Frost (Frost and Nectar #1)(25)

“What is this?” I asked.

He stared at it, his jaw set tight. “That’s the Erlking. Killed by Torin’s father.”

In the light of the lantern, the shadows writhed over the gruesome display.

“So he was a king?” Shalini asked.

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “No, not a real king. The Erlking was a fae, but one who’d gone feral—like a demon or a wild beast. He lived deep in the forest.” He met my gaze, his expression haunted. “Once, the forests were littered with the bodies of those he’d killed. A mass grave of fae, their bodies strewn among the oaks.”

I shuddered, wanting to get away from this thing.

“When King Torin’s father brought the Erlking home,” Aeron went on, “they left it to dry in the sun until it was completely mummified.”

AERON LED US THROUGH SHADOWY CORRIDORS, THEIR DARK STONE WALLS HUNG WITH WEAPONS AND

armor. On the top floor, he began to slow, and my gaze roamed over magnificent portraits of fae in regal clothing and furs. The portraits seemed to go on forever.

“Is this the royal family?” I asked. “Why are there so many of them?”

Aeron stopped walking and gestured at the paintings. “These are King Torin’s relatives. His lineage extends nearly five hundred generations, all of it carefully chronicled. Painting in the fae realm developed long before it did in the human world, so you can see realistic images going back thousands of years.”

“Wow.” I studied a painting of a man wearing black fur and a bronze circlet crown with a twisting golden torque around his neck.

“Would be amazing to see your ancestors like that, wouldn’t it?” he said.

“Or even my birth parents,” I muttered.

Aeron led us another hundred yards until we reached a large doorway—one of oak, carved with flowers. A brass doorknob shaped like a rose jutted from the door. He twisted the knob and gently pushed it open to a breathtaking gothic room, one in the shape of an octagon.

Shalini grinned. “Oh, my God, this is amazing.”

A vaulted ceiling arched above us like that of a Gothic cathedral. Stone carvings of roses adorned some of the peaks. Towering windows with pointed arches rose twenty feet high, flanked by crimson velvet drapes. Tapestries hung on some of the walls—forest scenes and mossy stone ruins. Two doors stood between the tapestries.

A four-poster bed awaited in one corner, opposite a fireplace with velvety chairs and a sofa.

Crystal decanters and glasses sat on a mahogany table, and books with faded spines were tucked into alcoves around the room. An embroidered rug had been spread over the flagstone floor.

Aeron quickly crossed to one of the other doors, beckoning me to follow. “In here is the bath.” He pushed open the door to a stone room with a clawfoot tub. A star-kissed sky shone through a window, and a mirror hung on another wall.

I turned to see Shalini flop onto the bed. “Oh, my God, Ava. This mattress is divine.”

Aeron crossed to the next door. “Well, you can sleep where you want, but we have an advisor’s quarters here.”

He pushed open the door to a room that looked like a small library, with books and a dresser lining two of the walls, and a fireplace on the third. A bed rested next to tall windows that gave a view of the stars, and a black fur blanket covered it.

“Oh, my God, Ava!” shouted Shalini from the bed. “This place is amazing.”

I turned back to see her making herself comfortable with a book in her hands.

Aeron looked around the room uneasily. “This room isn’t normally used anymore, but…” His voice trailed off.

“Why?” I asked.

He frowned at me. “Bit nosy, aren’t you?” He cleared his throat. “Listen, if you win this, please forget I said that.”

Shalini tapped the bed next to her. “Come sit next to me, Ava. This is the most comfortable bed I’ve ever sat on.”

As I plopped down beside her, Aeron gave us a dazzling smile. “You’ll find clothes in the drawers and wardrobes.” He inhaled deeply. “The curios—” He seemed to stop himself and cleared his throat. “The human news crews in Faerie have insisted on some human technology as part of our deal. We have recently outfitted brand new electrical charging stations for your human telephones, and the…” He trailed off. “Whatever it is that makes the telephones get the videos and images through the air.”

“Cell phone reception and internet,” I said. “Thanks!”

I did not add that Madame Sioba had dissolved my freaking phone.

Then again, whatever kept me from obsessively checking for messages from Andrew was probably a good thing.

Aeron smiled, his cheeks dimpling. “Since you ladies seem to have made yourselves comfortable, I will see myself out.”

As the footman crossed the room, I called after him, “Thanks Aeron. I really appreciate all your help this evening.”

“Oh, no problem.” Aeron met Shalini’s gaze. “As I said, the pleasure was all mine.” His deep, velvety tone made the word “pleasure” sound positively filthy.

As soon as Aeron left the room, I nudged her. “He likes you.”

“We’ll see.”

A knock sounded at the door, echoing in the large, stony space. “See? He came back for you.”