Page 29 of House of Darkness (The Fallen Star #1)

ESTRELLA

My fingers trembled as they found the fabric scissors.

Without a second thought, I hurled them across the room, relishing the thud when they pierced a vibrant green fabric as I pictured them stabbing into Catina’s red shirt instead.

I’d never considered myself violent, but the past few weeks had awakened a side of me I hadn’t known existed.

“Nice throw,” Razvan remarked, leaning against the doorframe with his hands casually tucked into the light gray pockets of his trousers. “Are you okay?”

I twisted my fingers into the fabric of my dress, wishing Roman had bought me more scissors. I could use more things to throw. “What do you think?”

“I think Catina succeeded in upsetting you.”

“I think she’s a raging jerk,” I retorted.

“Family can be like that sometimes.” The word ‘family’ stung like a fresh wound, making my stomach churn. My eyebrows and lips tightened as that anger and uselessness threatened to bubble to the surface. Catina didn’t view me as her family. I was just a pet to be owned.

“Come on. Everyone has left the dining room, and I have an idea,” Razvan said, extending his hand.

He led me to the kitchen, which was surprisingly spacious for its usual residents. Wooden butcher block counters and a large fireplace gave the space a warm, homey feel.

“I thought we could bake since you didn’t finish your dinner,” Razvan said, strolling to the pantry and pulling out ingredients, pots, and pans.

My mouth watered as I realized what he was preparing.

We had sweets only a few times a year at the academy, and cake was a rare treat, reserved for special occasions.

“You know how to bake?” I asked, watching him work.

“I used to bake with my mother when I was a child.” His smile deepened when he noticed my surprised expression. “I was turned, not born. It’s a cruel irony; you have fond memories of food you can no longer enjoy. The taste becomes repulsive, even though you remember how much you loved it.”

I had assumed Razvan was like Roman, born into vampirism. There was so much I didn’t know about him. I rolled up my sleeves and twisted my hair out of my face. “I don’t know how to bake, but I’m ready to help.”

Razvan grinned. “No worries. I’ll guide you.”

Baking with Razvan was surprisingly easy. He was patient, knowing when to step in and when to let me try things on my own. Being with him reminded me of my sister, though we had never been this comfortable with each other—perhaps we never had the chance.

“Can you tell me about your childhood?” I asked, cracking an egg into a large wooden bowl.

Razvan shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. I had a genetic disease that left me in a wheelchair for most of my life. I spent my days in a hospital, confined indoors, drawing myself on grand adventures. That’s how I got into painting.”

My heart ached for him. He had been trapped, much like I had been. “I’m so sorry, Raz.”

He chuckled softly. “It’s okay. Everything changed when I met Roman.

He picked me out of a crowd during his coronation three years ago and visited me afterward.

He said he heard my thoughts and knew I was a dreamer.

I was dying anyway, so I practically begged him to turn me.

It’s funny—only when I died did I truly begin to live. ”

I smiled at the thought. Of course, Roman would do something like that. Maybe broken people resonated with him. The thought tugged at my heart. I poured the remaining dry ingredients into the bowl while Razvan stirred the mixture with remarkable skill.

“What about your parents? Do you still see them?” I asked, scooping the batter into the greased cake pan.

Razvan’s face hardened. “There are many reasons my parents don’t speak to me, and my vampirism is one of them.”

I nodded, hoping I hadn’t overstepped. Razvan placed the cake pan in the oven and shut the door. “Thirty minutes.”

We then whipped up some chocolate frosting. Razvan took the lead, whisking the mixture to stiff peaks. I tasted it, humming in approval. Razvan dipped a finger in and winced as he licked it clean. “Still tastes like ash. How unfortunate.”

“Yet blood tastes good?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Razvan leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “Food fuels living creatures, giving them life. Vampires aren’t alive, so food doesn’t appeal to us. Blood is the life force of another, which is why we need it.”

“Speaking of which,” he said, striding to the cold room, returning with bottles and glasses, “if you’re going to keep asking questions, I’m going to get drunk.”

He poured me a glass of wine alongside his wyne, and I was intrigued to taste it.

We had never been allowed to have alcohol at the academy.

It was sweet and bitter. I finished my glass before the cake was ready and started on my second.

By the time the cake had cooled enough to frost, a fuzzy, lightheaded feeling had taken over.

It was a welcome reprieve. Even Catina’s words seemed distant now.

With a bottle of wine and a plate of cake in hand, Razvan and I settled into the entertainment room. I flopped onto the plush couch and took a massive bite of the cake, moaning in delight as the sweet flavor enveloped my senses.

“This cake is almost good enough to make me forget Catina.”

Razvan snorted. “The wine probably helps, but that was the idea.”

“Well, you succeeded in your evil plan to drag me out of my brooding. Happy?”

Razvan smiled, refilling his glass. “I’m always happy to see a friend happy.”

I blushed. “I’ve never had a friend. Is that what we are?”

“Indeed. Are we close enough for you to finally tell me what’s going on between you and Roman?”

Maybe it was the wine, but I couldn’t stop myself from spilling. I took a deep swig. “We’ve kissed… among other things.”

Razvan’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “I knew it. You’re too easy to read. Was he a good kisser?”

I inhaled another bite of cake, barely swallowing before responding. “How are we even having this conversation right now?”

“That wasn’t an answer.”

“He was an amazing kisser.”

Razvan burst into laughter, a splash of red hitting his sleeve. I groaned, my face burning. “Catina was right—he’s got his hooks in me.”

Razvan, still bubbling with laughter, held his glass high. “Of course he does. Have you seen him? I’ve thought about kissing him myself.”

I gasped. “You have a crush on Roman?”

For a long moment, there was silence. My heart raced, unsure if I had crossed a line. Just as I was about to retract my statement, Razvan spoke. “No. I haven’t felt that way in a long time.”

“Can I ask why?”

Razvan took a long swig from his glass, closing his eyes as he swallowed.

“I once had a lover. His name was Jeremie. When I was sad, he’d tell me stories to inspire my paintings.

He had a way of telling stories that made you believe them.

A nurse found us together and told my parents.

They moved me to Greford and never spoke to me again.

They said I committed an unforgivable sin. ”

“I’m so sorry. But maybe you could visit him now? Roman might even help bring him here if you wanted. We could make it work.” My words rushed out, scrambling to put the broken pieces in front of me back together.

Razvan’s eyes were calm as he looked at me. “He passed away a week before I was turned.”

There were no words to ease his pain. I squeezed his hand, hoping my presence offered some comfort. He withdrew his hand and raised it, palm up. A soft blue carnation began to bloom from his palm.

“The day I visited his grave was the day my powers manifested. I wanted life—his and mine—so badly that I was able to create it in my palm. Doesn’t make anything better, though.” He plucked the carnation and tucked it behind my ear.

Questions swirled in my mind, but I kept them to myself. The nature of vampire powers were shrouded in mystery. Razvan’s explanation hinted that desires could influence them, but I didn’t want to press further. His eyes twinkled with understanding.

“Powers can be influenced by lineage, environment, or personality. They can change based on what happens to us. Trauma often shapes them,” he explained.

“Oh. They don’t teach that at the academy,” I murmured, gently touching the flower tucked behind my ear.

“They wouldn’t know. It’s a vampire secret.”

“Yet you told me?”

“We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends share things. Besides, you don’t have other humans to gossip with.”

He had a point. I might not see another human for a while, if ever. But what mattered was that I wasn’t alone. I had a friend, and Razvan wasn’t alone anymore either, I’d make sure of it. I finished my glass.

“We should probably head to bed, Es. I need to pack.”

The nickname jolted me. Was it a coincidence that Razvan would use it? The image of my sister, her fearful gaze as Roman took me away, burned in my mind. I missed her terribly. Worrying wouldn’t help either of us, but I hoped she was okay.

“My sister is the only one who’s ever called me that,” I whispered.

Razvan paused. “I’m sorry. I won’t call you that again.”

“No… I like it. It reminds me of her.”

“Then it’s my new name for you.”

We settled into a polite silence, then I processed the other part of what he had said. My heart dropped. “Where are you going?”

“Roman has asked me to visit the Fj?llr?v House to finalize the treaty paperwork,” Razvan explained.

“No fancy ball for the treaty signing?” I retorted.

His lips quirked into a smile as he picked up the empty bottles. “You must not know much about the Fj?llr?v. It’s less balls and more blood sacrifices. Besides, everyone will be clearing out for the full moon anyway. Except for Roman, of course.”

A vampire’s hunger peaked on the full moon, as did their other appetites. My eyes went wide. “Should I be here, alone?”

“You will be okay. Roman tends to keep to himself on the full moon and would never hurt you. But stay in your room once the moon comes out. Not worth the risk.” He kept his tone casual, but the look in his candied eyes gave away his concern.

“...Okay. Couldn’t I go with you?” I practically begged.

Razvan laughed at that, his sapphire earrings shimmering in the soft torchlight as his head shifted. The loose strands of his hair fell around his angular face like silk. “To the Fj?llr?v House on the full moon? Absolutely not. Besides, I’m the newest vampire of us and have the least control.”

“Oh,” I looked down. “I’m going to miss you, Raz.”

“I will miss you too, Es.”

Then my only friend was gone, leaving behind a pit of loneliness in his absence. The quiet that lingered over the house was eerie after weeks of constant noise and chaos with the generals. A cacophony I had come to enjoy, I realized.