Blood Oath by Kit Tunstall Read Free Book Online Page B

knees of her
slacks. “You will no doubt wish to change before meeting His Majesty. I will
show you to your rooms.” He nodded to Geza. “Please bring up the princess’s
luggage.”
    “Yes, m’lord.”
    Anca followed Demi into the castle, and she
was pleasantly surprised to find electric lights. She had half-expected torches
on the wall and candles in holders, judging from the time warp the rest of the
country seemed to be stuck in.
    As Demi led her through the castle, she
absorbed it all with wide-eyed wonder. Threadbare tapestries hung on the walls,
portraying people and events she assumed were from the history of the country.
Her shoes made a clunking sound when the soles landed on the hard stone. An
occasional fur or woven rug was scattered throughout the entryway.
    Three large dogs napped near the fireplace.
As they walked past them, the dogs lifted their heads and sniffed. Their eyes
seemed more intelligent than any dog’s she had ever seen, and she realized they
were wolves. The smallest, palest brown one growled low in its throat, until
the dark-brown wolf nudged it with its head. The palest one subsided into
silence, though its gaze still seemed watchful.
    Demi glanced over his shoulder. “Sorin,
Lucian, and Starr. They are loyal to your family. When you win their trust,
they will never leave you.”
    Anca nodded, pretending she wasn’t terrified
of the wolves behind her, and pretending she didn’t think it was strange to
have them as pets.
    As they left the main chamber, dominated by
the large table and a dozen sturdy chairs, Demi walked up a set of winding
stone stairs. The wooden banister glowed, indicating years of care and use. She
grabbed hold for support and found it smooth to the touch.
    The stairs seemed to go on forever before
they emerged onto the next landing. “This way.” Demi walked down the hall and
turned in front of a set of double doors. He pushed one open, and they stepped
into a hall with another set of stairs. “Your wing is on the next floor.”
    Her eyes widened at the word wing. Never in
her life had she had a room bigger than fourteen feet by fourteen feet. She
followed him up the stairs—this set climbed straight up at a steep angle—and
they stepped onto the third-floor seconds later. A dark-red rug, bordered with
green and gold leaves, covered the expanse of the hallway.
    Demi turned to the right, and Anca followed.
He stopped before a massive set of dark mahogany doors farther down the hallway
and twisted the gold handle. The door swung open without even a creak, and he
stepped back to allow her to precede him.
    She stepped into the chamber, finding it lit
with the soft glow of a lamp on the mahogany nightstand. The bed was larger
than any she had ever seen, and it was in a wooden frame with steps leading up
to it. A black comforter covered the bed, and matching curtains hung from the
posts of the bed frame. The rest of the furniture matched the
nightstand—mahogany, sturdy, and polished to a high sheen.
    Demi walked to a pair of doors against the
far wall. He touched the nearest. “This is your dressing room.” He moved his
hand to the second. “The en suite bathroom. If you want to bathe, I’ll
return for you in one hour.”
    She nodded, overwhelmed with nerves at the
thought of meeting her father. Would she hate him on sight? Would she revert to
the child who wanted to scream all the angry words she had saved up during a
lifetime of disappointments? Would she be able to forgive him?
    Demi walked to the door, but he paused near
a cord hanging from the ceiling. It looked like braided gold. “Ring for Helena
if you need anything. Pull this once, and she’ll come.”
    Anca nodded again. She watched as he stood
by the door for another few seconds, seeming intent on speaking. Finally, he
shook his head and left her without another word. He closed the door behind
him.
    She sagged as soon as she was alone. She was
trembling, and focused on breathing deeply to calm