Page 63 of All the Chaos of Constellations
A beat of silence passed between them, while Cyra’s smile only widened.
“What were you looking for, Cyra?” Asher asked, deterring his sister. He kept his tone surprisingly even, nonplussed by the idea that she’d walked in on their shared moment of intimacy.
“Oh, um, I needed something for the Firelight Festival. But I’ll find it on my own.” She waved, backing out the door. “You two just…carry on.”
Once Cyra soundly shut the door behind her, Novalise finished her tea. “I should go.”
Asher rose to his feet, offering her his hand. She accepted, and he pulled her up so she was flush against him. Standing so close to him caused her heart to flutter. Her blood to rush. Her thoughts to empty. It was impossible to remember what to say, how to act, what to do.
“We can prepare for the star reading to find thevirdis lepatiteat your convenience.” Novalise flinched. She sounded so formal. So dull and droll.
“After the Firelight Festival then?” His hands moved to her waist, brushing up and down the soft material of his shirt. Each motion caused the hem to inch higher. The heat of his touch burned through the fabric, scorching her skin. Tantalizing warmth pooled low in her belly, pulsing, filling her with need.
She clenched, unsure how to say goodbye.
A curtsy was too absurd. But a kiss could be seen as a gesture of affection, one Asher might not be willing to return. She supposed she could hug him, a fairly neutral deed.
“You could start,” Asher said, his voice low and tempting, “by putting on something less revealing. I might be on friendly terms with Ariesian now, but I have no doubt he’d come for me if I sent you home in nothing but one of my shirts.”
A flush crept up Novalise’s neck, bleeding into her cheeks.
She quickly glamoured herself a dress, nothing fancy. Just a simple gown of ivory cotton and embroidered silver stars.
“And what of my purple dress?” she asked, twisting her hair into a thick braid. “It is my favorite, after all.”
“I’ll have it cleaned and placed in my room for safekeeping.” He hooked a finger under her chin, angling her face up to his own. “Should you decide to stay again.”
Excitement bubbled inside of her, like a hundred butterflies fluttering wildly.
Asher’s lips brushed over hers. Once. Twice.
For the first time, walking away from him didn’t hurt so badly. For the first time, Novalise thought her plan might actually work.
The entire carriage ride home, she kept two fingers pressed to her mouth, savoring the feel of him.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Novalise’s gaze darted around the gardens of House Celestine and to the edge of the mountain cliffs.
There was no sign of a dragon.
She steeled her spine into place, clasped her hands in front of her to keep herself from fidgeting, and strode into the foyer of her home. Head held high, she smiled politely and nodded in kind, but she was absolutely certain that every servant she passed knew she hadn’t slept in her own bed last night.
Which was fine.
Completely acceptable, actually.
So what if she’d stayed with Asher last night? Plenty of other respectable ladies had lovers, some had more than one. They weren’t expected to be prudes or chaste, yet no matter how many times she told herself her actions were justifiable, she couldn’t keep the warmth from her cheeks. It was one thing to be discreet in such matters, it was something else altogether if her entire household knew about her dalliances.
She aimed for the staircase on the right that would lead her straight to the safety of her bedroom, when a door swung open from the far wing, and Solarius sauntered into the grand hall. His silver hair was pulled into a knot on the top of his head, the black tips sticking out in all directions. The tie he wore hung loose around his neck and the sleeves of his shirt were haphazardly rolled, as though done so in haste. His pants were terribly wrinkled, and he strode toward her with a crooked smile on his face. From the looks of it, he didn’t sleep in his own bed last night either.
“Good morning, darling sister.” He slung a casual arm around her shoulders and winked. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
Novalise grinned, leaning into him. “Deal.”
“Okay, if anyone asks, I was in town playing a few rounds of crystal spades.” They climbed the stairs together, and his gaze darted up and down the hall. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I lost too much money, drank too much wine, and fell asleep on the side of the road while trying to make it back up the mountain.”
Novalise looked up at him sharply as they reached the threshold of the hallway. “Is any of that true?”
