Page 54 of Crown of Death
My throat is tight. “You’re welcome,” Imanage.
We sit there for several long moments. The silence is heavy. Suffocating. Filled with too much…just toomuch.
I press my hands together, tucking them between my knees, unsure what to do withmyself.
“Do you want to be alone?” Iask.
He doesn’t answer immediately, and I get the impression he’s debating the question. “Yes.”
I don’t know what makes me extend the mercy, but I reach out, placing my hand on hisforearm.
I don’t know what about the dancers brought out such emotion. But his pain—it’s so tangible I can nearly touchit.
His eyes shift over to my hand. When he doesn’t say anything more, I stand. With my heels clicking over the marble floor, I walk to the elevator. It opens as soon as I stand in front ofit.
I step inside, not looking back at theking.
And just as the doors slide closed, I hear a howl of agony rip between captivatinglips.
The elevator goes down two floors, and when it opens, it’s to the common room from last night. But now, all the windows overlooking the city are mirrors. And it’s packed full ofpeople.
Yelling, arguing, worried words fill theair.
But the second I step out, they all fall dead silent. Every single pair of eyes slides tome.
Hector looks worried, but ready to fight. Edmond looks prepared to kill. Rafael just seemsuncertain.
Mina and Fredrick seem almost smug. Like they know what is tocome.
“He’s going to begin a game, isn’t he?” Hector asks. And the way his voice shakes, I understand there is historyhere.
Game. I see a pattern rising. The King himself has said the words. Now they come from a Houseleader.
“I don’t know what that dance up there was,” I say, keeping my voice cool and calm, “but I do know that you all have been under Cyrus’ rule for quite some time. I know that you should have knownbetter.”
Mixed emotions fill faces around me. Shame. Acceptance. Surprise.Confusion.
“Whatever comes after this,” I say as I step forward, “you all asked forit.”
Through a crowd of vampires, I walk, parting them as I go. I don’t look back as I make my way to mysuite.
A moment of silence follows me. But then there are whispers. Hurried. Excited.Fearful.
There’s not a doubt in me that they are aboutme.
I place my hand on the mirror wall and my doors pop open. I walk inside, closed into the silence of ourrooms.
The windows here are open. I walk to them, looking out over the day casting light on thecity.
Yet all I really see are those tears pooling in Cyrus’eyes.
Chapter 12
Two hours later,the door to my suite opens. Mina walks in with a knowing, darksmile.
“The King is ready for you again,” she says. And there’s a dangerous glint in her eyes that tells me something big is about tohappen.
She crosses to my closet, throwing it open. She comes out carrying a long garment bag. “He requests that you change into this.” She hands it over and heads for the door. “I shall wait for yououtside.”