we’d stuck to our original discussion, already making plans to go invisible and explore the palace one of these nights.
Throughout the evening, I kept stealing glances at Kalon. I couldn’t help myself. There was just something about him that warranted an in-depth investigation. Of course, his physical appeal played a huge part in my fascination, but I had also begun to wonder what he was hiding beneath that arrogant playboy façade. I’d heard good things about him from Zurah, my handmaiden, but I still couldn’t let go of the possibility that he had his hands in some pretty nasty pies. Creatures like him had a tendency to fit into a particular pattern, and I was rarely wrong about this.
I spent the night tossing and turning in my giant bed, listening to the songs of nocturnal birds outside my window. I wondered about the Aeternae, the Rimians and the Naloreans, and this so-called balance they claimed to have achieved. I thought about the blood farms and how the people were treated there. The origin of the Aeternae, too. Where did they come from? How had they developed to this stage?
Did they have something in common with the Elders of Cruor, somehow, or were they simply a separate species, superior to our vampires through their ability to walk in the sunlight? Danika had suggested running some blood tests to ascertain the similarities and differences between our species, and I knew Amal was more than ready and willing to do them. It would take some days, at least, to get conclusive results, but I was already dying to better understand where we stood, next to the Aeternae, unable to shake off the thought that maybe we were related in some way, no matter how small.
Kalon invited us to watch a tournament in the Blood Arena in the morning, which made it all the more difficult for me to actually catch even the tiniest of Zs. As the sun rose through the hazy sky, I smiled, thankful to Zurah for having pulled the semi-transparent curtains, shielding my bedroom windows from direct sunlight. Shortly before breakfast, she came to my chambers with a new dress for the day.
While I wasn’t exactly comfortable with wearing dresses on a regular basis, I wanted to adhere to the local styles so I could blend in better. Today’s outfit was a chic and elegant combination of a full gray skirt with a softer crinoline underneath, a white shirt with collar ruffles, and a matching gray jacket with velvety laces, which Zurah tied in a neat pattern, creating a beautiful overall effect.
“I think you’ll enjoy the Blood Arena,” she said, as she pulled my hair into a tight bun at the top of my head, adding a smidge of fragranced oils to keep it smooth and shiny and light. She fitted a small hat on the side, with silk flowers and colorful beads and lace ribbons. “While I’m not a fan of violent sports, I do appreciate their rules.”
“What rules?” I asked.
She applied a delicate pearl powder to my skin, which illuminated my expression and allowed the following layer of peach blush to stand out. “There are no claws or fangs allowed in the tournaments,” she replied, dabbing a finger in a thick and soft red wax, which she then spread over my lips. It smelled of sweet roses, and I had to admit… their natural beauty tricks were charming and enticing. “Only weapons and physical strength.”
“That’s interesting,” I murmured, admiring myself in the mirror, while Zurah mounted a mother-of-pearl brooch on a silver inlay at the base of my neck, making it seem as though the lace ruffles poured out from it. Again, I recognized echoes of English Victorian fashion, wondering if there was some sort of collective style consciousness that went past the confines of time and space. There were just so many things here that I’d already seen on Earth, as well as in Eritopia and other parts of the In-Between and the Supernatural Dimension.
“I believe Lord Visentis invited you?”
I nodded. “He did, yes.”
“He’ll tell you more about the tournaments and their history, since he’s one of the greatest champions of the Blood Arena.” She giggled, fitting a pair of low-heeled boots on my feet. “Oh, I brought you these, as well, to shield you from the sun.”
Zurah brought out a short velvet cape with a large, stiff hood, big enough to cover my head and keep me under a decent shade. She’d added a gray linen