Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99529 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Xander placed his dagger back into its sheath.
The guard unlocked the steel-barred gate and opened it.
With no further problems, we marched into the Quiet King’s castle.
“Xander, you can’t kill every man who shows an interest in Camille,” Ty whispered. “She’s a beautiful woman with many talents. You’ll have a long trail of dead bodies if you kill them all.”
“Then so be it,” Xander hissed behind me.
Ian muttered behind his mask, “The joys of the ripening.”
I gazed at Xander.
Ty is right. Calm your temper while we are in the castle.
Xander silently asked me in my mind. Did I scare you?
Yes. You could’ve given away our disguise or even worse, been killed.
I followed Ty and Victoria as we journeyed through an opulent red hallway. An intricate floral pattern, alive with crimson red roses and sharp green thorns, ran up the wide walls.
Ian walked along on my side while he moved his face from side-to-side, drinking in the whole area. I wondered how he felt returning to the castle, a place he’d once considered home.
I definitely had my own uncomfortable thoughts.
I can’t believe I’m back here, walking willingly into a place where I was enslaved.
I’d been down this path many times before and exited the castle for personal supplies or just to take a break for a few minutes from the rigid domina life.
The Quiet King provided dominas with a small budget of fifty pocs a month. Most spent their money on exotic candy, expensive chocolates, and wine.
I’d bought trinkets for my girls and mailed them home.
Stunned, I realized that I didn’t remember seeing any of the dolls or pictures I’d sent displayed in their bedroom the time I’d snuck in there with Xander.
What did Ethan do with them?
Xander stirred on my other side as we continued toward the passageway that led to the Royal Court. His movement made me think he’d read my thoughts.
Soon giggling and chatter soared greeted us. Music played as we opened the door. Everywhere the perfume of blooming flowers drenched the air.
Two Royal Guards flanked the entrance. They glanced at our group for a few seconds then returned to their earlier conversation.
The Royal Court appeared as we marched in.
A turquoise-stoned fountain decorated the corner of the courtyard. White doves sipped water at the top.
I knew that the mechanical birds would be released closer to midnight, to play the same songs they always did.
The color of the day must be purple.
Everywhere dominas lounged on satin-cushioned sofas and chairs draped in plum chiffon robes. Purple leather sandals covered their feet. Violets adorned their hair.
Maids hurried around them with trays, dashing back and forth from the kitchen to their assigned domina, bringing her whatever she desired.
A savory aroma of roasted meats merged with the flowery perfume.
Other maids brushed and combed their dominas’ hair.
Young vampire children, the ones the Quiet King deemed as unpleasing to look at, fanned the dominas with huge peacock-feathered fans.
The Quiet King owned over a hundred wives and five queens.
The queens began as dominas like me, but once they delivered at least sixty vampire children, they were given the title of queen, allowed more freewill, and could assert authority over a line of dominas below them.
I directed my attention to the center of the Royal Courtyard.
Five queens rested on blood-red thrones. Each woman’s outfit was themed in a precious metal.
The Quiet King’s first queen—not Phinova, but the first domina to be honored with the title of queen—wore a platinum-gold crown and was draped in a shiny platinum-golden robe. It hurt to look at her as she shined under the two moonlights.
Regular gold decorated the queen on her right.
Silver draped the third queen, who was Queen Regina and Xander’s mother.
And she was a breathtaking woman to behold.
Sandy blonde hair, as thick as a lion’s mane, flowed down to her knees. Once, I’d watched her maids brush the tangles out of her long tresses for an entire night. Queen Regina’s eyes gleamed icy blue.
Although the other queens and dominas had pale skin, due to maintaining a vampire schedule of sleeping during the day and walking around at night, Queen Regina boasted a golden, tanned complexion.
Many dominas whispered that she never slept and wandered Capitol City during the daylight with secret lovers. I wondered if the rumors were correct.
“And there’s my mother.” Xander crossed his arms across his chest.
Queen Regina spotted Ty’s mask, scanned our group, and stood with a sleek grace that reminded me of Xander’s fluid movements.
I looked at Xander.
She knows it is you?
She always does. Leeta told me once that somehow dominas could always sense their kids several feet away. I still don’t know how.
That fact truly intrigued me. Was it a specific energy that ran through the domina when her child was near? Was it a smell or sound?
Either way, everything was working out as planned.
Yet, my nerves buzzed with unease underneath my skin and my blood raced in my veins.