A Violet Fire (Vampires in Avignon #1) - Kelsey Quick Page 0,86

Isshar, isn’t it?”

I smile and nod at her good-spirit while replacing a few loosened strands of hair behind my ear. “How was the journey for you, Ceti?”

“Honestly, pretty dull, but I cannot complain,” she admits as she carries a set of robes toward me. “I always love attending Isshar’s banquets.”

“Are they fun?” I stand and reluctantly allow Ceti to untie my robes.

“Oh, most certainly! Not for the council during their conferences, of course, but the meals and recreation gives us servants a nice change of pace. Supply units too, I suppose!”

“I suppose,” I parrot as my castle attire falls to the floor.

She smiles—long lips the color of her dress—as she layers me up. “These ceremonial robes are very special, Wavorly. It is imperative that you do not remove any articles while you are outside of Amaorin’s castle.”

That’s right. Isshar is the capital of Cain, and its province is protected by Amaorin—the most highly regarded of the five rulers.

The robes are something of a different world. Brilliant, crimson red silk with rubies accentuating the length of the remarkable embroidery. The pyramid-cut crystals fan down and across the breadth of my back and arms, while the masterful stitching cradles each jewel in swirls of gold leaves and branches—like a tree holding precious fruit. A crimson ribbon, much like the one at Zein’s castle, is tied around my neck, hiding the puncture scars as to “alleviate temptation from others who covet my blood,” according to Ceti—which makes me scowl. Upon my scalp, she places a bronze headband, decorated with pearls and metal fronds—like an olive branch—with a dark red veil attached that reaches from ear to ear, falling to the middle of my neck. The only opening is in the eyes.

“Tradition speaks within the hearts of our citizens, Wavorly. Until you enter the castle, no one is allowed to see your face.”

My heart skips a beat when I think of the masked soldier who had watched me through the window as we passed in the chariot. Had he seen my face?

“Wavorly?” she questions.

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good,” she says, analyzing her work. “I want you to know that I will take care to ensure nothing will happen to you here. You will be safe, from all sides.”

I smile. “Thank you Madam Ceti.”

“Now, let’s go find your friends. Lord Zein has already left to prepare for the entrance ceremony.”

We step outside, well, barely. The gilded shoes I am required to wear make me about six inches taller, which all but guarantees complications. The other supply units are farther down the line, as well as a separate party of advisors and servants that consist of no one I recognize except for Narref and Gemini. The human girls talk among themselves until Glera notices me.

“Hey Wavorly,” she says, turning the group’s attention to me. They all seem to smile behind their veils except for Anaya. Even Gemini and Narref acknowledge my presence.

“Hi,” I reply as Savvy runs over.

She is as beautiful as always, and her new ceremonial robes only add to that trait.

“I was hoping to talk to you while in flight, but of course you had to be put into a different chariot!” Savvy grumbles when she hugs me, causing me to nearly fall over. These damned shoes.

“…I have something to tell you,” she cuts her voice to a whisper.

I’m taken aback but I respond beneath my breath. “Me too.”

The rest of the group breaks into our huddle. Savvy and I quickly avert our attention. Whatever she has to say, she wants only me to hear, which isn’t at all like her.

“Now that you’re here,” Anaya mutters, avoiding eye contact with me all while clearing her throat and crossing her arms. “For everyone who hasn’t been summoned to Isshar before, this is the blockade for the supply unit and servant entrance into the Castle of Cain.”

She points disinterestedly upward, over four tall muraled walls that encompass us, and out toward the structure in the near distance. The magnificent castle is large enough to see even from behind the blockade. Twists of stairways that lead to several floors, windows, and pointed buttresses are scattered uniformly across the horizon. And at the very top, in the middle of two fortified towers is a gigantic, steel rendition of Cain’s emblem: the upside-down triangle with a diamond-like crystal on its plane.

“We are about to enter through here.” She motions to a cellar-like tunnel entrance at the far end of our enclosure. It reminds me briefly of the one from my house