Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 122: The Veiled Subject

The last piece of log of wood in the fireplace collapsed with a soft crack as the birds chirped and stirred Ruelle awake from her sleep. She stretched her hands, her muscles loosening, and when she realised she had slept in the bed, her eyes flew open. She sat upright, her gaze sweeping the couch and then the rest of the room.

Lucian had left early, just as he always did. Once she was dressed, she left her room to meet her friends.

Ruelle had only descended two flights of stairs when she saw Caroline, standing at the next flight with her arms crossed, as though she was waiting. Upon catching sight of her, her sister stopped her. "I need to speak with you."

"I thought we agreed there was nothing left to talk about," Ruelle replied, trying to pass but Caroline only stepped into her path. "Move."

"Do you like Ezekiel?" Caroline demanded. "Are you interested in him?"

Ruelle stared at her. "He is your husband," she reminded.

"I know. But I am not certain you do," Caroline said, her lip curling in bitterness. "Getting me to Sexton because you could not marry him yourself. The elder sister forced to watch the younger wed first—"

"Caroline. Mr Henley does not concern me," Ruelle frowned at the absurdity of her sister’s implication.

"Then you are not jealous?" Caroline pressed, her voice thinning. "There has never been a moment? Not a look... a touch?"

The memory of Ezekiel’s arms around her in the shadow of the bell tower flashed through Ruelle’s mind, and her hands clenched.

Noticing the silence, Caroline whispered in horror, "It happened... didn’t it? Tell me it is not true. Was it during a lesson? After?"

"Nothing improper passed between us."

"You are lying!" Caroline accused, her eyes beginning to fill themselves with tears. "I see the way he looks at you now." After a pause, she then demanded, "Then why refuse the prince? If you are not waiting for Ezekiel, then why?"

"I am not required to answer your questions. We are past that point," Ruelle said.

Caroline’s lips trembled as if she wanted to say more. But at the same time, Hailey called from several steps away from them, "Ruelle, are you coming?"

"Yes," Ruelle answered her friend before glancing at Caroline. She doubted her sister would understand if she spoke of what had happened the night before the wedding. "You need not fear me," she said quietly. "I have no wish to stand between you and your husband or your marriage."

Walking past Caroline, Ruelle joined Hailey, who frowned, looking behind her before they walked down the rest of the stairs.

As they walked through the corridors, Ruelle’s eyebrows furrowed. She could not tell whether Sexton had driven her sister to this state or whether it was Ezekiel himself.

Hailey glanced toward the corridor ahead and thoughtfully murmured, "I wonder if there are rules about instructors spending time with the students out of class. I don’t think I’ve seen them together."

Was that the reason her sister was spiralling?

Caroline belonged to Sexton now, and places like these did not protect humans. They appraised them before choosing how they might be of use.

Upon entering the dining hall, the voices seemed to fade in Ruelle’s ears. Her gaze moved and came to rest on the instructors’ table. She noticed Ezekiel’s eyes were already on her, his expression composed and gentle. Her sister’s words echoed,’He’s never looked at me like that.’

Ruelle forced her gaze away and moved toward the serving table. The scent of bread and broth rose in the warm air, but her head felt light. She reached for a plate, her fingers unsteady.

She had told herself that it had been a mistake. A misunderstanding. But what if the note was never meant for Caroline?

No, that couldn’t be it, could it? Her own thoughts began to turn against her and her hand tightened on the edge of the plate. After filling her plate, she blindly followed Hailey and sat down at the Groundlings’ table.

"....can stay during the weekend," Kevin responded to something Hailey had said.

"You don’t have to worry about us. Our luggage isn’t much. Ruelle and I will be just fine," Hailey laughed before adding lightly, "Unless you have something planned that day?"

gave Hailey a quiet glare, which Ruelle missed entirely, as she realised she hadn’t decided on what to do about the new quarters situation. It had been only two days since the ball, and

actually a fair that is being set up in a nearby town. Do you both want to visit it?" Kevin asked them, his

Ruelle repeated, giving it a thought and then

Don’t need them thinking I turned into someone’s meal during

were usually

ago. But now it is under the vampire’s care and use," Kevin informed them. "The fair is

can go visit it once

before they halted upon Lucian, who was seated at the Elites’ table. He sat with a cup of blood

something colder flickered in his gaze, a quiet displeasure that did not

his cup again before he turned to respond to

choose a landscape and paint it upon their canvases. The room filled itself with the soft sound of brushes

corrections. When he came to stand behind Ruelle,

said at last, his tone carefully neutral, while his hands held together in front of his chest. "May I

far away from the assignment. She had layered blue

was dipped in

answered with a faint

expression tightening rather than easing. "How fortunate," he replied dryly, "that you did not present

nearby students stifled their laughter and a sheepish smile

sick from the prince’s absence," one of

Miss Belmont, which I find unlikely, given his own deficiencies in the arts. You would do

brushed the canvas. A white dot turned into a streak. She cleared her throat and said, "That is a... meteor in the

remarked, "If quick thinking were the subject, Miss Belmont, you would have

two minutes later, chairs scraped and students began to step out. Ruelle hurried to the front

and I shall present you with better work. My skill isn’t something

harrumph. "It is good that these things don’t worry me. It is not as though I

Which is precisely why you ought to pay attention more than anyone present. If we were to rank all prospective students to be sent out, you

Caroline’s face

canvas which had a handprint. "I mean to serve as a royal guard. How is

raised a brow. "Sexton is not here for you to idle away the

are the morals?"

deal in morals at Sexton," Mr. Swan

one argue with a man who calmly accepted the very accusation

was as if in

I require subjects for my next class. But you will

the human male

already turning toward the door. "This room will not serve for what

Ruelle slowed beside Hailey and Kevin who were waiting for her. "I will find you later," she whispered, offering a small, reassuring smile

seem more distracted," Hailey sighed, wondering if Caroline’s words still

asked, "Do you

back to look

She’s been like this since he left," Kevin murmured, watching Ruelle’s

the art section of the building, a faint scent of damp clay and wet stone lingered in the corridor as Ruelle, Caroline and

Swan step inside, she followed, and so

stretched wider than any classroom she had seen in Sexton. Tall windows lined the wall, their panes rising nearly to the ceiling, allowing the pale winter light to spill across the stone floor. She caught sight of clay, stone, water, and linen. There were tables surrounding the raised dais

sculpture," Mr. Swan announced, already moving toward a workbench. "And you will be posing. Get on

moment before obeying and taking

the young

him. At that moment, she noticed a

to worry about it. The room temperature will grow warmer," Mr. Swan waved

her neck. The instructor then pointed to Caroline,