Serpent in Shackles

Chapter Twelve

Food.

That was the first thing I'd miss when I went home. I didn't know what was different about their food, but it smelled and tasted a thousand times better. I devoured every last drop of food on my plate.

Once I was finished eating, the Shadow Knight rose from his chair. "We're going to start your training. Follow me."

I followed him through the house to a room on the top floor.

Black ceiling-to-floor bookcases lined the walls, and a few poked out. A row of chandeliers hung from the white ceiling, leading to the desk at the far side of the room. The far wall was rounded out with huge windows, overlooking the nearby area.

I walked over to the giant table near the entrance. "This is your office?"

"Yes.''

I paced around the room, reading the names off the spines of the books. Some of them I even recognized. I picked up a framed drawing from one of the shelves. All of the faces in the drawing were familiar. His team.

The frame thumped against the wood as I set it back down. "So you're not human. What are you?"

"You've heard the stories, why don't you tell me?" He replied, pulling a few books off the shelf.

I carefully considered what to say. Each story was so different from the next, it was hard to know what was true. "The stories say you're a monster," I paused, looking for any sort of reaction on his face. But there wasn't one, so I continued, "but there are a thousand different stories with a thousand different drawings and you don't look like any of them. Besides, up until we met, I was told the stories weren't real, that monsters of the night weren't real. So how would I know what to believe?"

He pulled a few more books off the shelves and tossed them onto the middle of the table. Then he slid one book to the edge. Monsters of the Night.

"What's this?"

"Open it."

I stepped up to the table and flipped through the worn pages. Every few pages were dedicated to a different monster of the night. Their name, aliases, drawings, strengths, weakness, and plenty of other information.

He took a step closer, resting his hand on the table beside me. There was barely a book worth of space between us. The familiar scent of vanilla and mint hit my nose once again.

I glanced over to the veiny, muscular hand resting on the table. I was curious about monsters of the night. What did his hands feel like? Would he bleed? Did he feel pain? He looked like a human, but I wondered how much of him really was.

My eyes continued up his arm. The sleeves of his black shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing only the lower half of his arms. His bicep muscles still visibly flexed through the thin fabric.

Next thing I knew, my eyes were on his face. His perfectly sculptured face; admiring his sharp features, piercing golden eyes, sensuous lips. The way every part of his face perfectly fit together like a finished puzzle. All of the stories called him the great seducer and I understood why.

"Are you listening?"

"What?" My eyes moved back up to his as I gulped.

A devilish smirk covered the sensuous lips before he tapped the book with his hand, drawing my attention back to it. The page he had turned to was about him.

He took a step closer and leaned in. "I'm irresistible, aren't I?" A shiver trickled down my spine at the warm breath dragging across my ear.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself," I teased.

The moment the monster's attention drifted away, my fingers swiftly slipped between the opening of his jacket, searching for the dagger I knew he was armed with. His fingers caught my wrist as my hand landed on the handle of the blade, fastened at his hip.

"Do you want my dagger?"

"No. I'm trying to stick my hand down your pants," I said flatly.

Chuckling softly, he pulled my hand out. His grip was loose, gentle. "If you need a dagger, check the training room. The only thing you're going to find in my pants is my c-"

"Got it."

I sucked in a breath as he tugged me closer, pressing our bodies together.

"I'm engaged," I exclaimed.

"Then you probably shouldn't be sticking your hand down another man's pants," he countered. The tip of his nose almost pressed into mine.

Finally, he stepped back. "Read these books, familiarise yourself with some of the monsters you will encounter here. I'll be back later tonight."

"Where are you-" He dashed out before I could finish my question. Warmth disappeared leaving behind the feeling of emptiness.

I turned my attention back to the book. It was an utter waste of paper because the only thing written on the page was The Shadow Knight of Valoria. Monster of the Night.

The page crinkled as I flipped it over, looking for more information. But there was none.

I spent the rest of the day reading the books he left me, perusing his office and waiting for him to return. But he must have been out longer than expected because I ate dinner alone and returned to my room to sleep.