Black Rose by K.L. Bone Read Free Book Online

The reflected image was of a woman Sandra had never
seen. The same pale skin, long black hair and rouged lips, but the eyes…the
eyes were violet. Violet with a glint of silver at their core. Sandra stared
mesmerized into the reflective pool. She had never seen such eyes.
    A
man approached her slowly, his image gradually appearing in the reflective
surface of the water. His pale skin seemed translucent in the encroaching
darkness. She studied his reflection. Shoulder-length black hair blended into
his long black coat. A crimson shirt of silk was tucked neatly into long black
pants. He stepped behind her, his arms slipping securely around her thin frame.
The woman in Sandra’s reflection smiled with a sparkle in her eye that matched
the brilliance of any star.
    Sandra
turned around to face the man who held her and realized with a start that his
shirt was not crimson—it was white. White silk soaked with thick, wet blood.
Sandra lifted her hands, her fingers suddenly dripping with immortal blood. She
screamed, jerking her body away from him. The man reached forward and grabbed
her, saving her from toppling into the mossy water behind her. 
    “Sandra!”
Regald’s voice broke the trance. His black eyes faded to green and she found
herself held tightly by his strong arms. “My Lady, what did you see?”
    “The
other Captain.”
    “You
mean Edward?” She nodded. “Edward once stood as a guard within these
walls.  These are the old castle grounds of the Lorcan Court.”
    “The
Lorcan Court?”
    “Yes,
the court that existed before they split into the Ciar and the Arum. But no one
has lived here in at least five hundred years.”
    “The
royal chambers,” Sandra said in an uncertain tone. “I need to see them.”
    Regald
nodded. “Those chambers are underground.” He reached back to the large black
bag lying on the ground behind him. After a few moments of fiddling with locks
and opening zippers, Regald produced two flashlights. “Not nearly as fancy as
the firelight that once lined these walls, but much more practical for our
immediate purposes.”
    Regald
led Sandra to the edge of the garden, but paused when Sandra stopped at the
entrance. The violet-eyed woman once again stood at the water’s edge. Edward
stood beside her, his shirt crisp, white and clean. “I love you, Edward.” Her
words danced upon the wind.
    “My
Lady,” Edward replied to the violet-eyed woman, her royal blue gown billowing
around her in a soft breeze Sandra could neither hear nor feel. “I am not
worthy of your love.”
    “Edward…”
Her voice was the definition of tenderness. “How can you think such a thing?”
    “My
Princess.” Edward turned slightly to better see her eyes.
    She
reached out her pale hand, brushing her fingertips against the side of his
face. “I’ve loved you all my life. Are you saying that you do not love me?”
    “You
know I do.” Edward’s voice was soft and deep. A sad smile graced his handsome
features. “But, my Princess,” Edward drew back, facing away from her, “this can
never be. It is forbidden.”
    The
woman with violet eyes reached her hand forward, silencing his words with a
caress from her pale hand. She studied him for several long moments, her hand
sliding down the side of his face as her finger traced their way lightly over
his lips. “I love you,” she spoke softly. “I cannot imagine life without you.”
     
    His
eyes searched the irresistible depth of hers and slowly, ever so slowly, he
leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss was deep and
passionate, his arms grasping hers in a firm grip as she opened to him as a
flower to the morning sun. The kiss lingered for a long time, his hand rising
to the back of her neck, drawing her more tightly against him. Then he finally
pulled back as though in a daze.
    “My
Lady,” he said. “I am so sorry.”
    “For
what?”
    “I
love you. But, this…” He shook his head. “This can never be.”
    A
gust of wind blew