crocotta pack fell to his sides, following him in a seamless movement, scattering nymphs, fauns, and even what she could swear was an elf as they came to a gradual halt.
Diana barely had time to remove herself from Silvas’s back before they were set upon. Silvas stood naked among his court, his pale flanks visible among the crowd, no space to even dress himself in the clothing that was still packed with his armor. Although many of the throng acknowledged Diana’s presence and bowed to her, soon she was forcibly edged out until she stood alone with the crocottas.
Annoyed, Diana turned away from the sight and found a comfortable place to sit with the pack while Silvas dealt with his court. She was furious and… dejected. He had taken her as his mate. Now that they returned to the palace, she felt like she was once again a nobody—an intruder, for all that his court cared, save one excitable goblin. She knew that there was much that would demand his attention with what happened while they were away, but she couldn’t help but feel the bite of resentment toward those who forced her out so easily. She felt a small ripple of concern through their bond, but it was distracted at best.
A low whine met her ears, and she glanced over as Keena nudged her hand with her muzzle. A reluctant smile tugged her lips as she noticed that the giant crocotta was attempting to comfort her. Reaching forward, she rubbed her hands around Keena’s ears, and the large beast sighed. Keena settled down beside her, the crocotta’s large body angled to support Diana’s back while the rest of the pack dropped down to sprawl over the courtyard stones.
Leaning into Keena, Diana was determined to make herself comfortable and get some rest when a shadow fell over her. Glancing up, she scowled to find a familiar dryad standing over her. The female’s lips pinched together, a dark flush climbing her cheeks despite her attempts to look composed.
This had to be Alseida.
“The lucomo will be busy for the remainder of the day. I am to escort you to your chambers,” she said waspishly as she eyed the crocotta with obvious distaste. “Come with me.”
Shoved into a room. Of course.
Plastering a smile on her face, Diana stood, her fingers giving Keena one last pat before following the dryad into the dark, cool interior of the palace.
Chapter 30
Alseida led Diana through the labyrinth of halls within the palace. This time, fully aware of the nature of the place—of Arx, she reminded herself—Diana looked at her surroundings with interest. Every stone wall that dripped with moss and vines was an amazing part of the living structure and seemed to communicate to her in passing. The beauty of the corridors was almost enough to make up for the unpleasant company. She unfortunately couldn’t miss the looks of loathing that the dryad shot in her direction, though she pretended ignorance of the female’s bad temper.
The dryad practically growled as she opened a door that led into a familiar room. Diana recognized Silvas’s opulent chambers immediately. The only thing that was missing was the narrow door that would have led to the room she had been kept in. The door was gone. If nothing else, the palace itself recognized her place, and the walls of the room were blooming with beautiful fragrant flowers hanging in lush clusters from the vines that knotted over the walls.
The troll who’d been waiting just outside the room when they arrived hurried in after them. His arms laden with food and drink, he set them out upon the table with a quiet smile before hurrying over to the large stone hearth. The fire was very welcome. Diana sank into a chair as the room lit up with a cheerful light, the warmth working to knock the chill from the room. The male flushed at her murmured thanks before darting from the room, hastened out by Alseida’s glower.
Diana didn’t blame him. She suspected that if the dryad oversaw any of the staff in the palace that she was probably a terror to work for. Diana wouldn’t linger either. In fact, if she could escape the female herself, she would’ve jumped at the chance. Especially as Alseida suddenly loomed over her, her beautiful face twisted with anger, fangs gleaming. And she wasn’t alone.
A cluster of nymphs stood behind the dryad, each one just as beautiful as the next, and each female with a hard,