A Valley of Darkness

  “You didn’t check my records yet? I’m disappointed, Miss Hellswan,” he muttered.

  “I did, but they weren’t all that helpful.” I held on, my chin up, knowing that the records I’d read could barely skim the surface of who he really was. I didn’t want him to think he was intimidating me in any way, despite the softness in my knees. I applied more pressure in my grip on his shoulder, just to make sure I wouldn’t slip away. His gaze was so intense, I almost liquefied.

  “You should at least wait until I call on you, and we sit down for dinner, to ask me such intimate questions,” he replied.

  He baffled me in more ways than one. I blinked several times, confused by the terms he’d used, then found myself locked in his gaze again.

  “What do you mean by ‘until I call on you’?” I croaked.

  He didn’t answer, but the twinkle of amusement returned to his eyes. We danced like that for a while, with barely an inch separating our lips, as he took deep breaths and studied my face. I opened my mouth to ask again, and his focus immediately shifted to my lips. His heart thudded, forcing my blood to rush through my limbs and overwhelm me with a tingling sensation.

  What is going on here?

  Then, as if having sensed that someone was watching, he glanced to the side and stilled.

  I followed his gaze and saw a beautiful female Mara standing at the edge of the dancefloor, smiling at Caspian. She sparkled in a yellowish dress covered in thousands of diamonds, her pale blond hair combed loosely over one shoulder. Her sky-blue eyes shimmered, as tiny crystals had been mixed into her eye makeup.

  “Please, excuse me,” Caspian muttered, then walked away, leaving me there in my glorious bewilderment.

  “What the heck just happened?” I breathed, mostly to myself, watching Caspian as he met with the sparkly Mara damsel, who looked very happy to see him and even dropped a kiss on his cheek.

  My stomach dropped, and I had a hard time understanding my reaction.

  “That’s Amalia.” Rewa’s voice broke me out of my contemplative state. I turned my head and saw Rewa and Blaze dancing right next to me. “She’s Emilian’s daughter.”

  “Oh… I see.” I nodded slowly, then noticed the similarities between Amalia and Emilian, the latter now dancing with Hansa.

  “There’s talk of marriage between the Houses of Obara and Kifo,” Rewa added, glancing at Amalia and Caspian. “It would be a good move, politically and financially speaking, but Caspian and Amalia have said no. I think Emilian still holds out hope, but we’ll see!”

  Rewa and Blaze then continued dancing, while I stared at Amalia for a little while longer. She looked like a diaphanous creature, out of this world, making me feel rough and dark and cold. No wonder Caspian had completely forgotten about me once he saw her.

  I mean, look at her…

  Amalia was talking to Caspian, laughing once in a while. Then, all of a sudden, whether it was of her own impulse or triggered by something that Caspian said, she looked at me. I’d had trouble listening in on their conversation, given all the music and chatter in that ballroom.

  I froze, as if caught in the act, but she gave me a warm, friendly smile, and it baffled me. I’d kind of expected her to give me one of those “hands off my boyfriend” looks.

  She then took Caspian’s hand and guided him onto the dancefloor, while I moved away to the edge, unable to take my eyes off them.

  After a few minutes I concluded that they seemed like old friends enjoying each other’s company, more than anything else. Caspian looked comfortable, even smiling whenever Amalia spoke, and there was a warmth in his expression that was more in the ballpark of affection than lust.

  Nevertheless, I held onto my reservations about Amalia. I didn’t know her. I didn’t know what kind of person she was, just as I wasn’t sure about Caspian, either. He was a jumble of contradictions, and all my instincts warned me against him—that was, of course, when they weren’t all conspiring to make me melt in his arms.

  My only certainty was the way in which Caspian troubled me, deep down.

  Blaze

  I’d been dancing with Rewa for quite some time, and I’d managed to slip in some questions between our snippets of casual conversation. I got to find out a bit more about her father, Darius, and House Xunn, while she learned some things about me and the fire dragons.

  She was a beautiful Mara, I had to admit. And yes, the signs were clear, despite my initial disregard. The way she fluttered her eyelashes at me, the way her hand gently squeezed my shoulder whenever I made her laugh—it was all there.

  But my mind kept wandering back to Caia, and I couldn’t help but try to catch glimpses of her from the dancefloor. She’d settled by one of the bars, laughing and chatting to a couple of male Exiled Maras. I didn’t like the way they looked at her. She looked stunning, and I wasn’t comfortable with the attention she was getting. I’d sworn an oath of celibacy, and I had three more years left before I could look for a partner, but Caia stirred me and I didn’t know what to make of it.

  I’d rebuffed the advances of many girls back in The Shade. I wasn’t indifferent to said advances, but my oath was important to me, and so was my career in GASP. Everything was good and balanced, until I was assigned to the Eritopian base with Caia. It all changed then, and I had trouble adjusting to being in her presence on a daily basis. My oath was beginning to feel like a bit of an inconvenience.

  “One of my three brothers works as a Correction Officer,” Rewa said, continuing our conversation. I’d stopped listening, so I shifted my focus back to her with a polite smile.

  “What does he do, as a Correction Officer?” I asked.

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged, clearly not interested in the topic anymore. “He doesn’t tell me, and I never ask. All I know is that he helps keep us all safe. Although it’s been a tough job over the past couple of years, given all these disappearances…”

  I nodded slowly, then spun her around as the song ended. She laughed and clung to my shoulders, and we both settled into a gentle sway to match the ballad that followed.

  “Do the Exiled Maras ever mind-bend the Imen in this city?” I asked, glancing at two servants standing on the edge of the dancefloor with empty trays and equally blank expressions.

  “Of course not!” Rewa’s outrage was reflected in her voice, and it made me look at her. She seemed offended that I’d even asked.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply anything,” I said.

  “Mind-bending the Imen with no legal or medical basis is strictly forbidden,” Rewa replied. “Anyone caught outside the legal boundaries of the practice is immediately arrested and subject to a trial. If found guilty, they pay a hefty fine. If they’re caught doing it again, it’s a one-way ticket straight to prison. We only use our mind-bending on them if their physicians diagnose them with a mental illness, or depression. And even then, it’s only to plant a suggestion to help them cope with their condition.”

  “What about the legal boundaries you mentioned?”

  “Well, if they’re suspected of a crime, a Correction Officer is entitled to mind-bend them into telling the truth. But that’s it. That’s all there ever was,” Rewa explained.

  “So the House Lords don’t do that to their servants,” I concluded.

  “Not unless there’s a legal or medical reason, like I said,” she insisted, her frown telling me not to insist on the matter. She then sighed, visibly saddened. “Some Imen have been traumatized by the disappearance of their family members. It can’t be easy to lose a parent, or a child, or a sibling like that. So the court often agrees with the medics that mind-bending is the best treatment for these people, to help them heal and continue working in Azure Heights. Of course, it’s only done with the Iman’s consent.”

  “I understand,” I replied, and felt her relax in my arms. “I only asked because I noticed a few of the Imen we’ve come across seemed to have been under the influence of a Mara.”

  “You mean, from the fa
milies we spoke to?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised,” Rewa said, “with what they’ve been through… But enough about that. Tell me more about you. Do you have a lady waiting for you back on Calliope?”

  She smiled, and I completely blanked, not expecting her to be so blunt.

  “I… No, I don’t,” I said. “How are you so eager to be around me, Rewa, when everyone else in this city looks at me with fear?”

  “Fear?” She looked confused, then glanced around and noticed the minor distance that the other dancers kept from us, along with their wary expressions aimed at me.

  “I am a fire dragon, after all.” I shrugged. “It’s only natural for a Mara to be fearful of me. It’s not that I blame them. But you, you seem fearless.”

  She laughed lightly, then pulled herself closer to me, soft and fragranced against my body. She did know how to stir a man; I had to give her credit for that. But my heart wasn’t in it.

  “I do admit… I have a soft spot for you,” she purred in my ear. “There’s something about you that fascinates me, Blaze, and I’m determined to find out what makes you tick…”

  Oh, wow…

  That was surprisingly straightforward and not what I’d expected her to say. Then Caia’s words came to mind.

  Rewa has such a massive soft spot for you that we can see it from space…

  “Thank you, Rewa, I… I’m flattered.” I smiled gently, allowing her to wrap her arms around my neck as we continued dancing.

  I saw Caia in the arms of a male Exiled Mara. He was leading her across the dancefloor, one hand on her hip and his face too close to hers. She was giggling at whatever he was saying. He made her dip, then spun her around.

  I really couldn’t help but dislike the sight of her dancing with someone else.

  “I do hope you feel the same way,” Rewa said.

  I looked down at her and noticed the lust in her green eyes. I wanted to let her down easy, but Caia had a point. As long as she was into me and I entertained her crush, she’d be more open if I had more delicate questions to ask, pertaining to the investigation.

  It seemed a little cruel toward her, but I figured a broken heart would be easier to fix than losing another family member to those daemon creatures. In the grand scheme of things, although it felt bad, I knew I had to string her along for just a bit.

  “It’s a little too early to talk about feelings, Rewa,” I replied slowly, trying my best to both meet my mission objectives and not toy with her heart too much. “You are a beautiful Mara, and I admit, I am not indifferent to your presence… But I think we should take it easy. Enjoy the—”

  “The chase?” She grinned, making me chuckle.

  “Yeah, the chase.”

  She rested her head on my shoulder, further softening in my arms, as if she was pleased with my response. I breathed a sigh of relief, then searched for Caia through the dancing crowd. Her waltz partner was busy pushing her gently into another dip, and I felt my mood turn sourer.

  Avril

  (Daughter of Lucas & Marion)

  After Hansa kicked us onto the dancefloor, I had no choice but to get comfortable in Heron’s arms again as we swayed to the music. “You really aren’t a bad dancer,” I muttered, gazing into his deep jade eyes.

  I felt like jelly against his firm body and broad frame, and I didn’t really feel like putting any distance between us, despite my promise to keep him deeply rooted in the friendzone. I couldn’t help but relish the many delightful sensations provided by his proximity, though I was going to chastise myself later about it.

  “What made you assume I’d be a bad dancer, to begin with? I thought I’d already debunked that myth.” He smirked.

  “I figured your foot-in-mouth syndrome applied to your dance moves, too,” I shot back with a grin.

  He spun me around, fast enough to steal my breath, then pushed me into a dip, pulled me back, and tightened his arms around my waist. “I must say, it gives me tremendous satisfaction to prove you wrong,” he said, his voice lower than usual and sending tingling sensations down my spine.

  “Yeah, well… don’t get used to it.”

  “Oh no, I plan on celebrating every time I make you eat your words. It turns me on,” Heron quipped, making me laugh.

  Neither of us realized how close we were getting to each other, until the tips of our noses touched, and his eyes darkened as they settled on mine. His breath brushed gently against my lips, and I didn’t know what to do. I was putty in his hands, but I didn’t want him to see that. Heron had a habit of using whatever I gave him against me, though he never seemed to mean any harm by it. I didn’t want to let go, either. After the events of tonight, after the half-truths we’d managed to get out of Arrah, having him around me made everything look a little brighter, despite the many unknowns still lurking around us.

  He tightened his hold on me, almost cutting off my air supply. I felt his body heat seeping through the layers of silk between us, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it was about him that made all the females quiver in his presence. Even the Maras dancing with their partners around us couldn’t take their eyes off Heron. I’d seen the lustful glances. I recognized the yearning in their eyes.

  I knew he was trouble, and yet I wanted more. Was that what others were experiencing, too?

  “You did very well tonight, by the way,” he muttered, his lips still dangerously close to mine.

  “Thank you,” I whispered. “You too. That mind-bending skill you have is out of this world. I wish I could do what you do.”

  “That’s funny, because I find it completely useless right now.”

  “What do you mean? Because of Arrah? That’s not your fault. She’s obviously an anomaly.”

  “No, I meant it’s useless because I can’t mind-bend you.” He sighed.

  I took a deep breath and recognized the chemicals in his natural scent. The sweet spices of arousal, with a lemony hint of fear.

  No, anxiousness… He’s nervous about something…

  “Why would you want to mind-bend me, you weirdo?” I chuckled, feeling the conversation taking a serious turn. I didn’t know how to react. I was nervous, too.

  He stared at me for a while, his gaze softening as it found my lips. I instinctively parted them in response, and his eyes clouded as a result. His scent invaded my nostrils, and that friendzone seemed more distant and barren with every second that passed.

  “I’m just being very, very… very selfish right now,” he whispered.

  He tried to conquer the inch left between us, and I completely forgot where I was, quietly anticipating the feel of his lips on mine, when Hansa’s voice violently dragged me back to reality.

  “Time to go,” she said, suddenly standing next to us.

  We both stilled, but didn’t immediately break eye contact. I felt his chest deflate, then quietly watched as he stepped back, glanced at Hansa, and nodded.

  I realized that the rest of the team was standing behind us, and Fiona’s grin told me she’d seen what had almost happened between Heron and me. After a second scan of our group, I saw that Harper and Caia were holding back smirks. Scarlett wasn’t there, so I figured she’d gone ahead to see Patrik—I knew she had a thing for him, but we’d yet to talk about it. Blaze was busy stealing a glance at Caia, and Jax had a dark and menacing glare fixed on Heron, while Hansa seemed not to be in the mood for anything other than maybe a hot bath.

  I took a whiff of her scent and identified grief, arousal, and anger. I glanced at Jax, and noticed the way he stole glimpses of her when she wasn’t looking. He’d pissed her off with something, for sure.

  Someone needs to lock you two in a room…

  “Regrouping at the infirmary, right?” I asked, trying to shove what had almost just happened aside to regain my focus on the mission at hand.

  “Yep,” Hansa replied bluntly, then walked over to the main reception hall.

  We all followed quietly, and I felt Heron’s han
d brush against mine. He gave me an unreadable sideways glance, then moved forward, joining his brother’s side. I walked behind with Fiona and the others.

  He looked even taller from behind, his broad shoulders making my fingers twitch with the memory of holding him as we danced and put the whole world aside for a few blissful minutes. I then remembered what a philanderer he was, and how easily I could end up getting my heart broken if I gave in to his charms.

  But charms he had aplenty…

  Scarlett

  (Daughter of Jeramiah & Pippa)

  We’d all agreed before the Spring Ball that we’d meet at the infirmary before midnight. I left the party earlier, quietly rushing down the stairs in my champagne-pink ballgown, my heels clicking down the cobblestone pavement.

  There were barely any Maras in the streets, as most had gathered in the Kifo mansion, and Emilian had just announced they’d opened his villa as well, to accommodate the increasing number of guests. Apparently, they’d been surprised by the high volume of attendees—higher than usual. It turned out that nothing made the Exiled Maras thirstier for a fancy ball than the threat of being abducted from their own city.

  I spotted half a dozen Imen slowly walking up and down the alleys, retreating to their homes, and I walked behind a group of three girls. They were weirdly silent for the five minutes I spent in their vicinity, until the one in the middle suddenly collapsed. The others fell to their knees, trying to get her back up.

  I rushed over to check on the fallen girl. She looked pale, with dark circles around her eyes. She blinked slowly, limp in her friends’ arms.

  “Come on, Akila!” one of them whispered. “We need to get home!”

  “What’s wrong with her?” I asked. “Is she ill?”

  The girls gave me frightened looks, as if I were the last creature they wanted to see.

  “She’s fine,” the other friend retorted.