Page 87 of Queen of Fire

Calliope stood from the table, holding Caliara tightly to her chest and nodding her head towards the doors. Fionnuala nodded, pushing herself up from her own chairand slipping her hand onto the bottom of Calliope’s back, guiding her through the drunken bodies and out of the noisy room.

A chair scraping next to me pulled me back to my own table, and I turned my head to see Kira flopping down into the chair next to me, exhaustion written on her features.

“Are you finally done?” I asked, smirking at her as she let her head fall back with a groan, her heavy eyes looking over at me and catching me off guard.

“Yes, I think so.” She smiled, and I knew I had had too much to drink when I started to swirl in the pools of green in her eyes. I jolted back, shaking myself away from the feeling.

“Alright, we’ll make our departure then?” I stood up, pulling my suit jacket off the back of my chair and holding my hand out for her to take. She nodded, slipping her fingers into mine and letting me help her up from her chair, a woozy smile on her face as she swayed on the spot.

Very few people saw us leaving, if anyone at all.

44

Kira

Cyrus led us back to the royal suite at the top of the castle.

I had to stop a few times, my legs aching and my head hurting, both from not being fully better and the sheer weight of my dress and hair. Thankfully, no one stopped us as we left the ballroom, and anyone who did see us in the hall did not seem to want to bother us, probably thinking they knew what we were going to do.

I wished it was as simple as that.

As Cyrus closed the royal suite doors behind me, I let out a heavy breath, hoping it came off as exhaustion rather than anxiety. Cyrus did not seem to notice either way, and as I turned to face him, I found him standing against the door, his head tilted back and his eyes on the ceiling.

“This was my parents’ room,” He said slowly, lowering his head and looking at me through bloodshot eyes. I nodded my head, smiling at him lightly. “I was never allowed in here as a child.”

“I wasn’t allowed in my parents’ room either.” I laughed, shaking my head at the strange synchronicity. Cyrus let out a short laugh, only blowing a breath out through his nose as he looked me over.

“I’ve always wondered why my father chose you.” He tipped his head to the side, and suddenly, I felt extremely unsafe. I wished I had let Maeteo or Tarian know we were leaving, had them trail us to the room in case something happened.

I stepped forward slightly, hoping it came off as nonchalance, and shrugged my shoulders.

“I wondered the same thing.” I smiled at him, moving until I was right in front of him. The dagger at my thigh felt heavier than it had all evening, and I fought the itch in my fingers to reach down for it. “Now, come, I need you to help me out of this dress.”

Cyrus laughed, nodding his head, and pushing himself off the door, following me through the living area and into the bedroom. It had been cleaned since I left here this afternoon, which knocked me for a second. The dust that had covered every surface of the counters and chests was gone, and the candles had been replaced with fresh ones. Someone knew I was going to the reception, and they could have told Cyrus. His shock could have been totallyfeigned, and I tensed my shoulders as he came up behind me, his breath heavy on the back of my neck.

I scooped my hair into one hand, pulling it over my shoulder so he could reach the buttons on the back of my dress. I had not had the time to bring up the small hook Rosa had given me to do it myself, so this was the only option. I held my breath as Cyrus’s hands skimmed my skin, button after button coming undone as he slowly worked his way down. He ran his fingers along the very base of my spine, and I shivered, goose pimples rising on every inch of my skin.

As the dress fell loose at the front, I slipped my arms out of the sleeves and held it up at the chest, turning to face Cyrus with a shy smile on my face.

“Thank you, I can do it from here.” I smiled, and Cyrus lifted an eyebrow, his hair falling into his face.

“I will have to see you eventually, you know.” He smirked, “If we are to have heirs.”

I could not help the short, sharp laugh that fell from my lips, and Cyrus frowned at the suddenness of it.

“Sorry, sorry.” I giggled, placing a hand on his chest, and using the other to still hold my dress up. Cyrus’s eyes wandered my arm, tracing over the burns of our joining with his fingers. “I… Not tonight. I need some time, still.”

Cyrus stared at me for a second, before he nodded hishead, turning on his heel and leaving the room.

“Let me know when you are ready,” He called over his shoulder, looking back at me and letting his eyes run over my body one more time. I nodded my head, waiting until I heard the heavy bathroom door closed before I took a real breath.

Hurriedly, I slid my dress down the rest of my body, cursing slightly when it got caught on the dagger at my thigh and ripped slightly. Rosa would kill me, but I did not care at that moment in time. I lifted it onto the top of the chest of drawers, pulling at my crown and ripping it out of my hair, several pins alongside it, and yelping in pain quietly.

I grabbed the dagger from my thigh, dashing across the room as fast as I could and opening the drawer in one bed side table, slipping the dagger inside and closing it as quietly as possible, gritting my teeth as the runners creaked with years of disuse.

The bathroom door opened, and I cursed to myself, jogging back to the chest of drawers and pulling out a pink, satin nightgown. It barely covered my thighs, but it would have to do.

Pausing for a minute after I slipped it on, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. The nightdress clung to me like a glove, and I tilted my head at my reflection. Only recently had I started to see myself as attractive, and the way my waist curved under the satin material was enough for me to mentally high-five myself.

---