricks had to be why. He didn’t really know what I was. He couldn’t, and this was his way of getting me to confess. It wouldn’t work.
He held out his hand and dipped his head close to my face. “Don’t I deserve a chance to make amends?” Here, his clove breath warmed the air.
I shivered, recalling the last sentence of the prophecy—For his light will grow strong, and his offenses amend.I placed my hand on his icy palm.
His cold fingers wrapped over my skin gently, and I walked beside him to the entrance. The castle doubled in size as we approached. We entered beneath an arch and passed through a snowy courtyard filled with ice sculptures, similar to the topiaries at the manor. Some stood on pillars while others were scattered across the ground.
Red and white flowers peeked through patches of snow. Icicles crystallized black winding branches of tall bare trees, and evergreens perfumed the air. Caiden had never mentioned a gothic winter wonderland in his stories.
Dagan led me through two large wooden doors. “Not what you expected?”
Inside, the castle carried the same medieval feel, apart from the ginormous arched window at the far end—easily two stories high. Beyond it, mountain peaks stretched for miles.
“Wow,” I whispered in awe.
“You like it?” Dagan sounded surprised. He studied me as I viewed everything, turning to see all the way around the large room.
Black candelabras hung from high domed ceilings. Monochromatic tapestries decorated the gray stone walls. The steely color scheme continued onto the slate floors. The only warmth came from the scent of cinnamon sweetening the air.
Caiden had portrayed the Realm of Death as cold and dark. I would describe it as lifeless but luxurious. Maybe that’s why they partied so much. But then, there weren’t any sounds of a celebration. Were Dagan and I the only two here?
“Is it always this quiet and empty?” I asked.
“In this part of the castle, yes. Death Sentries aren’t allowed in this wing. And most are still sleeping off last night’s festivities.” His eyes focused on large mahogany doors to our right.
A deep voice bellowed from the other side of them, followed by a crashing sound, as if something large had broken.
I tensed.
