A Throne of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 2)

“I’m surprised it took you so long to get down here,” Hadriel said. Leala had stayed behind in the tower to put everything away and order up a tray of bread and cheese for whenever I wandered back up. I hadn’t wanted to be rushed. I’d brave the demons in the hallways to spend more time perusing. “I’d thought it was the one thing you wanted above all else in the castle.”

“In the castle, yes.” I felt the nervous excitement coiling in my belly. “In the world, no. Making the nulling elixir was more important.”

“You’re a good human, Finley.” His tone was uncharacteristically serious. “You’re a good reminder of what life outside of this accursed castle could be.”

“We’ll get back to that someday.”

“We can’t return to something we never had. The nobles were pompous assholes, and the king was a tight-fisted ass. They worried about themselves and their kind and looked down on the common man. We would’ve been taxed for a cure.”

I remembered Nyfain’s comments about my generosity. I shrugged. “Desperate times, as they say.”

“Indeed.”

Hadriel put out his hand to stop me and then walked into the library and turned around, pushing the door mostly closed. I heard something click, and then he pulled both doors open at the same time, a grand gesture. He stepped to the side and swung out his hand.

“Milady. Welcome to the library of your dreams.”

I beamed, crossing the threshold.

My stomach dropped out of my body. My smile slid off my face. I had to squeeze my legs together so that I didn’t pee myself.

“Oh…” That was all I could get out.

He led me forward on my suddenly wooden legs. My face had lost feeling. I simply could not believe what I was seeing.

First, the sheer size of the space was incredible. It was bigger than two of my house, one stacked on top of the other. Much bigger. The ceiling arched over the enormous room, and there were little pockets within the beams covered in hand-painted murals. Shelves lined the walls, decorated with wood columns between each of the stacks. A ladder attached to a metal rod at the top could be slid along to access the top shelves. Above that, a balcony constructed of the same polished wood ran around the room, the walls lined with more books.

The wood floor was covered in plush rugs, and comfortable seating options abounded, from recliners to piles of large pillows that lay everywhere—on the furniture, in piles on the ground, and in little cushioned corner nooks, or cleverly positioned between the stacks. It wasn’t just a place for browsers—it was a place for readers. It was a place to settle in and stay for a while.

The deliciously sweet, musty smell of old books wafted toward my nose. It was a smell of comfort, of knowledge, of fantastic adventures and faraway places. It worked into my mind and relaxed my body.

“Where would I even start?” I breathed, trailing my fingertips down my mostly bare chest.

I’d decided to wear one of Cecil’s dresses. The neckline plunged to my sternum, collected under my freely hanging breasts, and from there the material skimmed down my stomach. Five straps fit over my shoulders, two on one side and three on the other, each of them holding the dress a little differently. A slit ran up my right side and the bottom dragged against the floor in the back. It was elegant and plain and comfortable, and I felt slinky and sexy when I wore it. Underneath I wore no underwear, mostly because I was still embarrassed about the wild lady beard that definitely needed to be tamed. I hadn’t dusted my face with makeup or bothered to change my hair from the messy bun. I’d just wanted the feel of the soft, flowing material against my skin.

“How about with finding the place you will read?”

His sandpaper voice flowed over me. Goosebumps coated my skin. My animal eagerly sat up and took notice.

Hadriel drifted to the side as Nyfain walked toward me from around a corner deeper in the library. Clearly there was more to it. His gray T-shirt, though a bit looser than the white ones he usually wore, stretched across those impossibly broad shoulders. His jeans hugged that delicious bulge.

“Goddess have mercy on us mere mortals,” he said as his gaze roamed over me. “Cecil does not disappoint.” He glanced to the right. “Hadriel, that will be all. Close the doors after you. We are not to be disturbed.”

I smiled, dropping my gaze in sudden embarrassment. When Nyfain reached me, he fitted his hand below my chin. Pressure had me looking up, meeting his golden gaze.

“You are a vision, Finley.”

I ran my hand alongside my face, then touched my hair. “I didn’t dress up or anything. This is a lounging dress, he called it.” I shrugged. “It’s comfortable.”