Chapter 3 #2
“I have a question.” I clasped my hands in my lap to hide their trembling and leaned forward slightly.
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to me.
“You are the most powerful in your respective groups. Why didn’t you remove Lilith yourselves?
Why did it take my brother, whose blood also runs through my veins, to end her reign? ”
The vampire’s scowl deepened, his fangs gleaming as his lip curled. “Why did you run if you are so certain your blood makes you worthy of a seat at this table?”
His words struck at my deepest insecurities, the doubts that had plagued me for centuries.
Why had I run? Because I was afraid. Because I was weak.
Because I had no powers to fight with and no strength to draw upon.
Because my brother had ordered me to. But none of those answers would impress the council.
I rose to my feet, hiding and running no longer pressing down on my shoulders. “I intend to make Inferna the home it once was. The darkness is growing, and if we don’t manage it, it will consume us all.”
With those words hanging in the air, I turned and walked toward Nico, every step away from that table feeling like a victory. Their faces were a mixture of shock, outrage, and grudging respect as Nico and I left the room together.
Once outside, I let out a shaky breath, and my hands trembled as the reality of what had happened sank in. I’d faced the council. I’d seen my brother. And for the first time in centuries, I’d stopped running.
Time was a funny thing. It felt like just yesterday I was sitting in my room, whittling a bar of soap when everything changed, not centuries ago.
Since Lilith was dead and all of her followers had either run or were locked away, I reclaimed my old bedroom. Nico tried to argue with me and say it wasn’t safe, but word of my return would spread fast, and the inn wouldn’t be any safer.
“Whoa, I’ve never seen so much color in one place before. This room must have cost a fortune to decorate.” Nico had walked in front of me, insisting that he check the room first before letting me in.
I sighed and looked around my old bedroom. It was the size of a small house, and the bed was large enough that two people could sleep with their arms spread wide, and there would still be enough space. It had a sitting area, an attached bathroom, and a desk where I had made my soap carvings.
The bedspread was a light pink, and the drapes were a deep burgundy color. I definitely couldn’t afford to have things made in those colors now.
“What did you expect?” I was incredibly frugal now, so I could see how my past tastes in decor were a bit jarring.
When I’d left with nothing but a bag of clothes, it had taken some getting used to not having everything I wanted. Fending for myself made me more grateful for what I had as a princess.
Although being a princess hadn’t always been fun, and in hindsight, it had been lonely. There had been endless formalities and carefully measured conversations where everyone said what they thought I wanted to hear, rather than anything honest. I’d existed in a bubble of isolation.
The colorful fabrics and expensive decorations had been a cold comfort during nights when I stared at the ceiling, wondering if anyone knew the real me. I had everything except genuine connection.
“At least I don’t have to worry about you kicking me in the middle of the night.” Nico dropped his bag in a chair, walked over to the bed, and flopped back onto it. “Holy shit, this is comfortable.”
“It doesn’t seem like anything has changed.” I walked over to my desk and ran my finger across the top. No dust. “It’s certainly cleaner than I left it.”
I walked over to the closet and opened the door. All of my clothes were still hanging inside. In fact, many of the dresses that I would wear to formal gatherings were in protective bags.
“Maybe one of the staff took care of the room for you.” Nico sat up and fixed his bun. “What do you think the council members are going to say about you staying in the castle?”
I shrugged and sat next to him. “Who cares what they have to say? They can’t make any decisions unless all the council members are present, and even then, they fear Reve.”
He took my hand in his and brushed his thumb over the side of my hand. He had a serious look on his face. “You know you have my support if you want to claim the throne, right?”
I bit my lip and looked at our clasped hands. My hand was much smaller than his and lacked the tattoos. I had never had the desire to brand my skin, and Nico more than made up for my lack of ink.
“Women don’t have a claim, you know that. I don’t even know if Taylor is alive or dead, or if he had children.” I stood and went to the window. “Right after you found me and took me to the elders, I sent a message to him, and he never responded.”
I was never as close to Taylor as I was to Reve. Taylor was always quiet and focused on his studies. When Lilith came, he was away at school. She would have gone after him too, and he had been less powerful than Reve.
Nico joined me at the window, wrapping his arms around my chest and putting his chin on the top of my head.
I leaned back against him, feeling the solid warmth of his body supporting mine.
I closed my eyes briefly, savoring the weight of his arms and the subtle scent of nuts that always clung to him.
It was moments like this, when he was affectionate without hesitation and when his touch felt so natural and right, that I didn’t understand why we couldn’t take our relationship to the next level. The question hung between us constantly, unspoken but persistent.
Enough time had passed since Becca’s death, and I’d promised her I would take care of him and get him to move on. I didn’t know if she had wanted it to be with me, but in my heart, I knew she would be happy.
If only Nico would see that living as a shell of himself was the last thing Becca had wanted.
It was hard for me, especially when I’d catch myself tracing the tattoos on his forearms with my fingertips. Sometimes I thought I could feel him wanting more too, in the way his breath would catch slightly when our eyes met, or how his hand would linger just a second too long when we touched.
He had an unwritten rule that he had never been brave enough to break.
I wondered if he even realized how contradictory his signals were.
He gave me everything except the one thing I truly wanted from him—his heart, fully present and accounted for, not just the carefully rationed pieces he allowed himself to share.