“Cursed vampires, this is bad.” I grimace, raking my fingers through my hair.
Why would someone take a journal? Did they take anything else important?
My gaze lands on the enchanted jewelry box where the choker Rhyland gave me for my birthday is hidden. I hurry over to check inside. When I lift the lid, I breathe in relief.
“Well, at least that’s still there.” At least there’s proof I’m not going off the deep end. Because I’ve seriously been wondering if I lost my vampire marbles and am imagining this stuck-on-repeat, soon-to-be-crowned-queen life.
Then again, maybe it’d be better if I was just a crazy nutjob than living out the same tragic life repeatedly.
I sink down onto the edge of the bed and lower my head into my hands. “What the hell bats am I going to do? That journal was pretty much the only key to the truth, besides these fleeting, random memories I keep having. But I don’t even know what’s causing those.” I huff out a breath. “I really need to find that journal.”
I peer around my room again, as if the journal will somehow miraculously appear, when an idea strikes me as my gaze zeroes in on the jewelry piled on top of the dresser. Dex told me that the castle is enchanted with magic and can give me almost anything I request. So, perhaps …
“Castle, can you give me my journal?” I hold my breath and wait for it to drop from the glittering ceiling, but nothing happens.
Well, nothing except a knock on my door. But unless my journal suddenly came to life, I highly doubt it’s knocking.
“Knock, knock, knock,” Dex, my stylist, says from the other side of my shut bedroom door.
According to a memory I had, Dex installed the secret compartment where the journal was kept. He also gave me the journal. However, I’m not sure how much he knows about this curse. And the journal warned me to trust nobody, so I need to pretend everything is normal. Ugh, I’ve never been fantastic at acting. Plus, someone has my journal, which means at least one creature in this castle is aware of what I know.
“Dammit, why in the nighttime vampires did I have to fall asleep?” I grumble as I pad across the room and throw open the door.
Dex is standing on the other side, fiddling with his black hair shaved shorter on the sides and longer on the top, the tips glinting silver. His outfit screams stylish from his black jeans to his silver embellished boots that match the chains dangling from his vest pocket. His startling icy-blue eyes framed with kohl eyeliner and thick lashes are settled on me, and his blue-stained lips are curved into a smile.
“Still in our pajamas, are we?” He pushes into my room without waiting for an invite and strides toward the closet. “We need to dress you quickly this evening. We have very little time before you embark on your journey to the Land of Moonlight.”
“The Land of Moonlight?” I follow him into the closet, confusion tap dancing in my sleepy mind. “I thought we weren’t supposed to be going there for at least a few days. That’s what my mom said last morning.”
“Last morning?” He shakes his head as he sifts through the hanging clothes filling up the large closet. “Raven, you’ve been asleep for almost three moonrises.”
“Three moonrises?” My mind races a million blood drinks a second. I’ve been asleep for three moonrises. Three freakin’ days? How? “Why didn’t anyone wake me?”
He shrugs. “I think they figured with all the excitement and chaos going on you needed some extra rest.”
“How convenient.” And I’m completely not buying the story.
No, I didn’t fall asleep under my own free will. Someone magically doped me into a three mornings’ long sleep. And my vampire blood is on Rhyland and his witchy witch sleep spell he’s already used on me multiple times. I just wish I knew how he did it. That is the million shots of emperors’ blood question that I desperately need an answer to. Well, that and hundred other ones.
“Now, if I can just decide what to put you in …” Dex taps his fingers against his bottom lip as he studies a few dresses hanging in front of him. “I’m thinking something black with a little bit of lace.” He fingers the zipper of a leather jacket. “Perhaps a little bit of leather so you’ll blend right in with all the other Land of Moonlight creatures.”
“Or I could just wear some holey jeans, a T-shirt, and boots,” I suggest, leaning against the doorjamb, mostly for support against the dizziness taking over my brain.
Lies. Everything is a lie.
Dex shoots me an appalled look. “Raven, the queen of vampires doesn’t wear holey jeans or jeans or holey anything. It’s sacrilegious.”
I hold up my hands in front of me with a teasing smile. “Sorry, I didn’t realize queen attire was so important.”
He nods in all seriousness. “It’s almost as important as ruling.” He returns his attention back to the clothes. “However, considering you are going to the Land of Moonlight, I think pants instead of a dress might be a better idea, just in case you run into some trouble. And I’m also thinking a lacey top.” He plucks a thin-strapped silk top trimmed with lace from a hanger and hands the thin piece of fabric to me before assessing the selection of jeans. “These would look really great”—he selects a pair of black pants then crouches to the bottom shelf of shoes—“with these.” He collects a pair of thigh-high boots before standing up straight again. Then he dumps the clothes and shoes into my arms before whisking back into the room. “Now, for your jewelry—”
“Actually, if it’s okay, I’d like to wear my own jewelry today.” I set the clothes down on my bed then move over to my jewelry box to grab the choker with the rose pendant.
Dex steps up beside me, examining the choker. “Well, I was about to say you can’t wear a non-castle approved piece of jewelry, but I’m going to let that rule slide.” He runs his finger along the rose pendant. “It’s gorgeous. Where did you get it?”
“From Rhyland.” I watch his reaction closely, trying to assess how much he knows.
“Well, he has excellent taste, but I’m not surprised. He always has.” His smile seems all sorts of wrong—forced.
And there’s the slipup I’ve been waiting for.
“You know Rhyland?”
His eyes slightly widen, but he hastily collects himself, clearing his throat. “Of course. He’s the king.”
“But what you said … it sounded an awful lot like you’ve known him for a while.”
“I’m a very old vampire, Raven. I’ve been around for a very long time and practically know everyone and everything.” He offers me a stiff smile then backs toward the doorway. “Hurry and get dressed so I can do your hair and makeup.” Turning on his heels, he slips out of the room and shuts the door behind him.
I wasn’t planning on wearing the choker until I gathered more information about this cursed life I’m stuck in, but after seeing how squirmy Dex got, I think I’ll put it on and see how Rhyland reacts. Maybe it’s a risky move that I’ll later regret, but with the journal gone and sleep spells being casted on me, I need to get to the bottom of the truth before my time expires and my life starts over again.
Raven
As I’m getting dressed, I make a mental list of ways to track down my journal. The biggest problem is a ton of creatures occupy the castle, most of them bodyguards. Still … they’re Rhyland’s bodyguards. He could have convinced one of them to do it. Then there are Dex and my mom. I hate to think my own mother would do something like that to me, but the entry in the journal stated she’s a huge part of this curse.
“Crap, it could be anywhere,” I mutter, tugging a brush through my tangled hair. “I need to come up with a way to …” The strangest feeling of being watched overcomes me.
I set the brush down and peer over my shoulder. Nothing appears out of the ordinary, other than Aeribella is wide awake now and alert with her head held high, her ears perked, and her nostrils flaring as she sniffs the air.
“You sense that, too?” I rise from the vanity chair, cross the room, and then stroke between her ears. ?
??What is it?”
She sniffs the air again then springs to her feet and bares her teeth with her glowing gaze fixed on the bookshelf. I can’t spot anything in the vicinity, but that doesn’t mean anything. If I’ve learned anything from growing up in Mystic Willow Bay, surrounded by countless varied species of magical creatures, it’s that invisible things do exist. In fact, the creatures you can’t see are usually the most frightening.
My muscles constrict as I carefully inch toward the fireplace and collect the fire poker. Then I creep across the bedroom to the bookshelf, raise the fire poker above my head, and swing down—
Books tumble from the shelf, and I jolt, the fire poker slipping from my fingers. It hits the floor with a clank and Aeribella lets out a sharp howl.
“Shit.” I quickly scoop up the fire poker and reel around, searching for what knocked the books down.
As I turn in a circle, Aeribella loses her shit, roaring loudly and leaping off the bed. Then she races toward the now open window and growls.
“How the hell did that get open?” I rush over and peer outside.
The night sky is dusted with stars, and moonlight glistens across the fields and trees, casting shadows all over the land and guards. If something is out there, the guards would’ve spotted it, which means …
It must still be inside—
“Raven, what’re you doing?”
Startled, I spin on my heels and swing the fire poker, moving faster than I have before. Fortunately, Dex is quicker and ducks before getting clocked in the head.
“Oh, my vampires, I’m so sorry.” I drop the fire poker and cover my mouth. “You just scared the bats out of me. Seriously, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Dex straightens, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “You moved pretty fast. Your powers must be kicking in a bit.”
“I guess so.” I lower my hand from my mouth and glimpse around the room. The bedroom door is open and Aeribella has wandered back to the bed. Everything is calm now, but the books remain scattered across the floor, the pages flittering against the breeze blowing in through the open window, a reminder something was in here.
“Is something wrong?” Dex asks worriedly. “You seem nervous.”
“I’m not sure yet.” I close the window then give him a quick recap of what just happened.
“So, you think something invisible was in your chambers?” he asks after I’m finished.
“I don’t know … I mean, I don’t have any proof or anything, other than the books fell on the floor. But the way they fell wasn’t natural, like someone used magic to throw them all off.” I sink down on the edge of the bed and pet Aeribella, who has fallen asleep again. What a lazy, little lilywolf tiger. “She sure seemed to think something was in here.”
“I should send a message to Kingsley and the guards so they can check out the air.” He strides toward the corner desk, plucks up a feather pen, and dunks the tip in ink. Then he scribbles words directly on the desk.
“Why are you writing on the furniture?” I walk over to read what he wrote, but the ink is already vanishing into the wood. “Hey, how did you do that?”
He sets the pen down. “The desk is magic. If you ever need to send a message to anyone, just write it on that desk, along with the name of the creature. And if your message requires a response, it’ll briefly appear on the desk.”
“That’s pretty awesome. Can I do it with anyone? Even creatures back at Mystic Willow Bay?” If that’s the case, perhaps I can write Effie and Anders a message. Sure, I can text them, but texts forever reside in the digital world while magic eventually vanishes.
Well, almost always.
He nods, rolling up his sleeves. “I’d be careful who you contact. Now that you’re queen, you have to be more careful whom you trust.”
“I’m not queen yet.” And if I don’t break this curse, I’ll die before I ever get crowned.
“You will be soon,” Dex says with a reassuring smile.
But I hear it. The hint of doubt in his tone, as if he’s not so sure.
As if I won’t be able to break the curse this time around.
Raven
After Dex sends the message, he goes into beauty mode and starts doing my hair and makeup. Meanwhile, my thoughts remain stuck on what sort of invisible creature would be sneaking around my room and why. Was it looking for something? Was it just a coincidence that Dex showed up while it was going on? I wish I had my journal so I could glance through the pages and see if anything like this has happened before. Since I don’t, all I can hope for is that Kingsley and the guards find the creature. Although, if they do, they might not even tell me.
Lies. Every creature in this castle is a liar.
I really need to get in touch with Effie and Anders so I’ll at least have two creatures I can confide in.
I make a silent vow to myself right then and there to use the desk to contact Effie and Anders as soon as Dex leaves and I get a moment alone.
Luckily, he doesn’t take too long getting me ready, keeping my style simple—some kohl eyeliner, a dash of lip gloss, and a high ponytail that curls the ends. When I check my reflection in the mirror, my jaw nearly smacks against the black and white checkerboard floor.
“I look like a …” I touch my lips, my cheeks, my hair, then check out my outfit. With the lace-up boots, my already long legs look freakishly long, but not necessarily in a bad way. And the black pants, shirt, and shoes contrast well with my raven black hair. “Like an empress. Well, except for the dragon burn on my neck.” I scrunch my nose at the flakes of ember flesh covering my neck.
“No, you look like a queen who’s about to go to the Land of Moonlight. And Rhyland will feed you soon so the burns will fade.” Dex steps beside me, carrying a leather thigh holster. “Here. Put this on.”
I take the holster from him. “Why?”
“Because you’re going to need it while you’re in the Land of Moonlight.” He backs toward the door with his hands stuffed into his pockets.
“Is it really that dangerous there?” I ask, fastening the leather straps around my upper thigh.
Dex nods, his gaze flicking to the choker around my neck. “The chaos currently taking place in the Land of Moonlight makes the rebellions in Mystic Willow Bay seem like a carnival blood fair.”
I shudder as I buckle the holster. “That sounds sketchy as hell. Maybe I should get a knife to put in this …” I trail off, realizing Dex has vacated the room.
So weird.
And he barely spoke to me while he did my hair and makeup. And he kept glancing at the choker on my neck.
“What exactly does he know about all this?” I mumble, tightening the buckle on the holster.
“What exactly does who know about all what?” Kingsley materializes in the doorway with a grin.
He’s dressed head to toe in black, thick boots covering his feet, and leather holsters are strapped to his shoulders and thighs. Unlike my holster, his hold an assortment of silver and gold knives and daggers. I should be afraid of him, knowing what I know now. But the sight of him in warrior attire makes me feel the tiniest bit safe.
What the actual fuck? Since when do I feel safe around Kingsley?
My thoughts drift back to the memory. I did feel safe with him in the past … before the curse. That doesn’t mean I should trust him now. Not when I’m certain Kingsley has something to do with this curse.
“I was just questioning Dex and his knowledge about clothes. He seemed to know his shit, but …” I gesture at my outfit. “Doesn’t this seem a bit over-the-top for just visiting the Land of Moonlight?”
Kingsley’s gaze lazily scrolls over me, briefly faltering when he notes the choker around my neck. “Over-the-top or not, you look fucking hot. You’re missing something, though.” He steps forward while retrieving a shorter, silver-handled dagger from one of his thigh holsters. Keeping his gaze trained on me, he slips the dagger into my thigh holster, his eyes sparkling mischievously, just like they did in t
he memory. “There. Perfect.” His all-glittering amusement shines through as he puts a sliver of space between us and tilts his head to the side, giving me a once-over. “Rhyland’s going to have a blood fit.”
I fidget under his intent scrutiny. “Because I’m going to draw attention?”
He chews on his bottom lip. “Partly.”
“Okay, so what’s the other part?”
“Now, what fun would it be for me to tell you and ruin the surprise of finding out for yourself?” He winks as he steps toward the doorway. “Come on. Everyone’s already having a meltdown over taking you out of the castle. I don’t need to be late bringing you to the dining hall and causing more panic.”
I make no move to follow him. Not until I get some answers.
“How did the search go? Did you find an invisible creature wandering around the castle or land?”
He shakes his head. “We couldn’t find any traces, either.”
“So, you think I’m wrong? That nothing was in my room?” I question with annoyance.
“No, that’s not what I think at all. I just said we haven’t found anything yet. The guards are still looking, and if something is still here, they’ll find it.”
“You believe me?”
“Of course.” He lightly tugs on the end of my ponytail. “It’s my job as your Blood Protector to always be on your side and protect you.”
An idea sparks in my mind. Maybe he has to tell me the truth because of that, if I ask the right question with no loophole. “And what about always telling me the truth?”
“What about it?”
“Are you required to always tell me the truth?”
“Sure.”
“That’s an evasive answer.”
He gives an indifferent shrug. “Aren’t all answers?”
“What’re you? A troll or something?” I put my hands on my hips. “You’re talking in riddles, which is very troll-ish.”
Another shrug, but this time he gives me a fiery stare, as if he’s attempting to communicate through his gaze. Maybe he is, but deciphering smoldering stares has never been my forte, so it’s a useless effort.