Page 95 of A Storm of Fire and Ash
Kalista’s jaw dropped. She grinned as her eyes flicked from Zayn’s half-dressed form to mine. “Well… damn.”
Zayn cleared his throat. “No need to leave. I was just leaving.” He smirked at me—cocky, wicked, devastating.
Fuck me,I thought.
He froze. His back was turned to me.
“I plan on it,”his voice echoed… not aloud. In my head, leaving me speechless.
He nodded to the girls as he walked out. “Ladies.”
Kalista turned on me like a storm.
“Oh my gods, Elara! First the Prince and now… The prince’s guard?! Really?! You lucky bitch!”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Yara stepped forward gently. “Alright, enough brooding and blushing. Elara, why don’t you go freshen up? Kalista and I will get you ready for tonight.”
Kalista rolled her eyes. “You make her sound like a meal waiting to be feasted on.”
I smirked. “Oh, I plan on exactly that.”
Kalista squealed.
Yara gasped. I kissed the top of her head and slipped into the bathroom.
After splashing icy cold water on my face, I gazed into the mirror and couldn’t help but smile. I lightly traced my lips, still aflame with the lingering sweetness of Zayn’s kiss and his words. Dragonic. Elementara Fae. Peach. Mine. Gods, all I wanted right now was Zayn. He was like a drug, coursing through my veins with every fleeting glance and lingering touch. The way his fingers brushed against my skin sent electric shocks through my body, igniting a fire that blazed deep within me. Every time he touched my skin, it was like a knife to my soul, sharp and intoxicating, carving out space for longing and desire. He was like a magnetic pull that left my heart racing and my breath catching. I ran a brushthrough my hair, each stroke grounding me as my heart raced with the memory. Then, taking a deep breath to steady myself, I turned and made my way back into the room.
“I told her not to open it!” Yara said, eyeing Kalista.
Kalista held up a black dress—stunning and sinful. “He left you a note,” she said with a smirk.
I snatched the parchment and read.
Peach,
Wear this tonight.
Let them wear snow and frost. You were forged in fire.
Let them see you—not the version that makes them comfortable, but the one that survived.
The one with the scars.
I’ll be in black too.
—Z
I bit my lip to stifle my smile.
Clutching the note to my chest, I slipped into the bathroom. I tucked it inside my breast leathers, close to my heart. Then I stripped off my clothes and slipped on my robe.
When I returned, Yara pointed to the chair. “Sit.”
“I’ll do her makeup,” Kalista said. “She needs to look like a goddess of Hel—not some fragile princess.”
Were we…friends?
