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After seeing how segregated nobility was from the common Fae in the Night Realm, I knew I wanted to live in a place where all were equal. While the idea of ruling was still far from the front of my mind, I still wanted to change the world so that no one had to suffer for who or what they were. No one would be chained, physically or metaphorically, by their past, titles, or blood status so long as I was around to do something about it.
The dark red wine in front of me tasted like pepper and blackberries, and I drank down an entire glass, Ruslan refilling it without hesitation, before casually sipping from it again. The relaxing effects began to take hold, dulling the edge of my anxiety as the ballroom buzzed with activity. We fell into conversation with those around us as the first course was served, and I was grateful to mingle with new people, getting to know them and their stories. That was what the ball was about anyway – opening ourselves up to new connections.
My wineglass was refilled again during the second course – a bright orange soup that was hearty and warm. Both were drained to the dregs, and my head felt lighter without all the worries weighing me down. Liliana and I laughed too hard at a deadpanned joke from Zuriel, and by the time I finally caught my breath again, I was giddy and blissfully drunk.
“How long until the main course?” I asked Ruslan.
“A few minutes,” he replied, sipping from his whisky and circling a finger over the back of my hand, painting goosebumps on my flesh.“Why? Can’t wait until tonight to have me?”
A blush crept across my cheeks, heating them more than they already were.“Now that you mention it.”
His response was a wink.
I glanced at our dinner companions and placed my napkin on the table. “Please excuse me for a moment, I’ve had a bit too much wine.”
“I’ll go with you,” Liliana offered, her chair scraping back in time with mine.
We linked arms as we crossed the ballroom, both swaying slightly from the three glasses we’d consumed. “I appreciate you tagging along. I might need help with this dress,” I laughed, looking down at the skin-tight attire that encumbered my strides.
“Ruslan sure wants everyone to know what they can’t have,” she giggled, tossing her chocolate hair over her shoulder as we entered the bathroom down the hall.
After struggling with the layers of skirts, I tossed the shawl onto the hook on the door to free my arms for navigating them up my legs, finally managing to hoist them high enough to relieve myself. While I waited for Liliana to take her turn, I looked myself over in the mirror, smoothing out any wrinkles and ensuring my mask was firmly in place. My thoughts drifted, and I absentmindedly braided and unbraided my long hair, soothing my fraying nerves. “Do you think we’ll convince the other realms to unite?” I asked Liliana as she preened in the mirror.
“I think once you tell them what Kazimir did today, the odds are good,” she replied with a casual shrug of her shoulder. “He’s obviously not going to stop until he gets you, though. I don’t know how King Airre and Queen Immonen will feel, sincethey are mated. Rejecting one mate and accepting another? It’s complicated.”
I blew out a breath. “Tell me about it. Sometimes I wonder, why me?”
“I still stand by what I said before. Prophecies are vague as fuck and it's us who adds interpretation to them.” She finished glossing her lips, rubbing them together and turning toward me. “Ready to go?”
“Yep,” I said, popping the P and dropping my fingers from my braid.
Liliana pushed through the door to the hallway first, and the breeze of air that dusted my face carried a hint of amber. I stiffened immediately, calling my magic to the surface of my skin, feeling the heady rush of power from holding it there protectively around me. The sounds of revelry drifted toward us, and I scanned the vicinity for any sign of Kazimir.
But there was none.
A shiver licked its way down my spine, and I grasped Liliana’s arm.
“Are you okay?” she whispered, sensing my unease.
“Let’s just get back to the table,” I murmured, quickening my pace until we were in the safety of the numbers of the ballroom.
I dropped into my seat moments before servers came around with slices of the massive stag the males had killed on their hunt, and I accepted them numbly, speaking and eating without really being present.
Every moment of unease over the course of Béke, when I felt as if I were being watched, sensing that string that tugged me to Kazimir but never discovering him, played over and over again in my mind, circling along with a single question.
What else did his new power do?
39
Béke Day Nine
Ifucking knew it. Izidora had braided her hair over her shoulder by the time she exited the bathroom, and when she and Liliana swept by me in a rush to return, I saw it.
That Goddess-damned black circle between her shoulder blades.
But why did I still feel this pull to her?
Could it be that the choice in the prophecy wasn’t about choosing a mate at all?
