Chapter 38 - What other things?

EMMA

I breathe in the scent of magnolias and embrace the warm air. I walk back into the rooms and take a seat on the sofa in the office. I’m not ready to face the fact that there might be information about my mother within the palace walls. I don’t know what it will do to me if I find it or if I don’t. I rather live a little longer in fabricated ignorance.

Hadrian takes the photo and a few other documents regarding Graciella to his desk. He locks them in a drawer and moves to pour himself a glass of whiskey. The only sound in the room is the clinking of glass and the pouring of liquid.

There is a pensive look on his face as he takes a seat on the sofa, as far away from me as possible. He takes a long sip of his drink.

Hadrian misled the guard with a false story. The guard didn’t seem to want any trouble either, but Hadrian has been quiet ever since.

There is a silence between us. Neither wants to bring up the subject of what happened in the tunnel. At least I hope he doesn’t. It hangs above my head like a large bucket of water, threatening to tip over at any moment.

The silence becomes awkward as it stretches.

“There is a banquet tonight,” Hadrian says.

“A what?” I turn to look at him, but he has his eyes focused on the tumbler in his hands.

“It’s like a dinner. My father, the generals, their children and now you too are expected to be there.”

“Sounds fun.” I croak out and clear my throat. Dinner with the baddest werewolves in the world. *Yeah, definitely not my kind of fun.*

“It’s kind of a celebration before all hell breaks loose.” Hadrian tries to explain but stops.

I furrow my brows. “All hell breaks loose?”

“I meant the Blood Moon festival. There is a festival next week.” Hadrian corrects.

“Why would all hell break loose?”

Hadrian rubs the back of his neck and peeks my way, before quickly averting his eyes back to the tumbler. “Yeah, uhm, because the lineage from the original members of the Blood Moon pack is affected by the Blood Moon.”

There is a red tinge to his neck and my brow furrows further. I think of something I’ve read when reading about the history of Sanguinem.

“I think I’ve read something about this. The blood moon gives you incredible strength, right?”

“Among other things, yes.” Hadrian mutters and downs the rest of his glass in one go.

I raise my eyebrows at his strange reaction and it awakens my curiosity only further. “What other things?”

“Uhm—“

There is a knock on the door and Hadrian places his now empty tumbler on the table. He moves in a flash to open the door.

A guard is standing in the doorway and he bows down. “Excuse me, Prince Hadrian. Your father requests your presence.”

Hadrian doesn’t wait or ponder. He nods and immediately follow him without another look my way.

The door locks behind him with a click and I’m left guessing. “What other things?” I wonder with a pout.

————

The kitchens are in full swing. Servants are cutting vegetables, stirring in pans or measuring grains and flower. A hundred different sounds reach my ears. The cracking of eggs, the burning of the stove and the rattling of pans.

Different scents and flavors travel around the space and it makes my mouth water. Fresh bread, garlic and rosemary reach me when I walk past the oven. I look around for the overbearing chef, but Cecile is nowhere to be found.

The servants make way when I approach and I still have mixed feelings when they do. They send me curious looks but don’t say a word. The kitchens have different spaces where servants work. Cecile would not be far away, this is her kitchen after all. I move through a door where one servant comes out with a bowl in her hands.

It’s a smaller kitchen, where pasta hangs to dry. Cecile is sitting in a wooden chair and leaning backward with her hands behind her head. Her eyes are closed. She looks to be asleep, but I find that very out of character for her.

“I don’t have time, Shortcake.” She gestures to herself with one hand. “As you can see, I’m working.”

*I don’t want to tell her how to do her job, but…*

“I know what you're thinking. You think I’m just being lazy, aren’t you?” She points at me with an accusing finger.

My eyes widen. “I wasn’t thinking that.” I say, hold my elbow and fidget with the edge of my sleeve.

Cecile scoffs. “Liar.”

“I mean—“

Her cackling laughter interrupts me. I look at her with wide eyes. I was sure that I just insulted her or something.

Fortunately, Cecile takes pity on me. “Has anyone ever told you that werewolves can communicate through a mind link?”

“A what?”

“We can talk to each other with our minds.” She taps one finger against her temple. “That’s how I talk to my team and stir them in the direction I want.”

I furrow my brows. “Really? I didn’t know that.” I should probably read more about the workings of the connection with their wolves.

“Yeah, very convenient when you want to avoid people. Why are you here, Shortcake?”

I bite my lip. “Well, Hadrian said there is a ‘banquet’ tonight.”

Cecile places her hands behind her head again. “I’m aware.”

“Right, of course. Well, he said there is a festival next week, but was very vague about it.” I say as I cock my head when I think back about his behavior.

Her signature cackling returns. “I can imagine.”

Everyone seems to know about something and I don’t like being left out. “Why is that?”

“What exactly did Spice tell you?” She asks with a wide smile and stands to get a bag of sunflower seeds from one of the cabinets.

“Spice?”

She waves her hand and pops a few sunflower seeds in her mouth. “Hadrian.” Cecile opens a fridge and places a few bowls of cut-up mango and peaches on the counter in front of me.

She gestures for me to eat and sits back in her seat.

I pick at a part of the peach with my fingers. “He said that the blood moon, besides incredible strength, affects you in *‘among other things’*.”

Cecile nods her head. “Sex, he meant sex.” She says with a mouth full.

I choke on a bite of peach and the blood floods to my face.

Cecile is unfazed and waits until I’m done coughing. “The blood moon turns the festival into a fuckfest when the moon rises.” She continues

“Oh, well…”

Cecile raises an eyebrow with a smirk. “What’s wrong, Shortcake? Cat got your tongue?”

My whole body turns bright red. “No, that’s just not something we do.”

“It might.” Cecile laughs. “Probably will.”

Cecile turns her head and I noticed that she sometimes does that to listen closer. I don’t say anything and her smile disappears.

“There is nothing wrong with sex, Emma.”

I grimace. The experience I have had thus far has not been good. I didn’t allow it to be either. Giving into that curiosity and desire feels like a betrayal to my people. To anyone who has lost their lives.

Cecile must have noticed my hesitation. “Sex is something to enjoy.”

“I just don’t enjoy it.”

How could I enjoy it? Every time I feel good about something, it sends me down a spiral of guilt.

Cecile chuckles. “How can you not? Spice has quite the reputation. If you know what I mean.”

I frown and I don’t think I like where this is heading. “What reputation?”

Cecile picks up a slice of peach and waves her hand in the air. “You know with the daughters of government officials, some of the maids, a few soldiers and guards. The female ones.” She points out.

The blood drains from my face and my stomach roils.

“Are you okay, Shortcake?”

Images of Hadrian with other women fill my mind and I’m not okay. I’m furious, angry and sick to my stomach.

I place the peach back on the counter. “I’m not hungry anymore.”