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4
The horse moved like the wind over water. She could barely feel one hoof hit the ground before the next hit. Her entire body shook with the motion and the only thing keeping her on the horse was the firm arm wrapped around her stomach, pressing her into the king’s chest. A wall of muscle, he kept her safe and secure in the saddle, his body rocking expertly, following the motion of the animal.
Around her, she recognized the road back towards the mountains. She saw the shadow of the temple where her father still resided, but there was nothing she could do. Nothing but sit in the embrace of a monster and wait for her moment.
Her fingers shook around the pommel of the saddle in front of her and she shuddered. No…she was trembling. Her legs felt weak, and her head woozy.
“Easy,” he said, flipping his cloak around to wrap around them both. Its warmth was startling, and as he tucked it around her body, she felt herself relax a little further. “You’ll be okay. It’s the shock.”
“Damn you,” she grumbled, turning her face into the crook of his neck. “How are you so warm?”
The king chuckled. “Try and sleep. We still have a little further to go.”
She held tight to the cloak with one hand, and her other hand found where his arm rested around her waist. She didn’t want to sleep, but it was better than the shaking, and her eyelids felt so heavy, and he smelled so good.
“Sleep,” he whispered in her ear. “Nothing will harm you, Starlight. Not while you’re with me.”
Her gut twisted. She didn’t want to believe him, but he sounded so sincere, and she was utterly exhausted. Closing her eyes, she sank into the cloak, and she heard her mother’s voice whispering in the back of her mind.
Sleep now and think it through once you’re awake. Everything looks better in the morning.
His voice caressed her ear once more, far too soon. It felt like she’d just fallen asleep. Blinking wildly, she took in their surroundings and frowned. She didn’t recognize anything anymore. In fact, she could barely see anything anymore. The mists were so heavy between the trees the only light came from torches cutting through haze ahead of them.
“Where—” she croaked, clearing her throat. “Where are we?”
“Not far from the border,” he said, quietly, still holding her on the saddle. “We’ll rest here and then in the morning…we’ll return to the Crimson Palace.”
Mina’s heart sank. “Crimson? Like blood?’
“You could say that, but I prefer to think the name comes for the color of its bricks, and stained-glass windows,” he said, chuckling softly, urging the horse onward a few more steps. “I did not name it, or build it.”
They fell into silence, and after a few minutes, dozens of black tents of various size began to peak through the mists surrounding them. To Mina they looked identical, all of them except one. Further up the incline on a flat piece of rock sat a tent three times the size of the others. Its great doors were held open with wooden posts and she could see a great fire blazing on the inside.
“How…how…” Mina had a thousand questions. Some she was positive he’d never answer, and others she wasn’t brave enough to ask. “How large is your kingdom? Are you the only vampire king?”
He chuckled again. “I am, and my kingdom is quite large. It’s hard to explain, but if you’re open to learning, I’ll show it all to you one day.”
“Are you laughing at me?” Mina glared sideways at him. From her spot in his arms, she couldn’t see much more than the edge of his sharp jaw, but glaring still made her feel better.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Not at all. I’m laughing because I find you fascinating, Starlight. Of all the questions you could ask, those were not the ones I was expecting.”
“What did you expect?” she asked as he walked the horse up to the large tent. He started to answer but was cut off as she was forced to stifle a yawn behind her fist.
“I think your questions will have to wait until tomorrow,” he said. “For now, I think you should wash up and get some rest. We still have a long journey ahead of us in the morning.”
“I’m not tired, I need to know,” she protested as he unraveled his cloak from around her, slipping to the ground.
“Come, you’ll feel different once you’re laying down, I’m sure,” he said, holding out his hands to help her from the horse.
Mina blinked at him in confusion. This man was supposed to be a bloodthirsty creature that killed and drank the blood of any human who dared walk near. A monster in men’s clothing, and yet here he was beingkindto her. In any other circumstance, she would’ve even called him polite.
His handsome face crumpled, and his hand dropped, falling to rest on her thigh. “What’s wrong, Starlight?”
She shook her head and swung her leg around to dismount. As she lowered herself, she felt two strong hands at her waist, steadying her descent.
Mina felt the blood rush to her cheeks, and a tight coil clenched in the pit of her stomach. She’d dreamt of what those hands could do, what she wanted them to do.
Clearing her throat once more, Mina turned to look up at him, flashing a half-hearted smile. “Thank you.”
