Chapter 47
Belle
The following evening, Loreli slipped into my room with a large bundle wrapped in her arms.
“We’d like a little privacy, please.” I waved my hand at the mattress. My fingers tingled as it came to life and shuffled across the floor to the door. I turned to the wardrobe. “You too—but be quiet about it.”
It produced a loud scraping noise as it scuffed back and forth across the floor.
Luckily, the guards posted at my door were used to strange noises coming from my room.
They also wouldn’t question Loreli’s protracted presence in my chambers.
As far as they knew, we spent most evenings reading together.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Lady Belle,” Loreli said softly. “My sister had to make some last-minute adjustments.”
I shook my head. “You’re just in time. I’m hoping to slip in after everyone is already drunk and focused on the dancing.”
Music and the faint sound of voices had begun drifting through the courtyard the minute the sun had set, and it was barely past seven.
“Then we better get you ready.” She crossed to the settee and began unwrapping the package.
I’d already applied a little rouge and kohl to my lips and eyes, and swept back my hair in a simple twist, leaving the rest to fall freely.
“I’m afraid you might have to hide in the shadows if you’re going to wear this beauty,” Loreli said as she lifted the gown. Silk and lace cascaded to the floor, the color of vibrant pink roses.
I stared at the dress. “Loreli, it’s gorgeous.”
She laid it on the bed and loosened the ribbons of the corset. “I’m dying to see it on you.”
I slid my shift over my head and stepped into the dress as Loreli held it open.
“My sister made it for one of the high ladies, but the old hag took one look at it and waved it away,” she said as she adjusted the fit. “It was too conservative for her tastes, and she decided she wanted something red. Lizzy had to start over from scratch.”
Once she was done fussing, she turned me toward the mirror, and my breath hitched.
Delicate lace sleeves hung off my shoulders, decorated with an intricate design reminiscent of thorned vines.
The same lace filled out the layered skirt, and tiny glass beads had been sewn into the fabric like a scattering of stars that caught the light when I moved.
“It may be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I whispered.
“I imagine the king will say the same thing if he catches you,” Loreli said as she finished cinching the corseted waist.
I didn’t have to imagine. He’d whispered as much to me before the hunt.
It hurt. To think, I’d almost believed him. I’d let him fool me with seductive whispers and half-truths. It was all a game to him, a way to distract me, to prevent me from realizing the truth: that he was plotting against the Bloodvale.
“I hope to the gods he doesn’t see me tonight,” I said, a sharpness to my voice.
“Not to worry, Lady Belle. There will be lots of pretty women there to distract him. High ladies and courtesans. Even a few human women from the town. If you stick to the shadows or the cover of the crowd, you should be safe.”
I scrunched up my nose in distaste, ignoring the dull ache in my chest. “Good. The more, the better. Let him spend the night drunk on their blood.”
They could have the bastard.
Loreli winked at me in the mirror. “Just don’t get yourself pulled onto the dancefloor where everyone can see.”
“If that happens, the king will be the least of my worries. I can’t dance. Not like they do at court.”
“That might be a bit of a problem,” Loreli laughed as she inspected the dress and pinched some of the loose material between her fingers. She pursed her lips in thought. “Perhaps I should tighten it up in a few spots. I have a needle and thread.”
“There’s no time to—”
The magic didn’t wait for my command. Sparks of ice danced across my skin, and I inhaled sharply as the dress pulled in around me, contracting until it fit perfectly.
My magic was becoming instinctive, which was dangerous if I didn’t learn how to control it.
Loreli was watching me with her mouth open. “Alrighty. No adjustments needed.” She dipped down and pulled a pair of black boots from her satchel. “You will need shoes though.”
I gasped. “Where did you find those?”
“I thought you’d fancy them, and since there’s a chance you might need to leave in a hurry, you can’t wear heels.
” Hiking up her skirt, she knelt before me, and that’s when I realized the boots were far from ordinary.
They were a smidge too big, but the silk laces that crossed up the back of my calf to just below the knee secured the suede to me like armor.
Fates, these were lethal and gorgeous.
“I dare say you’re going to be the belle of the ball.” Loreli fished a black silk ribbon from her bag and stepped behind me, lifting my hair aside so she could tie it around my neck. “One more touch.”
“What is it?” I asked as she spun me toward the mirror. It matched the one she was wearing.
“It’s for your protection,” she said seriously. “As long as you wear it, no immortal is permitted to drink from you. It’s not magic or anything—just to remind the mercenaries of the cost of violating the king’s law.”
Black. The color of death.
I touched the soft fabric—a collar of protection. “I’ve never seen anyone wear this before. Why tonight?”
“Because the king can’t protect everyone, and he certainly can’t ensure the mercenaries will behave. Promise me that you’ll keep it on. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”
I took her hand and squeezed it. “I promise I’ll be careful. And if one of those mercenaries gives me trouble, I’ll bludgeon them to death with a piece of furniture.”
She laughed, and some of the worry left her eyes. “Fates, what I’d give to have your gift.”
“I just hope I can be worthy of it.”
Beyond everything, that was the doubt that tore at me.
“You will be, my lady,” Loreli softly said. “I know it.”
“I should go—and you should, too.”
She placed her hand on my arm. “I’m coming with you. As moral support. Plus, you’ll need me to sneak you through the servants’ passages.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but she shook her head. “I told you, I’m here for this.”
An ache of warmth filled my chest, and I nodded. “Thank you.”
She grabbed a candle and lit it. “Let’s go.”
Inhaling deeply, I placed my hand on the wall. “Let us through.” Magic danced through my fingers, and the seam in the paneling split open, revealing the hidden door. It swung wide, blackness beyond.
We rushed through the servants’ halls as quickly as my new boots would carry me, dodging scurrying waiters and groomsmen, and ducking out of sight when we needed.
At last, Loreli pushed open a narrow door and motioned me forward as haunting music mixed with the clinking of glass and the soft hum of voices.
“Welcome to the cursed king’s ball,” Loreli said with a grin as I stepped through.
I stopped short, eyes wide. The glorious ballroom was a juxtaposition of dark and light. The pale walls rose to vaulted ceilings that were consumed in shadow, and glass chandeliers cast a soft glow over the guests.
“Is this what they’re like in the Bloodvale?” she asked.
I shook my head slowly. The balls in the Bloodvale were lighthearted affairs, with glistening lights and bright decorations.
This was dark and far more sensual. Women wore gowns in deep tones with lace panels and plunging necklines, and most of the men wore high-collared jackets, some of which had been already removed as couples became more intimate.
All the servants and many of the human guests wore black ribbons around their necks.
A tense undercurrent of danger thrummed through the room, as the lords and ladies cast dark glances at the Crimsons.
Dressed in conservative black military coats and blood red sashes, the mercenaries made no effort to hide their contempt for the garishly dressed courtiers.
The officers were all immortals, their features ageless and painfully handsome, but there was also a hardness to them.
Their eyes shone with cruel determination, and their gazes kept jumping about the room—looking for prey.
Loreli had implied the Crimsons were all monsters, and from the look of them, I didn’t doubt it.
I glanced to my left and stilled. A stocky male was watching me through the crowd with an almost vicious interest. His face looked as if he’d overseen a thousand executions, and a scar cut across the side of his cheek.
His close-cropped hair contrasted sharply with his tightly braided beard.
No insignia distinguished him, but his stance and demeanor commanded authority.
His gaze didn’t waver, and my skin crawled.
“That must be their general,” I whispered.
“Then you know who to stay away from,” she muttered.
Him—and the king.
I cautiously searched the crowd for Valen, but spotted no throne or raised dais, nor his broad frame.
Thank the Fates. If they had any kindness toward me, they’d have placed a pretty village girl on his lap to distract him.
An unreasonable pang of something twisted inside, but I ignored it.
Loreli took my arm and pulled me away. “Let’s get some wine.”
Silk and velvet brushed my arms as we navigated through the bodies that hovered at the edges of the room.
Some were drinking, others teasing at more risqué behavior yet to come.
Couples ahead spun in slow circles on the black marble dance floor, their movements imprecise and yet fluid—so different from the well-rehearsed waltzes at Silverthorn.
Which of the Crimsons should I approach? Several were already drunk on blood and wine, and those that I could see looked hungry for the company of a woman. I might be able to extract a few details of their mission before they decided they wanted more than I was willing to offer.
“Are you sure about this?” Loreli asked.
“I need to know the truth. I need to hear them say it myself.” I plucked two glasses of amber wine from a server and handed one to Loreli. “You should probably stay out of sight. Having my handmaid with me will only draw more attention.”
“I don’t like leaving you alone.”
“If things get dicey, I’ll use that harpsichord to discourage any of the Crimsons from touching me,” I said, mustering my most reassuring tone. “I promise I won’t be long. Thank you for everything.”
“Of course. Good luck, Belle.” She gently squeezed my hand and disappeared into the crowd to join the other servants.
I sipped the honeysuckle wine and flicked my gaze around the room. Two officers lurked in the shadows of the room, ignoring the dance in favor of tormenting a waiter they’d cornered. Their laughter was loud and lewd and made my blood simmer. Those two.
I gulped down the rest of my wine and handed my empty glass to a waiter. The warmth of the wine settled through me and gave me liquid courage as I picked a path toward them.
The pair reeked of sweat and smoke, and despite the finery they masqueraded in, it was clear they belonged on the battlefield…or in a dungeon.
The young waiter noticed me approaching, his eyes pleading and rimmed with fear.
I exhaled slowly. Time to put on a mask of my own to draw the truth out of these monsters.
“Pathetic,” I said as I glided toward them, catching the captains’ attention and that of a few other guests nearby. “All these beautiful guests at your disposal, and you choose to amuse yourselves by tormenting the waitstaff?”
The male nearest me dragged his teeth over his lower lip and said, “Is that what you are, love, at our disposal?” His gaze traveled over my dress. “I’m sure we can find some enjoyment from you. Isn’t that right, Leor?”
As soon as the pair’s attention had turned to me, the young waiter slipped away and disappeared into the crowd.
The second captain stepped closer. “I could use a fresh doll to play with.” He lowered one hand to his crotch and gave it a deliberate squeeze as his cruel eyes fixated on me.
I flicked my gaze to his crotch, then back. “You must have been on the road for a very long time to have withered so much.”
The bloodsucker’s eyes flared, but his companion laughed. “Now, that’s a tongue that could do wicked things.”
I wanted to retch.
Leor stepped close, his gaze predatory. “Two months in those fucking woods. Do you know what happens when a blade is sheathed for that long? It cuts deeper when it’s drawn.” He raked his dark eyes down my body and grinned. “You best pray no one here decides you look convenient.”
My spine stiffened, not because of his threat, but because of the timing. They’d been on their way for two months—that meant Valen had hired them soon after Cassius had taken the throne.
Because Cassius had taken the throne. Valen had been playing me this whole time, and I’d nearly fallen for it.
“Where are you headed?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm.
“Wherever I can find coin to fill my pockets, a pussy to sheathe my cock in, and blood to wet my tongue and blade.” He bared his fangs in a feral grin. “Tell me, girl, am I in the right place?”
“Afraid not.”
His companion gripped my wrist and wrenched me backward. “How about we see?”
Surprise, and then anger, spurred me into action. I stomped on the bastard’s foot then elbowed him in the gut with my other arm. His hand loosened, and I jerked free, already channeling my magic. But their faces had gone pale, their attention locked on something over my shoulder.
Not something, someone.
I spun and met the general’s cold gaze.