Page 23 of Behind Amber Eyes

Over the next few days, I don’t hear anything from Arman. I know I could go without his direction, but part of me is worried that he wouldn’t show. When a week passes, I try to put Arman on the backburner and focus on my relationship with Elliot.

We end up having a lovely evening the following week with the other couples from the partner dinner. Everyone is super friendly, and hearing how their love has grown over these weeks makes me feel hopeful for the future. Maria’s sister, Lyla, spent the majority of the night gushing over her new niece, causing me to fill with joy for Caleb. The small party does wonders for Elliot and me, because it prompts us to finally start our binding ceremony planning.

Another perk of being the daughter of a high-ranking official means that we can choose any site in the Society for the event, and Elliot and I agree on the garden of the Top Elder’s home. It is truly one of the most beautiful sites in all of the Society, so it was a no brainer.

My family is thrilled by the choice, of course, and my mother, sister, and I make an appointment at Suzana’s for next month to find my dress. Anita attempted to get us an earlier appointment, but this late into binding ceremony season, it was a miracle she could get us in at all. A perk of having a tailor for a sister, I suppose.

Life seems to finally be going in the right direction. So much so, that I feel like I am truly beginning to put Arman in the past, my curiosity at his absence diminishing with time. Of course, I still wonder from time to time, that feeling still present deep in my gut at his absence, but it becomes easier to live with. That’s why, when I notice a note on my pillow after an outing with my friends, I feel like I’ve been kicked in the stomach.

I move slowly to my bed and gingerly pick up the paper.

Meet me tonight at our spot.

We’ll enjoy a night on the town, and then I promise to tell you everything.

Arman

Chapter 13

When I meet with Arman this time, I don’t tell Olivia. I’ve already confided in her that I’ve begun putting this in the past, and I don’t want to admit how quickly that changed after I received one letter from him. Besides, I need to stop putting her in danger for my own benefit.

The park is silent, as always, and I take a seat on the bench, but Arman doesn’t make me wait long. This time when he shows up, I’m ready. I stand from the bench once he’s close enough, keeping distance between us. All of the sudden, reminders of his silence over the past couple weeks fills me with annoyance. Perhaps a little of that annoyance is at myself, too, for how I so quickly gave into his request. How I clearly lied to myself when I would say I was putting him in the past.

“Took you a while to reach back out,” I grumble, and then wince at my tone. I sound like a disgruntled teenager.

He sighs and nods. “I know, I’m sorry. There were some…bureaucratic issues I needed to take care of.” He raises a hand to stop me when I start to speak up, wondering what sort of issues would keep him so busy, “Nothing too worrisome, but timely nonetheless.”

I hug myself, suddenly feeling out of place. I’m talking to a Dark Elder king about his duties, how odd is that? I decide to let him off the hook; obviously, his duties would trump seeing a human girl. Instead, I focus on the contents of his letter. “So, you said you wanted to have a night on the town. And then you’ll tell meeverything.” I raise my eyebrows at the last word, hoping to convey the importance of him keeping his word.

He holds my gaze, seemingly nervous but never letting his eyes falter, and then nods. “Yes, I promise.” He moves closer to me, gently extracting my arms from their placement. “And I never break a promise.”

I swallow, trying to ignore the desire that courses through me at his tone and proximity. It’s actually a bit aggravating how he’s able to do that to me so easily. I back away slightly, hoping to clear the heady fog I’ve found myself in. “Let’s get to it, then.”

He narrows his eyes for a fraction of a second at my actions, but quickly recovers. “Of course.” He hesitates briefly before reaching for my hand, and then relaxes a bit when I allow him to take it.

I will play nice, especially with his promise looming over me, but I’m still full of caution. I need to be, no matter if my heart says different.

We walk in silence as he leads me past the club we went to a couple weeks ago, instead choosing a restaurant off to the right.

As soon as we go through the door, Arman is greeted as warmly as he had been in that club. The environment of thisplace, however, is much more subdued. The lights are still low—that seems to be a common denominator in all these places—but there’s soft piano music floating through the air and instead of couches and a dance floor, the place is littered with tables and chairs. There aren’t many patrons, which makes me feel more comfortable. I breathe in the air, enjoying the decadent smells coming from the kitchen.

I’m so engrossed in taking everything in that I startle when Arman tugs at my hand. I blink up at him and then to the host that is on the other side of him. We’re always taken care of so quickly around here, and I’m sure it has something to do with his stature. There’s only one restaurant in the Society, so people are generally fighting for tables. We’re led, again, to a private area near the back. An uncomfortable feeling begins to grow in my gut as I start to wonder if this is one of his tactics—bringing girls to nice places for some alone time.

“No one but you, Amelia.”

I startle at his words. Is he reading my mind? It takes me a moment to realize that I had actually said that last part out loud, and a blush blossoms on my cheeks.

He pulls out my chair with a smile, clearly pleased at my reaction. “Please, sit. The food here is to die for.” He winks at me, taking his own seat.

I smile up at him nervously and focus on the menu. It’s been ages since I’ve had to look at a menu at a restaurant; only being allowed within the limits of the Society certainly restricts your options, after all. As I said, the one restaurant we have is always overcrowded, so for the most part we eat at home. I don’t recognize a lot of the options, though some I recall as being ancient dishes from our region, something I’ve heard about but never fully experienced.

He notices my intrigue and the corner of his mouth quirks. “I’m assuming you’ve never had such food. It’s my favorite; I grew up with it when I was human.”

I blink at his admission. I had almost forgotten that Elders had been human at one point, having reached ascension to claim their current place. There was no reason to dwell on it, honestly, as all Elders I know of have been ascended for generations. It’s been said that it takes several lifetimes to achieve ascension. Nowadays, we consider multiple lives to be a myth.

I look back down at the menu, deciding not to push him on it, and skim the options. “What do you recommend?”

He appears excited, eyes lighting up at my question. “If you’d like, I’ll have them bring the tasting menu. That way, you can try multiple items.” He gently takes the menu from my hand, replacing it with his own hand, softly stroking his thumb over the back of my fingers. A warm, sensual smile forms on his lips as he says, “The pleasure of trying new flavors is something worth living for. Each taste is a new and exquisite experience.”

---