Raudrich was waiting for me on the stairs by the time I finished explaining to Marcus what I was doing and where I would be staying tonight. He wanted to come with me, but I talked him out of it by claiming that I thought I would be more likely to get more information out of him alone. It wasn’t true. I had no doubt that Raudrich would be just as willing to tell Marcus everything as he was me, but I wanted the opportunity to learn the truth on my own, so I could know just what it meant for my very best friend and the rest of his life.

“I’m sorry for earlier, lass. ’Tis not my place to tell ye who ye should spend yer time with. ’Tis only that it was a shock for me to see ye heading to Maddock’s room with him. He’s not good enough for ye.”

I smiled and accepted his apology with a wave of my hand.

“It’s fine. Although, I have to disagree with you on behalf of Maddock. I’m a hard sell when it comes to most men. Maddock is one of the good ones.”

Raudrich raised his brows but nodded in agreement.

“Mayhap so, lass. It doesna mean ye should be with him.”

I’d blown off Maddock’s mocking of Raudrich earlier, but just now I couldn’t deny that his tone did sound slightly jealous. Of what exactly, I couldn’t imagine. He didn’t know me well enough to be jealous of anything.

“You’re right. Now, enough talk about me. I’ve had questions stirring inside me all day. Where does Nicol go at night, and why did we have to wait until he was gone to discuss this?”

Raudrich bent so that his face was right next to mine. Quietly, he whispered in my ear, and I had to reach for the handrail to stay steady. His breath against my neck brought up memories of the night before.

“Do ye trust me, lass? It will be easier for me to show ye than tell ye, but to do so requires that we travel somewhere ye willna like at all.”

It surprised me to realize that I did trust him. While I had no real reason, I just intuitively felt that I would be safe with him.

“I think so. Show me and we’ll find out.”

He extended his hand. The moment I latched on, he turned and walked back up the stairs. I had to move quickly to keep up with him.

“I doona wish ye to think that I am doing anything Nicol would disapprove of. He wouldna mind me showing ye. ’Tis only that I prefer to do so without his knowledge for I know how much it pains him to speak of it.”

With the castle already down for the night, no flames were lit along the hallways. I didn’t realize until we turned down a dark corridor around the corner from Raudrich’s bedroom that neither of us had any lighting. The hallway was lined with windows, which allowed for some moonlight to stream in, but it was still very dark.

“Should we go back and get a light?”

He chuckled quietly beneath his breath.

“I doona need it to find my way around this castle, and we willna need it once we get where I’m taking ye.”

At the end of the hallway, we reached a door, and Raudrich released my hand as he opened it and stepped inside. I followed after him.

It was a bedchamber I’d yet to see, and this one was even larger and nicer than Raudrich’s.

“I thought you said your bedchamber was the nicest.”

“’Tis the nicest among The Eight. I doona include Nicol’s room for this castle truly belongs to him. ’Tis only fitting that he should have the fairest room.”

This bedchamber was a corner room and was unlike any room I’d seen in any castle I’d ever been in. The two outside walls were solid glass. They filled the room with a blue cast of moonlight that made it easy to see.

“Nicol had us spell these walls for him shortly after he gathered us here under his command. He is terrified of the darkness, though that is only a small reason why he sleeps during the day.”

I’d thought earlier that it was odd that I’d not seen Nicol anywhere about until dinner. Now I knew why.

“What’s the other reason?”

He reached for my arm and gently led me over to a large painted portrait that hung above Nicol’s bed. It was the likeness of Nicol, though he was significantly younger in the painting. He stood behind a beautiful young woman. Her dark hair cascaded all the way down to her waist, and her eyes were so alarmingly black that I thought they might haunt me in my sleep.

“Who is that?”

Something about the portrait brought tears to my eyes. It had a heavy feeling to it, almost as if it might come alive if you looked away. It was creepy in a way that broke my heart.

“’Tis his wife, Freya.”

“Is she…” It seemed slightly rude to ask such a blunt question, but it was the only assumption I could come to since I knew women weren’t supposed to be inside the castle. “Is she dead?”

Raudrich shook his head. As I looked up into his eyes, I could see that he was saddened by this story, as well.

“’Tis far worse than that, lass. Nicol prays for her death, her true death, every day.”

The insinuation that Freya was undead chilled me all over. Still staring at her portrait, I unconsciously took a step backwards and felt my back press against Raudrich’s chest. He didn’t step away from me. Instead, he placed his hands on my arms and began to rub me.

“The fright of it has chilled ye, aye? It does so to me every time I think of it, as well. Doona be scared. She canna harm ye. Would ye...” He hesitated and it only caused my fear to grow. “Would ye like to see her?”

“See her?” My voice was soft and unsteady as I twisted to look up at him. “Is she dead or not? If she’s dead, I’m gonna be honest with you, I’d rather not.”

He laughed and the warmth that radiated from his chest allowed me to relax just a little.

“Her body turned to dust long ago, but her spirit remains locked on this isle until the faerie below us either dies or releases Nicol and Freya from her grip.”

“Huh?” He might as well have been speaking German.

“As I said, lass, ’twill be easier if ye allow me to show ye.”

I was intrigued to be sure. It didn’t mean that I wasn’t also scared shitless.

“Don’t move away from me, okay?”

In one swift motion, his hands moved from my arms and wrapped protectively around my front as he bent down and pressed his cheek flat against mine.

“I’ll not go anywhere, lass.”

Slowly, with his arms still wound around me, he moved me over so that we stood right in front of the large glass pane on the far side of the room. The view below was of a small garden that had been invisible to Marcus and me from the front of the castle.

Every plant and flower was withered and dead.

Nicol sat on a stone bench in the garden’s center. The translucent figure of his wife—a ghost if I’d ever seen one—sat next to him.