Page 84 of All the Pain of Promises
“I’m sure he’ll be along soon enough.” Sarelle’s soft encouragement did little to ease Narissa’s growing frustration. “Would you like me to travel with you in his stead?”
The massive doors to the grand hall groaned open just as two ashen gray winged Eponians touched down on the cobblestone drive. The sound of their hooves echoed across the smooth stone, and though the carriage they pulled was svelte black with gilded edging, it was the skies beyond that drew Narissa’s eye.
Dense winter clouds blanketed the sky, shrouding the tops of the mountains in the distance. A howling wind whipped through the trees, the whisper of their branches a harsh cry against her ears.
Narissa’s heart plummeted into her stomach.
Shehatedflying.
“Narissa?” Sarelle asked again, stepping into her line of vision, the blue of her eyes filled with concern. “Would you like me to go with you?”
“No, I wouldn’t want to trouble you.” Narissa adjusted the pin of her fur-lined cloak, fastening it at the base of her throat. “It’s only Lady Aria. It will be a quick trip for tea, nothing more.”
She’d had just enough dreamshade to concoct a sleeping draught last night since her personal box of potions had yet to be found. It would have been easier to give Lady Aria one from her own collection since her supply of dreamshade was dwindling. The dose she crafted last night was less than what she usually made, but given the circumstances, it would have to do.
“If you’re certain.” Sarelle dropped into a small curtsy, her indigo skirts fanning out around her. “I shall be waiting for your return. And I will be certain to reprimand my brother for his abhorrent behavior.”
Narissa offered her a pleasant but tight smile. “You’re a gem.”
She left and did not look back, carrying herself out of House Celestine like a lady whose husband had not just trampled across her heart.
Straightening her spine and lifting her chin to disguise the swell of fear pressing down upon her chest, Narissa took the driver’s proffered hand and stepped into the waiting carriage. She sank onto the cushioned bench, tucking the edges of her cloak around her for warmth. The minute the door closed behind her, Narissa’s glossy composure failed.
She rolled her lips, clamping them together to keep the threat of tears at bay.
There was nowhere to keep the damning pearls that would inevitably fall, and Solarius wasn’t there to catch them.
The past few days replayed in her mind, and she analyzed every second, every conversation, determined to figure out how she could have possibly gotten it so wrong. How could she have been so mistaken? As of late, Solarius’s actions aligned with the idea of loving her, of protecting her. Surely he hadn’t changedhis mind. After all, he’d been intent on accompanying her. They both knew the chances were slim, but there was always the hazard of running into Calfair, especially considering Narissa would be in the city center of Galefell.
She chided herself for being so forgiving, for being too willing to accept him and his flaws.
Her life was far less complicated when she hated Solarius. When she assumed no good would ever come of their union. And perhaps she’d been right.
Too often he’d not held true to his word, and too often she believed each time would be different from the last. For not the first time, he’d chosen something else over her. Solarius continued to make decisions and live his life without fear of repercussions, while she was left with all the pain of his promises.
Narissa sniffled, squeezing her eyes shut, holding her own hands tight in her lap to keep from crying.
She would not waste any more tears—or pearls—on him.
He at least could have had the decency to tell her he wouldn’t make it, instead of making her look so foolish for waiting for him.
To make matters worse, the flight to House Galefell was horrifying.
While Narissa told herself she had complete faith in her carriage driver, her body’s reaction told her she was one more patch of bumpy air away from plummeting to her doom. Just like her parents.
The coach jostled through the heavy clouds, each rise and fall on the currents sent Narissa’s pulse racing. Sometimes it felt as though her heart was stuck in the back of her throat, other times it seemed like it dropped into the pit of her stomach. She gripped the sleeve of her cloak in her hands, twisting the fabric between her damp palms. Every inhale was pained, a sweeping agonythrough her lungs that gave her pause, made her question if this was the perilous, helpless feeling her parents suffered before their carriage tumbled from the sky. It had been years since their tragic death, and though she could mostly recall their faces, the edges were blurred and the sound of their voices had long since faded from her memory.
Though she missed them fiercely, and often, she was not quite ready to join them among the stars.
Eventually, the thick embankment of clouds dispersed and the skies opened to reveal slivers of icy blue pierced by golden sunlight.
Narissa’s breathing calmed. Her heart settled. And by the time the coach touched down on the wide landing streets outside of Galefell, she no longer felt as though she was waiting for death to claim her. Though apparently how she felt was nothing compared to how she looked, considering Lady Aria’s amber gaze widened in shock the moment Narissa walked into the bustling cafe.
“Lady Narissa,” she breathed, placing a hand to Narissa’s clammy cheek when she sat down across from her, “are you quite well? You look as though you might be ill.”
“It was a rough carriage ride from House Celestine.” She tucked a few fraying waves of hair behind her ear and took another deep, centering breath. “The winds were rather vicious today.”
“Here.” Lady Aria handed her a pale pink confection that resembled a fluffy cloud topped with a glazed berry. “I find that sweets often settle my nerves better than any tonic.”
