35. Opening the Doors
OPENING THE DOORS
Irene
Itwirled in front of the mirror to admire my new silver gown.
It was made of shimmering silver silk with a white underskirt and delicate muslin sleeves.
Silver stars were nestled in my hair, among my curls, and sewn into the fabric of the skirt.
The bustle was discreet with layers of white silk, and the long white gloves made my arms look slender and elegant.
“You look lovely.” Myrtha draped a silver sash over my shoulders. “Perfect gown for a ball.”
She was wearing a white gown similar to our wili gowns but with beautiful chiffon sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and delicate silk slippers.
“You’re stunning too.” I draped the ribbon on the small of her back, enhancing her curves. “How are things between you and Darius?”
Her bright expression turned into a frown. “Things? What things? There are no things between Darius and me.”
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” I chuckled. “You haven’t left his side from the moment he saved your life.”
Embarrassment flickered crimson in her aura. “Well, that’s gratitude and politeness. I couldn’t leave him to his own devices, could I?”
“Politeness? Nothing more?” I tilted my head, trying to catch her gaze.
“Nothing more. You know what I think of men.” She tugged her long gloves over her arms. “You can play with them, be friendly with them, but that’s it. They’re all beasts, and Darius is no exception.”
Her aura changed shape, forming a few tendrils.
“You’re lying, and I don’t understand why. There’s nothing wrong with admitting he isn’t a beast. You know he isn’t.”
She was flustered. “Yes, well, he isn’t a beast. I’ll grant him that. But I haven’t changed my mind about men as a whole. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll see if Lucy has improved.”
When she left the room, surrounded by her crimson aura, she almost bumped into Alex.
“Careful.” He steadied her by taking her shoulders.
She stiffened. “I’m always careful, Ravenhill.” She strode away.
“What happened?” He stepped inside. “She sounded as sweet as an adder.”
“Nothing. Just Myrtha being her old self.” I spun around, letting my skirt shimmer. “What do you think?”
“I say! You’re stunning.” He wrapped his arms around me. “As always.”
“You look dashing yourself.”
His evening black tailcoat and freshly pressed trousers heightened his strong build and handsome face, and the white waistcoat created the perfect contrast of colours. The scent of bergamot, wafting from his skin, added the final touch of elegance.
“It’s the first time I’ve worn an evening suit.” He fixed his white bow tie. “I feel like an idiot.”
“You shouldn’t. You’re very handsome, and tonight is going to be a success.”
The Fair Court and the Moon Court had been invited along with other peers of the Dark Court who didn’t live at Raven Hall. There were wizards, witches, and other supernatural beings; some of them weren’t affiliated with any court.
We went downstairs together, hand in hand, side by side. The hall was crowded with footmen ushering the guests to the drawing room.
It took a ridiculous amount of time to welcome everyone. My facial muscles hurt from smiling, and the words ‘I’m delighted to have you here’ kept echoing in my head even after I’d finished welcoming guests.
Alex had stopped pretending to be delighted after the fifth or so guest.
I rubbed my cheek. “The ball hasn’t started yet, but I’m already tired.”
“You’ll feel better when we dance.”
The ballroom looked like a starry sky with its large windows sparkling and the polished marble floor.
Darius had conjured silver lights that were floating close to the ceiling.
The effect was multiplied by the mirrors on the walls.
Lilies and roses filled every corner, and the orchestra played a beautiful tune.
The wilis were dressed in stunning white gowns that emitted a glow. Their auras were the brightest in the room, shining yellow with happiness. I’d been to balls in my mortal life, but none had been so lavish and majestic.
Fiona almost ran towards us, her gaze on Alex. “Your Grace,” she said in a serious tone. “You and Mr. Strange are…” She took a deep breath. “I misjudged you. I understand now that you care for all of us. Thank you.”
I gently poked Alex in the ribs because he didn’t say anything.
He coughed into his fist. “You’re welcome. Er, peace and harmony are our mission for a better and stronger Dark Court.”
I forced myself not to laugh.
Fiona brightened. “You’re succeeding, Your Grace.” She walked to the other wilis, radiating happiness.
Alex held me close, and I rested my head on his chest. He didn’t shiver anymore when we touched. Not a twitch.
When the notes of Vienna Blood began, he stood in front of me.
He offered me his gloved hand. “May I have the honour? I want to dance with you and also see if the weeks you spent teaching me how to dance have been wasted.”
“I’m sure you’ll surpass the teacher.”
He smiled when I took his hand. I spotted Cara standing in a corner and waved at her. Her Prussian-blue gown didn’t stand out for its brightness or elegance, but it was an improvement from her usual widow’s weeds. Graves stood next to her, rather dashing himself.
She returned the wave tentatively, and it might be my imagination, but I could swear she was smiling.
Alex led me with expertise across the ballroom in perfect rhythm with the beautiful music.
The gentle pressure of his fingers on my waist held a hint of sensuality, enough to make me look forward to them stroking my naked skin.
Gazing away from his spectacular silver-grey eyes wasn’t possible.
They demanded my full attention. His thumb stroked my wrist with a feather touch that made me blush.
“You’re an excellent dancer,” I said as we glided over the marble floor.
“Thank you. It only took me six hours of training every day for six weeks straight to reach this expertise. If Darius hadn’t been busy with the shield and the fog, I would have asked him to use a spell to make me dance flawlessly.”
“But you’re doing fine without magic. You did it yourself.”
When the music ended, Darius joined us. His aura was a riot of sparkling colours and contagious happiness.
He raised his glass of champagne. “This is a new beginning.”
“It is.” I kissed Alex, gazing around at the full ballroom.
“I mean,” Darius said in a sober tone, “we haven’t found Odette. Bethlen is still at large and killing criminals at will. Lucy might become a feral vampire, but apart from that, everything is fine.”
Alex scowled. “You talk too much.”
In a shiny black suit, Knight walked over to us. The elegant jacket didn’t diminish his rough looks or make him less intimidating.
He cleared his throat. “Ravenhill. Miss Harlowe. How is Lucy?”
“Unchanged.” I opened and closed my fan, worried about her.
Concern filled his aura with sepia. “I think I’m going upstairs to see her.”
“Of course.” I nodded. “There’s no need for a footman to escort you, I suppose.”
He had come here to visit Lucy regularly. He knew that part of Raven Hall better than anyone.
“I’m glad you’re taking good care of her. It means a lot.” Knight spoke with too much solemnity, as if I’d saved his life.
When he was gone, Alex leant closer. “I’m curious to see if it’ll mean a lot for Graves too. He won’t be happy to know Knight took a shine to his sister.”
“There you are. The hosts.” Esmeralda was without a doubt the most stunning lady present.
Her golden gown glimmered like an actual star, and little golden butterflies fluttered around every time she moved. Her dark curls framed her high cheekbones, and the golden light made her emerald eyes look bigger.
“Wonderful evening.” She fanned herself with a butterfly-shaped fan.
“Thank you.” I gestured at Darius. “The success is mostly due to our extraordinary mage.”
I found it petty to get involved in the competition about who was the most powerful mage in the kingdom, but I felt protective of Darius.
He basked in the compliments. “I did my best and succeeded, as usual.”
“Well, almost.” Esmeralda gracefully nodded. “I was thinking about the rogue. What are you planning to do to catch him? And what about Lord Rothbart? For how long do you think you can keep him here?”
Some of my enthusiasm vanished. We’d spent the past two months searching, planning, and walking the streets without finding Bethlen.
It’d been exhausting and disappointing. Not to mention that following Odette’s traces based on the scarce information Rothbart had given us was proving to be a challenge.
Tonight, I didn’t want to discuss plans and strategies or be reminded of Bethlen and Rothbart.
Darius let out a gasp and held up a hand before I could speak, for which I was grateful. “Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. We’re ready.” He gazed up. “The library. Follow me. Follow me!”
Esmeralda was taken aback. “What’s happening?”
But he didn’t listen.
We raced after him up the stairs, although after several flights of stairs, we slowed our paces considerably. By the time we arrived at the library, we were all breathless and in need of a lemonade. Some guests had been lost along the way.
Darius’s aura was twinkling with golden excitement and yellow happiness. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is a historic moment. The library, containing more than two hundred million books, is ready to be visited.”
I squeezed Alex’s hand and giggled as Darius pushed the set of double doors open. The wrought-iron ravens on the doors unfurled their wings and stretched out their necks. Their beaks opened, and their beady eyes shone.
I braced myself for violent gusts of wind, but instead, peace and quiet welcomed me.
We stepped into the library cautiously. Not a speck of dust or a torn piece of parchment littered the floor. The walnut shelves gleamed as if recently polished. The tiles shone with star-brightness, and the gas lamps lit every corner as far as I could see.
I pointed my nose towards the ceiling in awe. Tall shelves towered over me, seemingly without end. The scent of old leather and parchment filled the air. Staring at the spiral staircases made me feel giddy.
Esmeralda’s aura burst with sheer joy, and more butterflies came out of her dress. “This is fantastic. Ravenhill, you must allow me to visit this library.”
“Of course. Any time.” He gave me a bright smile full of pride.
“May I have your attention, please?” Darius spread his arms out, standing in the middle of the entrance hall.
“The library is perfectly safe. However…” A murmur spread when he paused.
“There might be some wayward books. Books that are still searching for their places and fly around at considerably high speed.” He snatched a book flying past him and put it on a shelf. “Be mindful of them. They might…”
“Ouch!” Morquen rubbed his head as a book rushed past him. “It hit my head.”
Darius pointed a finger at him. “That’s what I meant. They might hit you. But more importantly, avoid rogue books at all cost.”
“Rogue books?” Esmeralda asked, gazing around.
He nodded. “They’re wayward books that fly around and suck you inside them, into their stories.
The only way to get out of the book is to finish the chapters.
You might get lucky and end up in The Most Beautiful Gardens in England.
If you aren’t lucky, you’ll end up in The Phantom Ship and have to deal with terrifying ghosts.
” He laughed nervously. “But never mind. No panic. Enjoy your stroll.”
The general enthusiasm wasn’t dampened though.
Darius winked at us. Myrtha gazed around with her mouth open.
Alex and I walked on. There were cosy nooks with plush armchairs and low tables, thick carpets and tall lamps. Boxes of chocolate and brandy balls were scattered on the table; surely that was something Darius had added for himself.
The spines of some books glowed so brightly they could be used to read in the dark. A chessboard sat on a table, shining in the soft light. And books with colourful covers, rolls of parchment, dusty old books in glass cabinets, and even ancient wooden tablets filled every shelf, corner, and alcove.
It was a treasure trove of knowledge.
We could walk on and on along the aisle seemingly for miles.
I didn’t see the other side. The distant lights were like stars, twinkling in the night.
They went up, following the handrails of the spiral staircases, towards the seemingly endless high of the ceiling.
Now and then, a swishing noise rang from somewhere, but no wayward book hit me.
Alex held me close in the middle of a junction where four hallways came together, right over the mosaic of a large red rose. “I never thought I would be this happy.”
“Neither did I.” I rested my head on his chest and savoured this moment of perfect happiness.
He started twirling me around as if we were waltzing, and I laughed in his arms.
Love and happiness surrounded us. My heart burst with emotion, and even though challenges lay ahead of us, I knew we were strong enough to face them.