The seats were all empty, but Evangeline had horrible flashes of vampires lounging in leather chairs and playing with pawns and rooks while their bleeding human captives writhed against their restraints.
Her discomfort increased as she and Jacks were led from the indoor courtyard into a banquet room. It was also similar to the ones in Wolf Hall, with rich wine-red rugs and an enormous table. But here, there were human-size cages dangling in between the chandeliers, and instead of silver plates and cloth napkins, the tables were set with more chains and shackles that attached to the wood.
Evangeline felt sick.
Thankfully, all the constraints were unoccupied. But the emptiness of everything unsettled her as well. Where was everyone? And where exactly was their guide taking them?
“Still curious about vampires?” Jacks murmured.
“Why is this place so vacant?” Evangeline said under her breath. “Where—”
She froze as their guide disappeared. He moved quicker than an arrow being shot from a bow. One moment he was a few feet in front of them, and then he was gone. He darted through a door at the end of the room with preternatural speed, leaving them alone. “Where did he just go?”
“This is why I hate vampires.” Jacks worked his jaw as his eyes darted from the door their guide had just gone through to the cages hanging above. “I think we might need to get out of here.”
“I’m disappointed, my friend,” said a voice like smoke and velvet, gritty and slightly hypnotic. “You’re the one who taught me how useful cages can be.”
Evangeline didn’t even see this vampire enter. He was just there, slowly walking toward them. He wore no coat or cloak, just sinuous leather armor and a vicious bronze helm that concealed his face, save his eyes and the slash of his cheekbones.
“It’s you,” Evangeline breathed. “You’re the soldier from the party, and the spires.”
“Not actually a soldier, princess.” His voice was softer when he spoke to her, pure velvet without the smoke. “I’m Chaos. Welcome to my home.”
40
Chaos was suddenly before her, taking her gloved hand in his and bringing it to where his lips would have been had he not worn the bronze helm.
Jacks might have tried to tug her away, but she was only half paying attention to him. She’d made the mistake of looking into Chaos’s eyes—although, as soon as she had done it, it didn’t feel like a mistake. How could eyes so magnificent be a mistake? They were bottle green and brilliant, with slivers of gold that made it look as if they’d been shot through with broken pieces of stars. Or he was a star, fallen to the earth, and if she made a wish, he could grant it with one—
“Evangeline,” Jacks growled. His cold fingers gripped her cheek and wrenched her back until her eyes met his. She wanted to return to the other, beautiful bottle-green eyes. But Jacks’s harsh gaze worked like an antidote to the vampire’s wonder, reminding her that looking into Chaos’s eyes would not lead to wishes come true but to shackles and cages and sharp teeth tearing into her skin.
Don’t do that again, Little Fox.
He dropped his hand from her face.
Evangeline felt her cheeks go red. It was just what he’d warned her about. Sometimes all it takes from a vampire is one look, and you’re theirs. The first vampire had been attractive in an expected way, but it was as if something extra poured off Chaos, something that hadn’t been there the other times they’d met. Even now she could feel it, tempting her to take another look, to forget the way that LaLa had called him a monster.
Chaos laughed, loud and easy. “You should have prepared her better, my friend. She seems particularly sensitive to allure. Or maybe she just likes me more than she likes you.”
“She hates me,” Jacks said pleasantly. “So even if she likes you more, that’s not saying very much.”
“Are you certain about that?” Chaos slid another gaze Evangeline’s way.
Fresh heat prickled her skin.
There were different types of vampire gazes. Evangeline was not yet familiar with them all. She couldn’t completely tell the difference between a hungry gaze and a seductive gaze, or the gaze of a vampire right before he gives chase. The gazes she’d felt so far just felt like heat, as if parts of her were too close to a fire. She could feel that burn coming off Chaos now as he offered her his arm.
“Don’t worry, princess, the only people who are put in those cages are ones who wish to be there.”
Evangeline still weighed her options. Earlier, it would have been appealing to take Chaos’s arm just to irritate Jacks. Now that choice wasn’t as inviting. But considering that they were there to acquire information from him, she wasn’t sure it was wise to dismiss his offer either. In fact, it probably wouldn’t have been wise to reject it even if they didn’t want something from Chaos.