47. Chapter 47
Chapter forty-seven
Sin helped me hastily brush off the ashes and change out of Peywyn’s clothing so I could get back to my father.
Jogging out of the tunnel, I cried out as strong arms gripped me, preventing my escape. Imagining Harpyn had returned to inflict more pain, I thrashed and screamed. “Let me go!”
“Princess, stop. It is only me.”
Dey’s words registered at the same time his applewood smell wafted over me, and I went limp in his arms.
He stepped back, eyeing me cautiously. “Where have you been? We were all worried.”
“I um… I got lost.”
His dubious look told me that he clearly hadn't swallowed that lie.
“Did you need something?” I asked. “Because I need to get back. I don’t want to miss the next fight.”
He frowned. “It is already finished. Kinyx was victorious.”
“Oh?” I pasted a look of surprise on my face. “Well I’m glad everyone is okay.”
“Indeed.” He analyzed my body, likely searching for anything suspicious to call me out on. “Let me return you to your room,” he offered. “The crowds will be exiting, and it would be futile to attempt a return to your seat.”
I nodded, letting him take my arm to escort me back into the castle.
When we got to my room, I said goodbye and tried to close the door gently.
Dey blocked the action with his boot. “Princess, if you went to go find Sin after his match, I would prefer you to be honest with me.”
I hid my surprised reaction. That’s what he thought I was doing? Well it was better than him suspecting I had been in the fight.
“I told you Dey, I just got lost.”
He hesitated, then said, “You stood right here last night and told me that Sin was not my competition. Your concern over his wellbeing during the games might suggest otherwise.”
“What do you want from me, Dey?” I asked, heavy with exhaustion. “I’m not saying I have feelings for Sin, but even if I did, why would it matter? I’m going to be gone in a couple weeks, so there’s no future here for me with anybody.” The words felt hollow even to my own ears.
“There could be,” he insisted. “It breaks my heart that you will not even consider it. Consider me.”
“Dey…”
“All I ask is that you think about it, Princess. I will be back later this evening to escort you to dinner.”
With a small smile, he disappeared down the hallway.
Holy hell.
I looked like a damned princess.
The sisters had spent nearly an hour fussing over my hair and makeup. It was the first time they had pulled out the assortment of little pots filled with powders and paints, and I’d nearly forgotten what a little color could do for my appearance.
Standing in front of the mirror, I couldn’t help but sway side to side, watching the dress sparkle and shine as diamonds caught the light. The crescia silk clung to my body, showcasing every newly defined curve. It shimmered with a pearlescent glow and its softness made velvet seem like burlap in comparison. Tiny diamonds were stitched around the edge of the plunging neckline and down the sides of the bodice, glistening like streams until they reached the flared skirt where they burst into firework patterns over the front and back of the gown. The front slit went nearly to the top of my thigh, and there was no chiffon or underskirt to hide the long expanse of exposed skin.
For possibly the first time in my life, I felt truly beautiful. There was no voice inside my head telling me that I was too tall or too scrawny or my hair was too plain. Instead, I felt sexy, desirable.
Once they deemed me presentable, the sisters took off, and Jenni flew out from under the bed. She made a beeline for my hair, but I ducked at the last second.
Alighting on top of the wardrobe, she glared down at me.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you think I look pretty?” I couldn’t stop myself from giving a little twirl for Jenni.
“Rain stay with Jenni. ”
I sighed. Not this again. “Jenni, I don’t want to talk about this. Dey will be here any minute to take me to dinner.”
“No dinner. Rain stay with Jenni. ” She gave a loud squawk and spit out a tiny stream of fire to augment her command.
“I’m sorry, Jenni, but I have to leave. I’ll be back later this evening.” When my words were met with squawks of protest, I decided to opt for bribery. I opened the drawer of my nightstand and pulled out one of the sharp pins she was so fond of stealing.
I held it out to her. “Will a present make up for my absence?”
The ball of fire she let out made her opinion on that pretty clear, so I jabbed the pin into the long braid that had been twisted into a crown atop my head and walked over to the wardrobe.
I couldn’t quite reach her, so I extended my arm as a perch.
She didn’t move. “No dinner. Rain no come back.”
“Jenni,” I said, dropping my hand. “I will come back. I always come back. You don’t need to worry. I’ll bring you a yummy treat, okay?”
The knock on the door pulled me from my negotiations, and I gave Jenni one last apologetic look. “It’ll be fine, Jenni. I’ll see you soon.”
I slipped out of my room, closing the door before Dey could glimpse my cranky crescia.
His formal regalia was quite stunning, and a week ago I might have drooled at the sight of him in his rich blue jacket and silver embroidered white vest. Diamond buttons ran up either side of the tail coat that he left open to show the elaborate design of the fitted garment underneath.
Dey was truly the embodiment of Prince Charming, and I couldn’t care less.
I barely heard my name announced as we swept into the Grand Hall and the excessive opulence stole my breath away.
Circular tables filled the majority of the room, each one covered with a rich burgundy tablecloth and a dazzling, diamond-encrusted animal statuette. Chandeliers the size of small cars hung from the ceiling, and off to the right side, a twelve piece orchestra played a soft concerto.
What truly ensnared me though, was the beguiling display of magic throughout the hall.
Against each wall, an aquiservian maintained flowing ribbons of water that shifted through startlingly accurate ten-foot-tall renditions of each king and their court’s competitors. Igniservians directed flaming bird constructs that flitted about the edges of the hall, while aeriservians kept afloat shimmery clouds of tiny sparkles that danced around the room above the guest's heads. The glittering clouds looked familiar, and I suspected that my father was literally throwing diamonds around like confetti.
Sounds of astonishment filtered out from a growing crowd at the center of the grand hall and curiosity had me tugging Dey toward the commotion. I gasped as I took in the scene. Six earth casters stood around the edge of a raised circular platform roughly twenty feet in diameter, rhythmically swirling their arms. In the center, three marble couples danced and twirled to the music as if they were truly alive. The details in the living statues were exquisite. With smiling faces and silent laughter, they moved in sync with their stone partner, gowns flowing and shifting with each step.
The Elemental Games had showcased combat skills, but this… this was art. For as much as I had dreaded it, I had to admit that the banquet truly was an incredible celebration of the four elements.
Dey led me to a table with a considerably more elaborate centerpiece than all the rest, and I took the seat he directed me toward. Kinyx sat across the table from me, looking adorably nervous yet puffed up with pride. Harpyn occupied the seat beside him, and surprisingly, the brutal terriservian didn’t give me his usual nasty grin. Instead he maintained a death-glare at Cam sitting across from him. Probably assuming Cam had something to do with Ram’s presence in the games.
“Cam,” I said excitedly. “Come sit next to me.”
He shifted over to take the seat off to my right while Dey remained seated to my left.
“How’s Ram?” I asked.
Worry flickered over Cam’s face. “He is resting. His healing magic is not the best so he will need some time to recover from the… burns.”
“He’ll be okay, though? None of his injuries are permanent?”
“No, Princess. He will recover with time.” Cam leaned closer and whispered, “I will never be able to repay you for what you did today. My brother and I owe you our lives.”
I smiled weakly, uncomfortable under the awe and appreciation in his gaze.
Slinging my arm around his neck, I leaned in to give him a side hug. “I’m just glad to hear he’ll be on his feet and teasing me again in no time.”
Pulling back, I noted the four remaining empty seats around our table. “Who else is joining us besides the kings?” I asked Dey.
He gave me a sidelong glance. “It is a great honor for the champions to dine with the kings.”
Oh. The last seat was for Sin.
I tried to ignore the flutter in my chest and instead focused on chatting with Cam. All around us, everyone could talk of nothing but the games. Nobody mentioned the deaths though, as if they could be willed from existence by simply not acknowledging them. Everybody was content to just bury their heads in the sand.
Well, everyone except Vankin.
I heard the Gold Court caster long before I saw him, and when the disheveled male lurched into view, I couldn’t help but wonder how many drinks he’d had.
“It is a party, is it not?” he bellowed loudly as he bumped into courtier after courtier. They all turned their noses up, pretending to ignore his outburst.
Ah, polite society. Stay away from taboo subjects and ignore the drunk who had his entire world destroyed in front of a thousand people all in the name of entertainment.
“We are here to have fun, are we not?” he continued, his speech slurring. “Well I want to have fun! I can be callous and apathetic too.” He climbed onto a table and began wildly shaking his limbs. “Let us all dance! Come on, everyone! We should dance and sing and celebrate the complete and utter disregard for Vitaean life. I mean, as long as we have our sparkly diamonds and shiny gold bracelets, who cares if the love of my life died?”
He stumbled, and for a second I thought he might fall off the table entirely.
“Isn’t someone going to help him?” I whispered to Cam. Nobody else was even acknowledging Vankin’s presence.
Sighing, Cam stood up from the table. Whether he did it for me, or because it was the right thing to do, didn’t matter. I was just glad Vankin got some help.
It took Cam almost five minutes to get the belligerent water caster down without hurting himself. It wasn’t until Vankin tripped and took a header off the table that Cam put away the kid gloves and sealed him in a dense cocoon of air.
Cam strode swiftly from the Grand Hall, a struggling Vankin bobbing along behind him.
Remembering that Sarla also lost someone during the games, I searched the room but couldn’t find her. I cared very little for the deaths of Tenyn and Tenebra given what they had done to Bartyn, but I did briefly wonder if Lanset had a family or spouse who might mourn him. How would they even process the news? He left to become a decorated champion and would return in a box.
All thoughts of the deceased competitors dissipated when Sin’s entrance was announced. I forced myself not to react at the sound of his name. It wouldn’t help the situation with Dey if I immediately jumped up and ran into Sin’s arms like I wanted to.
The intoxicating stormy scent surrounded me long before I heard the rumble of his deep voice.
“Is this seat taken, Princess?”
I turned to look at him, prepared to play it cool, but one glance at Sin made it feel like someone just sucked all the oxygen from the room.
If Dey looked like Prince Charming, then Sin was his dark counterpart. A black brocade jacket with twin rows of silver buttons encased his wide shoulders while tight black breeches stretched over a pair of muscular thighs like a second skin. A pattern of diamond leaves swirled across the vest he wore beneath the jacket, and my fingers itched to trace the exquisite design.
I finally made it up to his face, and my breath hitched. With his slick wet hair looking almost black and his pale green eyes reminding me of a harsh winter forest, he was the epitome of a shadowy prince.
I gulped. Sin made me think of every dark little fantasy that lived in the back of my mind. When he smirked at my reaction, that evil little smile promised he would indulge every single naughty request I could think of and some I hadn’t. He might be the death of me, but I would die happy.
Sin cleared his throat and spoke again, louder this time. “Is this seat taken, Princess?”
“Um, yes. I mean, no.”
His smirk grew, and I knew I would pay for this fluster later.
“Sorry. Yes, you can sit down. No, it’s not taken. That’s what I meant.”
Sin sank into the chair, but his toned ass had barely grazed the cushion before Dey was leaning across me to say, “Actually, that is Cam’s seat, Dreisin. Perhaps you could sit beside Harpyn?” The acid in his tone spoke volumes.
Completely unphased, Sin took a sip of Cevisa then said, “Actually I believe Cam is currently assisting Vankin with his efforts to vomit on every bush in the garden. I imagine it will be some time before he returns.”
Dey grumbled something, but a blare of trumpets echoing through the room halted all conversations.
While everyone stood to watch the three kings make their way into the hall, Sin leaned over and whispered in my ear, “You look absolutely stunning in that dress, Fea Remia, but not half as stunning as you’re going to look when it hits my bedroom floor.”
I blushed and squeezed my thighs together, fighting against the bloom of heat sparked by the promise in his eyes.
The kings made their way over to our table, and the dinner ended up being exactly as awful as I expected.
Dey and Sin sniped at each other.
The Silver King made more than one rude comment about my questionable human heritage
Harpyn sulked the whole time, save for the occasional lewd comment thrown in my direction.
And Cam returned halfway through the meal but spent the entire time pushing food around his plate.
In the end, the only pleasant one was Kinyx, and I had to act like I couldn’t understand him.
As the evening progressed, people began abandoning their tables to make their way through the double doors into the attached ballroom. The orchestra had since moved over as well, and a lively melody trickled out from within.
“Care to dance, Princess Raynella?” Sin asked formally.
“I would love to, Cennux Dreisin,” I replied equally as formal, and allowed him to help me out of my seat.
He escorted me into the ballroom, which was little more than a copy of the Grand Hall save for the twelve extravagant floor to ceiling stained glass windows framed with burgundy velvet drapes secured by silver cords. Each window depicted crashing waves and a thick fog highlighted in red, orange, and purple along with the two suns dipping below the horizon.
I stared at the Rivellans who swept gracefully across the floor, intrigued to see a wide variety of dance styles present. I expected everything to be like some medieval ball out of the movies where everyone magically knew the same dance. Instead, I could see three distinctive types of movement around the room.
The couples that swayed seductively around the outskirts with their hips glued together were likely from the Silver Court, while the Gold Court couples engaged in sweeping motions that mimicked their partner who stood almost a foot away. Which left the Diamond Court dancers twirling their partners across the floor elegantly in a style akin to the waltz.
I would definitely make an ass of myself if I even tried to emulate that dance.
“Don’t look so nervous,” Sin whispered in my ear. “Just hold on tight.”
The rest of the ballroom faded away, and Sin swept me into his arms to glide across the ballroom floor. One by one, the other dancers disappeared as Sin spun an illusion aaround us. The ceiling vanished next, exposing the clear night sky, followed by the walls dropping away until there was nothing left but Sin and I, dancing along a dock with waves crashing against the shore. I inhaled deeply, Sin’s scent only adding to the realness of the illusion.
“Can everyone else see this?” I asked breathlessly.
“No,” he said, pulling my gaze to his. “Illusions are created in the mind, and your mind is the only one I’m concerned about. It’s just you and me, Fea Remia. I don’t want to share this moment with anyone else.”
No longer feeling self-conscious, I surrendered myself to him, letting him spin me around underneath the twinkling stars. I laughed as he dipped me, completely forgetting that I wasn’t supposed to be smiling at him like a twitter pated schoolgirl. I could no more hide my feelings than I could pluck the stars from the sky.
Sin was the other half of my soul, and when he held me, the rest of the world dropped away. Nothing mattered save for me and him and this connection between us.
I would sacrifice everything I had ever known if it meant I could spend an eternity in his arms.
Warm.
Safe.
Loved.
Loved.
So that’s what that feeling was. The ache in my heart. The inability to stop thinking about him. The intense pull to seek him out. The feeling that I might die if I couldn’t hold him again. The knowledge that in no uncertain terms would I ever feel whole without him.
I loved Sin.
He gazed at me as if I hung the moon, and I wanted to tell him that I felt the same, but the words wouldn’t come out. I couldn’t bring myself to hand over the ability to completely destroy me because I knew he would in the end.
Not on purpose, of course, but sooner or later this would all come crashing down around my head, and my chances of recovering from it, from him, were slim to none.