Then figure out what the fuck is going on with the keres.”
Ambrose didn’t seem in the mood for questions, but something had been nagging the back of Rosalind’s mind. She swallowed hard. “You seem protected here in Lilinor. Why are you so concerned with the Brotherhood?”
Ambrose surveyed her for so long, his shadowy aura snaking around him, that she wondered if he was about to lash out at her. Her chest clenched. At last he said, “The Brotherhood are learning to adapt. They don’t understand magic now. But I’ve lived long enough to know that things change.”
“I see,” Rosalind said. Perhaps he knew more than she did about the Brotherhood.
“I want to take Rosalind out of Lilinor,” Caine said. “If Queen Erish has soldiers loyal to her, Rosalind could be in danger.”
“Yes,” Ambrose said. “Take her to your tower. But before you do, I want you to find where Erish is keeping the keres.” His brow furrowed. “Kill them, if you must.” He glanced at Rosalind again, running a finger over her delicate, pearly crown before his gaze slid lower. “You look like a queen.”
“Not a queen,” Rosalind said, suddenly unsure if a crown was a breach of protocol. “More of a soldier.”
“Maybe, someday,” Ambrose said.
She wasn’t sure if he meant queen or soldier, but she didn’t want to ask.
Caine shot her a sharp look. “This soldier and I have work to do. I’ll report to you what we find down below the dungeons. And then we leave.”
Chapter 11
Caine led Rosalind down a narrow, straight stone stairwell at the very bottom of the fortress. In almost total darkness, she ran her fingers along the walls to steady herself. She quickly jerked them away when they ran over something slimy.
“Fond of Ambrose, were you?” Caine asked.
“What?”
“He seems taken with you.”
“Okay.” The air down here was damp and musty, full of dirt particles. “Can you do one of those light spells? It’s dark as hell down here.”
“You have no idea just how dark hell is,” he muttered, then whispered a spell, sparking a sphere that hovered just above their heads in the cramped space. It illuminating glistening stone walls, and a wooden door at the bottom of a long flight of stairs.
Caine was obviously in a weird mood, and she didn’t respond as they trudged down the stairs. Quiet fell upon them, interrupted only by a rhythmic dripping noise.
At the bottom of the stairs, Caine chanted another spell, and the deadbolts on the door unlocked with a creak. The heavy door groaned open, revealing an arched stone corridor lit by torches. About fifty feet away, two armed vampire guards stood shoulder to shoulder.
Caine shot her a quick look. “There will be a lot of iron down here. If we need to use magic, it won’t be very powerful. So let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“I would rely on my weapons and armor, but you had me dress in transparent tulle so I could look pretty for the king.”
“If I remember correctly, you’re perfectly adept at fighting naked.”
As they walked, shrieks echoed from further down the hall. They drew closer to the guards, who looked like inverted images of each other: one with tan skin and a shock of white hair, the other raven-haired and pale as moonlight. Only their stony expressions matched.
Rosalind narrowed her eyes at the pair. After what she’d seen upstairs, she wanted to warn them to do whatever Caine asked if they knew what was good for them.
Caine stalked closer to them, staring down at one of the guards. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Queen Erish down here recently.”
The white-haired guard didn’t meet Caine’s gaze. “No, sir.”
Caine tilted his head. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re lying?”
The vampire’s hands began to tremble. “The queen protects all shadow demons, sir.”
“The queen protects herself,” Caine said. “Tell me what you know about the keres.”
Nervously, the guard met Caine’s gaze.
Ambrose didn’t seem in the mood for questions, but something had been nagging the back of Rosalind’s mind. She swallowed hard. “You seem protected here in Lilinor. Why are you so concerned with the Brotherhood?”
Ambrose surveyed her for so long, his shadowy aura snaking around him, that she wondered if he was about to lash out at her. Her chest clenched. At last he said, “The Brotherhood are learning to adapt. They don’t understand magic now. But I’ve lived long enough to know that things change.”
“I see,” Rosalind said. Perhaps he knew more than she did about the Brotherhood.
“I want to take Rosalind out of Lilinor,” Caine said. “If Queen Erish has soldiers loyal to her, Rosalind could be in danger.”
“Yes,” Ambrose said. “Take her to your tower. But before you do, I want you to find where Erish is keeping the keres.” His brow furrowed. “Kill them, if you must.” He glanced at Rosalind again, running a finger over her delicate, pearly crown before his gaze slid lower. “You look like a queen.”
“Not a queen,” Rosalind said, suddenly unsure if a crown was a breach of protocol. “More of a soldier.”
“Maybe, someday,” Ambrose said.
She wasn’t sure if he meant queen or soldier, but she didn’t want to ask.
Caine shot her a sharp look. “This soldier and I have work to do. I’ll report to you what we find down below the dungeons. And then we leave.”
Chapter 11
Caine led Rosalind down a narrow, straight stone stairwell at the very bottom of the fortress. In almost total darkness, she ran her fingers along the walls to steady herself. She quickly jerked them away when they ran over something slimy.
“Fond of Ambrose, were you?” Caine asked.
“What?”
“He seems taken with you.”
“Okay.” The air down here was damp and musty, full of dirt particles. “Can you do one of those light spells? It’s dark as hell down here.”
“You have no idea just how dark hell is,” he muttered, then whispered a spell, sparking a sphere that hovered just above their heads in the cramped space. It illuminating glistening stone walls, and a wooden door at the bottom of a long flight of stairs.
Caine was obviously in a weird mood, and she didn’t respond as they trudged down the stairs. Quiet fell upon them, interrupted only by a rhythmic dripping noise.
At the bottom of the stairs, Caine chanted another spell, and the deadbolts on the door unlocked with a creak. The heavy door groaned open, revealing an arched stone corridor lit by torches. About fifty feet away, two armed vampire guards stood shoulder to shoulder.
Caine shot her a quick look. “There will be a lot of iron down here. If we need to use magic, it won’t be very powerful. So let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“I would rely on my weapons and armor, but you had me dress in transparent tulle so I could look pretty for the king.”
“If I remember correctly, you’re perfectly adept at fighting naked.”
As they walked, shrieks echoed from further down the hall. They drew closer to the guards, who looked like inverted images of each other: one with tan skin and a shock of white hair, the other raven-haired and pale as moonlight. Only their stony expressions matched.
Rosalind narrowed her eyes at the pair. After what she’d seen upstairs, she wanted to warn them to do whatever Caine asked if they knew what was good for them.
Caine stalked closer to them, staring down at one of the guards. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Queen Erish down here recently.”
The white-haired guard didn’t meet Caine’s gaze. “No, sir.”
Caine tilted his head. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re lying?”
The vampire’s hands began to tremble. “The queen protects all shadow demons, sir.”
“The queen protects herself,” Caine said. “Tell me what you know about the keres.”
Nervously, the guard met Caine’s gaze.
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