Page 205 of Lady for Embers

"Tell me again why we have to do this?” Scarlett called from the dressing room in the princess’s suite.

They had been here since they’d returned from Rydeon. Eliza was still recovering in a guest room on this ?oor. The other Fae all had guest rooms as well, none of them willing to leave while Eliza was here. She was healing though. Cethin’s Healer was as skilled as Beatrix, even with Eliza being one of the worst patients Scarlett had ever witnessed. The female argued about having to rest and stay in bed, scowling whenever Cyrus or Sorin would bring her food. She was slightly more civil with Rayner, but that wasn’t saying much.

Scarlett had spent the better part of the last few days propped up beside her in her bed, which is why she knew that when Razik brought her food, she didn’t complain about it. She just ignored him, as if he were invisible. Not that Razik said much either when he visited. Scarlett hadn’t been brave enough to ask her about it yet. Eliza might be healing, but she was still terrifying. Scarlett did not want to provoke her in any shape or form.

Sorin had told her about Beatrix the day after Rydeon, speaking quietly across the pillow while they’d lain in bed that morning. She’d seen the grief of losing her, but it was more than that. He was struggling. She knew it had to do with losing his power, ?guring out what that meant for him as a prince, as a king, as a twin ?ame. She’d felt it down the bond. Felt his uncertainty and trepidation. Felt his hopelessness. She wanted to soothe it away, but didn’t know how. All her spare time was spent trying to ?nd an answer to this, but spare time was something she had very little of thesedays. She knew Cyrus was looking into it too, but his research was as fruitless as her own. At least his research had turned up hidden Rydeon heirs that had aided in bringing down the magical wards. It only rankled her a little bit that he had discovered that instead of her. And that he had been right about Queen Octavia being their mother and not their aunt.

What Beatrix had told Sorin had explained quite a few things, particularly learning that Sybil had been working with Alaric. Callan hadn’t said much about killing the Witch, but he had told her what she had said. That Sybil had told Alaric of Eliné’s plans to ?ee with her and Nuri and Juliette. That Sybil had aided Veda in luring Tava to the slums and hired people to abduct her. That Sybil’s spying and reporting back to Alaric had resulted in so much pain and heartache for so many. Juliette had loved her mother, had asked Scarlett to tell her as much when she had been dying in her lap. She wondered when she had stopped. When she became the Oracle? Did she see her true colors then? Whenever it had happened, there was nothing but contempt when Juliette had spoken to Sybil in the Necropolis.

“You know why this is happening, my Love,” Sorin called back from the bedchamber. “But if you do not hurry, we are going to be late.”

She was nervous. So godsdamn nervous.

She ran her hands down the sides of her dress, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles. She hadn’t told Sorin about it. She knew he was wearing the same black pants and jacket he’d worn when Beatrix had Anointed their twin ?ame bond. When Cethin had told her this was happening, she had snuck away into Aimonway with Kailia, who had taken her to the best seamstress in the city.

The back of the dress was open, dipping low like the red one he favored so much. Sheer, full-length sleeves were intricately embroidered with silver thread to create the illusion of ?ames that matched the threading on his jacket. The bodice was ?tted with a wide neckline, and the gown went to the ?oor, draping around her hips and legs. Thousands of silver beads were sewn to the ?owing skirts that shimmered like starlight when she moved. A small train dragged behind her that was going to be a pain in her ass when they danced, but the beading made it worth it. The dress was stunning and well worth the money she’d paid the woman to make it in three short days.

Her silver hair was curled and pinned up off her neck, her crown nestled among the curls on her head. She wore silver slippers on her feet with extra grip on the bottom, because if they were doing this, she was damn well going to enjoy herself, which included dancing as much as possible.

She swallowed, not sure why her heart was ?uttering so fast. Probably because the last time she’d seen Sorin in the ensemble he was wearing, she’d literally been speechless.

“Love, we need to go,” he called again. “You are kind of the reason for this ball, you know.”

“I know, I know,” she muttered, taking one last look in the mirror. She sucked in a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and stepped out of the dressing room. Sorin was ?ddling with something by the bed, but when he heard her approach, he turned. Golden eyes swept over her.

Once. Twice. Three times.

“Are you going to say anything?”

He shook his head, twirling his ?nger in a motion telling her to turn around. She slowly spun, looking over her shoulder when her back was to him.

Watched his eyes trace the dip.

“Seriously, Sorin. You need to say something. Is it too much?”

“I am not saying anything, Scarlett, because there are no words to adequately describe how stunning you are. To try to ?nd them would be an impossible task.”

His voice was low and rough, and she turned back to him, her lips lifting in a small, soft smile. “But is it truly all right? Because Kailia said it wouldn’t be too much and—”

She was cut off. He’d crossed the room to her while she’d been speaking, and his lips landed on hers, silencing her rambling. His tongue slipped in at her surprised gasp, his hand coming up to grip the back of her neck and hold her to him. The ?ngers of his other hand slid down her spine, slow and sensual, then traced the back of the dress on his way back up. Her stomach dipped, heat pooling in her belly, and she gripped his jacket in her ?sts.

He pulled back ?rst, speaking onto her lips in a low rumble. “The dress is perfect, my Love. The dress is perfect. You are ­perfect.”

“We already knew that,” she murmured back, ?ngers sliding along his jaw.

He chuckled low in his throat. “That tongue of yours will be perfect for other things this evening too.” His thumb brushed across her bottom lip, and her tongue darted out to lick the pad of it. He groaned. “Now you are teasing me, Love.”

“Never. Just a preview of what’s to come.”

He brushed his lips over hers once more before he said, “We are also perfectly late.”

She sighed. “Let’s go.”

His hand came to her lower back, ushering her out of the bedchamber to the main doors of their suite, but she held up her hand before he opened the door. A crown of ?ames appeared atop his brow. She’d be able to keep it burning all night without a problem. She hadn’t asked him about his reserves since they’d returned and he’d re?lled her own. She hadn’t asked Cethin either.

Tomorrow.

She’d worry about that tomorrow.

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