Eighteen
“Emelin! Gray!” Thea’s high-pitched voice cut through the crisp evening air. My gaze darted behind Adrian to find her standing in the doorway of the exit we had walked out of earlier. “The ball is about to begin!” She lifted the champagne flute in her hand as if to show proof.
“We’ll be right there!” I shouted back in her direction.
When I returned my gaze to Adrian, he looked disappointed by the interruption, quickly dropping his hand from my cheek and letting go of my other hand.
He didn’t say anything as we strolled back to the palace, where Thea was waiting for us in the hallway.
She was a vision in a long, midnight-blue gown with her cherry-red hair spilling in soft waves around her delicate shoulders.
A few locks were gathered on one side of her head and secured in place with an elaborate, bejeweled comb.
After I had embraced her in greeting, the three of us walked to the foyer, where my parents and Sebastian were welcoming the guests arriving for the ball.
“I’m going to find Tom,” Thea said before sauntering away while Adrian and I halted by the foyer closet to take off our cloaks.
“May I?” he asked.
When I nodded, he reached up and carefully unfastened the decorative clasp under my clavicle.
My breath caught when his fingers brushed my skin, and I looked up at him, instantly captivated by his eyes and his proximity.
A faint smile graced his lips as he took the cloak off my shoulders and turned around to hang it in the closet.
He shrugged off his own cloak and hung it next to mine before facing me again.
I couldn’t help but stare at him garbed in a black knee-length frock coat, tastefully embroidered at the hem with a silver thread.
Under the coat, he was wearing a long waistcoat with the matching embroidered design, and a white shirt.
A black silk cravat adorned his neck, and his long legs were encased in black trousers, with shiny black dress shoes completing the ensemble.
After I had appraised him, I forced my eyes back to his face and was more than pleased to find that I wasn’t the only one staring.
The lord seemed to have stopped breathing as he took his time drinking me in.
My gown tonight was truly a thing of beauty.
Heavily embroidered with a gold thread, the silhouette hugged my hourglass shape.
The dress was emerald green, with flowers and vines stitched into the satin fabric.
The sewn pattern began at the sweetheart neckline and ran all the way down to where the skirts brushed against the tips of my shoes.
The rich yet elegant tapestry was interrupted at the waist with a wide section of smooth, silky satin free of embroidery.
The section was connected to the unembroidered overskirt that flared at the hips and had a wide opening at the front, showcasing the intricate design of the layer underneath.
The sleeves were long and sheer, with the same flower and vine pattern sewn on them.
Gold pendant earrings, paired with the matching necklace, complemented the luxurious attire.
“Emelin, you look…” Adrian paused and swallowed.
Heat crept into my cheeks as I stood frozen as if pinned in place by his intense perusal.
His gaze roamed over my body for a few moments before he lifted his eyes to my face.
The world faded away as we stared at each other.
The silver hue in his eyes was crowded out by black, and even as inexperienced as I was, I knew what the look meant.
Gideon had worn a similar expression with me before, but he had never looked at me quite like that.
What I saw in Adrian’s eyes ignited my blood and made my heart beat faster as a pleasant curling sensation stirred low below my navel.
“Your Highness,” a husky female voice sounded next to me, making me realize that Adrian and I were no longer alone in this part of the foyer.
Reluctantly, I dragged my gaze away from him and looked at Lady May. Under her pinched brows, her keen gray eyes darted between me and the lord.
“Lady May,” I greeted the Sorceress with a small smile, trying to ignore how flushed my face felt.
I hadn’t seen her in a while, but she looked the same—of average height and full-bodied, with short hair white due to her age.
Although no one knew exactly how old she was, she appeared to be in her late seventies, yet she remained spry and lively.
She was wearing a feather-gray gown made of thick silk, and a look of irritation on her face.
“The ball is about to commence. You should join your family,” she said to me before addressing Adrian. “And you should join the other guests.” After she had barked the words like an order, she turned and began striding away in the direction of the ballroom.
Her curt tone bothered me, but I chose not to take it personally.
Everyone knew that she was straightforward, to the point of being blunt, which made most people nervous in her presence.
As soon as her back was to us, Adrian and I grinned at each other as if we were children who had been caught misbehaving.
“You look…” he tried again.
“Adrian,” Lady May called over her shoulder, halting a few feet ahead of us.
The lord barely stifled an exasperated sigh as he gestured for me to lead the way. Shaking my head with a wry smile, I followed the Sorceress to the ballroom.
“There is someone I want you to meet,” she said to Adrian as soon as we entered the grand space sumptuously decorated in emerald and gold.
“Save me a dance,” he whispered to me before following Lady May to the other end of the room.
Nervous energy filled my veins as my gaze swept over the crowd, looking for Gideon.
Though the thoughts of him and his betrayal did not haunt me as often as they used to, I wasn’t prepared to face him again.
I didn’t see Gideon, but I did notice Christian York.
He noticed me, too, his eyes lighting up when they landed on me.
He began making a beeline for me through the crowd, but before he could reach me, Sebastian came up to me, and he wasn’t alone. Lady May’s daughter was by his side.
“Your Highness.” She curtsied, greeting me with a warm smile.
“Mirielle.” I inclined my head and glanced at my brother, who could hardly contain his excitement, looking between the girl and me.
“Please, call me Miri.” Her voice was feminine and soft.
“Only if you call me Emelin.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I mean Emelin.” She giggled, her cheeks turning pink.
Sebastian’s gaze was full of affection as he looked at her and gently tucked one loose black curl behind her ear.
Short and petite, Mirielle seemed dainty next to my brother, but they looked perfect together, and my heart swelled with happiness as I stared at them.
It was obvious they were absolutely smitten with each other.
“Emelin!” Christian exclaimed when he finally reached me. “I’m delighted to see you!” Two dimples appeared on his round face as he smiled at me.
“And I you.” I gave an answering smile as Sebastian and Mirielle walked away.
“It’s been too long since we last saw each other.
Your staying in Zalie for magical training was unexpected.
I look forward to your permanent return to the capital.
” A hopeful expression settled into his boyish features.
It was the same look that I had often glimpsed through the years of our friendship.
“Being away from the capital has its benefits.” I tried to be gentle as I shut him down. “I needed to escape for a bit in light of what happened.”
“I understand.” He gave me an empathetic look. “You know I’m here for you, don’t you?” Like I’ve always been, I read in his eyes.
A soft exhale left me. Christian was a good man, but I had never seen him as anything more than a friend. I had told him so in the past, but it seemed he still held out hope for being with me.
“Emelin,” came Adrian’s voice from my left. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” He didn’t sound sorry at all as he glanced at Christian before refocusing on me. “May I speak with you in private?”
Christian’s fair brows lifted at the interruption and he looked at me, waiting to see what I would say.
“We’ll talk more in a bit,” I told him with an apologetic smile. He looked displeased but quickly schooled his features before he nodded and walked off. I turned to Adrian. “You need to speak with me?”
“I do.” One side of his mouth turned up. “I need to tell you that you look stunning tonight.”
I ran my hands down my skirt. “This dress is a work of art.”
“It’s not the dress.”
I took a shallow breath and smiled. “Thank you. Though it sounds like you simply needed an excuse to interrupt Christian and me.”
He chuckled. “You saw right through that, did you? I didn’t like you talking to him.”
“How territorial of you,” I teased, my voice a bit unsteady.
Adrian’s gaze was fastened on mine as he teased back, “It is. Do you have any objections?” The words hung between us, and much like earlier, the rest of the world faded away. It was only the two of us in this moment, staring at each other as if unable to look away.
Not at all, I wanted to say. I wanted him to be territorial about me. I wanted him to finally claim me as his own because it felt like this unspoken thing between us could blossom into something deep and meaningful if only we gave it a chance.
When I opened my mouth to tell him that, no words came out as my gaze darted behind him.
The moment I had been dreading had arrived.
Gideon looked the same as the day I had met him two years ago.
He was tall and handsome in a rough-hewn kind of way, but I knew better than to be fooled by his appearance.
He might not look different, but he was different.
Or, perhaps, he had always been the same, and I had been too blind to see it.
I hoped that I was different now—wiser not to make the same mistake, to guard my heart, only giving it to someone truly worthy.
My gaze shifted back to Adrian as doubt mixed with fear flared in my chest.
Without saying a word, I brushed past him and rushed toward the terrace, unable to be confined inside the crowded ballroom with my conflicting emotions.
I quickly waded my way through the throng of people and dashed through the wide-open doors, relieved to find the terrace empty.
The cold air washed over me, and I took a few deep breaths, willing my mind to quiet and my racing heart to slow.
I was certain that my heart held no love for Gideon, yet seeing him still reopened the wound that had only just begun to heal.
Gripping the stone ledge of the balustrade, I stared into the night before me, wishing that I could become one with the darkness and escape this place and my volatile feelings.
I didn’t notice Adrian step onto the balcony until he carefully draped his coat over my shoulders.