“I’m rarely awake at this time, but I find that I’m now very hungry.”
Her flush burning hotter, Stacia sucked in a breath. The way he said the words, practically growling them, and the way his intense gaze fixed on her face, suggested that he wasn’t talking about food.
Lilith’s voice, loud enough to be heard across the table, snapped Stacia’s focus away from Balfor. “Your Highness, my Lord Ranove said that you’d given approval for my tour itinerary this morning, but I wondered if I might add a tour of the Grand Column.”
Stacia realized that she’d leaned so close to Balfor that she was almost touching his chair arm, where one heavily-muscled forearm rested, just begging her to stroke her fingers along the smooth gray skin.
When Lilith spoke, Balfor turned his head in her direction, and Stacia felt disoriented when his eyes left hers. A fleeting look of anger pulled his lips back to bare teeth and drew his brows together, but quickly smoothed out into an neutral expression. “I will allow you to show our guests the Grand Column.” His fingers returned to the tabletop, but this time, they didn’t tap. “I will have an escort meet you in the entry hall. You will go only where he allows.” His eyes narrowed on Lilith. “Do not allow our guests to stray.”
Lilith nodded assent, the tension in her shoulders easy for Stacia to see. “Of course, Your Highness. I am your servant.” She bowed her head, leaving her gaze fixed on the plate in front of her.
Stacia ground her teeth at Lilith’s submissive behavior. Granted, Balfor was the prince of the umbrose, but just like the Diakonos demanding unquestioning servitude when they’d ruled Dome City, such behavior offended her sense of fairness. By what right does he claim dominion over another? She was just about to demand an answer for that question, when Lilith looked up at her and caught her eye. The other woman shook her head slightly, and Stacia bit back her words. I’m on a mission. DC needs this trade alliance! I have to just keep my mouth shut, for once in my damn life, and I’ll get through this!
“I’m pleased that you’ll see my palace before this evening’s festival,” Balfor said to Stacia, in the same low voice he’d used before, so low that it effectively dismissed Lilith from the conversation.
When Stacia glanced at Lilith and the others, they were trying to pretend disinterest in what was said. “I imagine it’s just as ostentatious as the Temples built by the Diakonos.”
Suddenly he growled aloud like an outraged beast.
Stacia jerked back in her chair at his display of anger. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what she’d said to cause it.
Lilith spoke in a voice that trembled. “Your High—”
Balfor lifted a hand to silence her. His glare remained fixed on Stacia as his snarl revealed a mouth filled with deadly sharp teeth. “You would compare what my people took centuries to build with a common structure cobbled together by the servants of my worst enemy?”
Damn, why did I have to mention the Temples? She wished she could keep her mouth shut under pressure. She had a bad habit of saying the wrong thing, at the wrong time. Most of her life, she’d gotten away with it because her father’s wealth usually shielded her from any consequences. The first time she’d ever suffered for her words was when she’d been arrested by Peace Keepers. It seemed she still hadn’t learned her lesson.
Trying to smooth things over, she kept her tone apologetic. “I meant no offense. The most impressive buildings in Dome City are the Temples, which still stand as a monument to our liberation from the Diakonos.” She glanced at Lilith, who watched them with wide eyes. Her next words were spoken in a volume Lilith could hear. “The Common Counsel is turning the Temples into museums, filled with what history the Commemoro have managed to recover from Diakonos files.”
Balfor’s angry expression faded as she spoke, though she feared he was not mollified. “Your Commemoro,” he said the word with disdain, “have uncovered some of your history, then?” He glanced in Lilith’s direction. “Ranove has not told me of this.”
Lilith’s voice was hesitant when she answered the unspoken demand. “The Commemoro have learned some things, but not as much as we’d hoped. Diakonos encryption algorithms are nearly impossible to crack. Much of what we’ve learned about our history has been cobbled together from unencrypted files and from prisoners. We still have no idea what our origins are, Your Highness.” She twisted her fabric napkin in trembling fingers above her plate. “I did not think to inform my lord of these latest discoveries. The mistake is mine.”
“I’m sure you’ve been doing your best in this situation,” Stacia said, watching Balfor warily.
He studied Lilith, his lips pressed tight. “I will let this oversight pass, but you will tell Ranove every bit of information shared with you, no matter how insignificant you find it, especially as regards the origin of your kind.”
Stacia wondered about Balfor’s interest in such things. Obviously, humanity had good reason to learn their origins, but it seemed like it would be unimportant to the umbrose.
Lilith bowed her head until it was almost touching her plate. “Of course, Your Highness. I will prepare a report for Ranove as soon as my day’s duties are completed.”
He looked back at Stacia without acknowledging Lilith’s words. “You’ve come to negotiate with me on behalf of your people.” He grinned and the expression made his face sublime, catching Stacia completely off-guard. Up until that point, she hadn’t been certain he was capable of a real smile. His mercurial mood was unsettling. “You’re not a very good diplomat.”
“I didn’t ask for the job.” And now she knew for a fact that she was in way over her head. She’d been expecting a big, scary umbrose prince. So perhaps she should have been prepared for the speed at which he’d grown angry at her few thoughtless words. His temper, though quickly calmed this time, did not bode well for further meetings. The fact that she still found him attractive was also disconcerting.
Balfor’s chuckle belied the depressing path her thoughts had wandered down, surprising her with his amusement. “Perhaps not, but I’m glad you’re here.”
With those words—spoken in a volume only Stacia could hear—he rose to his feet in one graceful movement, his wings folding neatly against his back. The handmaidens and Lilith shot to their feet when he did. Stacia and Candace had not done so, but after a brief moment Candace quickly corrected this and pushed herself from the cushions, setting aside her breakfast tray. Stacia was the last to rise to her feet, and the room was silent until she did so, only increasing the awkwardness of her belated reaction.
Standing next to him, she felt even smaller. He towered over her, not just physically, but also the sheer force of his presence.
“I have other duties to attend to, although this meal has been,” he glanced at Stacia, “pleasant.” He surprised her again by taking her hand and lifting it between them. Before her brain even had a chance to process that he was touching her and how that made her feel, he bowed over her palm resting on his. “I look forward to seeing you again, Stacia Dornan. Perhaps this evening you will have more of an appetite.” His calloused palm caressed hers as their hands slipped apart when he took a few steps away from her. When next he spoke, he’d raised his voice so the others could hear him clearly. “Please enjoy the rest of your meal. I will have an escort ready for your tour of the Grand Column.”
Then the shadows in the room seemed to flow into him until he was surrounded by them, and suddenly Balfor disappeared.
Chapter 8
Silence fell upon the Royal Room for a long moment as Stacia and Candace stared at the spot where Balfor had stood only moments before. When Stacia looked at Lilith, she could see her best friend was also wide-eyed with surprise.
“What just happened?” Stacia asked.
Lilith hugged herself, rubbing her arms. “I’d heard that Balfor travels with the shadows. I’ve never personally seen it until now.”
Candace’s eyes gleamed with avid curiosity. “How does he do it?”
Lilith glanced at Sari and Isara, who shifted beside their cushions, their gazes fixed longingly on their unfinished breakfast cooling on the trays. They didn’t seem the least bit surprised by Balfor’s abrupt and impossible departure.
Lilith waved them to their seats and then turned back to Stacia as the handmaidens returned to their cushions. “I don’t know how he does it.” She directed her words to Stacia, even though Candace had asked the question. Then she turned to Candace. “It’s not my place to ask those types of questions. The umbrose are a private people, and they don’t share their secrets readily.” Again, Lilith’s tone held censure that surprised Stacia. Her friend had grown much more confrontational since her capture by peace keepers. “Candace, would you please rejoin Sari and Isara? I’d like to speak to Stacia in private.”
Candace’s dark brown eyes narrowed, but she nodded. “Of course.” There was a wealth of meaning in the tone she used for those two seemingly very polite words that raised Stacia’s eyebrows.
When Candace had taken her seat against the wall again, Lilith led Stacia back up to the head of the table. She took the chair next to Stacia, glancing up to see how the handmaidens were acting. Sari and Isara had both engaged Candace in a loud conversation. Stacia realized that it was done on purpose when Sari met Stacia’s eyes and winked.
Lilith grasped Stacia’s forearm with hard fingers to get her attention. “Stacia, what were you doing?”
Stacia heaved a sigh, almost wishing for Candace to interject herself into their conversation again so she wouldn’t have to have this uncomfortable discussion. “I was making conversation.”
“Like hells you were!” Lilith released her arm. “Didn’t you read the information on proper etiquette during your stay in Sanctuary? I included it with all the documents about the trade negotiations.”
Stacia shrugged. “It’s on my to-do list.”
“Stacia!” Lilith realized she’d spoken too loud when Candace looked up from Sari’s running commentary about clothing styles in Sanctuary versus Dome City.
Stacia almost felt sorry for the beleaguered contract specialist. Candace’s eyes had started to glaze over while Sari and Isara debated the merits of hem lengths and stitching styles. “I’m sorry, Lilith, but those documents were boring. I didn’t even need my sleeping pill when I tried to read them.” Seeing the look in Lilith’s eyes, she hastened to add, “I got the gist of it. Always be respectful to Prince Balfor and never insult the umbrose, or question their honor and something, something, blah, blah, blah.”
Lilith made a frustrated growling sound that Stacia hadn’t heard from her friend in a long time. It brought back fond memories of their past antics. “Why were you deliberately antagonizing the prince?”
Dropping her gaze to her hands resting on the tabletop, Stacia shook her head. “I really wasn’t trying to. Especially not that last bit at the end. I just wasn’t thinking about what I said.” She decided not to mention the strong physical reaction she’d had to Balfor and how it had thrown her off-kilter. “I didn’t mean to put you in a bad position.”
Lilith ran her fingers through the thick, wavy hair Stacia envied. “I’m more worried about you. There’s only so much leeway you can expect because of your status as a guest. Don’t push him too far.”
“I’ll be more careful in the future. No more mention of the Diakonos or the adurians or their legacy.”
“That’s definitely a good plan.” Lilith rubbed her temple with two fingers, as if she had a headache building there. “I should have warned you that those weren’t popular topics around here.”
Stacia feared that headache was her fault, which only made her feel worse about her behavior. “No, I should’ve figured that one out on my own. They’re not real popular topics with me, either. I guess I shouldn’t have expected Balfor to have had two years of therapy to work through his trauma.”
Lilith shook her head. “I can’t imagine any umbrose male seeking therapy. Strength is everything to them. Any suggestion that they couldn’t handle their problems alone might lead to challenges to their position.” She sighed. “Listen, Stace, I know he seems a bit… harsh, but Prince Balfor is highly respected by the umbrose because he saved them from extinction. He wasn’t given his position by right of birth. He earned it.”
Stacia had seen firsthand the kinds of torments Balfor had suffered. “I guess I really screwed this meeting up.”
Lilith patted her arm. “Balfor didn’t seem angry when he left. In fact,” her eyes gleamed with curiosity as she studied Stacia, “he seemed to like you.” She paused as if she expected a response from Stacia. “Anyway, you still have an opportunity to change this first impression. We’re dining in the Grand Column Main Hall tonight. It’ll be a formal event and all of the top royal advisors and generals will be there.” She clasped her hands together in front of her. “The umbrose very rarely put on these kinds of parties. I’ve only been to one celebration like this. It’s a sight to behold. There’ll be music and dancing. The umbrose don’t limit their dancing to the ground.”
Nerves twisted Stacia’s stomach. She hadn’t realized this evening’s dinner would be a big event where she’d be surrounded by people, especially umbrose people. It was one thing to surround herself by the buffer of humanity in the Hub, so long as she remained anonymous and alone. With her breather to cover her face, the other humans paid her little attention.
At least she could continue to wear the veil, though for the first time in two years, she’d forgotten about her scars during the entire meeting with Balfor. “It sounds pretty daunting.” She could barely find the voice for that understatement, but tried to smile to alleviate Lilith’s concerned frown. She wasn’t ready to discuss all this with Lilith. She felt like she had to be strong, and that she could handle it without having an anxiety attack.
Lilith laughed. “That isn’t the Stacia I know talking. You love parties and dancing.”
Stacia touched her veil, staring at the far wall of the Royal Room without really seeing it. “I used to.”
Lilith put her arm around Stacia’s shoulder. “Time to start loving them again, don’t you think? But this time, cut Prince Balfor some slack. He’s trying a lot harder than I expected him to. The umbrose have a lot of biases when it comes to humans, and the prince has an uncompromising reputation even among his own people, so his effort to be accommodating to us is nothing short of a miracle. I’m not saying they’ve treated our kind well in the past, but our intervention in their war with the adurians almost guaranteed their extinction. I try to keep that in mind when I run across their bigotry.” She sighed. “Believe me, human bias is usually much more pronounced and difficult to deal with.”
Stacia clasped Lilith’s hand. “I know you’ve suffered for choosing to be with Ranove. Your parents don’t deserve you anyway. As far as I’m concerned, when they disowned you they only improved your family tree. As for anyone else who wants to say bad things, you just point them out to me. I’ll kick their ass.”
Lilith laughed. “I know you can. I’ve seen you in action.”
“Right, so let’s stop dwelling on all this negative stuff, rescue poor Candace from your handmaidens, and get started with this tour.” At that moment, Stacia’s stomach growled. She eyed all of the food still left on the table. “Right after I eat.”
Chapter 9
To use the word party to describe the event put on by the umbrose for their human guests did not do it justice. Stacia had never seen anything like the Grand Column’s Main Hall. The chamber took up the entire diameter of the Grand Column, which was the largest spire in Sanctuary, and the ceiling stretched ten stories high.
Dressed in a jeweled brocade gown that Lilith had brought her, Stacia didn’t feel adequately armored for the event, nor for the crowds of towering, winged umbrose who were in attendance. Anxiety tightened her chest and sped up her breathing as they entered the Grand Column Main Hall, passing the silent sentries who guarded the door. Inside, music drowned out the low
murmur of conversation in the umbrose language, unfamiliar rhythms and instruments, including massive drums suspended from the ceiling on platforms where drummers pounded in moves that looked like martial arts steps.
Despite the music that seemed to speak to her soul and helped soothe her fear, the sight of the crowd nearly had her dashing in the other direction in a full sprint. Lilith seemed to sense how close she was to running, because she tightened her arm, which was tucked into Stacia’s.
“I know it’s a little overwhelming, but you’re safe here, Stace. I swear it on my own life.”
There were few occasions when Stacia didn’t believe Lilith. In this case, she believed wholeheartedly that Lilith meant what she said. She just wasn’t certain she had such faith in umbrose honor. Still, she’d made a commitment, and she would follow through on it. “Who among this crowd should I know?” The many different faces seemed to blend together in her mind until it was difficult to distinguish them as they all turned to stare at the humans entering the Main Hall.
Lilith discreetly indicated the head table and the line of umbrose warriors seated there. Prince Balfor dominated the table, and it was difficult for Stacia to take note of any of the others as Lilith whispered their names. Ranove was among them, and as soon as Lilith and Stacia had entered—trailed by Deon and Candace maintaining a respectful distance—he rose to his feet and came around the table to claim his concubine.
He reached them just as Lilith finished naming a couple of the other warriors. There was a brief and awkward moment where Lilith rejected following Ranove in favor of sitting at the central table of honor with the other guests. He seemed about to argue, but then shrugged and gestured for them to follow him to the guest table.
Balfor's Salvation: Book 2: Shadows in Sanctuary Page 6