Page 118 of Bound By Darkness

A groan left my lips. “You said you’d leave it alone.”

He paused next to the fire. “How can I, as your friend, leave you to solve this alone? What you did… what you did for all of us is beyond retribution. You sold your soul, your casting to protect a band of misfits from the growing war outside. How am I supposed to let what you did go?”

I chewed the inside of my cheek. “You’re giving me too much praise.”

Fin sat next to me as his arm rested behind my back. “You deserve the credit, but don’t try and do this alone. Rely on me. Rely on Ivan… even your friend Moria.”

A smile lit my face as I leaned into his warmth. “I can’t believe she’s been here all this time.”

Fin nudged my back. “Well, when she arrives, say a good word for me. I’d hate to start on the wrong foot.”

The corner of my lip lifted slightly. “Anything I said about you wouldn’t change her opinion. All she needs is one glance. She’s a pretty good judge of character.”

“So she’d recognize how charming and handsome I am in one glance?”

I chuckled softly. “She’d recognize how frivolous you are.”

Fin dramatically rested a hand against his heart as he leaned back, his brown eyes full of mischief. “As your friend, I refuse to be blighted by such terms.”

Laughter echoed in the tent as we huddled around the fire.Friend. Fin was my friend. The closest person to Moria I’d encountered. I soaked in each minute as the conversations took endless turns, continuing until hours passed—until it was time to dress myself for the evening’s main event.

Slipping on the material Iyanna hand-picked, it clung to me like a pair of iron cuffs. It hugged my body’s curves and dips as it choked the air from my lungs.

The material was a lovely shade of green that matched the color of my eyes as the hem graced the floor. The neckline plunged into a deep v-cut highlighting what little breasts I did have, save for the sheer mesh covering the middle. The sleeves were long and embroidered with golden leaves curving down my arms to my hands. Similar golden leaves were strewn along the hem, fading upward into flecks of golden dots that glimmered in the faint glow of the fire.

Tossing a thick wool cloak over my shoulders, I waited by the flames for Fin to finish. “Are you done? You’ve been getting ready for hours.”

Fin stepped out from behind the wooden furnace, and I stumbled back a step at the polished man standing in front of me.

With his hair slicked back, it highlighted the angles of his face as he cocked a smile in my direction. The cream sweater blended seamlessly into the black pants he had chosen to wear. A pair of brown boots peeked out from the bottom, adding a splash of color to the look. Fin tossed a black cloak over his shoulders.

“You look great,” I said as my eyes roamed over the outfit.

Fin grinned. “I know.” He glanced over me once… twice— “You’re going out like that?” His eyes swept to the bottom of the floor. “Iyanna personally provided us with these outfits.”

My fighting boots tapped against the floor. “I’m not wearing the shoes she picked out for me.”

“But the color is clashing and?—”

“And I don’t care,” I finished. “I’m not wearing those pointed shoes.”

“At least let me fix your hair. You missed half.”

My fingers brushed over the strands of curls tickling my neckline. How had I missed such a large section? “Fine.”

Fin smiled, his fingers instantly in my hair as he tucked and folded pieces like sheets against my scalp.

“There,” he finally said, his hands falling to his waist.

Lifting my hand, I gently poked the top of my head to where the pin rested, holding half of my curly hair. “I guess it will do.”

Fin rolled his eyes. “Thank me later. We have a dinner to attend.” He held out his arm, the most gentlemanly I’d seen him throughout our travels.

I wrapped my arm around his. “Let’s get this over with.”

“Oh no, Thalia.” His voice was whimsical. “This is a party, and I refuse not to have a grand time. I’m also walking in with the woman of the night. I’m bound to earn some perks.”

Smacking his arm lightly, I couldn’t help smiling as we exited the tent and entered the festival’s steady drumming.

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