Page 23 of The Light Falls
CHAPTERTEN
MERI
Someone fixed the hallway. But who? I doubt a fire drake would have the kind of magic it would take to restore it. Solandis isn’t aware it happened. Maybe the staff took care of it. Embarrassed but relieved, I swing into my room and stop when I see the very regal Princess of the Light Fae in the tiniest black velvet dress.
I let loose a long whistle.
“Is this too much for a first date?” She turns to me with her lip between her teeth. Reaching down, she tugs at the bottom hem. “I feel like I’m all boobs and legs in this dress.”
Not used to seeing my supremely confident aunt looking unsure of herself, I plop down in the chair behind her and look more closely at the dress. “It depends on your goal. This screams sex. Nothing wrong with that objective. But if you also want to get to know Kaius, I suggest something a little… more.”
“You’re right,” she admits with a sparkle in her eye. “This is completely a second date dress.” Her melodic laugh fills the room.
Crossing over to the rack of clothes she must have brought with her, she whips through them until she finds a deep turquoise silk slip dress. In a blink, she’s standing in front of the mirror, turning side-to-side to look at it from all angles.
The color matches her eyes perfectly. Held up by tiny straps, the maxi dress follows every curve of her body. It’s sexy without being obvious. Until she turns around. Backless, the dress plunges until it hits her butt.
Her confident smile is back. “This is the dress.”
“It certainly covers all the bases. Kaius isn’t going to know what hit him,” I choke out. “Where are you going tonight?”
She lifts a shoulder. “No idea.” Whirling around, she grabs my hand and pulls me into my closet. “I’m sure you haven’t even thought about what to wear to the party tonight, have you?”
I wince. “Lorn said it was casual.”
She laughs. “Casual means something less than court attire.” With her manicured hand, she flips through the dresses in the closet until she finds six or seven that fit her criteria. “It’s your turn.”
She puts them on the rack, then holds them up one at a time for me to view.
I immediately veto the red. Nod yes to the black one. I’m tempted by the dark purple because it matches his eyes, but it’s kind of obvious. I like the gold one with the sheer netting. I nix the pretty mauve one because I wore that color the last time I saw him. But when she holds up a strapless navy dress with delicate silver flowers on it, I know that’s the look I want for tonight.
“I want to try that one on first,” I tell her.
Her eyes narrow, and a second later, I’m wearing the dress. “Kaius told me about the burnout. I couldn’t believe it. You barely use magic. What happened?”
My finger automatically goes to the place behind my ear where the rune used to be. I tell her what Leandra did.
She stiffens in disbelief. “I knew it. Your ability to mimic was always odd to me. I felt like I was missing something.” Her head shakes back and forth. “How could she have left you practically defenseless your entire life? It’s inconceivable.”
“I truly think she despised me because I didn’t give her the revenge she wanted against her lover.” My voice is soft as I state the truth I’ve carried around for so long. “She talked about him all the time, and it wasn’t all hate.”
Solandis’ elegant fingers grip my chin. “No, she should have taken it out on him. Never on you. She has no excuse for the way she treated you.” Her blue eyes implore me to believe her.
Avoiding her gaze, I move over to the mirror to look at the navy dress gracing my body. Strapless and fitted, it skims my body to a mid-calf length, giving me the appearance of height. Over the silk skirt is a sheer overlay with exquisite silver flowers embroidered on it. A high slit on the right keeps it from being too cutesy. “Sophisticated, romantic, and not too sexy. It’s perfect.”
Solandis squeezes my bare shoulders. “You look fabulous.” She places a kiss on my cheek. “I need to go finish getting ready. Are you going to be okay tonight by yourself?”
I nod with a confidence I don’t quite feel. “Absolutely.”
When I head out an hour later, I see Kaius and Solandis leaving in another SUV. She looks positively radiant and maybe a tiny bit nervous. Even with her height and heels, he tops her by at least another three inches. He’s protectively leaning over her, his arm a barrier to the outside world.
I smile wistfully, wanting someone who acts like that around me.
Shaking it off, I glance from Laken’s ice white locks to Tiernan’s messy dark hair. Salt and pepper. Not quite as good as the Neapolitan from the other day, but two is better than one. A snicker escapes, but I cover it up by clearing my throat a few times. Flirting is as natural as breathing, but with the guards off limits, I’ve resorted to bad humor and ice cream.
Stepping into the portal, we arrive in seconds and are immediately greeted by our hosts.
After a quick curtsy, Lady Allandra takes my hands in hers and air kisses my cheeks. “Queen Meri. Stunning and elegant. Thank you for coming. Please make yourself at home.”
