Page 15 of House of Darkness (The Fallen Star #1)

Roman flinched, a visceral reaction that surprised me.

He knew what we were trained for at the acolyte academies; it shouldn’t have shocked him.

He rolled his shoulders, and his suave mask slid back into place.

Watching him put on that mask was oddly fascinating.

I wondered how he learned to perfect it.

“Well, it would have pleased me if they had taught you how to play Whist so I wouldn’t have to, but here we are.”

I pursed my lips. “So, you really aren’t going to take me?”

“No, not unless you’re an enthusiastic participant.”

I couldn’t help myself, though I knew the question troubled him. It felt like the final piece of a puzzle that just wouldn’t fit. “Then why purchase me?”

He sighed, his fingers neatly assembling the deck. “How about we play a different game? Truth for a truth.”

His predatory gaze made me uneasy. There was something he was waiting to ask, but at least I’d get some answers. If he was willing to break his silence I’d tell him anything. “Alright.”

“Wonderful.” Roman set the deck back on the tray and crossed his arms, making his shirt stretch tight over his impressive muscles. “I’ll go first. Who inflicted the wounds on your back?”

I froze mid-bite. Of course, he had seen the scars from my lashings. Matei had usually ensured they healed without scarring, but after so many instances, it was inevitable. I blinked innocently and finished my sandwich before responding. “You saw the vampire who left those marks.”

“Estrella.” Roman’s voice dropped to a threatening growl that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

I swallowed and looked down at the ornate filigree on the tray. My voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t want to say.”

He bared his teeth. “Fine. Ask your question.”

“Why did you purchase me?”

“It was in my interest to do so.”

My gaze snapped to him, incredulous. His narrowed eyes and smirking lips made me pause. “I will provide the same depth in my answers as you do in yours.”

Instinctively, my fingers went to the hem of my shirt, but the gauze stopped me from holding the soft fabric. The restriction made my heart race even faster. “Matei. Ten lashings for every escape attempt.”

Roman snarled, the darkness around him thickening and pooling on the floor in sticky plumes. “I knew I should have killed that monster.”

His comment was darkly reassuring. Knowing he abhorred Matei’s punishments provided some comfort.

A black tendril wove up my arms, tingling my gauze-wrapped hands.

It was warm, like before, and though the grip was solid, it didn’t make me panic.

Instead, I watched it with morbid curiosity, fascinated by how it moved seemingly without his direction. “Why didn’t you?”

“I didn’t want to give you more reason to fear me than I already have.”

He had been concerned about my opinion of him even then. I hummed a soft laugh. “I was never scared of you, Roman.”

Acknowledging that truth felt strange. He was supposedly the most powerful vampire in the world and could easily tear me apart if he wanted, yet I had never feared him.

I feared displeasing him, but that was because of the monster that had haunted me my entire life, not the one currently at my side.

Finally, I dared to touch the tendril twisted around my forearm with the tips of my fingers. It was odd how I could move my fingers through it and touch my skin on the other side, but there was a resistance, like moving through thick honey.

Roman hummed thoughtfully, drawing my attention back to him. “You would be the first.”

His power released me, and I watched as it crept back into his skin, dissipating like liquid fog. “I have made mistakes in my past—mistakes that have led to people getting hurt. I thought using my position for good might atone for some of my sins. That’s why I purchased you.”

Something within me settled at the revelation, like water stilling after a disturbance. It was still an evasive response, but I felt like we were finally getting somewhere. And I could work with that.

Roman returned to my room the next morning and the morning after.

He eventually taught me to play Whist, and we spent hours absently slapping cards onto the bedspread while our game of truth continued.

It wasn’t long before we were discussing silly, insignificant details about each other, just to keep the game going.

Roman slapped down a king of spades and smirked. “Your favorite color?”

I sighed as he took the trick and added it to his piles. Despite the game being mostly chance, he kept winning. “Green. You?”

He met my gaze, his smirk fading. “Blue.”

My cheeks warmed, and I broke eye contact. I placed an eight of hearts to start the trick, which he topped with a ten. “What did you do in your free time at the academy?”

I slapped down a queen and grinned triumphantly, only to frown as he put a king on top and claimed the pile once more. “Do you have all the kings in your hand?”

“I am the tsar; it only makes sense,” he said with a mischievous grin.

“I think you’re cheating,” I retorted, placing a four of clubs and sighing. “I liked to sew. I’d take old scraps and worn-out gowns and rebuild them.”

He placed down a six. “That’s impressive. I’d love to see some of your work.”

I spoke without thinking, distracted by the game. “I brought one with me. It’s in the closet.”

Before I could blink, Roman was across the room, riffling through my closet. I was about to complain, then remembered it was technically his closet too. He had gifted me most of my clothing, making it hard for me to claim ownership.

“This one?” He pulled down my red and black gown and hung it from the dresser door, stepping back to admire it.

My face flushed. It was one thing to show off my projects to my sister; it was another to have the tsar examine my craftsmanship. He always dressed in impeccably tailored suits, every button and stitch perfect. My gowns, made from old scraps, seemed nothing in comparison.

“It’s nothing special. Just an old acolyte dress and nightgown I repurposed. Nothing impressive—”

“This is remarkable, Estrella.” Roman spoke without looking away from it. He tugged the red cotton, inspected the stitch line, then fingered the black lace layered underneath. “You made this out of an old gown? And without a machine, I assume? You can’t tell.”

He stepped closer, his gaze scanning the bodice and sleeves. He held up the cuff. “The use of lace as a design over the hand is impressive.”

With a smooth motion, he flipped the dress, examining the corset back and the bustle. His curious fingers traced each eyelet with intense focus. “Every single eyelet is evenly spaced, and the ruffle to cover the lacing? Genius.”

He turned to me, his eyes sparkling with excitement that warmed my chest. “You have real talent, doll. Why don’t you sell these? We could set you up with a workspace. I’d love to see what you could do with the proper supplies.”

I swallowed hard. No one had ever shown such an interest in my work.

It had always been a distraction from my lessons, nothing more.

His words filled a part of my soul I hadn’t realized was empty with pride, hope, or something akin to it.

I envisioned a little shop of my own, with my own money, free from the obligation to please others. I could be independent.

The idea was absurd. I didn’t know how money worked or how to run a business. The acolyte academies crippled us, turning us into perfect slaves and preventing us from being anything else. Besides, I’d need his funds to buy supplies, and freedom bought wasn’t true freedom.

“I couldn’t ask you for that. I don’t know anything about running a business,” I murmured, my voice softer than I intended. I hoped he wouldn’t detect the sadness.

Roman’s lips curled down, and he hummed thoughtfully. He glanced back at my gown, tilting his head so his onyx curls brushed his shoulder. He looked angelic in that moment, his beauty making me stare.

He turned to me with a wide grin. “A deal, then.”

I blinked. “A deal?”

He flopped into his chair beside me. “Indeed. I’m solidifying my position with the Houses.

My age is a concern, especially with the more traditional Houses.

Having an acolyte would show my commitment to our ways.

Attend my events, pretend to be the devoted acolyte on my arm, and I’ll ensure you have whatever you need to start a business. ”

“Why not just force me to?” I asked warily.

“I wouldn’t do that. The only way this happens is if you want it to. Your choice, doll.”

He grinned, his boyish enthusiasm exacerbated by his round face and dimples.

It made him seem… cute. Not otherworldly, just a handsome young man with a smile that made my heart skip.

Everything about that expression tempted me to leap in headfirst, like jumping into that freezing river.

I just wondered if the aftermath would be as painful.

“Then it’s a deal.”