The silence at the pearly white gates was a physical weight, heavy enough to make my lungs ache. I stared down at the two bodies, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. One of them lay face-down, fingers splayed and reaching toward the gate as if he'd been inches from freedom. The other was propped against a marble pillar, eyes wide and clouded, staring at a sky he'd never see again.
"What... what is this?" I whispered. My voice betrayed me, trembling despite my best efforts to play the part of the unshakable heroine.
Kyra didn't even look down. He stepped over the outstretched arm of the first corpse with the sickening grace of a dancer, his long green robes fluttering in the light breeze like a forest canopy as he spoke in a menacingly sweet tune. "Oh, those? Just a bit of housekeeping, Wildcat. It's a tragedy, really. Some people just don't know how to follow the rules of a closed city to end up on the streets."
"BUT THEY'RE DEAD, KYRA!!!"
I snapped. The horror momentarily overrode my survival instinct. "You can't just call that 'housekeeping.' Are they your own people? Humans? Vampires?"
He turned back to me and gave me a razor-sharp smile. The "playful" mask didn't slip, but the air around him felt suddenly colder. "In this domain, my word is the law. And the law says that uninvited guests—those without your... unique charm—don't get to leave. Now, are you going to keep staring at the floor, or are you going to let me show you why this city is the envy of the realm?"
I looked at the bodies, then at the massive, shimmering barrier pulsing in the distance. I was alone. Lukas had vanished into thin air, and Dracarus was probably miles away, brooding in some dark corner of his palace. If I made a run for it, I'd be the third body on the marble before I reached the treeline.
"Hold your head down, Hina," I told myself, taking a shaky breath. Be the guest. Find the weakness. This wasn't a time for a head-on collision; this was a time for scouting.
"Fine," I said, my voice hardening into a mask of cold indifference. "Lead the way, 'Lord' Kyra."
He beamed, appearing genuinely delighted by my compliance. He reached out to take my elbow, and though every instinct told me to flinch away from his touch, I let him lead me through the gates.
The city inside was a jarring, beautiful lie. It was a complete contrast to the mud and rot I'd seen through the magic illusion. The buildings were carved from white stone that seemed to glow from within, draped in hanging gardens of flowers that didn't exist in my world—blooms that changed colors from deep violet to sunset orange as we passed.
The elves here didn't look like the pointed-eared saints from the storybooks back home. They were tall, lithe, and wore robes that looked like they were woven from living leaves. But their eyes... they looked at me with a predatory hunger that made me realize the "sneaky" reputation Dracarus had mentioned was an understatement. These weren't forest protectors; they were a hidden army.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Kyra asked, waving a hand toward a massive fountain where the water flowed upward, defying gravity. "We call it Astraea. A sanctuary for those who find the Vampire Courts too... suffocating."
"Is that why Lukas hates you?" I asked, trying to sound casual as I memorized the turn we took past a row of obsidian statues. "Because he's one of those 'suffocating' guardsmen who wouldn't let you in the vampire city?"
Kyra chuckled, a low, melodic sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Lukas doesn't hate me because of politics, Hina. He hates me because I know exactly what he's hiding under that 'loyal soldier' act. He's a dog on a leash, and he knows that if he ever snaps, Dracarus won't be the one to put him down. I will."
He stopped in front of a massive set of double doors carved from ancient wood. "But we aren't here to talk about the help. We're here so you can get to know me."
The doors swung open to a dining hall that looked like it belonged in a high-budget historical drama. The table was laden with fruits that sparkled like gems and wine that smelled of summer rain. But as Kyra pulled out a chair for me, my eyes weren't on the food. They were on the walls.
Maps. Dozens of them.
Detailed sketches of the vampire territories, the human borders, and even the "Forbidden Zones" I'd heard the servants whispering about back at the prince's estate.
"You're planning something," I said, taking my seat. I kept my gaze focused on a pearly white plate, trying to keep my eyes from lingering too long on a map that showed a direct path to Dracarus's western wing.
"I'm an Elf Lord, Hina. I'm always planning," Kyra replied, pouring two glasses of the shimmering wine. "The vampires think they rule this world because they have the sharpest teeth and the oldest blood. They forget that the forest has eyes. And right now, the forest is very interested in the woman who survived the death prince's wrath."
He leaned in close, his face inches from mine. Up close, I could see the faint, pulsing glow in his pupils—a sign of the deep magic he'd used to hide this entire city. "Tell me, Hina. How does a girl with such a 'pure heart' end up in the lap of a monster like Dracarus? And more importantly... how much would it take for you to tell me all his secrets?"
I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the air. He wasn't just a potential romantic interest or a playful rogue; he was a collector. And I was the newest, most exotic item on his shelf, but if he thinks I'm going to sell Dracarus's secrets because I don't like him, then he must be delusional.
"I don't know any secrets," I lied, my voice steady. "I'm just a victim of circumstance."
Kyra laughed, leaning back and sipping his wine with an air of boredom. "A victim? No. A victim doesn't use the prince's name as a threat the way you did at me earlier on. You're a player, Hina. You just haven't realized what game you're playing yet. You were ready to call the big bad wolf to protect you from the fox."
I looked at the maps, then at the wine, then back at the man who casually stepped over dead bodies without flinching. I needed to find a way to contact Lukas—or even the "crazy psychotic" Dracarus. Because as much as the prince was a monster, he was a monster I understood. Kyra was a maze of smiles and illusions, and I was already lost in his halls.
"Eat," Kyra urged, gesturing to the feast a group of maids brought in. "You'll need your strength. Tomorrow, I'll show you the barracks. I think you'll find our 'sneaky' little army very impressive. We don't just use bows and arrows here, Hina. We use the very earth itself."
I picked up a fork, my mind racing.
Getting to Know... I was definitely getting to know him. He was a snake in a silk robe, and I was trapped in his nest. But even the best-hidden cities have a back door. And if I had to use every bit of the "growing power" I didn't yet understand to find it, I would.
I looked at Kyra, matching his smile with a fake one of my own. "I can't wait to see it, Lord Kyra. After all... I'm just a curious guest."
In the back of my mind, I wondered if Dracarus was already looking for me or if he was glad to be rid of the "wildcat" that caused him so much trouble. Either way, I wasn't going to be anyone's
prize—not a Prince's, and certainly not an Elf Lord's.