The Darkest Crown (The Eternal Darkness Duet #2)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I dreamed of Marius again. We were in a room with mosaic tile floors. The windows were open, and the curtains were blowing in the breeze. We were kissing passionately, when I heard footsteps approaching.

“It’s my father!” I whispered, pushing him away. “You must go!”

He kissed me one last time before rushing to an open window. He flashed me a grin as he climbed through, disappearing from sight.

W hen I woke the next night, a bevy of servants were waiting for me. There were interior decorators, with designs on their laptops, and fabric swatches for me to look through. There was a team of personal stylists with enough clothing to stock an entire boutique, and six female vampires applying for the position of my personal maid.

What did I know about decorating a castle, or hiring a maid? Everyone looked so hopeful, I didn’t have the heart to turn anyone down. I assured them all that positions would be found for them, then Allie and I closeted ourselves away with the stylists.

That was the fun part, at least for Allie. It reminded me of when Julian bought me all those fancy clothes, and thinking of him broke my heart. Then, I remembered when Adam took me shopping at Walmart. Walmart was nothing compared to Dior or Chanel, but it had meant something to me. Adam wasn’t rich like Julian, but he took care of me as best he could, and remembering my short time with him made me sad. I wondered if I’d ever see either of them again. I wondered if they were even still alive.

“Are you okay?” Allie asked, startling me. I looked at her, not realizing how long I’d been silent. The stylist women were all watching me nervously.

“Yes,” I said, forcing a smile. The women visibly relaxed, and continued to hold dresses up for me to see.

Several hours later, Allie and I were fitted with new wardrobes, and the women departed.

“Whew!” Allie exclaimed, flopping down on the bed. “That was exhausting!” She turned her head to look at me. “Are all vampires rich or something?”

I huffed. “No, just the one’s I get stuck with.”

She laughed, and I flopped down on the bed next to her. We chatted for a while, then Marius came and told me he wanted to speak with me. I tried to make excuses, saying my sister needed me, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

After leaving Allie, Marius told me he wanted us to spend some time together each night. He believed that if we talked about my old life, it would help me remember. I didn’t want to spend any time with him, especially alone, but I remembered Allie's words about playing along until his guard was down. So I sat quietly while he told me stories about his life with Phaedra before they became vampires.

Hearing him talk about his old life was unsettling. His stories were happy ones, and I found myself being drawn in by them. He was different when he talked about Phaedra. His face was softer, his smile wistful. I didn’t know if his stories were true, or if they were just deranged fantasies brought on by his insanity, but he obviously believed them.

It almost made me feel sorry for him, and I had to remind myself how cruel he was before he thought I was Phaedra. Maybe he really did have a wife long ago, but it wasn’t me. And I needed to get away from him before he realized that.

When dawn approached, he escorted me to my room. We walked in silence, and when we reached my door, he said goodnight and turned to go.

“Marius,” I called, stopping him. He turned and looked at me questioningly. My heart was pounding, fearing the reaction I'd get for what I was about to ask him. He titled his head, waiting.

“I want to ask you something,” I said quietly. “I want you to do something for me.”

Hope flared in his eyes. “ Anything.”

“Release my friends.”

His face instantly hardened. “Your lovers , you mean.”

“ Ex- lovers,” I said, refusing to back down, even though I was terrified of angering him.

His eyes flashed with fury. “I can’t believe you would ask this of me. You’re lucky I haven’t already killed them.” He stepped closer, backing me up against my door. “The thought of them touching you…”

He leaned over me and I forced myself not to shrink from him.

“But they will never touch me again,” I whispered. “I’m with you now.”

“Are you?” he purred, his breath warm on my cheek.

“If it wasn’t for Adam, I’d still be human, and you would never have known I existed. And if it wasn’t for Julian, the Strategoi would have executed me.”

“So I should thank them?” he murmured.

A shiver ran through me. “No, but you should free them. For me.”

“And what will you do for me in return?”

“ Anything .”

He touched his lips to my neck, just below my ear, and my eyes closed. He pressed his body against mine, and growled softly against my neck. I gasped, then he was gone. My eyes flew open, and I was alone in the hallway.

With shaking hands I pushed open my door and hurried into my room.