Page 41 of To Ashes and Dust
“You’re going to be fine,mea luna.”
Was I, though? There was so much to absorb, to memorize. What if I messed something up, or confused one house for another? This meeting could lay the foundation for whatever I was to be as Damien’s mate.
He took my hand. “I don’t expect you to remember everything.”
Of course, he didn’t expect that of me, but I would have him go over the information again. I’d stay up late into the night until I felt I could speak with confidence if I needed to.
“There’s one other thing I should warn you about before we continue.” I tilted my head to look at him as he continued. “Calista’s father sits on The Council. He’s Kyrios of House Nóus.”
My stomach flopped. “Calista told me a little about him.”
“He’ll be the one to watch out for. He’s not particularly fond of me.”
“Yeah, and I’m sure he won’t be fond of me either, since I got in the way of his plans.”
Damien frowned, brows furrowing. “Plans?”
“He’s been trying to get you to take Calista as your mate in my absence.”
His eyes flitted away from me as he tried to process the information. “That would have never happened. Why would he—”
“He hoped that she’d... give you an heir.” My skin tightened at the thought, and the fact I’d never be able to experience that with him.
His fists clenched. “That fucking bastard. Nothing like that ever happened between us. It never would have.”
“Well, he’s refusing to accept Calista’s wishes to be mated to Zephyr because of it.”
Damien sighed. “I expect this meeting is going to be loads of fun.”
“Yer gown is hangin’ oan eh bed, love,” Ethel said as she passed me in the stairwell the following morning. I hadn’t seen Damien yet, and I wondered where he might be.
I frowned. “Gown?”
“Lord Damien brought it back fer ye. A gift from Lady Selene. Ah’ll help ye intae it when yer ready.”
Selene had gifted me a gown? Why?
“Thank you,Mitera.”
She left me in the stairwell to see to her tasks, and I continued to our room.
We’d stayed up late last night going over details of the meeting, and I’d forgotten to set an alarm for myself. By the time Ethel had woken me for breakfast, Damien had already left.
So, that was where he’d been all morning. He’d gone to see Selene, probably to discuss things for the meeting. How did Selene play into it all? I knew Damien answered to her, but it seemed she didn’t directly impose her will on immortal society, leaving them to govern themselves so long as they provided warriors to serve her.
I opened the door to our bedroom and froze in place as my eyes found the gown.Mygown. It was more than I could’ve ever imagined, hanging delicately from the canopy of our bed. As pale and gray as the moon, the chiffon was inlaid with glittering, crystal jasmine flowers, shimmering vines adorning the bodice as they snaked down to the sloping skirts. I’d never worn a gown before, save the one I’d donned the first time I met Selene, but I’d been too shaken to even pay attention to it, let alone enjoy it.
Why would she give me a gown? I didn’t think she even liked me. I hadn’t seen her again after our first meeting. Perhaps something had changed in the months since we’d met. Maybe my training was enough for her to think me worthy of her attention. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
The door opened, and I turned to see Damien enter the room, closing the door behind him. “Selene gave it to me for you to wear. You don’t have to. If you prefer, you could wear your Elythian leathers.”
I looked back at the gown, and I couldn’t deny how stunningly beautiful it was. It was difficult to decide what would be best to wear. If I was to present myself at Damien’s side as his equal, wouldn’t it be better for me to dress the part? “What did I wear in the past?”
“You wore a gown.”
I slid my fingers along the delicate chiffon. It seemed almost poetic if I were to stand up to these... males while wearing it, show them that even in a gown, a woman could be just as fierce as they were, just as deadly. I’d make Calista’s father eat his words, and I could only imagine how it might enrage him.
I let the chiffon slip from my hand as I looked back at him. “Did Selene say anything about the gown?”
