Queen of Darkness

As Surreal placed the last of her toiletries in the bathroom cabinet, she paused, listening. Yes, someone had entered her bedroom. Had the maid returned for another polite verbal struggle? She’d told the woman she didn’t need help unpacking-and had wondered about the maid’s muttered comment. No question about it, you’re a SaDiablo.

So maybe she’d been a little hasty. After all, she didn’t want to have to launder her own clothes for however long she would be there.

Moving toward the bathroom door, Surreal sent a cautious psychic probe into the bedroom. Her lips curled into a snarl. Not the maid back for another round, but a male making himself comfortable in her room. Then she paused. The psychic scent was definitely male-but there was something about it that was just a little off.

Calling in her favorite stiletto, she used Craft to place a sight shield around it. With her arms down and her right hand curled loosely around the hilt, no one would suspect she had a weapon ready-unless they knew she was an assassin. More than likely, it was a male who had heard of her former profession and figured she’d be delighted to accommodate him-like those balless pricks at the service fair who kept pushing her to sign a contract to serve in an ”aristo” Red Moon house.

Well, if this male was expecting a jolly, she would just inform him that she would have to talk to the Steward first about compensation. Unless it was the Steward. Did he really expect her to buy her way out of a contract she hadn’t wanted to sign in the first place?

With her temper simmering, Surreal strode into the bedroom-and stopped short, not sure if she wanted to yell or laugh.

A large gray dog had his head buried in her open trunk. The tip of his tail wagged like a brisk metronome as he sniffed her clothes.

”Find anything interesting?” Surreal asked.

The dog leaped away from the trunk, heading for the door. Then he stopped, a nervous quiver running through his body as his brown eyes stared at her. His tail gave a couple of hopeful tock-tocks before it curled between his legs.

Surreal vanished the stiletto. Keeping one eye on the dog, she checked the trunk. If he’d done anything disgusting on her clothes… Seeing that he hadn’t done more than sniff, she relaxed and turned to face him.

”You’re big,” she said pleasantly. ”Are you allowed inside?”

”Rrrf.”

”You’re right. Considering the size of this place, that was a silly question.” She held out her hand in a loose fist.

Accepting the invitation, he eagerly sniffed her hand, sniffed her feet, sniffed her knees, sniffed…

”Get your nose out of my crotch,” Surreal growled.

He took two steps back and sneezed.

”Well, that’s your opinion.”

His mouth opened in a doggy grin. ”Rrrf.”

Laughing, Surreal put her clothes away in the tall wardrobe and mirrored dresser. After hanging the last piece, she closed the trunk.

Seeing that he had her attention again, the dog sat down and offered a paw.

Well, he seemed friendly.

After shaking his paw, she ran her hands through his fur, scratched behind his ears, and rubbed his head until his eyes started to blissfully close. ”You’re a pretty boy, aren’t you? A big furry boy.”

He gave her chin two enthusiastic, if sloppy, kisses.

Surreal straightened up and stretched. ”I have to go now, boyo. Somewhere in this place is my dinner, and I intend to find it.”

”Rrrf.” The dog bounded to the door, his tail wagging.

She eyed him. ”Well, I suppose you would know where to find the food. Just let me get ready, then we’ll go hunting the elusive dinner.”

”Rrrf.”

Hell’s fire, Surreal thought as she washed her hands and brushed her hair. She must be more tired than she realized if she was imagining tonal qualities in the dog’s sounds that made it seem like he was really answering her. And she would have sworn that last ”Rrrf” was full of amusement. Just as she would have sworn that someone kept trying to reach her on a psychic communication thread and that she was the one who kept fumbling the link.

The dog’s mood had changed by the time she came back. When she opened the bedroom door, he gave her a sad look, then slunk into the corridor.

Prince Aaron leaned against the opposite wall.

He was a handsome man with black hair, gray eyes, and a height and build women would find appealing. Standing next to Sadi he would come in a poor second-well, so would any other man-but she didn’t think he’d ever lacked invitations to the bed.

Maybe that explained the wariness under the arrogant confidence.

”Since you don’t know your way around yet, I stopped by to escort you and Lady Benedict to the dining room,” Aaron said, looking like he was fighting hard not to smile. ”But I see you already have an escort.”

The dog’s ears pricked up. The tail went tock-tock.

The corridor filled with annoying male undercurrents. Surreal briefly considered giving one of them a hard smack just to break up whatever was going on, but losing her escorts would mean trying to find the dining room on her own.

Fortunately, Wilhelmina Benedict chose that moment to leave her room, which was next to Surreal’s. After Aaron explained about being their escort, he offered each woman an arm, and the three of them, with the dog trailing close behind, began the long walk through the Hall.

”The servants must be exhausted by the end of the day,” Surreal said as they turned into another corridor.

”Not really,” Aaron replied. ”The staff works on a rotation and are assigned to a wing of the Hall. That way everyone gets to work in the family wing and the wings where the court resides when it’s here.”

”You mean I’m going to have the same argument with another maid?” Surreal almost wailed.

Aaron shot her an amused look. ”You mean you drew your own bath?”

”I didn’t bother to bathe,” Surreal snapped. ”Sit upwind.”

Smart-ass.

He didn’t have to say it out loud. His expression was sufficient.

Surreal glanced back at her furry escort. Well, animals should be a safe subject for small talk. ”He is allowed inside, isn’t he?”

”Oh, yes,” Aaron said. ”Although, I was surprised to see him. The pack tends to stay in the north woods when there are strangers here.”

”The pack? What kind of dog is he?”

”He’s not a dog. He’s a wolf. And he’s kindred.”

Wilhelmina jumped and gave the wolf a frightened look. ”But… aren’t wolves wild animals?”

”He’s also a Warlord,” Aaron said, ignoring Wilhelmina’s question.

Surreal felt a little queasy. She’d heard about the kindred, who supposedly had some kind of small animal magic. But calling him a Warlord… ”You mean he’s Blood?”

”Of course.”

”Why is he in the Hall?”

”Well, offhand, I’d say he was looking for a friend.”

Hell’s fire, Mother Night, and may the Darkness be merciful, Surreal thought. What did that mean? ”I guess he’s not really wild then. If he’s in the house, he must be tame.”

Aaron gave her a feral smile. ”If by ’tame’ you mean he doesn’t pee on the carpets, then he’s tame. But then, by that standard, so am I.”