Chapter 22: Queen of the Hive

Emilia opened her eyes at sunset. She shuddered and quickly threw open the lid of the stone tomb she had been encased in.

King Hotaru was a traditionalist. Instead of outfitting his estate bedrooms with curtains and bed canopies and thick comforters that could protect from the sunlight, he insisted on staying underground in the catacombs, in stone tombs.

Each tomb had a silk, feathered mattress in it, along with blankets, a silk robe, and a decorated, eyeless mask.

When dressed in the robe and mask and covered with the blanket, even if the tomb lid was open, the vampire inside would be protected from the sun.

Emilia shed her silk robe and pulled the mask off.

She appreciated Hotaru’s protection and hospitality, but Emilia equated staying underground or in coffins with being dead. She wanted to feel alive.