Fate of a Royal (Lords of Rathe, #1)(74)

I blink and blink again, spinning back for the door.

Gripping the handle, I turn it, easing it open as I tip my head to look out.

The hallway greets me with flickering lights and a red velvet carpet, just as before. Slowly, I step out, and the door slams at my back, making me jump. I take a step, my foot freezing mid-air when the fucking bed, yet again, sits in front of me.

I spin to the door, throwing it open this time so hard it rattles against the wall, and the image outside it shakes. “What the fu—”

“He’s locked you in.”

A small yelp escapes me because, well, I’m in another fucking world. No telling what’s lurking around the corner.

When I turn, I see a girl in a black and purple maid’s uniform, a skimpy kind you’d find in department stores in October.

“You can’t get out, no matter how many times you try.” She lifts a shoulder, blue eyes sparkling as she tips her head. A mischievous smile plays at her lips. “You’re the first Giftless they’ve ever brought home. I wonder why.”

“Any guess you want to share?” I ask, looking her over. Her ears are clipped around the lobe, and while her face is sort of angelic-like, I can’t guess what she is.

“No.” She smiles, stepping closer. She looks inside the room, her head shaking. “Shame this is empty. Didn’t used to be.”

A frown builds at my brows, and when I look back, the maid is gone.

Sighing, I slam the door and lean against it, closing my eyes for a long moment.

Well, at least he didn’t ‘erase’ the door, like Sinner said. I might panic then.

Maybe throw myself out the window and see if some sort of magical, invisible pillow catches me on the way down. Maybe some sort of Aladdin magic carpet shit will appear.

Maybe I’d just splat all over the cement, all Knight’s problems would be solved, and Ben would be all alone in the world.

I need to go home. He’s probably worried, and I miss him.

My eyes fall to the empty space on the wall. It’s purple and large with nothing in the center, black candle holders with screaming skulls on the ends and flickering fire floating in them.

I move closer, hovering my hand over the flame to see if it’s warm to the touch or some sort of trickery, but not only is it hot, but it bursts as if threatened by my nearness, the fire rolling across my palm and wrapping around it, exploding and engulfing, and all I can do is stare.

I yank away, looking from my hand to the candlestick. My eyes fly wide, and I squeal when I see the fire burning away the sleeve of the hoodie.

“Oh fuck!” I scream, pulling it over my head and stomping it out.

“Don’t freak out, don’t freak out…” I peek out of one eye, and instantly, my shoulders fall. Oh, thank fuck. My skin didn’t melt off.

In fact…

I look closer, running my fingers over the soft flesh.

“Not even a red spot.” I glance at the burned hoodie, the soot smell of smoke still so fresh in the air it burns my nose. “But how?”

I wave my hand in front of the candlestick, and this time, it only glows brighter, illuminating the room more and the empty space between the hanging candle burns. The perfect spot for a portrait, I can’t help but think.

But of whom?

Turning, my eyes travel the space for the first time since I arrived, picking up on more now that I’m a little less sure Knight brought me here as some sort of human sacrifice when I wouldn’t have sworn so not that long ago.

If he wanted me dead, he didn’t have to bring me here to do it, right?

Dragging my fingers along the dresser, I pull the drawers open, but they’re empty. The giant walk-in closet is too, but the black marble vanity in the corner with burgundy bulbs, golden fangs of a python wrapped around them, isn’t.

A golden brush sits inside, its handle just barely long enough to fit in my palm. I pull the few strands of hair still wrapped in its bristles, the long curly thread as black as the carpet beneath my feet. Flipping it over, the blood in my veins runs cold, and I drop it to the floor.

It lands bristle side down, the crest glaring up at me.

A triangle with a single vertical line running through it.

My jewelry box flashes in my mind, as well as the little doll that dances inside it. I remember always thinking how odd it was for a little girl’s toy to have a dancing Medusa draped in black velvet, with eyes that glow green when you stare into them, but I love that stupid thing. Loved it enough to bring it across the country to college with me.

Honestly, I’m not sure where I got it, but this symbol, I bend, staring at the sharp lines along the brush’s back, is the same.

My pulse beats a little hard, and I swipe it off the floor, quickly shoving it into the drawer.

I spin around, spotting a remote on the bedside table for the first time, but as I look around, there’s no TV. Picking it up, I press the power button and slowly drop onto the bed when a black cloud rolls down the ceiling, spinning and whirling before me.

Unsure of what to do, or if this shit will eat me like the flame wanted to burn me but couldn’t, I simply stare at it.

After a moment, it sparks, making me jump.

I hold still, and it does it again.

Confused, I shake my head. “Look, not sure what to do here…and I’m talking to a ball of smoke.” I run my hand over my face. I’m fucking losing it. “Where the hell is Knight?” I groan.