“The what?” Lady Giuliana asked over breakfast the next morning. Her head throbbed with each rustle of the newspaper. But the runny eggs helped stave off the nausea. “Is that a joke, Papa?”
“It’s not. Some mage has claimed to resurrect the Demon King.”
She rubbed at her temples, eyes red from her early rise. “Again. I ask. The what?”
The earl folded down his newspaper. “The Demon King. He pops up every now and then. Didn’t they cover it in the Academy?”
“No...they didn’t…or I don’t remember.”
“What? You were top of your class!”
“I don’t...know.”
Not for the first time, it felt like Giuliana dropped into a different world than what she left. Who the hell was the Demon King? How did she not know him? If he was the King...did he get mad when she summoned his subordinates? Did she need to talk to him? Send a letter?
“Papa...will he come after me?”
He looked sharply at her. “You? Why?”
“Because I use lesser demons on occasion.”
The earl let out a chuckle. “Not at all.”
“Good.” Giuliana cut off a piece of bacon. “But, Papa, why is the Demon King back?”
“He comes around to get the world back into tune.”
“Is it...out of tune?”
“Apparently it is. I mean, you and the Duke were having a screaming match in the parlor. That Dunstan girl is waltzing around the Capital like she owns the place.”
“So...is the Demon King not evil then?”
“Honestly, Giuliana, what were you doing in history class?”
“I...don’t...remember.”
The earl tossed his paper aside. “What does that mean? It wasn’t that long ago. If I remember it, then you should as well.”
“I know.”
He breathed out his nose. “Well, the Demon King is not evil exactly. I mean, you use blood magic and you’re not evil. It’s more so the intent behind it. Like those who use light magic can have evil intentions, but they perceive it as good since they harness light magic.”
“So, what does his arrival mean?”
“Not much until he shows up at a ball. It’s all very dramatic and tedious.”
“I suppose it comes with the title.”
“I’ve not had the pleasure of living when he pops up, so this will be a treat.”
Giuliana exhaled and continued to eat her breakfast. She had not planned on getting out of bed before noon, but the smell of bacon and eggs proved too much like a siren call. She dredged up runny yolk with a slice of toast when the butler appeared in the doorway.
“Lord Wytchwood is here, my lord. Shall I escort him in?”
The earl glanced sideways at his daughter. “Have you made up with him?”
“Yes, Papa.”
“Bring him in and set a place for him.”
Giuliana picked up a spoon and peered quickly at her reflection. She did not look her usual best and it was apparent she had a little too much brandy.
She felt his presence before she set eyes on him. The air in the dining room seemed to shift and she even felt her nausea lessen. Were these the results of love or the memories of her indecent behavior?
"What a pleasure to see you at breakfast, Alastair!" The Earl boomed, raising his teacup in greeting.
"Sorry I am so early, but I wanted to check on Giuliana."
Both men looked at her. The Earl's lips twitched and he said. "She looks rather worse for wear, huh? She can't handle dark spirits."
"I can too," she protested. "Just not ones you drink." She glared at the interloper. "I am alive as you can see."
"Barely," muttered her father.
Alastair took a seat across from her. "No ill effects?"
"Just the fact that my head feels like someone has taken an axe to it." She rubbed at her forehead. "I might go back to sleep when I finish eating."
"We have a guest."
"Don't worry on my account."
"Then can you keep an eye on her? I have to go to the Palace after breakfast and won't be back until evening."
"I've long reached my majority, Papa. I drank too much. I'm not an invalid who needs a nurse."
"I don't mind. I cleared my schedule today because I wanted to spend the day with you."
Father and daughter blinked at the Duke. The Earl rubbed his ears. Had he misheard him?
"What? You...what?"
As the tips of his ears pinkened, Alastair replied, "It's not weird to spend time with my fiancee."
Again, father and daughter met eyes, faces mirroring their confusion.
"Of course! Of course! But you have never…" The Earl trailed off, raising a brow to Giuliana. She sneered back at him with a shake of her head.
Nope. She refused to ask for details. After last night, she wanted to crawl beneath her covers for an eternity. She didn't come back to life to get rejected by him. No that she blamed him. What man wanted a booze-soaked woman throwing herself at him before dinner?
"Then, I will stay until you come home."
The Earl wiped his mouth and placed a napkin on his empty plate.
"Then I'll be on my way…?"
"Good bye, Papa." Traitor. Giuliana dabbed at the corners of her mouth. "I take it that you will want to use my sitting room while I rest?"
As the Earl made his escape, Alastair nodded. "If you don't mind."
"Not at all. We'll be wed soon and I won't have a choice." He didn't miss the acid that laced both her tone and her smile.
Ah. She was mad about last night or cranky because she didn't sleep well. Or... both? Maybe he should have kept his appointments.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Moderately. Brandy does not sit well with me."
"So it seems. I didn't know you even drank like that."
"I often don't. Lately, however, my stressors have increased." She pushed her chair back and left the table. Alastair finally noticed she was wearing a dressing gown over her nightclothes. He had never, in his life, seen her in any state of undress. He swallowed hard, averting his gaze to the crystal chandelier.
Giuliana glanced down at her dress and back to her fiance. "Come along. I'm not indecent. Besides, we're engaged."
"That's the sort of talk that has newlyweds welcome newborns six months into their marriage.”
She pursed her lips. “No one is making you stay.”
Alastair tightened his cravat. “I am staying.”
“Whatever you say.” Giuliana tightened the belt of her dressing gown and left the dining room. Alastair ran a shaky hand through his hair. She was definitely annoyed. Whether it was with him or in general, he was not certain. Hmm. He mentioned what happened off-hand to Lucas. His traitorous friend stared at him aghast before launching into undignified laughter. It took him half an hour to calm down and wipe the tears from his eyes. His first question was one Alastair expected.
Why hadn’t he ever kissed Giuliana? They had been engaged the longest out of their circle, yet treated each other with a distant friendship up until recently.
He might have to thank Adella Dunstan for that though it loathed him to do so. No, it started a bit before that after she recovered from her head injury after yet another abduction attempt.
Strangely, she never spoke of it and awoke the day after as if it had never happened at all. He didn’t bring it up because he had been late to meet her in the park that day, which allowed the abductors to overtake her in their usual meeting place.
He came upon her sprawled out in the green grass, blood pooling around her head, limbs unnatural in their stiffness. For half a second he thought he was dead until she took a shuddering breath and her eyes fluttered open.
Alastair followed Giuiana’s trail to her set of rooms, wondering why he even thought of that memory at all. Maybe seeing her so unsteady on her feet yesterday and even the abduction the other night reminded him of the fragility of life. He needed to protect her better but he didn’t know how and she wasn’t the type to allow it.
As he entered her rooms, darkness snuffed out the light and violet smoke trickled in obscuring all that he saw. He picked his way through, relying solely on his memories of her rooms. Amused chuckles reverberated around him and he could only sigh. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Is this how his life was now?
Comments (1)
See all