again. Tempted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, I clutched Gavin’s hand so tight that if he had circulation, I was sure I’d be cutting it off.
He swung open the tall arched doors and our tiny flock moved in, straight ahead to the raised throne, where Samira casually sat, staring at us, smug and relaxed.
“Hello my pets,” her Russian accent purred, captivating me instantly. “What a glorious, dramatic display.” She chuckled softly, her gaze directed at Gavin. His eyes met hers, stern and determined. “This is most certainly entertaining, but you shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble.”
“Your Majesty.” Gavin discreetly moved me behind him as he approached the throne steps. Samira remained still as stone, her thin, elegant arms draped on either side of her, sharp red nails gently tapping the armrests. Her raven locks sat disheveled atop her statuesque head; her chin turned down, eyes revealing a tinge of irritation that betrayed her normally easy demeanor. I immediately spotted the wolves behind her, positioned near the blazing fireplace.
“I do believe you owe me a new castle wall, Mr. Devereux. The highest tower, if I recall.” She arched an eyebrow and slightly lifted her chin, a wicked grin spreading across her lips. “Shall I put you and your friends to work? I haven’t had the luxury of hiring a redecorator since you plowed through it.”
Of course she would mention the castle tower wall, the one Gavin and I destroyed in haste during our bold escape. As if she really needed to remind us of her displeasure? Hearing the threat in her coy challenge, I wondered if repairing the wall would be so terrible compared to what she was actually about to do to us.
5
RUSSIAN ROULETTE
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Samira finally stood, adjusted her gown’s train and floated down the steps to meet Gavin face-to-face. My palms were sweating, my heart pounded, yet, as her exquisite face grew closer, I was drawn to her aura, mesmerized by her movements: Her deep satin corset swayed against her svelte waist as she walked; those dagger nails danced through the air, as if playing with some unseen toy. I looked into her hypnotic, ice-blue eyes and couldn’t picture her as a grief-stricken mother—Arianna’s mother—no matter how hard I tried.
“I apologize for … the wall.” Gavin cleared his throat, slightly bowed his head as she stationed herself in front of him. “But I’m a man of my word. I will honor our agreement, and my servitude. I simply couldn’t let you harm Camille, as I’m sure you understand. I didn’t intend to flee like that.”
“I don’t believe that was your decision to make, Mr. Devereux.” Her eyes narrowed but her smile remained smug. “Camille and I also had an agreement.” She shifted arctic eyes to mine momentarily and I stopped breathing, my throat tight. “And I was under the impression you were through with her. Is that not what you told me when you were here last? I thought you were a man of your word.”
I didn’t move, afraid to look over my shoulder, at the others. From the silence behind me, no one else was moving either. The tension in the air felt thick, torturing. Wasn’t she going to mention the magic? Wasn’t she surprised at all by our protection spell? My mind raced with endless questions and I squirmed under my skin, despite knowing the same force that surrounded my friends also protected me.
“A man of his word can change his mind.” Gavin answered, gripping the tips of my fingers as he spoke. “So I’m here to renegotiate. On my terms.”
“Careful, Mr. Devereux,” she scolded, surveyed the vampires behind us. “Lest you forget who you are speaking to.”
“The magic we’ve used to protect ourselves and the size of our group is in no way meant to disrespect you, Your Majesty. It is simply insurance.”
“Bold like your father, I see.” Samira inhaled, extended her nails to find the edge of the invisible hedge that protected us. Her hand jumped when she felt the jolt, her eyes narrowed as she recoiled her fingers. “You never cease to surprise me. What are these terms of yours, my pet?”
“I vow to honor our agreement, to serve you as discussed. But Camille and my friends here accompany me through the gates … where we will be left unharmed, and unchanged.”
Samira’s eyebrows jumped. “Well this is certainly a turn of events.” She returned to her throne, circled the altar while she alternated