Page 55 of All the Chaos of Constellations
Cyra stumbled to a stop and Asher almost plowed into her, hauling himself back before knocking his sister over.
There was Novalise, seated on the burgundy sofa in their sitting room. Her legs were tucked underneath her, and an open book was in her lap. Not just any book, he realized. One of his books. A storybook. The same one he’d read to Cyra when she couldn’t sleep at night.
“I’ve never heard of this story before.” Novalise’s voice was soft as her fingers lightly skimmed the first few pages.
“It’s one of my favorites.” Cyra glanced pointedly in Asher’s direction. “My brother knows it by heart, don’t you, Asher?”
“Ah…” Asher shoved his spectacles into the pocket of his pants, shifting his weight from one foot to the other beneath Novalise’s steady gaze. “Yes. I do.”
“Will you tell it to me?” she asked, her eyes darting anxiously to the window, where the skies continued to darken.
“Of course he will,” Cyra responded for him, setting down the bags she carried. She dropped onto the cushion next to Novalise, a daring smile painting her face. “Won’t you, Asher? There’s plenty of time before dinner.”
There was no escaping them.
“Very well.” Asher spread his palms open and two glasses of red wine appeared. He handed one to Novalise and the other to his sister, then he moved to the gilded cart in the corner of the room where a variety of liquors were stored. He poured himself a shot of whiskey and downed it in one gulp, savoring the burn. “Once upon a time, before there was life, before any being of this world took their first breath, the Mother Goddess created both the day and the night. But when the beauty of twilight stole across the skies and nightfall blanketed the land, she thought the world was too dark. Too lonely without the light.”
He ran his thumb along the rim of his glass and walked in a slow circle as he wove his words together.
“To remedy this, she collected the darkest waters, the cresting waves, the currents and tides. She used frostfire to freeze the sea and create a glowing light for when darkness fell. The Mother Goddess hung the midnight sun high in the night sky, but it was too heavy to remain in the heavens.” He swallowed as Novalise watched him, thoroughly enchanted. “The midnight sun fell, shattering into thousands of pieces that became the stars and with the largest fragments she could find, the Mother Goddess forged the moon.”
“Asher…” Novalise sighed, his name a whisper between her lips. “That was wonderful.”
He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “It’s only a story.”
“Is it?” Cyra pinned him with a hard stare, the weight of her words settling around them like a challenge.
“I picked out the wines for the Firelight Festival,” Novalise said abruptly, cutting through the strained tension. She closed the book and stood, her pale purple gown gliding around her like a waterfall of satin. “One of your servants helped me bring them upstairs. Oh, and don’t worry. The mess was cleaned up as well.”
Cyra’s cheeks flamed, appalled. “What mess?”
“Nothing,” Asher interjected quickly. “It was an accident.”
“Oh?” His sister’s eyebrow quirked, the annoyance in her eyes flashing to amusement.
Novalise smiled, demure as ever. “Not that kind of accident.”
Cyra laughed and stood. “I don’t know about the two of you, but I’m famished.” Her gaze snagged on Novalise. “Do you want to change before dinner?”
“I didn’t bring another dress.” Novalise dipped her head, stiffening when the howl of the wind echoed outside of the house, causing the rooftop spires to groan.
“That’s nothing a little glamour can’t fix.” Cyra cocked one hip to the side and crossed her arms, a scheming smile turning up the corner of her mouth.
“It’s fine, really. I don’t mind wearing my day dress.” Novalise took a step back, bumping right into the sofa. “I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense. You’re not imposing at all.” Cyra looked downright conspiratorial. “Is she, Asher?”
“Not at all,” he agreed, keeping his expression neutral.
“I really don’t think—” Novalise’s voice trailed off as Cyra’s magic danced around her in a cloying cloud of shimmering smoke.
The scent of amber, apples, and sandalwood hung heavy in the air, causing Asher’s eyes to water, and when the mist finally cleared, it was all he could do to keep his jaw from hitting the floor.
It was still Novalise, but instead of moonstone and stars, she was rubies and fire. Scarlet satin draped from her shoulders, the front of the dress cutting down all the way to her navel. The smooth fabric wrapped around her like a vise, hugging each of her curves. Black diamonds lined the hem of the slit that rose to her hip, but the scrap of black lace clinging to her thigh was enough to cause all the blood to drain from his head and pump straight to his cock. Her lavender hair was unbound, the silken tresses falling to almost her waist, showcasing tiny crimson and gold charms. He hadn’t realized her hair was so long, or that when dressed in red, her eyes sparkled like silver flames. Magic thrummed between them, the bond carefully winding its way around his heart, coaxing him to take one step forward. Then another.
Seconds passed, maybe minutes. He couldn’t be sure. He didn’t know, didn’t care. But he was standing in front of Novalise and she was staring up at him, her lips painted a deep, sinful red. It was a shade that reminded him of illicit fantasies, like her mouth taking every inch of his cock, and all he could see were those fucking perfect red lips.
Her audible gasp jerked him from his daydreams, rooting him back in place.
