I thought it would bother me, but the space we both exist in has become more comfortable with the distance we force between us. Whenever I am near him, I feel raw and vulnerable and I think he feels the same way. What with usurpers lurking behind every corner, I try my hardest to remain out of sight most days as I prepare for the journey through the underworld. I rest my foot on the seat of a chair and adjust the belt so it fits comfortably. My mother’s dagger slides into the sheath perfectly and I straighten my skirts before leaving.
My footfalls echo down the corridor, but I am not alone. Lilith appears at the top of the staircase. A waterfall of silken hair cascades over her shoulders. Her flawless, ebony complexion practically glistens in the faint light that spills in through the colored windows. Her thin, elegant finger raises to beckon me forward with a sharply tipped nail.
“Briar,” she purrs in a sultry voice. Horrid, bitter tasting envy steals my breath away as the beautiful vampire quirks her full lips to reveal her fanged smile. Those lips know Kane in ways I may never understand. Lilith stalks toward me like a feline on the prowl. “Where are you off to, Pet?”
I grow weary of everyone treating me as if I am not royalty in my own right. My silence irks Lilith and she quirks a slender brow at my show of defiance. “Well, then. The little mortal has some fire in her after all. I’m on my way to see Kane in his office. Walk with me?”
She begins her descent before I answer. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and follow close behind. The dramatic sway of Lilith’s hips are hypnotizing, even to me. Her hair whips to the side as she glances back at me. “Out with it. I can practically smell the smoke coming out of your ears as your feeble mind struggles to formulate a coherent thought. Ask me anything.”
I only pause for a moment, no longer feeling the fear of her uncivil stare. “What was the underworld like before Kane became Death?”
Lilith’s steps falter for a moment and I feel a twisted sense of satisfaction at catching her off guard. “I’m not sure. I wasn’t alive at the time, Briar, but I hear it was...unpleasant. The tales of Drogaem's reign as one of the Three still strikes fear into the hearts of many. But be cautious of who you ask these questions. Some might not be as gracious as I am.”
I nod my head slowly, considering her warning for what it is. “Understood.”
The sound of Lilith’s heels clacking endlessly against the floor echoes in my head. With her merciless avocation of taunting me with anything grievous to my senses, her short stunted answer lingers on the edges of my nerves. I can’t begin to comprehend the depth of luck that has touched my life having Kane as my betrothed. If things had been different…if my father had chosen Drogaem instead… I shudder at the thought, my hands curling into fits beneath the fabric of my sleeves.
“No need in filling that small space above your shoulders with such thoughts,” Lilith continues with a flick of her thin, graceful wrist. “Soon enough I will take my rightful place back at the side of my love and you will be left with far more imposing questions to ask whoever is afflicted with your presence.”
I don’t respond, feeling no need to indulge Lilith in her games today. With a glance in my direction, hoping for an echo of riposte but finding none, her mask of lovely arrogance slides back into place and we continue our journey through the castle in silence. When we reach the impasse of hallways, she stops and bitingly bends slightly at the waist, swinging her arm out in front of her.
“Until next time,” she smirks. “Hopefully a long time from now.”
My lips purse slightly and I push away the reverberating irritation inside of me. Dagger or not I can only expect that Lilith is a force to be reckoned with. I nod with my chin high and turn, heading in the other direction. I can feel the dark stare of her auspicious eyes beating into the back of my head, but I let it go, quickening my pace until I reach the curve of the castle walls and hurriedly disappear out of her sight.
I spend most of my day going over what I read about the underworld back home. The mortal world only knows so much about a realm very few have the privilege of visiting while alive. A knock sounds upon the door and Willem steps inside. The familiar weight of the dagger against my thigh keeps me from panicking. Even so, the enormous reaper’s scowl quickens my pulse.
It was strange to think that I had once thought of him as handsome. Now I know that his beauty is no more than a facade to hide his treachery.
“Kane requests your presence in the dining hall,” he sneers. “Frankly, I had hoped you were on the menu, but alas…”
His sigh of pure disinterest grates against my patience, but I close my book and walk beside him to the dining room. Willem pauses just outside of the door and I turn to him. “You’re not coming?”
“I wasn’t invited.” He stalks away before I can ask why.
I shrug my shoulders and ease the door open, the weight of the intricately etched wood heavy on my small frame. The dining room is as beautiful as I remember from visiting it my first night in the underworld. Red and black ornate decor glimmers in the light of the candelabras. A smile tugs at
