She was conscious of the stares that followed them out through the massive glass doors leading outside the room. The murmurs echoed in her head even after they creaked shut behind them.
'Is that the regent?'
'I heard he never comes for the frenzy!'
'Who is the girl with him?!'
'Did he crash the king's tent?'
'She's wearing the black cape!'
'Treason!'
'I'm so jealous!'
'How dare she touch him?!'
Eve licked her lips, nervously watching the steady pace of his long legs on the grass that cushioned her naked feet that struggled to keep up with him. She didn't complain. Her mind was elsewhere, absentmindedly following the length of his lower body up, watching the muscles on his back shift ever so slightly with his every movement.
Her eyes then shifted to the bellowing cape that kept her body warm from the cold breeze of the night. Her unguarded face burned, more with embarrassment than the biting cold. Her mind was in a disarray, thanks to what she had heard in the hall as he had dragged her through a shocked crowd, not caring to stop or look their way.
Her fingers closed around the edge of the thick velvet. Treason. She was committing treason for the second time tonight by wearing the royal cape, Eve thought to herself. A shiver passed through her spine as she remembered the words of the matron.
"Even a single unguarded glance at the regent or the king can be considered treason. And it will be better if you remember that traitors will be slung over the wall as food for Nightwell Hold's pets."
"What pets?" Viola had asked.
"Let's hope that you don't find out." Was the matron's reply.
Coming to think of that, where was her stepsister? She hadn't seen her all night. Had she gotten into trouble? She wondered. Her thoughts came to an abrupt stop as she felt the warmth on her arm disappear. Eve looked up at the regent instinctively but quickly looked away, remembering the matron's warning.
They had come to a stop finally at what seemed to be the edge of a garden by a cliff, bordered by a pillared white marble fencing. The tall pillars ended abruptly in the cloudy sky as if half-undone by its might. Polished white slabs connected them horizontally with smaller balusters carved with flower motifs to support their weight.
What lay beyond was enveloped in darkness. But she could hear the noise of a gushing stream from somewhere ahead. As a gush of cold wind rushed through her, Eve shivered, pulling the cloak close to her body. Now that she was outside the magically warmed palace, she could feel the biting winter cold.
"Do you know who I am?"
The question caught her off guard. Eve looked up at the regent. He was leaning against one of the pillars languidly, shielded from the wind that was coming from the other side of the cliff, his long legs crossing one another, little strands of his silvery blonde hair falling loosely against his breathtakingly beautiful face.
"Hmm?" Eve asked, staring at the man in awe, forgetting everything else for a second.
The regent's brows creased. "I am Nikolai Morozov. The last of the Morozov line." He paused, the ends of his mouth pulling down into a disappointed frown. "Do you know what that means?" He asked, staring pointedly at her.
Eve licked her lip nervously, before looking down at her feet. Nikolai. So that was his name, she thought, a slow rush of blood rising up her already reddened cheeks. But why was he telling her that? And what did he mean by 'he was the last of his family line'? Wasn't the king his nephew?
Of course, it wouldn't be so if they were from two different families. That meant that the regent must probably be the late queen's brother. The last of the Morozov line...Her eyes widened at the thought. Had he brought her here to tell her that he was planning treason?!
A brush of warmth against her chin pulled her out of her thoughts. Eve looked up at the regent with wide eyes as he slowly raised her face towards him. The frown on his lips deepened as he leaned forward.
"It means that among all the living vampires, I should be the one you're most scared of." He said, stopping barely an inch away from her face.
She could feel his sweet warm breath beating against her lips, making her heartbeat skyrocket. But more than that, she was pulled into the swirl of anger that reflected in the gray of his eyes. Fear pierced through her veins, pushing at the warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was at that moment, that she was fully conscious that the man in front of her too was a beast- a creature of the night.
"Don't you ever dare be scared of another man! Do you hear me?!" Nikolai's voice boomed, startling her.
Eve's shoulders shook from the shiver that rocked her body. The gray of his eyes flashed silver in a threat. Her stomach churned at the sight. What did he mean by that? Was this jealousy? Or was she imagining things? A monster. He was a monster, she thought, remembering the way he had flashed his fangs at her at St Yvon.
"Do you hear me, woman?!" Nikolai thundered, grabbing her shoulders with both his hands.
"I fucking do!" Eve screamed, slapping his hands away from her in a fit of anger. "So get the hell away from me, you monster!"
The regent stepped back, looking shocked at her outburst. Eve's hand flew to her mouth in horror. That was it. She had gone and dug herself a grave for him to discard her body once he's done with her.
Had she banged her head somewhere? Or had the matron put some kind of hex on her as a punishment for her treason? Why was she blurting out what was in her mind?! And for god's sake, why the hell was she crushing on him like a two-year-old?!
She watched Nikolai's expression shift from shocked to amused, the change puzzling her. He leaned back against the railing of the fence, resting his lower body against it as he watched her with sparkling eyes that were fast unnerving her, making her stomach do all kinds of flips as her heart kept beating erratically in fear.
Suddenly the man doubled over with laughter, throwing his head back against the darkness beyond the cliff, the warm light from the palace casting an ethereal glow on his pale skin. Eve's mouth slightly parted in awe as she was once again caught up in the magic of his musical voice.
The wind blew the silver strands of his hair around his perfectly chiseled face, appearing like a halo of an angel. Her eyes traveled down the curve of his wet lips, the bulge of his adam's apple, and down the open buttons of his shirt that revealed his hardened muscles. She placed a cold hand over her chest, surprised at the way that her heart tugged at the sight before her.
Suddenly, he stopped. Nikolai stood straight, turning towards her with a slight smirk pulling up a corner of his lip. Eve tensed as he took a step towards her.
"Do you know that I can hear your heartbeat?" He asked, his eyes twinkling in mischief as he took another step forward.
Eve gulped nervously, taking a subsequent step back. "W-what?" She asked, her fingers turning cold with nervousness.
Nikolai's smile widened. "I can hear your heart pumping out the blood into your veins." He said, this time taking a longer step towards her. "Without missing a single beat."
Eve blushed, her heart thumping against her chest louder than ever. He was once again, too close. She could feel the heat of his body radiating against her. She was embarrassed. She wanted to bury herself in the ground beneath her feet. She cursed under her breath, turning her back to the man.
"So?" She asked, pulling the cloak tightly against her frame.
The regent chuckled. "Just saying." He replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. Eve trembled as he leaned towards her, his breath beating against the edge of her earlobe as he whispered, "And oh, that weak knife that you stole from the kitchen can't end his life. Try fire next time."
Eve gasped at the statement, her eyes growing wide in shock. Before she could react, the cape was yanked off of her frame. She turned around in surprise, but there was no one behind her. Nikolai was gone, and so was his warmth. Eve cursed under her breath, putting her arms around herself as she stared at the darkness beyond the garden fence.