Seer

by Raven Dark

  All the while, walking through the winery and hearing Lord Falnar talk about the advantage of this or that vintage or this and that wine press, made my eyes burn from the smell of fermented fruit that hung in the air.

  My attention didn’t perk up until we went into a separate series of rooms where, according to Lord Falnar, he made his own bottles for his wines, even stem-ware. Watching the men turn the marble-like liquid into gorgeous glass bottles of all shapes and sizes was one of the most fascinating things I’d ever seen. I didn’t even care that the room was hotter than the hottest day in Hell’s Burning, with six giant ovens where the workers blew the glass.

  As wonderful as it had been to watch the glass-making process, by the time we left the winery, I was more than happy to return to the castle. Lord Falnar kept us another hour or so, showing us his equally impressive collection of wines in his private cellar.

  Admittedly, his collection probably did rival anyone else’s for miles, wines of every type, vintage, and year lining the walls of three vast rooms.

  “There’s nothing better than this.” Lord Falnar opened a wooden cabinet, revealing rows of wine bottles, each lying on their sides. With a care that seemed unlikely for such a large man, he slid a bottle out and gently handed it to Pretty Boy.

  Pretty Boy whistled at the year on the top of the elaborate label. Apparently he was interested in wine, at least enough to appreciate the bottle in his hand. “This is over two hundred years old.” He held the bottle up. “Do you realize how rare that is?”

  “Oh, I know, my boy.” Falnar put his thumbs behind his belt loops, and his big belly shook. “I have ten of the thirty that were ever made.”

  Pretty Boy’s brows shot up.

  “We’ll have them tonight at dinner, now that all the guests are here.”

  “No, no, no.” Pretty Boy cradled the bottle as if the lord was about to commit a grave sin. “You can’t drink this. I like my liquor, but we can’t touch this bottle. This wine shall not touch a man’s lips. It would be a travesty.”

  Lord Falnar bellowed a laugh and took the bottle from him, carefully putting it back on the shelf with the others. He locked up the cabinet, then patted the doors. “I’ll have a servant come down and collect these puppies later.”

  Pretty Boy shook his head. “That’s it. We can’t be friends anymore, my Lord.”

  The two of them clapped each other on the shoulder.

  “You won’t say that when you’re drunk on that heavenly brew.”

  Pretty Boy drew me along with him and led me from the room. He fell a few paces behind the lord of the manor. “Bored yet, Princess?” he teased in a low voice.

  “Is water wet, Master?”

  He laughed and put his arm around my neck tight. “Are you?”

  My face burned.

  He kissed me on the temple. “You’re so fucking perfect.”

  Thankfully, Lord Falmar only kept us another fifteen minutes or so. Afterward, Pretty Boy led me out to where I’d been wanting to go all morning, to the stables.

  Lord Falnar’s royal stables were a lot bigger than Damien’s. With Hell’s Burning being right in the middle of sweltering desert, he’d only had a few horses, including Maja, the one he’d bought for me. Lord Falnar had rows of stables set behind his castle, housing every kind of steed I’d ever heard of, and one or two I hadn’t.

  “They’re soooo beautiful,” I breathed, reaching up to touch the head of a large chestnut brown mare. “If I was Lord Falnar, I’d have been wanting to show these off instead of bottles of wine.”

  Pretty Boy stood at the stall beside me, rubbing the nose of a white stallion who immediately nuzzled my master’s blond hair. “Have you ever ridden before?”

  A sudden swell of sadness made my chest tight, thinking back. I bit my lip and nodded.

  “What’s wrong?” He cocked his head, concerned.

  I stroked the chestnut’s coat. “Oh, it’s just, I had a horse once.” I pressed my nose to the mare’s, inhaling the smell of horse and leather. “Damien gave her to me.”

  His mouth turned down. “King Dipshit gave you a horse?”

  “Yes. Her name was Maja. She was a beautiful mare, a lot like this one.” I stroked the mare’s mane. “At the time, I thought he’d bought her for me because he loved me. You know, like a father.”

  Pretty Boy stroked my hair, his head close to mine.

  My eyes stung. “I miss her. I hate that I can’t think of her without thinking of him.”

  “If we ever get our hands on him, we’ll show him what it’s like to hurt.” He tipped my chin up and was about to kiss me, but he didn’t get the chance.

  The white horse he’d been petting decided to stretch his neck forward and chew on Pretty Boy’s long ponytail.

  “Hey!” He flipped his hair away and bopped the horse lightly on the nose with a chuckle. “Well, I’m not riding that one.”

  I giggled behind my hand. Pretty Boy always knew how to make my day better.

  I looked at some of the other horses, and the one in a stall further in had me staring up at him in awe. He was a giant of a stallion, heads above me, with a breadth of shoulder twice as wide as Steel’s. He snuffed and snorted at me, stomping a foot the size of an anvil. He had glorious brown eyes with a hint of fire-red, and his coat was black, but when the light hit it, it gleamed with the faintest hint of red.

  “Wow.” Pretty Boy approached him but stopped a foot away from the stallion’s head, which the horse tossed. “Falnar has a Borkon stallion. I’ve only seen one.”

  “A what, Master?” I stepped closer, reaching out my hand, but Pretty Boy grabbed it and kept me back.

  “A Borkon. It’s a Cretian horse. Watch it, Princess. Those cannibals train their horses to bite. They’re usually mean.”

  “Maker. Why would Lord Falmar have one then?”

  “For show. I feel sorry for the guy who has to feed him.”

  The horse was gorgeous, and I could easily imagine Ivek riding one, tall and proud, with his dark dreadlocks flying out behind him. No way was I getting close to this one, though, no matter how lovely he looked.

  We saddled up two horses, Pretty Boy taking the black stallion by the reins, me taking the chestnut. Out at the paddock, Steel met us and gave the mounts a wide-eyed look.

  “Hey, Brother. You wanna join us for a ride?” For some reason, Pretty Boy’s eyes danced with a mocking light.

  Steel backed up a pace, and I swore his cheeks lost some of their color. “No. You go, I’ll sit this one out.”

  “Chicken.”

  “Fuck you.” But his eyes shone with amusement. “I don’t like riding anything that has a mind of its own. Except Petal.”

  Pretty Boy laughed and high-fived him. My cheeks burned, and I shook my head.

  What would I do with these men?

  “Come on, Steel. You know you wanna ride one of these beauties.” Pretty Boy patted his mount on the flank.

  “No way in hell.”

  Pretty Boy flapped his elbows and made a clucking sound.

  Steel punched him hard enough on the arm that he winced. “Yeah, yeah, get away from me with that thing.” He gave the horses a glare.

  I suppressed a laugh. It was amusing, seeing a giant of a man like Steel looking at an animal that was barely as big as him as if it might eat him. I gave him a playful kiss on the lips and then joined Pretty Boy at the doors to the paddock.

  As we mounted up, I wondered what Steel would do if he’d seen the Borkon stallion in the stable.

  Pretty Boy and I rode over the hills and pastures that surrounded Castle Montreve. Just like on the back of a motorbike, I loved the feel of the wind in my hair, only on a horse, I felt much more in tune with nature and in my element.

  Maker, I missed Maja.

  Pretty Boy raced me several times. He lost once, and the other time, it was a stalemate, leaving us both panting and my legs pleasantly aching.

  He fed the horse apples from a fruit tree in one of the
clearings, then we tied the horses up and walked for a long while, hand in hand. We said little, and my thoughts turned to Lord Falnar’s violets, Tari, Gita and Serena.

  “What are you thinking, Princess?” Pretty Boy asked softly, swinging my hand in his as we walked.

  His intuitiveness never ceased to surprise me.

  “Something happened with some of Lord Falnar’s Violets today at lunch, Master.”

  The image of the Violets standing silent with their eyes like glass dolls intruded on the pleasant day, making me tense.

  He lifted a pale brow.

  With a reluctant sigh, I told him what I’d seen.

  His reaction wasn’t what I’d expected. He shrugged.

  “Maybe they were playing a game with you. They’re Violets, princess. And I’ve heard about that Serena woman. She’s a little off.”

  I couldn’t argue with that last part, about Serena.

  “I don’t think that’s it, Master. You should have seen them. They were like marionettes. Like they’d left their bodies or something.” I shuddered. “You can’t fake that kind of stupor.”

  “Well.” He guided me over to a fence where we could watch several wild stallions graze. “I still think they were playing you.”

  Was that possible? I didn’t miss the implications in his reply. Violets were renowned for their cruelty with lower slaves, or ones they saw as lower than them. Madi’san sprang to mind as a shining example. And Serena, with her missing finger, probably had true horror stories to tell about the Violet who had hurt her. Not to mention Cherry’s experience with the Violet she’d lived with when we were both younger. I’d heard stories of Violets who’d poisoned or killed lower slaves. The truth was, I didn’t have a better explanation for what I’d seen, and yet…

  “I can’t see Gita or Tari doing that. They’re sweet. Bratty, but sweet. And I don’t think Serena would, either. It’s too petty for her.”

  Pretty Boy rubbed my back. “Look, if it bothers you that much, tell Doc. He knows everything.”

  I laughed. “All right, Master. I’ll tell him when I see him tomorrow. He wants to show me the results of the blood tests he did on the slaves here.”

  He nodded.

  “I hope he has answers, Master. I want to know what’s wrong with me.”

  He turned and took my chin firmly. “Hey. Look at me.”

  I sighed and met his burning gaze.

  “There’s nothing wrong with you, Setora. Do you understand me? You’re perfect in every way. Perfect for me, perfect for all of us. Whatever Doc finds, it’s not going to change how we feel. All right?”

  My eyes stung with so much love for him, I could hardly breathe. I nearly told him then. Told him everything that filled my heart for him, making it swell to the point of pain.

  He drew me close and massaged my back, my ass, my shoulders. “I don’t give a fuck if your blood is red, blue, or black as witch’s blood. And neither do the guys. Got it?”

  I smiled tearfully and nodded again. “Yes, Master.”

  He kissed me long and hard on the mouth, then slowed, languidly licking at my lips and tongue. When I thought I’d die with want, he pulled back. His smile was broad and beautiful. “Come on.” He jerked his head at our waiting mounts. “Race me back to the castle?”

  I ran happily with him and mounted up. When we were both ready, he turned his horse and drew the reins tight so that he was right beside me. His long fingers touched my chin, warm and loving.

  “Oh. And by the way.”

  “Yes, Master?”

  He leaned close, his lips right in my ear. When he spoke, his voice was so low, I wasn’t even sure I heard him.

  “My name is Kai.”

  He spun his horse around and booted its sides, then raced off, whooping and leaving me gaping after him.

  Chapter 15

  Beast

  We headed back to the castle and to Pretty Boy’s room with just enough time to get washed up and ready for dinner. All the while, my head still spun with what he’d said to me before he’d raced off.

  He’d won the race, and I’d get him back later for cheating, but right now, it was the sweetest loss I’d ever suffered.

  After a quick bath for both of us, and a shave for Pretty Boy, he chose a cadris for me to wear. A pure white ensemble, this one had pants with wide, billowy legs, the top leaving most of my back exposed, except for two strips criss-crossing up over my shoulders, decorated with gold stitching. A gold coined belly necklace completed the outfit.

  Once we were ready, we headed down the corridor toward Lord Falnar’s Grand Dining Hall for dinner. Doc came out of his room as we passed and fell into step with us. We were halfway to the stairway when someone called out from down another corridor.

  “Pretty Boy? You got Doc with you?” Sinister poked his head out of a room.

  “Yeah.” He backtracked with Doc and me. “What’s up?”

  “Lemme borrow Doc for me minute, will you?”

  Pretty Boy exchanged a curious look with Doc and took my hand, following him toward where Sinister stood.

  With one door partly pulled closed and the other open, I only saw a sliver of the room within. Inside, I caught a glimpse of Reaper with his thick dreadlocks pulled back in a queue, talking to another man. The other man had his arms crossed, and he was smirking at something Reaper had said.

  “We could use your help, Doc,” Sinister said, pulling the other door aside for him to enter. “He’s being difficult again.”

  When Doc stepped into the room, I caught a better view of the second man, whom I’d never seen before. As tall or perhaps taller than Steel, he had the messiest hair I’d ever seen—long, thick, and dark, almost as wild as Utar’s had been when I’d seen him in his cage. He glanced out to the hall, giving me glimpse of a face almost completely covered in a thick beard. Then I saw his eyes.

  A deep, teal blue, they startled me in their intensity. When he saw me, they widened a little, and he went ridged. His eyes visibly fixated on my lavender hair, and his fists clenched. I couldn’t pin-point the emotion that flashed in his eyes, but if I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought he was afraid of me.

  “Beast, how you doing, buddy?” Doc turned to us. “Go on ahead, Pretty Boy, I’ll meet you downstairs later.”

  “Sure, man.” Pretty Boy nodded.

  Sinister shut the door, and we continued toward the Grand Dining Hall, but we didn’t get far before I heard a loud crash, a splash, and then Doc letting out a string of curses.

  Pretty Boy laughed.

  “Is Doc going to be okay?” I asked.

  “Oh, yeah, he’ll be fine. They don’t call him Beast for nothing.”

  I frowned but didn’t say anything.

  Steel, Sheriff, and Hawk met me and Pretty Boy at the bottom of the staircase in the foyer. A servant led us down corridor after corridor, toward the center of the castle. My Four talked animatedly as they walked, but I barely absorbed what they said. A wave of lightheadedness swept over me, and I almost stumbled.

  Pretty Boy caught my elbow, steadying me. “Whoa, there. You okay, Princess?”

  I looked into his blue eyes, suddenly shy. The goofy smile that spread over my face must have made me look like a lovesick girl. “I’m fine, Master.”

  His eyes danced, and I wondered how foolish I looked.

  I still couldn’t believe he’d told me his name. Considering how he felt about it, how painful it was for him to think about the woman who gave it to him, I felt incredibly honored knowing his name. Keeping my promise to hold it sacred in my heart would be easy.

  As we drew closer to the ornate doors of the Grand Dining Hall, the familiar awareness of thoughts that weren’t my own slowly took root, producing that low, quiet buzz.

  Serena, I assumed. She’d be seated at Lord Falnar’s side for dinner.

  The guards opened the doors, and we filed in.

  The enormous dining hall was a wonder to behold. Elaborate paintings had been hung on the wa
lls for the event, depicting battles between knights in a time even older than the Old World. The giant crystal chandelier, with its hundreds of candles, set the gold goblets placed on the table to a shimmer. Extra leaves had been inserted into the already long table, doubling the length it been last night. The table top was laden with golden place settings and decorated with rose centerpieces.

  At the table, many more guests than had been there last night, sat in pleasant conversation. The Four showed me off to the newest arrivals, and I curtsied to the lords and nobles, keeping my eyes averted no matter how much I wanted to stare at the elegant styles and glittering turbans, jewels and furs some of the guests wore. Every corner of the New World must have been represented here.

  Except one.

  “See?” Steel whispered close to me as we took our seats. “No J’nai in sight.”

  A knot I hadn’t even realized had been in my stomach loosened when I sneaked a covert look around. He was right, no one wore the sunburst of Damien’s house, and no one looked at me in a way they shouldn’t.

  I wanted to squeeze his hand, or better yet kiss him, but either action would have been inappropriate in this situation without permission, so I inclined my head the smallest fraction, hoping he felt my appreciation.

  “Come over here, sweetheart.” Sheriff pulled me over to a chair at his left and drew the seat out for me. I took my place at his side.

  I caught Serena’s eye just as she was just taking her seat at Lord Falnar’s left. She gave me one of her sunny smiles before she lowered herself into the chair with a grace I only wished I possessed. Her eyes were alight, and thankfully, they didn’t have that dazed look I’d seen from her at lunch earlier.

  “You look lovely, Setora,” she chimed.

  “Thank you, Mistress,” I said, giving her a bow of my head before I returned my eyes to my plate.