Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson

17

“If you are cold, I can offer you my jacket?” Marius said, keeping in step with me as we walked to the castle’s exit. He must have noticed the shiver of my skin, or how I had wrapped my arms across my chest to keep in the warmth. It seemed colder each night that passed. I suppose, with winter pressing on beyond the castle, it was inevitable for the pathetic fires to hardly keep out the chill. Yet Marius never seemed bothered.

“Will you not be cold?” I asked, staring mostly at my feet as we moved through the castle foyer.

“I do not fear nor feel the cold. So please, it is a clear night tonight and I would feel more comfortable knowing you are not shivering beside me. That and it is… distracting. I would not care for you to catch a sickness and pass before your stay here concludes.” Marius shrugged the maroon jacket from his broad shoulders without needing to offer again, carefully straightening out the material before holding it out for me to slip into.

I smiled, not one that was forced or fake. I felt it tug up at my lips as his arms flexed beneath the material of his white shirt.

One hand at a time, I weaved myself into the jacket. There was no warmth left over from his body, but it was far better than the crisp nightly air that scratched at my skin.

“You are certain the hounds will not attack?” I asked, trying not to be overwhelmed by his closeness. Or what happened last time this little space between us was beheld.

“They would not dare if I am with you. They may stalk us, but that is as far as they will go. As long as we stay on the path and do not deviate, we will be safe.”

Marius had not mentioned Katharine’s visit and I felt that I could not simply add it into the, currently, stiff conversation. It had been a few, long, hours since I had listened in on them and I still felt guilty. Even more so to find out how personal the conversation had been. By the time his heavy knocks sounded on the chamber room’s door my eyes had dried, but the sadness had still taken root in my chest.

I had briefly looked to Marius’s wrist to see if any marks were left from his bloodletting. But his skin was untouched by scars or marks. As if noticing my stare, he tugged down at the ruffled sleeve of his shirt to hide his perfect skin.

“I thought we would spend yet another day in the study?” I questioned, hugging the jacket around my chest. It was so big the sleeves kept covering my hands.

“Another evening surrounded by books… ugh.” He poked his tongue beyond his lip. A tongue I had not long been so familiar with. “There is something I want to share with you that is far greater than that study.”

“How mysterious.” I laughed, hoping it covered my nerves. There was tension between us. An unspoken conversation left after yesterday’s abrupt ending. He had not apologised, nor did I expect him to. Marius was a perfect blend of cautious and polite. Offering a steady arm as we walked down the stairs yet keeping painfully tense beneath my touch.

We hardly exchanged another word until we reached the double, front doors to the castle. The very same that had been locked the last time I had checked.

Of course they now were left open. How convenient. As Marius pulled them open the evening breeze rushed into the castle’s entrance. The curtains across the windows flapped wildly, sending bouts of dust into the air. The flames across the grand chandelier that hung above us flickered, some even going out beneath the force of the natural, winter winds.

“Quickly,” Marius whispered. “Before it blows every candle out. This castle is far more… acceptable beneath the glow of fire.”

I moved with haste, tightening the jacket around me as I bowed into the gust and left beyond the doors.

My cheeks nipped beneath the chill, my nose running almost instantly as I stepped outside. The great doors creaked as Marius closed us off from the firelight.

Then we were bathed in night. Only the moon and stars a source of light above us.

“And you expect me to fumble my way around the grounds! I will walk straight off the path and into the jaws of your little pets,” I said in jest. However, even I could not hide the true fear I felt knowing they lurked in the shadows. Waiting. My power would be kept within, and that felt as though I was without my most important limb. My weapon.

I was… vulnerable.

Marius’s hand found mine and I gasped out of my mindless worry. It was not the warm, lifeful touch that fought away the cold. But it was comforting nonetheless. “I shall guide you. Do not worry yourself.”

It took a moment to relax into his control as he guided me through the dark gardens. I could make out some shapes, but without the light of a flame it was impossible for me to figure out where each step would end up. Soon enough my eyes adjusted to the eternal dark and my tight grip on his hand eased. But I did not let go.

“I hope you can swim.” His comment caught me off guard. Up until this point he had kept silent during our walk.

“Swim?” I questioned, just the thought alone sent a violent shiver across my skin. From my knowledge the nearest coastal line was days’ travel by horse, if you were lucky enough to have the coin to own one.

“One of the beauties of this castle is the hot springs located among the land. Back when I was younger the townsfolk would visit during the winter months to bask in the glory of the warmed waters. It was magnificent. A place in which I enjoyed to frolic. I thought it would be the best way to negate the colder nights.”

“And keep away from the books?” I said, looking up at him side-on through thick lashes.

He sighed, eyes unblinking, lips pursed. “Precisely.”

“I admit, I have never heard of such a place before.” No one ever spoke of the castle before the curse. It was almost hard to believe it did not just conjure into existence the moment it was laid upon Marius. His life before had never seemed to matter to Mother or the coven.

“I thought that would be the case,” Marius muttered, keeping his pace slow beside me. His longer legs always kept him a foot ahead, but I could sense his controlled restraint to not pull me along. “We will add the mystery of the hot springs to the ever-growing list of others that I fear has been lost with time.”

There it was again, the tugging sadness that seemed to drawl beneath his deep voice. A pause of conversation followed, broken by me clearing my throat and squeezing his hand without thought.

“To answer your question, I cannot swim. There hasn’t exactly been any opportunities for practice back home.” It was not a lie. My control of the water as an extension of my power meant I did not fear it. Although I had not been submerged in a vast body of water before, I trusted in my ability and instinct to keep me afloat. “You surely do not expect us to go in now? It is dark and cold.”

“They are hot springs… Jak.” Even as he spoke, I could hear the smile that had returned to his mouth. As though he laughed through each, prolonged word. “I will not solve the darkness issue, but you will be warmer within the spring than outside on the bank.”

I shivered on cue. “Then can we get to the springs with haste? This walk is not as relaxing as I thought it would be.”

“Patience, Jak, it will be worth the wait.”

* * *

The bodyof water sat nestled among the grounds of the castle just as Marius had explained. The crescent moon was painted across its surface as if it were the aquatic twin to the one which ruled the night above us. Tendrils of mist rose from the lake like ghostly fingers. Even from my distance on the grass-bed beside it I felt its enticing warmth.

Everything was still here. Beautiful.

“It is best you do not wet your clothes,” Marius explained, no longer holding my hand. “By the time you come out you will be thankful for something dry to wear.”

I turned to question him, only to swallow my words. Marius had stripped the shirt from his back, lifting it slowly over his head. His muscle flexed as he tugged his arms from the sleeves last. I watched as he scrunched the material into a ball and threw it to the ground without care. Marius was sculpted with more definition and precision than I could have imagined. His chest was broad, but his hips were narrow. The image of pure strength. Muscles flexed in his chest and stomach, tightening in mounds that protruded from his skin.

“Everything okay?” he asked, hands reaching for the brass buckle of his belt. His smile was sly, his eyes narrowed as if he could read the thoughts that filled my mind.

I shook my head and turned back to the calm surface of water. Hand to my chin, I tried everything to not look back… no matter how loud the siren call to do so was. “You truly want me to get in?”

“That is completely up to you,” Marius said. “You are welcome to stand here and watch.”

Before I had a chance to act, Marius had thrown himself into the water, disturbing the once glass-like surface. I tumbled back away from the incoming splash of water that had risen up in response. Water soaked the bottom of my trousers and dampened the bank which now squelched beneath my boots.

“What happened to keeping dry?” I shouted, looking back at Marius who kept afloat in the water. My voice echoed across the surface as though it was a skipping stone.

“There is nothing wrong with getting wet,” he called out, as his arms moved to keep him afloat.

My mouth dried as I studied him. The water did little to conceal his naked body. Naked. Completely. I quickly looked away, cheeks warming as his alabaster skin glowed proudly beneath the water. The pile of his clothes confirmed all I already thought.

He had removed every article. Even his undergarments.

“You are…” I muttered, covering my eyes with my hand.

“Yes.”

“Well, could you not have… I don’t know. Kept something on?”

“And why would I do that?” I could hear that gentle swoosh of water as Marius sliced his arms through the spring. “If it makes you uncomfortable you do not need to do the same.”

It was not discomfort I felt. No, the feeling was far from it. It was not only my cheeks that warmed but my stomach and chest. My skin prickled with… anticipation. A flashback to the study filled my mind for a moment.

“Turn away,” I said, quietly.

“Speak up.”

I lifted my stare and looked him dead in the eye. “I said turn away.”

Marius’s grin widened whereas his eyes narrowed as he nodded. “As you wish.”

I only reached for my shirt when the back of Marius’s head was all I could see. A giggle threatened to escape me as I caught a glimpse of his behind that rippled beneath the water’s surface. I tugged at my clothing and left it in a heap on the bed of the lake. Like Marius, I did not leave a single item of clothing on.

It was easy to forget when my mind was full of thrill and wonder. Deep in the corners of my mind I could remember what I was here to do. But now, out here with Marius, the cold, the water, I gave myself the moment to just… live. Without rule, or fate, or anything really.

The breeze across my bare body sent a shiver through me until it turned into violently shaking. My teeth chattered and my toes curled. I stepped closer to the warm mist of the lake, thankful for the source of heat.

“Can I turn around yet?” Marius called, turning his head far enough for me to pick up my pace.

My heart skipped at the thought of Marius seeing me like this. Exposed. Feet first I stepped into the water and sighed. As soon as I entered it the warm fought away at the cold that seemed to have embedded itself into my bones.

Soon enough I was completely submerged, with the water up to my chin. “You can look now.”

Marius turned instantly to face me, the water rippling around him. “Wonderful, is it not?”

I felt completely relaxed as the water hugged me. “Could you not have mentioned this place any sooner? I have an awful feeling that getting out of this is going to be the worst part.”

“For you.” Marius swam towards me, his large arms treading water.

“Are you just so terribly brave that the cold does not affect you?”

“I am always cold, Jak, even now. It has been a long time since I last felt the warmth of this water. Even now it feels no different to me.”

“I do not understand.”

“May I?” Marius asked, offering a hand for me to take.

I took it without hesitation. His soft palm pressed against mine as his fingers held onto me and all I felt was his usual chill.

“How?” I asked, squeezing onto his hand as if I would lend his cold skin some of my warmth.

“That is an extremely good question. One that can only be answered by my assumptions. The curse altered me in many ways and this is just one of them. I am cold. Always.”

Just the thought made my teeth want to chatter. I tugged Marius closer, enjoying the sudden shock that splashed across his face. His strong chest pressed against mine and he let go of my hand, holding both of his around the bottom of my back. Even as the warm water kept me comfortable it did not stop the shiver of delight that ran across my arms and neck.

“You are dangerous,” Marius said, ruby glare piercing right through me. “So dangerous that I fear you know just how to use it as a weapon.”

“Coming from the creature that is doomed to kill me.”

“You say that as if it does not bother you.” Marius’s brow peaked.

“Well, perhaps you will not kill me,” I whispered, face close to his. Lips only inches apart.

Marius eyes flicked from my parted mouth to my narrowed stare. I sensed his want to kiss me as his hands tightened on my back, pressing my naked body upon his. He parted his lips to match mine and a low growl emitted from his throat, catching me off guard.

I pulled away slightly until Marius let go of me completely. His face pinched in what I could only see as… shame. Then he turned away, running a wet hand through his white hair with his back to me once again.

“What is wrong?” I questioned. “If I said something wrong…”

“It is not you, Jak, but me. I fear I was getting away from myself for a moment.”

Marius did not look at me as he spoke, instead he stared off into the dark distance of the lake. I paddled towards him until I was close enough to reach out for his shoulder. As my touch gripped him he shrugged me off.

“Don’t...” He turned his head to the side, enough for me to see his forehead creased and lips curled over his teeth. “Please.”

I snapped my hand back from him as I took in the profile of his contorted face.

“You do not scare me, Marius.”

I felt the need to say it. To tell him. I could raise the water of this lake around him now and encase him in an entrapment if he dared strike for me. But it was what caused his sudden change in attitude that encouraged me to wait out his temperament.

“The hunger never rears its presence so soon,” Marius said, stretching his neck from the left then to the right. “Give me a moment and it should subside.”

I waited in silence as Marius concentrated on whatever internal battle he was having.

“What do you hunger for?” I finally asked, breaking the painful silence between us.

Marius said one word that had me frozen within the body of warmed water. “Blood.”