Chapter 117 String
❀ Maeve ❀
Nikolai smelled of smoke when he arrived late to escort me. Beneath the odor was a heavy fog of scents, as if he’d tried to mask it.
I eyed him suspiciously. “Where have you been?”
His roguish grin did not reach his eyes. “Bonfire at the mansion. It wasn’t as fun as it sounds.”
I studied him carefully. Since when did my brooding vampire hold bonfires? He was obviously hiding something, but now wasn't the time to dig.
My dress was regal, almost angelic, but tight. Constricting.
Nikolai and I hadn’t had time to ourselves to talk since the moment I’d agreed to make the public appearance as the new Queen.
My lungs combated the wire chain of my corset, and it was all I could do not to snatch it off with my curling claws.
I was anxious to get to training. My sleep schedule had firmly locked into vampire mode, and my eyes… my eyes were the most obvious change of all.
They were crimson. Darker than those of the royals, but when the light hit them, they glowed the same.
Nikolai palmed my tiny waist and pulled me closer.
“What a picture you make,” he muttered, gaze brushing over me with admiration.
My heart swelled.
I’d been on edge about the curse, dreading the moment when he would go feral and rage with wrath that was not his own.
But apart from the fight with Vladis and the rougher tone of his voice, all appeared normal.
I grasped his arms with both of mine, staring up at him. His face worried me the most. My Nikolai was… changed. There was a foreign darkness lurking within him.
Though I knew he’d never hurt me, I often wondered how far it could push him.
“I wanted to say thank you,” I said, “for everything. For not forsaking me.” My voice broke. I’d been nothing short of terrible to him, but still he never withdrew grace.
“We’ll fix this, together?” I asked, caressing him.
His face softened for a spell, or had I imagined it? “Together,” he echoed.
“Your Grace.” Jessica peered around my chamber door. “The carriage is ready.”
I nodded and she left.
Looking back at Nikolai, my stomach tightened, but I fought to calm my nerves.
It was just a walk, from the castle to the middle region of the city.
I could already hear the muffled cheers of my expectant subjects—
Nikolai cupped my face. “Hey, I’m here. I’ll be there.”
“I know.” I hugged him as best as my restricting crimson dress would allow.
With my face in his chest, I bit my lip. How would I broach the subject of Lilith to him?
We hadn’t overcome the stumble through marking and the curse, or Bastian, and I still had to make him swear to release Lilith from his revenge.
Vladis had given me the mystically reinforced cuffs for that in return.
I had no doubt that if Lilith showed, he would make a move.
“Nikolai,” I whispered.
“My queen… what troubles you?”
I pushed back from his chest to look in his eyes. “I know I haven’t exactly earned back your trust, but if there was something I needed… something absolutely important…”
I studied his face as I spoke. No reaction so far, so I continued.
“It’s a debt, and only you can free me from it. You just have to forsake a promise you made.”
He played with a strand of my hair, not meeting my eyes. “You could just order it. And it will be done—”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t want us to be like that. You’re my mate, and I respect you. My position shouldn’t come between us.”
“I don’t see it that way.” His lips curled. “I am your soldier. I live to serve you, with my mind, my body…”
My breath hitched as his fingers strayed into my cleavage.
“Bold behavior for a soldier of the crown,” I commented in a breathy voice.
With a sly grin, he paused his hand but didn’t remove it.
“Tell me what you need, and it will be yours.”
“I’m not asking you to forgive. Just don’t harm Lilith. That’s my wish.”
His face darkened instantly. For all I knew, he’d already dug a grave for Lilith.
His jaw bunched tightly before he said, “Can I ask why?”
“Please, trust me. Just let her go. She’ll face her karma…”
“Karma is for the poor. You have me and an entire army ready to die to protect your honor. You would waste that?”
I placed my hands against his chest. His muscles were tense. “Not waste. Preserve. She’s not worth it. We have bigger things to worry about.”
He didn’t blink, just studied my face as I did his.
The wind howled outside, the moon hidden behind a copious ball of clouds. An omen.
My shoulders nearly sagged from the mental strain. But then I exhaled, digging my fingers into my mate’s chest to calm myself.
“If it is your wish, I rescind my vow to kill Lilith,” he finally said.
“Thank you,” I breathed. Then my chest caved with suspicion, why was he being so agreeable?
Then he added, “I may not understand your moves. But I trust you. There’s no other choice.”
Though my heart fluttered at his absolute commitment, I insisted, “You have choices.”
He answered me with a searing, slanted kiss. Just when my back arched to claim more, he pulled back and brushed a thumb over my rouged lips.
“Ready?”
I nodded, and he traced us.
At the bottom stairs of the castle, my envoy awaited.
Drusilla, belly protruding gracefully, looked testy. I didn’t blame her. I had it in mind to give her leave from shadowing me constantly in her condition.
Vladis stood at her side, face flat as stone. Dozens of guards lined my wide path to the royal carriage. Their sword handles glinted in the lamplight.
From the briefing, all those guards would escort my carriage on either side while I smiled and waved.
Drusilla had insisted I remain inside, for protection.
I’d disagreed, wanting to experience the city personally. Exploring the shops and streets, conversing with people.
Why even take an army for just a public appearance?
Drusilla inclined her head. “Your Grace, may darkness never depart from you.”
It sounded ominous. But I’d heard the sentiment used countless times in the castle, so I politely nodded back.
Nikolai walked me to the carriage, and once I was securely seated inside, the men manning it took up the lengthy bars attached and lifted me.
Nikolai walked beside the carriage, and I was tempted to invite him in.
But Jessica rode with me. She entered from the opposite side, holding a cask of warm blood. To her side were an assortment of sweet treats and meat snacks.
When I met her eyes, she hurriedly looked away.
What was that about?
I shelved it for later.
Soon, the carriage cleared the distance from castle grounds to city streets, and the cheering grew almost deafening.
A light black curtain shielded my window, its golden string for pulling it aside swinging in the dim light of the carriage.
Fairy lights lined the outside, but inside, none.
“Queen Maeve!” “Your Grace, we love you!”
The voices bled into one another.
I gripped the gold string. One tug would open me up to this world. Their expectations—
“Your Grace,” came Jessica’s voice. Small, unsure. “Please be careful.”
I tilted my head at her, but the jeering had grown to a fever pitch. It was now or never.
Steeling myself against the nerves, I pulled the string.