Page 15 of Beneath the Cursed Veil

“C’mon, Vareck,” she began, “lighten up.”

“If hell melts, perhaps,” I quipped. “I would say when it freezes over, but we’re already there.”

Kaia pressed her lips together, holding back a huff of a laugh.

Another note of citrus took over my senses, tickling my nose and making my chest tighten. “Do you smell that?” I asked, sitting up straighter as I searched the banquet tables and crowds.

“Smell what?”

“Citrus. Lavender.”

Kaia turned and looked at me with a hint of concern. “I don’t smell either of those. Maybe someone’s perfume. Lavender is common enough, but the citrus crop hasn’t survived for the past three years.”

“I think it’s her,” I murmured, focusing all my attention on the throng of guests, trying to find something that would confirm it.

“Where?” Kaia stiffened, snapping her head in the direction I had been looking.

“I don’t know,” I said under my breath. “Just a feeling . . .”

“Vareck, we can’t find a feeling. What makes you?—”

Kaia said something more, but I could no longer hear. My mind had wandered, replaying aspects of my dreams, whispering promises of hope, if only I could find her.

Just as I thought the prospect oflosing my mind was higher than I’d previously suspected, I saw someone. A lone woman, traversing the crowd as though she was searching for somebody important. A black and red dress hugged the curves of her figure. The ginger color of her hair reminded me of the morning dawn, bringing the warmth of a long, forgotten sun.

Surrounded by people who paid her no attention, she picked up a flute of wine, tipping the liquid back. Her soft, supple lips caressed the glass. Loose waves kissed her cheeks, having long ago freed themselves from the bun pinned on the nape of her neck. A matching mask concealed her face, but as she turned, brilliant hazel eyes locked with mine.

The world around me became foggy. My mind blanked and my mouth turned dry. All I could do was stare. An intense fire simmered in my stomach, heating parts of me that had long been turned to ice. Gripping the arms of the throne, I watched her watching me. A hand on my shoulder shook me from my reverie and my entire body tensed.

“Your Majesty,” Kaia said quickly, “Lady Eleanor is here.”

I cursed as my sister-in-law stood in front of me, blocking my view, and I stood up quickly, only to find that my mystery woman was no longer there. “Not now, Eleanor.”

There was never a time I wanted to listen to my late brother’s wife prattle on about the lack of an heir and securing her son’s succession, but this moment was especially inconvenient. She spoke, but I couldn’t hear her over my own thoughts as they continued to race through my mind.

“Vareck, are you listening?—”

“Not now,” I barked, causing several guests to turntoward us. She flinched at the rebuke, but I didn’t care. The firmness in my stare was enough for her to pinch her lips and bow her head in respect as she walked away.

“What are you doing, Vareck, you’re making a scene,” Kaia said through a false smile and clenched teeth.

“Black and red dress,” I mumbled, searching for a glimpse of her again, skimming the color of gowns in the crowds.

“Pardon?”

“Her hair . . . like the embers in my hearth . . .” The words were barely audible, only Kaia could hear me. “Her eyes . . . they are like fresh foliage from underneath the snow.”

“What in the netherworld are you talking about?” Kaia whispered harshly. “Stop speaking poetry.”

I grasped Kaia’s shoulders firmly, staring eye to eye. “I found her. She’s here.”

Her lips parted on a gasp. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Cover for me.”

She shook her head, scrunching her features in confusion. “Cover for you? What does that even mean? You’re the king. I can’t ‘cover’ for you,” she whisper-yelled at me while I walked away. “Where are you going?”

“To find her,” I said, heading down the steps and toward the main doors while Kaia cursed behind me. It didn’t matter. I felt . . . free? Almost lightheaded.

---