Chapter 49
I took in the cavernous view of the ballroom below. The walls were much like the rest of the fortress, carved out of gray stone and lined with emerald stained glass.
Moonlight filtered in from above. Candles and mounted torches illuminated the space, casting a golden shimmer over the massive room. Aossí twirled to the sounds of live harps and flutes playing haunting melodies.
The bodies moved in unison, performing a dance that must have been tradition for the people of Emeraal. I looked around, trying to find a familiar face in the crowd, but I was still too far above.
I moved to take my first step onto the marbled stairs, lifting the lengths of my dress so as not to trip.I had felt the weight of the gown as soon as Osta had tossed it in my direction back in our shared room–luxurious but heavy .
Black fabric cascaded down my frame, weaving around my arms in delicate patterns before descending into waves of black lace that created a train in my wake. My shoulders were left bare as the neckline’s star-dusted edges dipped into a perfect v across my chest.
I reached down, adjusting my dress. I had hidden two of Ma's breathing vials under my waistband, and they shifted as I moved.
I gripped the railing hard as I lowered myself down the stairs. Eyes turned in my direction, and nerves began prickling the back of my neck.
Laryk was nowhere to be found.
As I reached the bottom stairs, my heart was fluttering wildly in my chest. There were so many Aossí looking at me now, parting to create space. Their eyes were a mixture of wildness and curiosity.
“Fia, it’s perfect!” I whipped around to find Osta a few paces behind me, wearing a deep green, silk gown that mirrored the haunting beauty of Emeraal. My heartbeat softened as I made my way over to her. The eyes that bore into me before had returned to their socializing.
She took my hands in hers. “I know it’s not my design, but it’s stunning nonetheless,” she whispered, spinning me around. “The General has great taste.”
“I’d rather you not mention that to him. His ego couldn’t possibly get any bigger.” I grinned, finally noticing the couple standing behind her.
I cleared my throat, motioning for Osta to make introductions.
Her eyes went wide. “Oh, forgive my bad manners!” She shot around, dragging my arm with her. “Fia, meet Lord and Lady Soleil.”
“Fia Riftborne, we’ve heard so much about you from Osta. It’s lovely to finally meet you,” Lady Soleil said with a grace that seemed foreign to me.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both, truly. Osta has told me how wonderful it is to work for you.” I smiled politely, attempting a curtsey.
“We will have to catch up later in the evening, after dinner perhaps,” Lady Soleil said. “Right now, I’d better find our seats. Osta, darling, would you accompany me? I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine.”
“Of course! I’ll see you later, Fia.” She smiled brightly at me. Lady Soleil shot a glance toward her husband that I couldn’t quite read before she and Osta sauntered off into the crowd of bodies beyond.
My gaze wandered up to meet Lord Soleil’s.His attention moved to my left hand, where my Riftborne branding sprawled out beyond the sleeve of my gown. The Lord paused, raising an eyebrow slightly before something flickered across his eyes.
“Pleasure to meet you, Fia. Forgive me. It’s a lovely dress you have there.” He shook his head as if returning from a trance, smiling before moving to pass me. Before he got too far, I felt his hand on my arm.
He leaned in, whispering, “it’s great to have you on our side.” And soon enough, he was disappearing into the bodies as well. I looked at my marking and tugged the fabric down around my wrist.
Alone again, I swiped a shimmery cocktail from the refreshment table and looked around.
Still no sign of Laryk. I sighed, turning towards the outskirts of the party. I sipped the drink, and flowery bubbles spread across my tongue.
Narissa’s words found their way back into my mind as I watched the couples dancing gracefully ahead. Had he changed his mind? I shifted in my seat and looked down at my dress nervously. Suddenly, the bodice felt too tight... the skirt verging on ostentatious.
An uneasiness crept over me as I downed the rest of my drink. I set the glass on the table and slowly pushed it away.
“Shall I get you another?” I heard a whisper as Laryk’s lips brushed against my ear .
A calming haze rushed through me, enveloping me in a delicious heat.
The spark turned into a full blaze as I locked eyes with him.
Any previous worry I had burned to ashes.
His hair was free tonight, cascading down his shoulders in mesmerizing waves of copper—the way I loved it most. He wore a dress suit, tailored to perfection, in all shades and textures of black.
Golden accents sparkled atop the velvet that stretched over his broad frame.
The wickedest smile formed on his lips as he looked me up and down.
He approached me slowly, narrowing his eyes. “If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll abandon this dinner altogether and take you to bed.” His voice was low, predatory. The embers within me lit once again, and I bit back a smile. It was nearly intoxicating to be around him in this state.
And in an instant, he was pulling me against him. “You know how I love you in black,” he whispered, tugging at my body through the dress.
A distant fragment of my mind considered the eyes that were undoubtedly watching, but this raging wildfire of a moment we found ourselves in was slowly incinerating my ability to care.
I longed for his mouth on me. I inhaled deeply, trying to absorb every single fiber of his being. The dizzying aroma of vetiver and burnt amber filled my nose. The man himself was the living embodiment of ecstasy.
“Dance with me,” he murmured.
It wasn’t a request.
Before I knew it, he was pulling me into the sea of bodies moving methodically through the room.
He laced his fingers through mine, wrapping his other arm possessively around my waist. Our bodies met in a fiery collision as he pulled me against him.
And then we were moving, spinning, twirling. My mind couldn’t keep up. All I could do was stare into his eyes and continue to lose myself. I wanted to live in this searing moment forever.
The song came to an end, and reality began to creep back in from my peripherals.
A sinking feeling devoured my heart as he pulled away, my body cold in the places we had touched.
Like coming down from an incredible high, the sound of the Aossí around us broke through my trance, and just like that, the wild blaze smoldered out, and reality snapped into focus.
“Let’s find our seats, Fia.” Laryk pulled me through the crowd, our fingers still intertwined. I wondered if we were going to be sitting together, given our considerable difference in rank.
He led me to the longest table along the edge, only a few paces over from the raised dais where the King and Queen would be seated.
He arched an eyebrow before pulling out a chair and gesturing for me to sit down. I obliged, glancing down the length of the table. There was no one I recognized.
“I’ll return to you shortly. There’s something I have to take care of.
” He planted a kiss on my forehead before sauntering off to the other side of the ballroom.
My eyes followed him, wondering what exactly he was leaving to do.
Just as I was about to look away, I saw a glimpse of blood-red hair.
Anger pulsed through me as I saw him grab Narissa’s arm and lower his face to hers.
My control snapped like a frayed rope, and I stood, pushing my chair back as I turned and paced toward the two of them.
I did my best to calm my expression, but my emotions were at an all-time high.
Out of the corner of my eye, a black shape emerged, and my attention flew left, my heart stopping in my chest.
Relief washed over me once I realized it was the elaborate costume of a woman I had never seen before.
She was taller than me. With one of the most beautiful faces I had ever laid eyes upon. Her hair was clipped short. It wasn’t a style you saw often in Luminaria.And there was something about her skin… it was too perfect. Ethereal, haunting.
She wore a taxidermy raven on her shoulder and was dressed completely in drapes of black.
My eyes scrunched, taking in the oddness of her attire.
She made eye contact with me and tilted her chin to the side, narrowing her eyebrows.
There was darkness surrounding her eyes… shadows. Like mine. Who was she?
She took a step in my direction, but a slice of copper hair slid into my peripherals, and I refocused myself. I would have to find her later. Right now, I had a Blood Clot to deal with. I straightened my dress before continuing on my way.
Poison ran through me as I took in just how close Narissa was to Laryk. I was tired of feeling her hateful glances at every encounter. We had yet to even speak to one another. This was ending. Tonight.
As I approached the two of them, I overheard the tail end of Laryk’s harsh whispers. “I told you to accompany the troops to Stormshire. You being here is in direct defiance of my orders.”
She spotted me, and her eyes turned cold, a cruel smirk forming on her lips.
“Fia, I told you I’d be back. Please give us a moment,” Laryk said, facing me.
“I thought it would be a good time to finally introduce myself. It’s Narissa, right?” I plastered on a smile. “It’s a wonder we haven’t spoken until now. It seems we have a lot of the same interests.”
I couldn’t tell if Laryk wanted to laugh or reprimand me, but the tension was thick and riddled with static. I calmed the familiar shiver that ran down my spine.
I didn’t need the translucent web to annihilate this bitch, I was going to do it with words.
“You speak of my direct defiance, but your pet is still standing here. Did you not just tell her to leave?” Narissa scowled.