Eternal Redemption - Book Two ✔

Chapter 20

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!

The word repeated itself in my head as the heavy front door closed behind me. Nox's face was unreadable as he stood to my right and I made sure my thoughts would not show on my face. I turned to Pedro on my left and smiled slightly.

"Had I known I was in the presence of royalty I may have behaved better," I said.

"Mi Querida, I enjoy your fresh and undiluted point of view." The vampire king reached out and grasped my hand, lifting it up to his lips. "Do not change on my account." He did not break eye contact as he pressed his pale lips against my skin.

"Your Majesty," Nox said, bowing his head in recognition. I mimicked his action, lowering my head, but felt awkward as Pedro was still holding my hand, now grazing his thumb across the place his lips had been moments before.

"Please," he started with a smile, "you are guests in my home, which means no formalities." With my hand, still in his grasp he crossed the hall and I almost jumped to not get dragged behind him. I cast a fleeting glance at Nox, but he simply nodded at me to keep following the king. We moved into an even larger open space, with huge pillars encasing the wide-open room. There was a statue of a woman with no arms standing in a small circular pool of water. A fountain? Something told me that was the word, but were they usually indoors? Behind the statue was one of the biggest staircases I'd ever seen in my life. Ten men could easily stand shoulder to shoulder on the same step.

Everything was white, but the lights let off a warm glow, so my eyes were not too annoyed. The doors and bannisters were of a brown colour.

"You have a beautiful home," Nox said, and all I could do was nod in agreement as I tried taking it all in. The king had paused by the small fountain in the middle of the room, no doubt to let us absorb it all in and my head tilted upwards to the ceiling. I didn't even think I could jump that high. The first floor was barely visible over the bannister, but the floor itself wrapped around us, beginning and ending by the staircase. The ceiling itself was mostly glass, but I didn't even bother asking – of course it was vamp proofed.

"I won't bother you with a full tour, but allow me to show you to the bar," Pedro said, looking at Nox, then turned to me and continued, "wouldn't you like to change out of that dreadful clothes? There's a wardrobe upstairs where I'm sure you could find something more fitting." His eyes found someone behind me and with a simple nod a man came over.

"Felipe will show you to the room and afterwards you can join me and your maker in the study." He released my hand and immediately another hand, Felipe's, rested on my back as he escorted me to the stairs.

The staircase split into two on the landing and Felipe guided me up the right side. Down the first hallway on the left and finally stopped outside a door. It swung open as he turned the doorknob and I entered a large bedroom with a massive bed dominating the far side of the room. The walls were white with paintings hung between the windows. To my left was a couch, table and a chair, but to my right was an opening without a door, which was where Felipe gestured to.

"In there you will find the walk-in closet. I can throw away the rags you are wearing now, if you'd like?"

I looked down at myself; Nox had found the shirt and pants for me after I'd blown up a whole house with my powers after a bunch of vampire hunters had gotten the jump on me.

"Please," I replied to Felipe and without a second thought I lifted the shirt over my head and dropped it into his arms. I took off my shoes and the pants quickly followed suit, leaving a small bundle of dark and dirty clothes in Felipe's outstretched arms. It did not bother me the slightest that I was naked in front of a stranger, someone that wasn't Nox. I liked this new me. No second-guessing, no self-consciousness. I was just free.