Page 25 of Crown of Death
The floors are some kind of stone. Marble, perhaps. A double set of ornate stairs curls around the entry and leads up to the upper floor. Walking straight forward, following after Cyrus, there are huge windows overlooking the backyard.
There’s a massive swimming pool with a diving board and a slide. A huge patio surrounds it, with a fire pit with built-in seating and a hot tub. Immaculate landscaping surrounds the hugeyard.
But here, in the house, I find a big living room off to the right, already furnished with expensive looking leather couches. A big fireplace. And to the left, there’s a dining table with chairs for ten. And a spectacularkitchen.
“Do you approve?” Fredrick asks, looking around, his expression slightlynervous.
“Yes,” Cyrus says, casting little more than a glance around at his surroundings. “This will do fine for the nextmonth.”
The next month. That is all Cyrus plans to spend in this grand, beautifulhouse.
I’m beginning to thinkloadeddoesn’t cover the financial status ofCyrus.
“Shall we explore the upper floor?” Cyrus says, looking over at me and cocking aneyebrow.
I can’t find my voice, but I manage an affirmativesqueak.
As a group, the four of us climb the stairs. At the top, we find a hallway that splits. There are three bedrooms off to the left, and two to theright.
Every one of them has their own adjacent bathroom and massive closet. But the obvious master suite houses a massive king-sized bed with a beautiful four-poster frame. Big windows look down over the back yard. And the adjoining bathroom has a spa tub that could fit four people inside. And the shower could fit an entireorgy.
“Considering my companions and myself require little to no sleep, I suggest you enjoy this beautiful space,” Cyrus says as we walk around the picturesque master suite. Not another word required, Fredrick immediately takes my bag to the closet and begins unpacking mythings.
“You don’t sleep?” The words doubtfully slip out before I can actually think them over. Warily, I look over, meeting Cyrus’eyes.
He’s staring at me, searching for something. But I don’t knowwhat.
“Vampires require very little of it. I sleep perhaps a few hours a week,” he answers me. “Our kind possesses a certain level of…awareness. It makes it very difficult to shut down. And our bodies don’t need it the same ashumans.”
I nod, as if I can comprehend any ofthat.
“You’re handling all of this quite calmly,” Cyrus says. “I’m actually somewhat concerned. You don’t think all of this is real yet, doyou?”
And just like that, as if he’s slapped me across the face with the bible of truth, I take one step back. He’s nailedit.
“How can I?” I say, shaking my head. A breathy scoff of a laugh shoots over my lips. “Everything has just been…too much. Too many crazy elements. One, that you’ve kidnapped me. Two, you’ve taken my friend as hostage. Three, that you say I have to die and have a specific date set for it. And four, that now there is this whole big world that’s somehow existed in secret. Vampires.” I huff another little laugh. “Forgive me if I can’t come to terms with any of it as reality, when just yesterday I was laughing with my best friend aboutboys.”
Cyrus continues to stare at me, watching. He is quiet for a longmoment.
Those eyes. Even though his stare is penetrating and somewhat terrifying—Cyrus has the most intense eyes of anyone I’ve ever seen—I can’t get enough of them. I’m pretty sure I could sit and look into them forhours.
“Forgive me, Logan Pierce,” he finally says. “In my haste for answers, I sometimes forget that some of the Royals are people with actual lives before they get thrown into this world. You should rest.” He turns, heading for the door, leaving me standing by the bed. Fredrick immediately takes the hint and exits the room. “Come and find me when you’re ready for someanswers.”
He glances at me once more, an open expression there that I can’t quite identify. And then he closes the door behind him. Leaving mealone.
Chapter 7
Istand therein the room for a long time, staring at the door. Listening to Cyrus’ footsteps walking away. Hearing him quietly speak with theothers.
He’s left me on my own. But I don’t think for one second that all three of them aren’t acutely aware of every one of mymovements.
I’m a prisoner. What am I supposed to do withmyself?
Still aching from being shackled to a chair all night, and smelling like an auto body shop, I head into thebathroom.
It takes nearly twenty minutes to fill up that giant tub. But finally, it rises to the top, and I climb inside. A sigh escapes my lips as I slide into the hot water, the jets gently blowing massaging strokes over mybody.
Don’t think. You don’t have to think right at this moment,I tellmyself.