Limerence II by Claire C Riley Page B

How I know this, since I don’t know her, is bizarre; but I know it to be true.
    I drop my brush into the glass jar at the side of me and place my palette down before climbing on top of a table and sitting, letting my legs dangle over the edge and swing back and forth while I further examine it. I know it will get her attention, and that’s what I want, what I hope for. I have barely seen the woman—our queen of oh-so-powerful-vampires—since my arrival so long ago, and she has never requested me personally, but this will get her attention. I smile at the thought.
    I grab my paint palette and brushes together and head to the small bathroom across the hallway to wash them all. The painting needs a couple of hours to dry before I can take it to her anyway. Realistically it needs until tomorrow, but I know I can’t wait that long. The excitement of seeing her is all-encompassing.
    I say ‘excitement’ like I’m going to be meeting a famous celebrity, and I guess in some ways I am, but part of that excitement is also fear. From what little I remember of her, she was pretty terrifying, but apart from that one meeting in Mr Breckt’s home, I have not seen her. It’s almost as if she is purposefully staying away from me. I smile as I turn on the taps in the small basin and begin to rinse the brushes underneath the water, the colours swirling together and draining away.
    I make my way back across the hall, and upon entering I see a man waiting for me. He’s broad-shouldered and dark-skinned, with thick black dreadlocks running down his back, which are tied by a black ribbon neatly at the nape of his neck. Despite the less-than-formal hair, he is wearing a steel-coloured suit. Everything about him makes me feel anxious and intimidated. He is staring at my painting but turns to look at me when he hears me come in and it’s only when he fixes me with his piercing blue eyes—which are even more of a stark contrast to his dark skin than the suit and the hair are to each other—that I begin to feel more relaxed. He smiles warmly at me, and I force my shoulders to relax, not realising that they had jumped up around my ears.
    “You are the lovely Mia that I have heard so much about?” His voice is smooth and deep.
    “I guess I am,” I say, walking towards him confidently and placing my palette and brushes down with my paints. I hold out a hand, but he only smiles at it before raising his hand in the air between us. His hand is covered by a thick black glove, and I look back to his face with a small frown.
    “I have the gift of touch, the gloves help but it’s best not to touch unless we have to.” He smiles again, his beautiful blue eyes piercing into mine. “Our queen has requested your presence. She would also like to see this painting, if that is okay with you.”
    He poses it as a question but we both know it is an order and not a request. I’m not surprised—only startled by how quickly this has all come about. I expected the painting to be at least dry before she wanted to see me. The Queen likes us to stay in line and obey, do as we’re told and never question any of it. To so blatantly express my power to her would not only infuriate, but intrigue.
    “I am Harley, and you only needed to ask to see her to get her attention.” He turns to the painting. “May I?” he asks as he places a hand on either side of the painting to pluck it from the stand.
    “Sure,” I say, more confidently than I feel.
    “Come with me, Mia,” he says and heads towards the doorway, stopping to wait for me when he reaches it. I slip on my boots, zipping them up, and catch him up and follow him down the hallway towards Great Hall.
    Silence, other than the noise of our footsteps, wraps itself around us. My brain worries over if I have done the right thing, if perhaps this was completely stupid of me, and that maybe I should not have…what? Painted a picture? I almost snort out my annoyance. I glance sideways and see Harley