Beguiled (Book 2 Immortal Essence series) (6 page)

I turned to Michael. “You know him?”

Michael rubbed
his neck. “Yeah, it turns out
Ramien is
my—”

“Come in, Venus. It isn’t every day a
creature
such a
s
yourself
visits my humble realm.
Let’s get you some dry clothes.
” He stood back, and bid me enter with flourishing hands. 

I raised an eyebrow, nestling his name—Ramien
, Michael
called him Ramien
—in my mind for later.
“Your realm?” I asked,
and then held my breath
as I passed through
the doorway
. Tentative, I stepped
into a room that could
only be described as sumptuous
.

Lush emerald drapes
enclosed
stained glass windows. It
wasn’t
conceivable
I would
see the suns or moons of Kelari from way down here, surely
, I thought
.
The walls were black and edged in scalloped golden paint.
Overhead hung five ma
ssive chandeliers. One after
an
other, lined up like
twinkling
stars
in a row
.

Polished
wooden tables
sa
t on one side of the
thickly carpeted
room
. They were made up of w
hite l
inens, sparkling silverware,
crystal goblets
, and dinner plates adorned in gold leaf trim.
Enough
place settings
for ten per table.
A large gold candelabrum, filled with
flickering
candles,
rested
in the center of each table, and large quantities of
uneaten
food surround
ed them
.

On the other side
of the room
were sev
eral chaises next to end tables
. Couches in deep reds, warm gold’s, and whites were situated for conversation. A
fifty piece
orchestra played quietly, yet beautifully
,
at the far end of the room.
The musicians looked different—like a mishmash of several different creatures.
Except their hands.
They all had
nimble
human hands.

As I took in the room, Ramien answered, “Yes, H
elker
is mine
.”
He gave Michael an i
ntense look
and then added
, “I intend
to share it with someone.
Soon.
”

I
wrapped my hands around myself
.
As a kelvieri
,
the elements didn’t affect my body the way they used to, but I felt anxious.
Michael noticed, and stood closer. “We should get you
into
some dry clothes.”

“
Such a gentleman,
Michael.”
Ramien sauntered
to the
opposite
end of the long room. Michael put an arm around my shoulders and
we
followed. Ramien opened the door to a bedroom, which I found odd. Why would it be right off
the
banquet room? Ramien interrupted my thoughts. “
You’ll find clothes
in the closet.” Ramien clapped his hands twice, and a young kelarian of no more than ten or eleven entered from another door. Her metallic skin
was
pasty, and fear bled from her silver eyes. “This is Angela. She’ll help you dress, do your hair, and anyth
ing else you
require.” He gave Angela a haughty stare. “Come, Michael. Let us leave the lady to her dressing.” To me he added, “We will be in the dining hall once you’ve finished. Angela will bring you.”

“Michael?”
I asked. He answered by shaking his head, a
n unreadable expression on his stony face. A tendril of anger curled in my chest. “I’d like to speak to my parents right away,” I said to Ramien.

“All in good time, dear. Get dressed.”

It was an order
said with a smile
.

“Fine,” I
answered
through clenched teeth.

After Ramien and Michael left, I turned to the little kel cowering in the corner.

“Hi.” I
said with a noncommittal wave
.

She bobbed
a curtsy. “Highness. Can I help you get out of your wet clot
hes?” Her voice was high and
mousy as her demeanor. Sh
e took a cautious step
.

“Yes. Thank you.”
Sighing, I shrugged out of my jacket and let it fall to the wonderfully rich
and soft
white
carpet. Angela scurried over and
picke
d it up, hanging it on a chair.
Droplets of water trickled off the jacket and hit the carpet.

I wanted a warm
soak in lilac scented
fresh water reaching
all the way to
my chin
. But now wasn’t the time.
I
’d settle
for being dry. Saving my parents meant more than anything else.

“
Let me
unfasten
your dress.” Angela
’s hands skittered along my
back
working to undo the fasteners.
A
cloying aroma, like dead flowers, or too much perfume,
emanated
from the girl. It wasn’t terrible, just really strong.

I grabbed what was left of my braid
and pulled it
over my shoulder
, out of her way
.
Her little fingers worked quickly. I removed th
e belt Aetha gave me after she
changed me into a kelvieri.
She
’d
called the irrihunter face
on the buckle
,
Tortevia. As I touched it, Tortevia licked my fingers.
I smiled.
The god
dess
said Tortevia would
be a light in the darkness.
So far t
he irrihunter head
hadn’t been
more than
a minor comfort.
I’d grown attac
hed
to her
though
,
and
always wore the belt
. I usually
wore my boots as wel
l.

The symbols in the
boots’
heels
transformed
after I
changed
from regular kelarian to kelvieri. Where before
the heels contained
a thumping heart and
a glowing arrow
, they
now
enclosed
stars and fire. I believed the thumping heart represented my transformation from mortal to immortal. The glowing arrow
represented my indecision, or lack of direction, and the irrihunter blood was the deception I drowned in
.

Zaren . . . and Michael
had
helped me get back to my planet. The deception was reconciled, at least according to the gods, and the Chans
of my country
.

The new symbols seemed so much broader
in their representation—s
tars and fire.
Could they mean cold and hot?
Light and dark?
Good and evil? I still wasn’t sure.

“Princess
.” Angela spoke, bringing me out of my
reverie
.
She tugged on my dress, indicating she wanted to remove it.

“Oh, of course.”

Angela pushed my dress over
my shoulders and down my arms.
The soaked
material puddled at my feet. “Would you like a new unisa?” Angela asked, opening the closet next to the large four-poster bed.

“Yes, thank you.”
I stepped behind a partition and slid off my cream unisa. One of Angela’s small hands came around the divider. In it she held a thick towel.

“
Would you like me to dry you off, Highness?
”

“No, thank you.”
Normally I would’ve said yes. Instead,
I took the towel and rubbed down my body. “So how did you come to work for Ramien?”

She let out a
high, muffled cough and I pee
ked around. “You alright
?”

“Fine, your Highness.”
She curtsied, her hands clasped behind her back.

“You can call me Venus, please.”

“Yes, your High—
er
, Venus.”
She
produced a
strapless
black unisa.
“A fresh unisa.” I took it and disappeared behind the dressing screen.
The fabric was crushed in
the spot
she held. The unisa
was
a bit vulgar for my tastes. Had I been at home I would’ve demanded a fresh one.
But I wasn’t and
I didn’t want to put the wet one back on
.

After I slid
the obscene, dry unisa
on (it fit too perfectly
, like it’d been mad
e for me
), I stepped out.
On the bed lay a delicate silver dress.
The bodice was strapless with a gauzy piece of material going over one shoulder.
Complicated flower designs were embroidered
in
the fabric.
The bottom half
of the dress
flowed with material like liquid metal.

“Isn’t it lovely?”
Angela lifted it above her head. In a muffled voice she continued,
“The master . . .
Ramien asked that you wear this specifically.”

“It is
beautiful, but I can’t wear such an extravagant dress
. I won’t.” I ripped
it from her hands
, my anger suddenly overwhelming, and
flung it on the bed. The fear in
Angela’s
eyes returned. She placed her hands around her neck, as though
she were being choked
.
Immediately regretting my anger, I said in a softer voice, “Please, Angela. I appreciate your effort.
It is a beautiful gown, but it doesn’t suit my needs. I’d like a
pair of trousers, and a shirt like what Michael
wore
.
Did you see him?
”
She didn’t answer, and I huffed. “Never mind.”
I stomped over to the closet and threw it open. A single pair of black trousers hung next to
an
amethyst
shirt the same style as Michael’s. I turned to Angela. “How?”

She shrugged, and squeaked, “Your wish is the master’s command.”

Annoyed
, I pulled the trousers from their hanger and yanked them on. I did the same with the shirt
, noting Angela’s expression
changed from fear to a resolved resignation
. “I need boo
ts.
” As I spoke, a pair of black boots similar to those
of the kelvieri boots (though
no symbols existed
in the heels) appeared. “
How the
helker
?
” I asked
,
not expecting an answer. I sat on the downy soft chair and latched my boots over
my trousers.

The timid girl
trembled
though her disposition was still one of determination
. “Highness, if you’ll sit here, I’ll fix your hair and do your makeup.”

Frustration bloomed in my chest. I didn’t want my hair done and I sure a
s
cret
didn’t need any makeup
. I hadn’t come for a party. This was
n’t a social visit. Michael
brought me here without my
permission
and the only reason I’d kept my cool
until this point
was
because Michael
promised to help me rescue my parents.

I pulled my belt through the loops and secured Tortevia in place. 

“Re
-
braid
my hair.
And get me a cleansing tablet for my teeth.
N
othing more,” I
grumbled
. Then thinking better of my attitude, I added, “Please.”