I draw myself a bath and drop the petals of flowers that the Ladies in Waiting have collected from the gardens within the castle. The smell is reminiscent of the rose gardens on my father's estate, and I sink down into the hot water, soaking in the relaxation I am feeling. I take my time bathing, using the soaps and fragrances that have been delivered to my room from a man I have not seen or heard from in days. I know Kane is working on something, and I feel the pull of its nefarious nature, but I need a break, a separation from my covert operations. I don't know what is causing these visions I'm having, but I can't afford to fall to them when Kane is around.
When my bath is done, I slip into one of my dresses, this one long and flowing with a satin cord wrapped just below my breasts and the skirts made of thin layers of silk and satin. It is not the flashy or seductive clothing from my plan, but it is all I can muster of myself. I want to leave my chambers, but the castle grounds are full of servants and Guardsmen and I know I won't find a moment of quiet thoughtfulness among them. So, knowing no one pays attention to me in the hallways of the castle I begin to walk, my eyes focusing in on each picture on the walls, but my mind somewhere else. I think about Kane, about the man he is turning into. I think about my place within the Underworld. And I think about my father's request, something that is no longer an option unless I choose to disappear with him.
I am not paying attention to where I'm walking, and I pass an open doorway, pausing for a moment as I glance inside. Sitting at a long table, books in front of him, is Kane. My first instinct is to hurry along, not let him see me, but it's too late. "Briar, what are you doing lurking about the castle?"
I breathe deeply and force a smile on my lips as I turn toward the open doorway. "Just taking in the beauty of the castle." I know I need to be more intense, more flirtatious. Regardless of whether I think I can continue to figure out what is going on or not, I am here and I have to play along. "Actually, I was also kind of hoping I would run into you. It's been several days."
He glares at me suspiciously for a moment and then waves me in. I sit quietly across from him, looking at the different bound books stacked all over the table. "I think it's sexy that even you, the God of the Underworld continues to educate himself. What is it that you're researching this time?"
From the calmness on his face I can see that my flirtation is working on him. I don't know how long it will work, but I need more information from him. He pushes back, resting his head against the high-back chair he sits in. "Most of these books are on life transference."
My brow furls. "Life transference? As in moving one’s soul from a body and putting it into another?"
His eyes shifted up toward mine. "I'm impressed. You know your fair share about our worlds, don't you?"
I know I've told Kane this over and over but he acts as if it's the first time he's heard it. "I've been studying the Underworld since I found out that I was betrothed to you. I knew I would live here, and I wanted to be ready for it."
He flashes a half of a smile and flips nonchalantly through the pages of the book in front of him. "Yes, life transference is basically that, taking one soul and putting it into another body. You can see it in the pages."
I stand and walk around the table, leaning over his shoulder, being careful to be close, but not close enough to irritate him. I think for a split second how easily it would be to cut his throat, but I have no knife, and he knows this. He points to the page he's reading. "There is a lot of pain involved to move a soul from one body to another. They are basically leached from their lifeline, ripped from the very circuits that clamp them down to their body. Then they are transplanted into a new body and it's not always an easy process."
I bite the inside of my cheek, trying not to flinch at the thought. He speaks of it as if he's done it before, something that I never thought Kane would be involved in.
He flips the page again, showing an illustration of two bodies laid next to each other and their souls drawn wistfully above their bodies. "The perfect sacrifice is needed."
His hand brushes against my wrist and I flinch, unable to control the jerkiness of my body. His eyes flip from my hand to my face and he chuckles. "A mortal would never work, so you have nothing to fear. Your bodies are too fragile and your souls are already too connected to separate without damaging the soul. A God or immortal is required for this."
I walk back around the table and stand there, my hands on the back of the chair as I watch him. I haven't known him for that long, not nearly long enough to
