Chapter 11
Chapter
There was a second ball coming soon. It would not be as grand as the previous one. This time smaller and more intimate. But for the young nobles it was yet another chance to mingle, to whisper, to weave alliances that often held more weight than the gatherings of the Families themselves.
My budget in White City was dwindling at an alarming pace, so I could not afford a new gown, even with the money Alaric gave me.
I chose one of the dresses I had brought from Thalrock.
It had once belonged to my mother, later altered for me: violet silk, slit sleeves, and twin cuts along the thighs.
The corset, to my surprise, gave the illusion that I actually possessed a proper bust.
“You look lovely, my Lady.” Mirabel circled me with a proud smile. “So womanly. How long will you keep hiding in those uniforms?”
I sighed. The truth was, I preferred trousers, tailored coats, and long naval cloaks bearing the sigil of Family Veymaris.
They were practical, comfortable, fit for the decks of ships and the salt winds of the sea.
Gowns rarely allowed freedom of movement, and I liked to know I could fight or flee if the moment demanded it.
“Perhaps you’re right, Mirabel.” I smirked faintly, gazing at my reflection. “It’s good to remember, now and then, that one is still a woman.”
I pinned my hair higher than usual, leaving my neck and collarbones bare. I looked… different. Less a captain, more a lady.
The ball took place in a vaulted hall beneath a high ceiling. It was not the grandest of occasions, but the Families had gathered nonetheless, along with several lesser lords and their vassals.
I entered with Roderick, my advisor, at my side. Instantly, I felt the weight of glances. Whispers followed in our wake, and I had no doubt they were concerned about my recent altercation with Magnus Dorthal. Scandal had a long life in White City.
I suspected no one would ask me to dance. And indeed, though several men cast curious looks my way, none dared to approach. I was the exotic creature of the evening. Intriguing to behold, too dangerous to touch.
It did not bother me. If anything, I was relieved. I planned to exchange a few words about trade and make my escape early. My presence here was a formality, nothing more.
At the far end of the hall, I saw Aidenar. Dressed in an elegant gray uniform trimmed with palladium ornaments, he looked royal. Candlelight shimmered in his silver eyes. The way he moved—poised, assured, faintly arrogant—drew every gaze as he passed.
Velena fluttered around him like a honeybee around a bloom, laughing at every joke, her hand finding his arm at every chance. He thrived in the attention, smiling, speaking and charming.
I stared too long. He caught my gaze.
One brow arched, as though I had been caught in some forbidden act. I raised my wine cup in a quiet toast. He mirrored the gesture, drained his cup and then began to walk toward me.
What in the gods’ name was he doing? I had not summoned him.
“May I have this dance, my Lady?” he asked formally as he reached me, bowing slightly and offering his hand.
“Do I have a choice?”
“I fear not.” His smile deepened, and before I could protest, he led me to the center of the floor.
His hand settled at my waist, steady and deliberate, guiding me in time with the music.
My hand touched his shoulders that were firm with muscles.
I tried not to look at his face too long, though his defined jaw and full lips weren’t helping.
“I’m merely trying to assist with your reputation,” he murmured once the circling dancers hid us from view. “In case you’ve not noticed, after your… date with Magnus, the men seem to be terrified of you.”
I rolled my eyes. “First, it wasn’t a date. Second, he deserved it. Third, I’m not looking for a man.”
“For now,” he said, his voice low, teasing. His palm pressed a little firmer against my back. “But how do you imagine your future? Will you return to the islands and live alone until you die? Unless…” His gaze glinted. “You already have a lover there. One of those handsome Bjorgs, perhaps?”
“There is no one. Leave it.” My tone was sharp, but something in me trembled. I forced it down. Love and longing had no place in my world anymore.
“And you?” I asked before I could stop myself. “Are you betrothed to Lady Velena?”
A shadow crossed his face. “No. Our parents would rejoice if it were so. But I’ve managed to delay it. It isn’t that she’s unworthy, Velena is… quite beautiful.”
Something inside me twisted, though it had no right to.
“But I do not see myself bound, not yet.”
“Then perhaps we are not so different,” I said quietly, meeting his gaze.
He did not look away. His hand pressed firmer at my back, and our steps grew more fluid, more in tune.
He moved with a grace that was both fierce and effortless.
I began to understand why the court’s ladies lost themselves so easily in him.
He smelled faintly of rosemary and lavender.
He was intoxicating, a temptation I could never afford to taste.
“Why don’t you dress like this more often?” he asked suddenly, mischief dancing in his eyes.
“Ball gowns are not the most practical attire,” I replied.
“I don’t want you to look practical.” His smile was crooked. “Perhaps I should have added that to our contract.”
Something shimmered between us. Heat, power and something I could not name. His gaze caught mine, and for a heartbeat the world around us fell away. The music stopped, but none of us moved.
Then the air trembled. A familiar energy prickled at the back of my neck.
Dricus Cineris stood beside us.
“Lord Cavareth,” he said evenly, his voice heavy with restraint. “Might I steal Lady Veymaris for the next dance?”
Aidenar’s jaw tightened. “Lord Cineris,” he replied with polite stiffness. “It has been some time. Of course…” He released me reluctantly. “I trust she is in safe hands.”
The silence between them was taut, sharp as a drawn blade.
Aidenar’s eyes began to glow, and Dricus didn’t move a muscle, simply glaring at Lord Cavareth.
Power hummed between three of us, lurking like a predator, as if waiting only for the sign to break free.
Were we amplifying each other or just agitating?
I knew that if I didn’t stop this soon, someone would lose control, so I took Dricus’s hand for the next dance.
He looked every inch as the shadow of the night. Black uniform, crimson trim, his sharp features cut by light and shadow. Calm radiated from him, nonetheless there was something beneath it, something unreadable.
“I thought you had left the city for good,” I said lightly, though curiosity burned within me.
“I had matters to settle,” he replied, his tone curt but not unkind. “I see you remain whole and unbroken.”
“I do not know why you still worry over me.”
A half-smile ghosted across his lips. “A strange instinct, perhaps. You have a talent for trouble. Speaking of which…” His gaze flicked toward Aidenar. “It seems you’ve caught the Young Lord’s eye.”
He shook his head slightly. “If I may offer counsel. Do not be taken in by him. The palace hums with tales of his conquests. He is not worth your tears.”
I laughed softly, though there was an edge to it. “Believe me, Lord Cavareth ranks last on my list of suitors. Well, just before Magnus Dorthal.”
That earned me a quiet chuckle. For a moment, the darkness in his eyes eased. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Aidenar. He was watching us from across the dance floor. A glass in his hand and an expression that didn’t quite match his usual self-confidence.
“You look beautiful tonight,” Dricus said at last, his voice intimate.
“I must take care of this gown. It seems to earn a lot of praise”
“Perhaps it’s not the gown at all,” he murmured, turning me so smoothly the fabric rippled like the sea itself.
When we danced, I felt how tense his body was, just like when he rescued me in the forest. As if it were always ready for battle.
As if it never rested. My hand lay on his shoulder.
I allowed myself to gently touch him with my power.
I wanted him to relax, to ease just for a moment.
When I did it, Dricus’s eyes looked at me.
Shouldn’t I have done that? Had I overstepped something?
“So,” he said quietly, his voice low, “you know how to play with your gift.”
I said nothing.
When he turned me again and drew me close, heat spilled through me in a sudden, treacherous rush.
It spread through my limbs, through my chest, through every inch of me until I could scarcely think.
I had the immediate urge to tear the clothes from my body and plunge into cold water, anything to escape the blaze beneath my skin.
Dricus noticed my deep breath. Just as swiftly, the warmth vanished, pulled back as if it had never been.
I nearly missed a step, my foot faltering, but his grip tightened and held me upright.
“Forgive me,” he said. “I shouldn’t have.” Regret crossed his face.
The music just ended, he bowed and was gone before I could say anything.
I needed some air after that. My thoughts were wandering around strange places.
I slipped away to the edge of the hall, past the glitter and laughter, craving a moment’s quiet. Near a marble pillar, I overheard a cluster of lords who must have forgotten that even in a crowd, voices carry.
“Cassandra may scoff at myths,” said one, an old man with a face lined like dried parchment, “but she cannot deny that something stirs. Two heirs have already revealed their elemental power. There will be others, hiding, for now.”
“The engravings were clear,” another whispered, with excitement in his tone.
“Four figures, four gods of the elements. And around them darkness, devouring it all. The beasts had crimson eyes, spat black blood. The next tablets were shattered, but from what survived… the world ended in Plague. The sun was swallowed by shadow. The demons…” He hesitated. “They were not beasts. They were men.”
A chill crept down my spine.
“The birth of such heirs with powers is no blessing,” a third murmured, draining his cup. “It is a curse. A warning. The Plague spreads. Dark days lie ahead.”
Their words echoed in my skull long after I turned away. If the engravings spoke true, maybe our gifts were not a coincidence.
I was ready to retire when Velena Salvadore appeared before me, surrounded by her simpering ladies like a queen of bees.
“Listen to me, fisher girl,” she hissed, venom coating every word. “If you think to win Lord Cavareth with your eyes and tragic tales, you are gravely mistaken. Go chase some squire and leave him be.”
Her tone was sharp enough to draw blood. I straightened, towering over her.
“As far as I know,” I said softly, “You are not yet wed, and the Young Regent may dance with whomever he pleases. However, Lady Salvadore, if you ever speak to me in such a manner again, I shall take your little golden head and dip it into the courtyard fountain. And I will hold it there until you learn courtesy and respect. Believe me, no Elementar will save you.”
Her maids gasped. I felt the water in her body stir beneath her skin, trembling at my will. Velena’s face went pale. She choked on her own breath and fled down the hall with her flock.
Roderick appeared at my side, trying and failing not to laugh. “Don’t you think that was a touch… excessive, my Lady?”
“She has been needling me for weeks,” I replied coolly. “She should be grateful she didn’t piss herself.”
Roderick broke into helpless laughter, relief sparking in his eyes. I gave him a cold look until he straightened again, clearing his throat.
“That will be enough for tonight,” I said, feeling the tension fade from my limbs. “We’re leaving.”
And so we did, leaving behind gossips and whispers that always bloomed in White City palace.