A Valley of Darkness (A Shade of Vampire #52)(7)

She’d lost her father to these invisible daemons, and she’d nearly died herself. I felt like I owed it to her to shed light on this mystery and stop those creatures from taking more innocent people.





Fiona





(Daughter of Benedict & Yelena)





Vincent was waiting for us in front of the Broken Bow Inn, accompanied by a dozen tailors with portable wardrobes, chests of additional garments, and sewing kits. House Roho sure knew how to keep a promise. The tailors were all Maras, dressed sharply in bright colors and wearing broad smiles as they measured us from head to toe.

“Ah, there you are!” Vincent beamed at me. “I asked the receptionist about your whereabouts, and I was instructed to await your return.”

“Hi, Vincent.” I smiled back. “I hope we didn’t keep you waiting. We just got back from the infirmary.”

“How is the Iman girl?” he asked with genuine concern. The rest of my team stared at the tailors and the impressive amount of clothing they’d brought over for us. “How is your friend, the Druid?”

“They’ll both recover,” I replied. “Thank you for asking.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear that! Now! Who’s ready to look fabulous for tonight?” He grinned, looking at all of us as he spoke.

I had to admit, he was a sight for sore eyes, given the way in which our night had ended. Today he’d opted for a lighter outfit consisting of beige trousers and waistcoat, tall brown riding boots, and a navy-blue shirt, which was loosely unbuttoned to reveal a triangle of pale skin on his chest. His green eyes settled on me for a moment before he got distracted by Hansa’s groan.

“Ugh, I can’t be bothered,” she said, rolling her eyes, then went inside the inn and up to her room.

We all followed, along with the tailors, who seemed confused about her reaction.

“Milord, what shall we do?” one of them asked, startled by the sound of the door to Hansa’s room slamming shut.

“I suggest one of you take what you need and go up to her room,” Jax said with a smirk. “She’s not keen on fashion, but she will comply. Eventually.”

Vincent nodded at the tailors, who carried their kits and wardrobes upstairs, then patiently waited in front of each of our rooms. One of them knocked on Hansa’s door.

“Argh, fine! Let’s get this over with—fast! I’m busy!” Hansa’s voice boomed as she opened the door and dragged the tailor inside.

I couldn’t help but giggle. I heard him yelp before he disappeared into her room along with the wardrobe and sewing kit.

“I shall see you tonight, Fiona,” Vincent said as I reached the top of the stairs. I glanced over my shoulder and watched him bow politely before he left.

I smiled, mostly to myself, as I went to my room, where I met a female tailor with her dressing kits. The awnings were fully extended over the entire level of the city, so I pushed open the dark shutters to my windows to let some natural light into my room. As long as there was no direct contact with the sunlight, we were good.

“Thank you for taking the time to receive us, milady,” the female Exiled Mara said with a delicate smile.

“No, no, thank you for coming here to assist us.” I nodded respectfully. “As you can see, we really weren’t prepared for a Spring Ball…”

“That’s fine,” she replied. “It’s my job to make you look stunning tonight! I’m Aspen, by the way.”

“I’m Fiona,” I replied, smiling.

Aspen was a beautiful creature, significantly taller than me, with long black hair, iridescent blue eyes, and a slim neck. She’d chosen colors that did wonders for her pale complexion, her slender body snug in a simple, sky-blue outdoorsy ensemble—a long skirt, short waistcoat, and even shorter jacket with golden buttons and decorative embroidery. I had a hard time taking my eyes off it, as all the pieces were hand-sewn from generous strips of blue silk and decorated with genuine gold thread.

She removed the black cover of the clothing rack she’d brought up, revealing several gorgeous dresses in different styles, of varying lengths, and in a variety of colors, ranging from pale yellow to an intense shade of violet.

“Oh, wow, they’re beautiful,” I gasped, and moved closer to touch the long sleeve of a dark blue velvet ballgown.

“Thank you, milady,” Aspen replied. “Made them myself.”

She gazed at me for a minute, taking in all of my key features—my auburn hair, my amber eyes, and my petite frame—then selected a turquoise silk dress, its upper part fitted with a bejeweled bodice and its skirt covered in fine floral motifs, embroidered with gold thread and a multitude of small soft red and pale pink gemstones. The bodice followed the same floral design, and it was fitted with a generous amount of pale yellow tulle meant to cover my shoulders and my upper back.

“I think this will look fantastic on you, milady,” Aspen said.

I slipped out of my combat suit and started putting on the undergarments that she handed to me, which were beautiful dark green lace and silk lingerie that seemed to have been made for my body and my pale complexion.

“Have you been working for the Roho family for a long time?” I asked, while Aspen fitted the bodice around my torso and started pulling the strings back, tightening the piece around my hips.