Chapter 23
“Caelus ordered it custom for you. For dinner tonight,” the tailor says, hanging a garment bag in front of the full-length mirror.
“Are you sure? He didn’t discuss it with me.”
She slides a small envelope out of her pocket. “Are you Briar Rielle?”
No. “Yes.”
I’ve gone the last decade using my real first name, but not my last. Calisdana belongs only to the royal family of the Sea. And although no one recognizes me, that last name would make me a target.
She holds out the envelope. “There’s no mistake.”
I accept it and run my fingers over the sharp corners, pressing them into the pads of my fingers. The tailor unzips the bag, revealing a gown so dark blue, it’s nearly black. A layer of lace floats down from the waist, adorned with thousands of tiny diamonds.
The night sky.
She pulls it from the garment bag, and my chest tightens. The neckline plunges to the sternum, and a thin band of fabric precariously holds the two halves together. This isn’t the dress of a courtesan, but a seductress.
Thea hides a grimace and runs the sheer fabric between her fingers. “You did a remarkable job. Didn’t she, Briar?”
I swallow. “It’s beautiful.”
The tailor beams. “Let’s try it on, shall we? I’ll check for final adjustments.”
Sliding out of my tunic and leggings, Thea helps me into the dress. Thin straps rest on my shoulders, and loose diamonds cascade down my arm. I pull the bodice farther over my breasts, but it’s been carefully constructed to cover as little as possible.
Thea clasps a hook at the small of my back and meets my gaze in the mirror. She worries her bottom lip and steps away as the tailor bustles around the hem.
A slit runs up the side, exposing my leg to the hip. Sunlight dances through the fabric, outlining my entire body.
It’s not that I hate it. In fact, it’s something I’d wear in Delterran. I’ve never shied away from revealing clothing, but when it’s my choice to wear it. Caelus, however, has a prerogative.
He wants me to be an object—to be stared at. To ease the minds and loosen the lips of anyone I speak to.
The tailor stands and smiles, but her gaze won’t meet mine as she packs up her wares.
“Enjoy the dinner,” she says, walking to the door.
“Thank you.”
The smile on her face disappears as the door swings shut. Turning my attention to the mirror, I run my palm over the thin, diamond encrusted fabric and gauge the value of the dress.
Chills race down my spine, and I slide my hand over the generous slit, too high to conceal a dagger. Sighing, I flip over the envelope and slide my finger under the seal.
Briar,
I trust you’ll enjoy the dress for this evening. Get me the information, but be careful. She could be dangerous.
I crumple the paper into my fist and toss it in the fireplace. Flames devour the note and turn it to ash, but it fails to erase one word from my mind—dangerous. Despite it all, he’s right. I know nothing about Kressa or what else she could be hiding.
The servant’s door creaks. I freeze, and a hand slips through the narrow crack, easing it open.
Kressa.
My ribs tighten. She ducks through the doorway and straightens, tucking her dress shirt into the waistband of her slacks. Our gazes meet, and it’s as if a chasm opens in the room, swallowing me whole.
“What are you doing here?” I bite.
She doesn’t answer. I step away from the mirror and snatch my dagger, closing the distance between us.
I ready my blade. “How did you find my room?”
She raises her hands, and Thea disappears into the bathroom, clutching at her robe and muttering something about lack of respect.
Kressa’s lips tilt into a smirk, and she shrugs. “I followed you one evening. Just in case.”
“Just in case, what, exactly?”
Her gaze dips to the dress, and her pupils spread wide.
“In case we needed to talk, like right now.” She presses the servant’s door shut.
“Dinner begins in an hour and we haven’t spoken since sunrise before the trial.
I haven’t even seen you since you were with Isolde in the garden, and the next trial is tomorrow. ”
“Right.” I set my dagger on the side table, well within reach. “She told me that the night before the final trial Caelus is holding a ball and has announcements regarding the war.”
Kressa curses under her breath.
“And she believes I have until then to tell Caelus why you joined the competition.”
She nods. “Anything else?”
I shake my head.
“Are you sure?” She takes a step closer. “It seemed like a lengthy conversation.”
I lift a brow. “Are you jealous?”
A scoff. “Not in the slightest, but it sure seemed like she was.”
Ignoring the way my pulse speeds, I backtrack a step away from her. “There’s nothing to be jealous of.”
“My thoughts exactly.” She steps closer again, her breath warm on my neck as she whispers, “Let the queen know she has nothing to worry about.”
“Already have.”
She leans back, a smirk playing on her face as she lifts her hand to my shoulder, where a strap has fallen. “May I?”
I nod, and she slides a finger under the strap, knuckles tracing my upper arm as she pulls it to the shallow curve in my shoulder. I hold my breath as her hand retreats, nails dragging lightly over my skin.
“Thank you,” I breathe, my words thicker than honey.
She lets out a small laugh that hangs in the space between us. “I never thought I’d hear those words from you.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“To what, love? Hearing you thank me, or watching your mouth form words?”
I flick my gaze to hers, and she tilts her head, the corner of her mouth quirking up. A dare.
Blinking, I clear my throat. She’s a distraction, that’s all. “Tonight it should be easy enough to slip out of the ball without being seen. And if guards notice our departure, they’ll think we’re two lovers sneaking off.”
She hums, low and deep, vibrating through my entire body. “Indeed.” Her gaze dips to my leg. “Nowhere to hide your dagger tonight, I see.”
“Or jewels.” I bite down on my lip. “I won’t be hiding much of anything in this dress.”
A muscle feathers in her jaw. “No, I suppose not.”
Her fingers find the pendant hanging around my neck, and she adjusts it so the clasp rests behind my hair, her fingers a whisper against my nape. “If you’re worried about going to dinner without your dagger, I could carry it for you, even if the only person you ever wield it against is me.”
I shake my head. “No one touches my dagger.”
“Interesting.” She drops her hand from the chain. “You let Harriet borrow it, and I haven’t seen you talk to her once. In fact, I’ve never seen the two of you in the same room.”
My pulse thrashes in my ears, the roaring fire suddenly stifling. I inhale through my nose. If she knew about my secret identity, she’d not only question why I wanted to enter in the first place, but blackmail me with that rather than my thievery. Twice as deadly.
I square my shoulders. “My relationships with others are none of your business.”
She smiles, all sharp edges. “Well, it appears we both have our secrets. Don’t we, Briar?”
Caelus’s note haunts me. She could be dangerous. “It seems we do.”
Her fingers toy with the diamonds hanging from my shoulders. “Would it be inappropriate to say I don’t want anyone else seeing you while looking like this?”
My heart climbs into my throat, and I swallow it down. “Entirely.”
“Then I won’t.” She pulls open the servant’s door and steps out. Over her shoulder, she says, “I’ll see you in an hour.”