Page 10 of Blood Singer

The moment Kavan disappeared through the archway, Binwee's fingers tightened on my arm.

I turned to look at her. Her expression was carefully neutral, the diplomatic mask she wore so well, but her eyes were wide. What in the seven hells was that? they said.

I gave a tiny shake of my head. I have no idea.

Her gaze flicked to where Kavan had vanished, then back to me. One eyebrow rose fractionally. He sniffed you, it said.

I know. I let the confusion show on my face.

And then he looked like he'd been struck by lightning. The waggle of her white brows was as plain as any words.

I pressed my lips together to keep from saying something inappropriate in front of Artis and the guards. My eyes must have conveyed my own bewilderment because Binwee's expression shifted to something between concern and fascination.

Are you okay? her slight head tilt asked.

Was I? My heart was still racing. My skin still felt too warm where his breath had ghosted across my neck. And that look in his eyes—that wild, almost panicked look—had shaken something loose inside me that I absolutely did not want to examine right now.

I gave her the smallest nod. Fine. We'll talk later.

Binwee's expression said she was going to hold me to that. Then her diplomatic mask slipped fully back into place, and she turned to Artis with a pleasant smile, as if we hadn't just witnessed our host completely lose his composure for reasons neither of us understood.

"If you'll follow me," Artis said, gesturing toward the castle.

The walk through Argia was like stepping into a fantasy novel. The city was built into the mountainside, its white stone buildings glowing in the afternoon sunlight, narrow streets winding upward toward the castle. Everywhere I looked, there were details that made me slow my stride. Carved wooden doors with intricate dragon motifs, window boxes overflowing with flowers I'd never seen before, the sound of water running through channels built directly into the street itself.

And the castle. The castle was magnificent. It rose above the city like something out of a dream, all soaring towers and elegant archways, with blue-tiled spires that caught the light and shimmered like struck glass. As we climbed the wide stone steps leading to the main entrance, I found myself craning my neck to take it all in, my earlier tension momentarily forgotten.

The interior was just as impressive. We passed through a great hall with vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows that painted the stone floor in shifting pools of colored light. Tapestries hung on the walls depicting scenes I didn't recognize but that were clearly important. Battles, celebrations, and what looked like dragons in flight. The furniture was heavy and ornate, all dark wood and rich fabrics, with fireplaces large enough to stand in.

It was exactly like the medieval settings I'd loved in books and movies, except it was real. I was actually here, walking through a castle on an alien planet, about to sleep in rooms that had probably been occupied by people alive when Earth was still in the Middle Ages.

Artis led us up a winding staircase and down a long corridor lined with more tapestries. He stopped at a door carved with an intricate pattern of leaves and vines and pushed it open to reveal a suite that made my breath catch.

"This will be your room, Lady Hunter," he said, stepping aside to let me enter.

Lady Hunter.

The title sent an unexpected thrill through me, childish as that was.

It was ridiculous. I was a trained operative on a mission, not some starry-eyed girl playing dress-up. The title was just a formality, a courtesy extended to a foreign visitor. It didn't mean anything real.

But God, it felt good anyway.

I tried to suppress the smile tugging at my lips as I stepped into the room, reminding myself that this wasn't a vacation or some immersive historical experience. This was work. Dangerous work. I was here to gather intelligence, to assess threats, to determine if this world and its dragon-shifting king posed any risk to the Alliance. And after the whole sniffing incident, I wasn't sure what to think about the king.

Still, as I crossed the threshold into what could only be described as a fairy tale chamber, I couldn't quite kill the flutter of excitement in my chest. Maybe I could be professional and enjoy the aesthetic. Surely that wasn't too much to ask.

It was beautiful. A large four-poster bed dominated one wall, draped in deep blue fabric that matched the curtains on the tall windows. A sitting area with comfortable-looking chairs arranged around a fireplace occupied another corner, alongside a writing desk positioned to catch the light. A door on the far wall likely led to a bathroom. Everything was elegant without being ostentatious, comfortable without being plain.

"Lady Jazarazant's room is just next door," Artis continued, gesturing to another door farther down the hall. "If you need anything, pull the cord by the bed and someone will attend you. Dinner will be served in the dining room at sunset. I'll return to escort you there."

"Thank you," I said, meaning it. "This is lovely."

He inclined his head, a small smile touching his lips. "I'm glad it pleases you. Rest well, Lady Hunter."

He left, closing the door softly behind him, and I was finally alone.

I walked to the window and looked out over the city, watching the afternoon light paint everything in shades of gold and amber. From this height, the valley beyond Argia stretched into forests, mountains, and rivers that made the planet so breathtaking it almost hurt to look at. It was peaceful. Beautiful. Exactly the kind of place I'd dreamed about visiting when I was a girl reading fantasy novels in my bedroom.