Page 65 of All the Pain of Promises
“As long as you’d like,” Solarius murmured, his voice a balm to her soul.
“For a while, I believe.” Narissa finally took a bite of her honeyed cakes that had now grown cold.
Sarelle beamed, and the brilliance of her smile was near blinding. “Lovely! I’ve missed your company.”
Again, Solarius squeezed Narissa’s thigh, his touch now becoming a comfort.
“You have?” Narissa regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. They sounded disbelieving and uncertain. They made her appear timid and doubtful.
“Of course!” Sarelle didn’t seem to notice. Instead, her bubbly, if not slightly quirky, personality only seemed to shine even more. “We are going to have the best time now that you’re here. It will be as though we’re proper sisters.”
Narissa ducked her head. “You already have sisters.”
“But you do not. Besides, we’re all quite keen to have another female around.” Sarelle licked the last of her pudding off her spoon and stood from the table. “I hate to leave so soon,especially after the absolute catastrophe that was breakfast, but I do have some errands to run before the ball tonight.”
Now it was Solarius’s turn to choke. He coughed hard, and Narissa patted him roughly on the back.
“Ball?” he rasped.
“Sol…” Sarelle’s shoulders dropped, and she rolled her eyes to the decadent chandelier above. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten? It’s Winter Solstice.”
Solarius’s head tipped back, and he rubbed at his temples. “It slipped my mind.”
Whereas he seemed mildly perturbed about the matter, Narissa was attempting to disguise her growing dread. She had nothing to wear for House Celestine’s yearly Yuletide Ball. All she had in her possession was the day dress she borrowed from Sarelle.
“All of my belongings are at House Azurvend.” She worried her bottom lip. It was one thing to not be noticed at balls and dances, it was something else altogether to be entirely underdressed for the occasion.
“Come with me to Celestine! We can go shopping and find you a dress for tonight.” Sarelle’s deep blue eyes glittered with excitement. “I was going to purchase new gloves, anyway.”
Solarius grabbed Narissa’s hand and pressed a kiss to each of her knuckles. “Go shopping, Rissa love. I need to speak with Ariesian.”
Narissa stood, but then Solarius caught her by the elbow and dragged his lips over her ear. “Purchase another pair of those stockings for me while you’re out.”
Her cheeks heated. “Yes, my lord.”
Sarelle grabbed Narissa’s hand and linked their arms together. “Don’t worry, dear brother. I shall take good care of your lovely wife.”
“See that you do.”
“So,” Sarelle whispered conspiratorially as they exited the dining hall. “What color stockings are you going to buy?”
An unexpected bubble of laughter escaped Narissa, and when she tossed a glance over her shoulder, she found Solarius watching her, a well of longing harbored in the depths of his silver eyes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Solarius lounged on the sofa across from Ariesian’s desk. He stretched his legs out before him, crossing one ankle over the other, with his arm strewn across the stack of plush pillows. Faerie fire glowed in the hearth, and though the air was warm, the atmosphere was cold. He’d remained seated across from his brother for a solid twenty minutes, and not a single word had been said.
Ariesian was in a foul mood.
He had the heels of his boots propped up on his desk, and the scowl he wore at breakfast had only deepened. In one hand, he cradled the Celestinian Wayfinder, the astrolabe given to him by their father. It spun and whirred, a sphere of glittery stars and the whole of the night sky.
Finally, Solarius spoke.
“He’ll come around, Aries.”
Then again, Nyxian was notorious for having a stubborn streak.
Ariesian spared him a glance but said nothing. He focused on the astrolabe, on the bursts of stardust sparking inside of it, on its ethereal structure. His brows drew together in a severe line, and he set the astrolabe on its stand where it floated and twirledbefore leaning back in his chair. It groaned beneath his weight, the wood creaking lightly, and Ariesian folded his arms across his chest.
