Page 14 of Blood Singer

It was like stepping back in time, and despite my nerves, a quiet thrill built in my chest. This was what I'd dreamed about as a kid reading fantasy novels. Castles and dragons and a world that felt like magic.

Even if the dragon king currently hated me.

Artis led us through a set of massive double doors, and I had to stop myself from gasping out loud.

The dining hall was magnificent. The ceiling soared at least thirty feet above us, supported by carved wooden beams that looked like they'd been shaped from entire trees. More tapestries hung on the walls, these ones clearly visible in the light from dozens of candles burning in elaborate chandeliers. A long table dominated the center of the room, made from dark wood polished to a mirror shine. Silver plates and crystal goblets gleamed at each place setting, and the high-backed chairs were ornate enough to be thrones in miniature.

At the far end, a fireplace took up most of the wall, flames crackling and throwing heat across the space. Above the mantle hung a coat of arms. A black dragon on a gold field, wings spread wide.

"Holy shit," I breathed, then slapped a hand over my mouth, mortified.

Artis's lips twitched with what might have been amusement. "Indeed, Lady Hunter. The dining hall is one of the castle's finest rooms."

I dropped my hand from my lips. "I apologize. It's just, this is incredible."

"The castle has been in the royal family for over ten thousand years," Artis continued smoothly, as though I hadn't just sworn in front of him. "King Kavan's ancestors built it to host visiting dignitaries and to celebrate important occasions."

A half-dozen figures were already seated at the massive table, two of them near the far end where the king's large, ornately carved chair stood. I recognized Sanyra from the landing platform. Beside her sat an older human woman I hadn't seen before. Both rose as we entered. Sanyra had to be at least six and a half feet tall, with the same long white hair and golden eyes as Kavan, though her features were sharper, almost severe.

The human woman was small and round, with silver streaked brown hair pulled back in a practical bun. She wore a simple gown of deep burgundy, and her brown eyes assessed me with the kind of thoroughness that made me want to stand up straighter.

"Lady Hunter, Lady Jazarazant," Sanyra said. Her voice was formal but not unfriendly. "Welcome. Please, sit."

Artis gestured to seats near the middle of the table, a stretch of empty chairs that suddenly made me aware of just how vast the room truly was. The table could easily seat fifty people, perhaps more.

As if on cue, the Drakhoni seated further down the table turned to look at us. There were at least four of them that I could see clearly, all with the distinctive white hair and golden eyes, all watching with an intensity that made my skin prickle. One of them, a male with a scar running down the left side of his face, gave me a slow, careful nod. Another, older and broader through the shoulders, did the same. A third simply inclined his head, his expression unreadable. The fourth didn't look at me at all.

I wasn't sure what the protocol was, so I nodded back, trying to project confidence I didn't entirely feel. The scarred male's mouth curved slightly, not quite a smile, but something close to approval. He turned back to his companions, and the moment passed.

I slid into one of the high-backed chairs, trying not to feel dwarfed by the furniture. Binwee took the seat beside me, feet swinging like a toddler in a high chair. Sanyra settled across from us, and the older woman claimed the chair to my left.

"This is Murdette," Sanyra continued, gesturing to her. "She manages the royal household and has been with King Kavan's family for many years."

"Many, many years," Murdette said, warmth coloring her voice. I felt some of the tension ease from my shoulders. She had a slight accent I couldn't quite place, British perhaps, but not quite. "It's lovely to meet you both. We don't often have visitors from the Alliance, and it's been even longer since we've had humans here who weren't already part of our community."

Despite my nerves, I found myself smiling. There was something about Murdette that reminded me of my grandmother, that same combination of warmth and no-nonsense practicality.

"It's an honor to be here," I said, meaning it. "The castle is beautiful. I feel like I've stepped into a storybook."

Murdette's eyes crinkled at the corners. "That's a lovely way to put it. Though I suspect the reality of castle life is rather less romantic than the stories suggest." She tilted her head, studying me with an intensity that made me feel like she was seeing more than I wanted to reveal. "You're from Earth originally, yes? What region?"

"Charleston," I said. "South Carolina in America. Though I've been living in Alliance space for over a year now."

"Charleston." A small furrow crossed Murdette's brow. "I've never been there myself. My time on Earth was spent primarily in England and France, back in the thirteenth century."

I blinked. "The thirteenth century. Right. Binwee mentioned that Drakhoni mates are envenomated, which extends their lifespans, but..." I trailed off, trying to do the math in my head and failing.

"It's quite a lot to take in, isn't it?" Murdette said kindly. "I was forty-three when I came to Drakhone. That was in the year twelve fifteen, by Earth's calendar. Which makes me..." She paused, her brow furrowing slightly. "Well, with the hibernation, it's a bit complicated. But roughly eight hundred years old, give or take a decade."

"Eight hundred." The number was so large it didn't feel real. "That's... remarkable."

"Most of which I spent sleeping, mind you," Murdette added with a slight smile. "The hibernation lasted seven hundred and fifty years. So in terms of actual lived experience, I'm only about two hundred. Which is still quite old by human standards, but not nearly as impressive as it sounds."

Sanyra made a sound that might have been amusement. "Murdette has a way of making the extraordinary sound perfectly ordinary."

"Because it is ordinary, dear," Murdette said. "At least, it is for us. Though I imagine it must seem quite strange to someone newly arrived from Earth." Her gaze returned to me, and again I had that sensation of being carefully assessed. "Tell me, what do you think of Drakhone so far? Beyond the obvious shock of meeting an eight hundred year-old woman, of course."

I laughed despite myself. "It's beautiful. More beautiful than I expected, honestly. The landscape, the architecture, the way everything feels like it's from another time..." I gestured around the dining hall. "I grew up reading fantasy novels and watching films about knights and castles. Being here feels like stepping into one of those stories."