The Courtship
Boundless darkness surrounded me, encroaching slowly as I frantically searched for any sign of light or life in the void. But the nothingness was so vast, it swallowed any hope of escape.
The heavy, obsidian blanket came to life, wrapping itself around me. Sliding across my skin, up my arms, down my throat. Each inhale became more strained from the thick invader. It pulled me below the surface, into its barren void. I was drowning in the inescapable darkness.
Down. Down, from the intangible surface and the endless night. Through the grass, gravel, and dirt. Earth surrounded me until I fell into a dark opening, a cavern deep beneath the hive. The floor moved and swirled like thick ink spilled into a shallow puddle.
As I fell closer, descending into the unknown, I could discern semblances of shapes. Barely. They were…like me. Specters, clawing and crawling around the space. Taking up every inch except the very center.
Chains, clanking and grinding against each other, quickened as one, three, seven of them turned up to watch me fall.
No, they were…returning. Returning to what felt like home.
The shades reached up, their extended hands formed into ghostly talons just like mine.
I flailed, not ready for death. Not ready to be lost here in this dark, subterranean prison.
I shouted, clawing fruitlessly at the air until…
“Reyva. Reyva, come back.” Concerned green eyes searched mine as I awoke from the nightmare. Relief intermixed with the forest hues as he sighed, “There you are.”
I’m not alone. I’m not alone. I’m not alone.
“No. You’re not alone. I’m here.” Rhazien wrapped me into his protective embrace and gently stroked my hair.
I hadn’t realized I’d said anything out loud.
The smell of sweat and sex stained the sheets and our skin. A heavy exhale left me as I took in the muted colors of my room. It was dark, but not the deep nothingness that had overcome me in my sleep.
No living darkness in sight, just the last of the prior evening’s embers and their dying red glow. And him.
I shuddered before nuzzling myself deeper into the nest of soft sheets and his muscled arms.
“I should stoke the fire,” he suggested as he ran his fingers through my loose hair.
“No. Stay.” I squeezed him tighter. “That feels nice.”
“How about this?” I melted further into him as his fingers expanded and contracted across my scalp. If I were a cat, I would be purring.
“Mmmm.” He chuckled.
The moment felt so wholesome and normal, not at all like I’d just given myself to an immortal royal. I shoved the thought deep, deep down. No. Right now, we were just a normal couple. A normal naked couple.
“You’re going to put me back to sleep,” I grumbled against his bare chest.
“Would that be so terrible?” he asked in a gravelly whisper and planted a kiss in my hair.
Yes, I thought—considering for a moment to keep my fear to myself—but instead, softly admitted, “I don’t want to go back to that dream.”
He planted a kiss on my temple and held me tighter, as if to apologize for the night terror.
“It was the shade,” I explained. “But, not just one. Many. Dozens beneath the Hive.”
Rhazien tipped his head down to me. “What else was in your dream?”
“A tomb. With a single stone casket.”
The pillow sank as Rhazien relaxed again. “Curious.”
“What is?”
“There’s no way you could know but…” He pulled me tighter and I nuzzled into his side. “You’re describing the den. A place deep within the mountain where the shades are contained.”
My hand roamed over Rhazien’s broad chest, drawing lazy circles over the bare mounds and dips. “How did it get out?”
“Hm?”
“From the den. How did it get to the Moon Garden?”
“Ah,” he said, capturing my hand. “That was the urgent business Dommik mentioned. A wardweaver—they’re descendants of the Original sister, Aveen—was attacked. We’re lucky only one escaped.”
Rhazien radiated warmth, but I shivered as I thought of the devastation dozens of malicious shades would inflict on the Hive.
I licked my lips and asked, “Are they well? The wardweaver.”
The regent looked down at me, admiration glinting in his green irises. He squeezed my hand and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Yes, my jewel. They’re shaken, but they’ll recover. And we’ll get to the bottom of what happened. I promise.”
My thoughts bounced from the shade, to the wardweaver, to Aveen, and finally, Rhazien’s maker, Lorana.
Curled in the comfort of his embrace, I remembered there was still something he wanted from me.
Something I had briefly forgotten about in our swirl of passion.
I turned over the task soon to become my responsibility—locating the mysterious stone that would help avoid a future war between vampiric hives.
The weight of success, and worse, failure pressed into me.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he prompted after a moment of comfortable silence. I considered asking him about the war and the shade, but I didn't want to pollute our happy bubble. I could live here a while longer, so I let it be.
“I’m just happy you didn’t leave,” I admitted, bracing myself for him to do just that. He always seemed to be leaving.
“I’m happy you didn’t kick me out.” He chuckled.
I propped my chin on his chest. “I wasn’t aware I had the power to do that.”
“Well, Lady Reyva—” blankets fell away as I placed myself fully on top of him “—you have a lot more power than you realize.”
I liked the sound of that.
“Is that so… Majesty?” I rolled my hips over his growing length, encouraging it into action.
The regent’s fangs slid into view and his stare darkened as I ran my hands through my messy mane, stretching my bare middle and accentuating my breasts.
“Reyva, I mean to court you…” He claimed my hips, stilling them. “And I need to feed soon.”
Right. He needed blood. Dread settled in the base of my neck as I wondered where his supply came from.
The feeling shifted into sickening jealousy as I imagined him buried in the neck of some beauty, feeding as he ravaged her.
Her imaginary full lips spread open, moaning in pleasure as she filled him with sustenance.
My unexpected envy at the apparition inspired me to say something that surprised both of us, “Have me.”
His eyes went wide, darting from my flexed wrist back to my gaze. “You don’t understand what you’re offering.”
He was right. I thought this was a simple transaction. Blood for sex. What was I missing?
Rhazien sat upright and took my face into his hands. “The jewel of the Hive. My jewel.” I closed my eyes as he gave me a firm, deep kiss. “I’ll explain everything over breakfast.”
In my short time at the Hive, I had seen Alba complete her work with an efficiency and stealth that could qualify her as a most lethal spy.
But this evening, she lingered, dusting already clean surfaces and tending to arrangements of fresh lilies.
All in the name of watching Rhazien Kyrell attend to me like he was common staff.
The royal formalities from the ball were so far removed from the man in front of me now. No jewels or crown, no shirt, and pants only because I had insisted. The loose black fabric hugged the curve of his waist and I had to fight to keep my eyes focused on features above his neck.
He was burly and beautiful and mine.
Rhazien pulled out my chair, placed a napkin on my lap, and poured me fresh juice—he was overdoing it.
But I let him. A younger version of myself was vibrating with delight at the level of care and attention from a handsome and powerful ruler.
Plus, his blood still hummed in my veins, painfully aware of the distance of my skin from his fangs.
I exchanged a glance with Alba when Rhazien took the liberty of scraping butter across freshly toasted bread for me. “No, no. Allow me. Please,” he’d said as I’d reached to do anything. My chambermaid’s eyes twinkled with wonder between the ribbons of gray fabric.
There was no choice but to submit to his wishes. Rhazien may have noticed, but didn’t relent. He simply tied half of his hair into a bun, surveyed his work at the table filled with colorful foods, and asked, “What else?”
“What else?” I stifled a laugh as I gestured to the spread. “I think everything from the kitchen is on this table.”
A triumphant smile spread across his speckled gray stubble. “Nothing else, then. Good. Good.”
I nodded before helping myself to the freshly squeezed juice and bacon. Flavors exploded across my taste buds. Rhazien’s blood heightened the potency of each savory mouthful. It was as if I’d never experienced bacon before this moment and I helped myself to seconds…and thirds.
We turned to a polite, rhythmic knock at my chamber door. Gray robes swiftly crossed to greet the visitor.
Gorvin entered, then paused at the sight of a shirtless Rhazien, who was proactively refilling my goblet. His expression was, as usual, unreadable. It was his loss for words that gave him away.
“Gorvin, how are you faring today? Didn’t get into too much trouble last night, did you?” Rhazien rested his ankle on his knee and settled further into the chair.
While Rhazien made himself more comfortable, I was less so. The short, silk robe barely covered my legs. To Gorvin’s vampire eyes, I was likely the picture of guilt. Rhazien’s traces would be all over me.
Something like amusement or even genuine happiness flashed across Gorvin’s normally statuesque presence. “I—as always—was a model citizen and an example of our community of the Hive, but the same cannot be said for others in your court.”
Gorvin tapped at a hefty stack of parchment tucked under his arm.
Rhazien sighed and stole a glance in my direction, weighing his responsibilities against his promises to me. “Prioritize offenses by gravity. We’ll discuss later.”
The dutiful steward placed the pile of missives before his regent and said, “Already done. Review at your leisure, Majesty.” After a sweeping bow, Gorvin turned and ushered a loitering Alba with him.