Page 41 of Shadow Kissed
Saveya practically skips out of the room, and I follow her, ready to see more of the mansion and get my bearings.
“What shall we see first? What is your favourite hobby? Sewing, music, or perhaps cookery?” She waits expectantly for my reply.
“Sparring. I’m good at sparring. I can’t dance very well. I don’t sew and I most certainly cannot cook.”
Saveya’s face drops and she taps at her chin. “Oh dear, well, we need to find something that you are good at that will appeal to one of the men. Do you read?”
I nod my head. Books I enjoy!
“The library it is, then! Men like a woman who is well read.”
I follow her silently. She chatters non-stop, and I haven’t a clue what she is talking about because I’m lost in my head. Being here really hits home that my fate is to be wed to a shadow male and to produce babies. My attention shifts when she throws open two double doors and I see what’s inside. Gawping, I follow her in and turn in a circle as I take in the enormous library. It’s double the size of the village hall in Terleigh and there’s row upon row of bookshelves that reach about twenty feet high. Curiously, though, there are no ladders, so I have no idea how you reach the books on the higher shelves. There are various sofas and armchairs spread about the room and large marble tables and benches where you can sit and study. A crimson carpet covers the floor, and an enormous black marble fireplace houses a roaring fire, providing a warm and cosy ambiance.
“Wow, that’s a lot of books!” I exclaim, as I walk over to one of the many bookshelves and study some titles.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Saveya says, grinning at me. “I had a feeling you’d like the library. I enjoy reading, too. Do you like romance books? I can show you where the romance section is if you like?”
I glance around to check no one is around to hear my confession. “I’m partial to a good romance novel. Particularly the ones with the sexy villains.”
Saveya giggles and guides me down an aisle near the back of the library. “l like you, Eretreya Lockwood, and I think we will be great friends.”
“I’ve never had a female friend before,” I say out loud, and I clear my throat and look away from her.
“Really? Everyone wanted to be my friend back in my hometown.” Her smile drops briefly. “Of course, not all of them wanted genuine friendship. Some just wanted to be my friend, to be popular because of what I am.”
I study her. What different experiences we have had as shadow kissed. “The girls in my village resented that I was chosen, and they hated me for it.”
“Why?” she queries, scrunching up her nose.
“Because I’m not pretty enough or feminine enough in their minds to be chosen by the gods. Girls prettier than me would have been a better choice.
Saveya snorts in response as she leans against the bookcase beside me. “Not pretty enough! Are they blind? Sounds like they were jealous and bitter to me.” She claps her hands together, her infectious smile returning. “What shall we see next?”
We spend the rest of the morning exploring the mansion. By the time the tour finishes, I feel like I have a basic knowledge of the layout of the mansion. I’ve learned that our days will consist of learning to be a lady, a good wife, and how to appeal to the men who will choose us at the reaping. I feel sick at the thought that this will be my life.
We finish the tour outside, in garden maze, and we take a seat on the vast lawn behind the mansion. The sun is beaming down on us and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. It’s a beautiful day.
“Are you happy to be here?” I ask her as I pick at the grass with my hands. Saveya lies back with her eyes closed.
“Yes, I am. I do miss my friends terribly and my dog, Erasmus, but I am doing a service to my town and ensuring theywill be safe and will prosper for the next twenty-five years. I get to go to another realm, something Asen’s often can only dream about. I’m going to be wed to a shadow male.” She opens her eyes and grins at me. “I mean, have you seen them? They’re so masculine and toned, and don’t get me started on those grey eyes. I could stare into them all day.” She sighs dreamily.
“Just the thought of being with one of them makes me feel sick. I’ve never found them in any way appealing.” I shudder.
Saveya sits up and cocks a brow at me. “Really? Not even the godly looking Lord Commander who brought you here yesterday?”
“You saw us arrive?”
She nods her head. “I was excited about the news of your arrival, so I snuck to the landing when I heard voices. The Lord Commander is incredibly handsome. I wonder if he’s going to take a wife at the reaping this year?”
I frown as I consider her question. Was he here to take a wife? He hates Asen’s as much as I hate his kind. I couldn’t ever imagine him lowering himself to take an Asen female as his wife. The black mark on my wrist tingles as my thoughts turn to him and I rub at it with my finger.
“I don’t think so. He doesn’t have a very high opinion of Asen women. Apparently, we’re weak and one dimensional.”
Saveya scoffs at my words. “Really?” she says in surprise. “He looked at you like he wanted to consume you.”
I snort in response and grimace. “He did not.” My mind drifts back to this morning and flush when I recall the way he stripped me of my clothes before his disappearing act.
17