A Gift of Three (A Shade of Vampire #42)(23)

“Next to nothing,” my grandfather agreed with a smile. “This is my favorite room in the palace. After Nevertide I often visited Sherus and Nuriya, and would always make sure I entered this room, no matter how brief my stay. It reminds me how small we are in the grander scheme of things. How can any concerns of mine weigh on my mind when I see this? It is a place for true reflection.”

I nodded. I could understand what my grandfather meant, but the sight of the cosmos didn’t make my own existence seem small in comparison—it made me want to explore, to know each and every star in its great mass, to unearth the creatures that might live there.

“Why have none of the fae ventured out there?” I asked. If I could fly, nothing would hold me back from journeying into the unknown.

“I think they have, partway, but the In-Between is so vast, Vita. It would take lifetimes to reach some of its planets. As a rule, the fae don’t tend to go seeking out danger.”

“No, I guess they don’t,” I murmured. I looked to one of the brightest stars that shone, far off in the distance. Surely a little risk would be worth it?

“We should head back,” my grandfather replied suddenly. “They are about to commence the naming ceremony.”

I rose to my feet, shaking out the cramp in my back from lying on the floor. My stomach gave a short rumble, and I realized I needed to eat—badly.

“Let’s go,” I replied, holding the door open for my grandfather to exit first. I shut the door behind us, glancing up one last time at the sky.





Serena





[Hazel and Tejus’s daughter]




“I’m never going to eat again,” I swore, rubbing my aching stomach.

“You’re not the only one,” Vita replied. Aida said nothing, just nodded in agreement with a small groan as we made our way to our sleeping quarters in the palace after the ceremony. Phoenix was behind us, speaking to one of the fae girls in a low, soothing voice. It was the same way he spoke to Lucifer at home, and I wanted to laugh—did he try out his pick-up techniques on our cat?

“Do you know which one’s ours?” Aida asked, looking blankly at the rows of identical doors that we passed along the corridor.

“Yes,” I replied smugly. “I asked the guy who took our bags to tie a ribbon around the doorknob so we’d find it again—I remember getting lost here as a kid.”

Both Aida and Vita looked impressed.

After a few minutes of traipsing down the hallway, I saw the blue ribbon tied in a neat little bow on one of the doors.

“Phoenix, you’re next to us.” I pointed out his room, and he nodded his thanks, returning to continue charming his date. I pushed the door open, letting Aida and Vita walk in first. I followed, closing the door before I had to witness my brother saying ‘goodnight’ to his fae friend.

The room was huge, with three four-poster beds carved out of marble standing in the center, and two adjoining bathrooms leading off from the main sleeping area. The windows were high and pointed into elegant arches, letting in the crisp moonlight.

“Wow.” Aida sighed. “This place is amazing…why are we only staying one night again?”

“Because that’s the time we were invited for.” I laughed, sharing my friend’s wish. One night just wasn’t enough time to properly enjoy the place.

“Look at the tub!” Vita exclaimed from inside one of the bathrooms. We both followed her in, sighing in amazement as we admired the grandeur of the white marble bathroom, with a tub sunken into the floor. Instead of a hand basin, there was a small collection of fire stones, and water gently trickled out of their cracks like a waterfall and collected in a small rock pool below.

“Fluffy robes!” crowed Aida, taking one off the back of the door. “This is going to be heaven.”

She whipped out of one bathroom and into the other, presumably changing. Vita walked back into the bedroom, picking up Aida’s high-heeled shoes from the floor and neatly lining them up next to her own. I smiled, taking the two other robes.

“We’re all wearing them,” I commanded. “We need to take full advantage of everything while we’re here, or it’s just a wasted journey.”

“Good call,” Vita agreed, grabbing the robe as I threw it over. As she took it, her face screwed up in pain.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yeah…fine. I think I’ve just eaten too much. I feel a bit odd. But I think it’s the journey over here as well.”

“So do I,” Aida agreed, emerging white and fluffy from the bathroom. “I almost passed out on the dance floor earlier. I thought it was just lack of food…obviously not.”

“Good thing you had Prince Charming to attend to you.” I smirked, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

Aida ignored me, collapsing back on the bed with a theatrical sigh. “He was amazing,” she breathed, staring up at the ceiling. I quickly undressed and changed into my pajamas and then put on the fluffy robe. I didn’t know if now was the right time to tell her about Field and Maura. She was obviously into the fae, and from what I’d seen, the feelings weren’t unrequited…like they were with Field. At least for the moment.

“What was his name?” I asked, wanting to hear more about her admirer before I made my decision.