Page 155 of Wings of Ash & Flame
Yet the weight of his hand failed to elicit the same heat as Dawson’s.
And she hated herself for letting her thoughts drift back to him.
He was gods knew where when Caelan was right here.
Dawson would always bend to the whims of the Consortium, to what was expected of him. That much was clear. And that was something she could not—would not—do.
Secrets and lies. That was what Dawson chose to protect.
She would never play by their rules. If the Consortium was conspiring to hide the bloodravagers, there was no telling what else they kept buried. Tonight was about beginning to find out.
If Dawson wanted to keep playing the prodigal son, that was his choice. He’d promised they’d work together to uncover how the bloodravagers breached campus. Yet every time she brought it up, he shut her down.
I’m done doing this his way.
No matter how much he seemed to care.
She swallowed down the memory of him watching over her in the infirmary and focused instead on Elodie’s screams. The piercing cry as Captain Verran dragged her away. Elodie was one of thousands whose fate had been left to the careless whims of the fae.
No. More.
The idea of her and Dawson was nothing more than a fruitless wish on a star. She’d learned the hard way that dreams didn’t come true.
“I couldn’t help but overhear part of your conversation with Dexter earlier.”
“Oh?”
“You’ve made some sort of arrangement with the Consortium?”
“I did,” she said, glancing at the couples spinning around them. Better to let word spread that the Consortium hadoffered her and Solflara protection—it legitimized their position amongst the nobility.
He tucked a loose strand back into her hair clip. “You should know you have options once you complete your education.”
Her head snapped back. Of all the things he could’ve said, that was not what she expected. “Options? I’m not sure what you mean.”
“House Aqualis believes the Consortium could use a… fresh perspective. We could offer you a formal alliance—resources, connections, protection. Support to help reform the system from within.”
Alaire couldn’t ignore the lure of his words. She longed for a fresh start, to leave Cielore and everything else behind.
She treasured the offer for what it was—an olive branch. Potential allies were rare. Forging a connection with House Aqualis was progress.
As the music ended, he bowed and kissed her knuckles. “Thank you for the dance, Alaire. I hope it’s the first of many.”
She watched him walk away, unable to form a reply. Handsome, kind, warm—Caelan was all of it. But she couldn’t help wondering if she was convincing herself to look elsewhere because the one she truly wanted was already out of reach.
She barely caught her breath before another suitor tapped her shoulder.
“Alaire, might I have the next dance?” a familiar voice asked.
She spun with a smile. Archer stood in a deep bow. “Of course.”
Kaia was nowhere to be found.
Archer led her out confidently, moving with effortless poise. His posture was flawless, steps perfectly timed to the rhythm. Candlelight turned his red hair to a rich auburn. His eyes swept the ballroom even as their steps never faltered.
When the song ended, Kaia appeared with a toothy grin. “My turn.” She nudged Archer aside.
“She’s all yours,” he said, eyes glittering at Kaia’s infectious mood.
