Page 73 of Fortress of Ambrose
“Lie down here, please,” Ube says. Erla backs away from the counter and stands against the wall, rigid.
“Erla, make yourself useful or leave,” Zecky orders, and she barrels out the door. I stand beside the table he’s asked me to lie down on.
“We need to see how the magic in your body is moving,” Ube says.
“Zecky’s seen all that.”
“We need a fresh picture since the recent healing. It should only take a minute.”
“Ube, check on your sister,” Zecky commands, inspecting the diadem before setting it back on the counter. “I’ll help him relax.”
When the door closes, I climb onto the exam table and lie flat on my back. Cold thrashes inside me.This is a mistake.
I try to sit up.
But I can’t move.
Twenty-Nine
Yagrin
Yagrin lay in bed all night, tossing and turning. When he finally drifted off, he dreamed he fell asleep beside Nore but woke up the next morning to her bones. When he climbed out of bed, he stepped onto his deck and stretched. Nore was already grazing a tray of fresh fruit and in discussions with a Vestiser. She didn’t even look his way. He felt sick for hurting her.
“You’re awake finally.” His Vestiser appeared out of nowhere and ushered him back inside.
When he had his style for the evening picked out, his wardrobe maker shifted him a casual pair of slacks and a crew neck to wear that day. He dressed and hurried out to the latched gate to wait for Nore. But he waited and waited until he realized she’d gone to breakfast without him.I deserve that.If he was more like his brother, he’d have been more restrained developing feelings for someone.
But her mind wasbeautiful. Listening to her talk and watching her think inspired him. It felt so easy with her, as if he’d known her a lifetime. He’d never felt this way about anyone other than Red. Nore was like her but different. It was hard to explain. He lost his appetite, climbed the deck of his small house, and buried himself back under the covers.
When evening came Yagrin awoke tangled in his covers. The sky outside was dim. He’d slept through most of the day. When he sat up in bed, his gaze snapped to the small house across the way. His heart pattered inhis chest when he saw Nore curled up on her bed, reading. He craned for a better view of what she’d been doing. He’d spent every day with her the last several weeks. It was strange to justnottalk with her at all. Feelings aside, weren’t they a team?
He rose from his bed and stood in the window. She didn’t look up. He had a sneaking suspicion she could feel him watching, but he turned his attention to the evening ahead, showering and pulling on his dark suit. He polished his mask in the mirror, trying very hard not to look across the way at her. He checked his watch, and at a quarter to seven, he stepped out on the deck and returned to the latched gate. She wouldn’t leave him tonight. She wouldn’t risk their plan. They’d agreed they had roles to play to get in the good graces of Oralia and find their piece of the Scroll.
He heard her before he saw her, heels clacking on the garden pavers. When he turned, the sight of her took his breath away. She wore a dark green gown with a simple silver headband on her head, reminiscent of an Ambrose diadem. Her long red hair was swept up into an ornate style. Her face was made up in soft natural colors that looked like she wasn’t wearing anything on her face at all. He gaped, the closer she came. The beading on her gown was intricately woven with gems that sparkled brilliantly in the moonlight. The neckline plunged down her torso, revealing a gold pattern that was hand-painted onto her skin.
He tried to find words, but none of them seemed adequate to describe how beautiful she was. He unlatched the gate, and she walked through. The back of her gown was a mirror to the front, continuing the ornate detail and body paint. A gold comb was tucked into her hair, and from it hung shimmery emeralds. He opened the car door for her, but before he could find words, she slid inside and pulled the door closed.
The scent of her filled the car, and it felt like fire on his skin. She looked at him. Despite her make-up, her eyes were slightly puffy from a night of crying. His heart fractured against his ribs. Nore deserved better.
He opened his mouth to speak but thought of Red. It had been so long since he’d seen her, held her, spoke with her. And there was Nore, in the flesh, only inches away, with a strong heartbeat in her chest. Maybeit was better this way. He liked her. And she really liked him. His heart twisted. HelovedRed desperately. Their moments together were stars on the darkest of nights.
As long as Red was a possibility, Nore couldn’t be.
He closed his mouth and stared out the window. They rode to the main house in silence. Tonight they had a role to play, and if they succeeded, he’d have the Scroll and he wouldn’t have to fight these feelings anymore. He had to go through with taking the Scroll for himself. He owed that to Red, whose life was stolen too early because of him.
Maybe he could figure out another way to help Nore avoid becoming Headmistress. Maybe he could still kidnap Isla or take on Ellery himself. He didn’t want to leave her without any options, but he wasn’t ready to give up on his plans either.
When they stepped out of the car, the melody of a piano beckoned them to a rotunda. This one was as beautiful as Corporeal House. The event was decked out in towering floral displays, sleek chandeliers, linens, sashes, painted sculptures, and more, all in an explosion of rich, deep colors. Aerial silk dancers hung from the ceilings, and ballerinas performed to music on raised platforms all over the rotunda. Everywhere was art. He caught Nore smiling. He smiled, too.
A few guests lingered on the fringe of the room, chattering and sipping. But a dozen couples danced in the center. Eyes followed them as they entered the gala. And he couldn’t blame them. Nore was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. His heart thrummed. This was their moment.
He held out his hand. “Shall we?”
She met his eyes for the first time that night, slipping her fingers into his. “I hope you’re a good dancer,” she said.
“You’re about to find out.” In truth, he hated dancing. Of course he was good at it. The way he was raised left him no choice. He was skilled in all social graces. He just didn’t care for them very much. But tonight he would dance better than he ever had. They would sell this act. And the pain he was causing Nore would be done. He still had Ellery to dealwith, but he had ideas about how to pull that off if worse came to worst. He lifted his chin and led with his left foot.
The music took him. It had been so long since he’d danced. He moved with the melody, holding the steps a bit longer than the box step called for. And she followed his every movement without missing a beat. He pulled her closer to him, his arm tight around her waist. She fit against him, in his arms, just right. Like she belonged there. She swayed with his movement. Backward. Forward. Then they turned as if they were one.
