Lord of the Night

Chapter 21: How to Play Submissive

Isalio showed no visible reaction to my offer to attend dinner. For a few seconds, he didn't even respond. Then he murmured, "Be ready in three hours," and he was gone before I could say another word.

Ten minutes later, the nerves kicked in.

What had I just agreed to, and what did it mean to be ready? All he had told me before was that I needed to play submissive. Unfortunately, I had little idea what that actually meant and even less faith in my acting skills. I had respected Leader Rakimar's authority, of course, but I had never really played submissive to her or to anyone else.

I tried to remember how the humans in the palace had behaved. Heads ducked, eyes averted, bodies pliable whenever their Demons touched them. Then I thought of the even more recent display of submission I had seen—how Isalio had held perfectly still as Danif unbuttoned his shirt. The memory nauseated me. If Isalio touched me like that, I would probably punch him before my brain had even fully registered what was happening.

A sound distracted me from my thoughts: cawing birds. I jogged to the window, braced a hand against the wall beside me, and peered down over the ledge. The black spots on the oak tree twitched spasmodically like flies on a lantern, and the calls grew louder and fiercer. The Keeper, just a tuft of white hair from my vantage point, circled the tree twice and then bolted toward the palace.

When I squinted, I could make out the crows' wings, spread open wide and beating the air. They were trying to fly away...but from what, and why right now? I remembered how Isalio had ignored everyone else to inquire about them when we first arrived. 'Keeper, have the crows made any noise today?' The Demons had clearly chained the birds there for some purpose, and Isalio had seemed very interested in the Keeper's answer, but I could not fathom what it all could possibly mean.

The ruckus grew so loud that the shrill calls rattled in my eardrums. Even a human standing where I stood would be able to hear them now.

With a wince, I stepped away from the window and tried to refocus on preparing for the dinner. I wasn't sure how to prevent myself from reacting if Isalio touched me unexpectedly, but I could at least practice the one thing he had already told me to do.

I needed to learn how to bow.

Dropping to a crouch, I planted my hands on the ground and tried to find the correct position with my heels and knees. My limited flexibility increased the challenge, but after pedaling out my feet a bit, I managed to sink my knees to the moss with my toes on the ground. Then I rested my forearms on the ground and lowered my forehead onto my hands. The mirror didn't extend low enough for me to see myself, but I was pretty sure I was mimicking the position correctly.

I rose to my feet and tried sinking to the ground in a smoother motion. Again, and then again. This was an exercise just like any other, a physical challenge I could master with practice. With this mindset, perfecting the bow became a point of pride. I was still a warrior—I was just learning to fight with different weapons.

But all of that fled my mind when Isalio reentered.

He wore the same blue shirt and jeans he had been in a few hours ago, but his energy had changed drastically. His skin was now smooth and glowing with health, and his eyes burned like hot coals. His perfectly combed hair revealed no trace of Danif's manhandling. There was power in his stance and in the set of his jaw; a predator once more.

An undeniable conclusion fell heavy from my tongue: "You fed."

"It was necessary."

"Why? Why do you need so much lifeforce, and why won't you take it from me?"

"It's funny you still think you have the right to interrogate me." His voice was unexpectedly cold, his face perfectly devoid of emotion. "Maybe I shouldn't bring you to this dinner. You'll probably just make things worse."