Page 122 of Of Masks and Fury

When the bodice finally loosened, I pulled back and let him ease the heavy fabric off my shoulders. The sleeves slid down my arms, and I shifted to let the dress pool around my waist.

Cool air kissed my skin. I wore only a thin chemise beneath, the fabric nearly transparent in the shimmering glow of the faelights and bioluminescent vines.

Trew went completely still.

His gaze tracked over me slowly, drinking in every detail like he was imprinting the sight in his mind. The golden flecks in his eyes caught the light, burning brighter.

“You’re stunning.” His voice came out rough. “Always absolutely stunning.”

Heat flooded my cheeks, but I didn’t look away. I loved that he wanted me this much.

“The dress is still technically on,” I pointed out.

His smile turned wicked. “Then let’s fix that.”

I stood, the movement requiring more coordination than I’d anticipated. Trew’s hands steadied me at the hips as I stepped out of the voluminous skirts. They fell in a heap of pearl-encrusted silk and lace, a cage I hoped I’d never have to wear again.

Now I stood in front of him in only the chemise, the hem falling to mid-thigh. His gaze raked over me, slower this time, and the hunger in his expression made my pulse race.

“If I’d known you’d be stripping me bare under the stars, I might have run away with you weeks ago.”

He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Minx, if I’d known you’d look this tempting in nothing but moonlight, I’d have carried you off the moment I met you.”

“When I stabbed you.”

“Yes, then, but earlier.”

“On the Day of Mercy?” My father would’ve shrieked with anger.

I might’ve shrieked with joy.

“I first watched you through Gavelle.”

“I’d wondered about that when I spied a cinderhawk on the tree outside my window. You were watching over me already, weren’t you?”

He nodded. “From the moment I saw you—through Gavelle—walking in the market the day before with Mae and Leo. Right then, I knew you were mine.”

“You saw me there?”

“You bought Leo a toy but then you bought everything the shopkeeper had and gave toys to every child in the vicinity. That’s when I knew I was in trouble.”

My smile came shaky. “I wish I’d known you sooner.”

He stroked my face. “I feel the same. You didn’t just steal my heart that day, Isi, you conquered my entire world. And I’ll surrender to you a thousand times over.”

“Good, because I’ve claimed you as my prize. No retreat, no mercy. Just us, forever entangled.”

His lips curled up on one side. “No more hideous dresses. From now on, I want you wearing nothing. Or whatever makes you feel like the queen you are.”

Leaning against his chest, I sucked in the feel of his warm arms around me, his kiss on the top of my head, and the warm pulse of his heart.

When I’d re-righted myself, I pulled back.

“Your turn,” I said.

He rose and his hands went to the hem of his tunic, pulling it over his head in a single movement.

My breath caught.