Page 81 of A Veil of Gods and Kings

The dress would strangle me.

Moonlight kissed the gardens, and I ran through them as fast as I could in that horrific gown. I stumbled into the stables and wrapped my arms around Meadow’s neck. She nibbled at the fabric on my shoulder but then stilled, draping farther against me, like she knew I needed that contact.

Tears fell, hot, thick ones that streaked my skin and burned my cheeks.

A rustling came from a shadowy corner of the stable. Crap. What would Hyacinth think if he found out that I got caught in the stables in my gown crying? Damn it. I swept up the stupid skirt and climbed the ladder, my foot stumbling once, and tucked back into the hayloft.

A moment later, sparkling green eyes peeked over the edge. Okay, maybe worse even than facing my brother was Valerian seeing me like this. I rubbed across my cheeks with the heel of my hand.

Valerian’s brow furrowed. “You okay?”

“I’m—” I gasped over the word, and the tears started again, heavy and painful, trickling down my chest, past the jewelry, flooding my skin. “I’m sorry, Val, but can you just leave me alone tonight? I can’t do this right now.”

“That’s okay,” he whispered. “Temi is looking for you.”

I lifted my face. “Is she?”

“Yes. Would you want to see her?”

I hesitated, scraping my fingers into the hay. Then I nodded. “Yeah.”

He bobbed his head and disappeared. A few moments later, Temi appeared up the ladder. She crunched down sitting beside me, the silk of her gown grazing my skin. “Hey, Pip.”

A sob tore up my throat, and I shuddered, my shoulders shaking. “Oh, Temi. Gods, I can’t do this. I can’t do it.”

She draped her arms around me. “I know.” She drew me into her until her sandalwood smell became the essence of the world, her embrace a cave I could hide in.

And I cried until I didn’t have tears left to spare.

When I quieted to hiccupping whimpers, I pulled back. Even in the cool blue of the moonlight that whispered its way to the loft, the stains from half my makeup contrasted against the silk of Temi’s dress. “Oh gods,” I gasped. “I’ve ruined your new gown.”

“Luelle told me it's unseemly to wear the same one twice to big events, anyway.”

I stared at her for a moment. Our breaths hummed alongside doves in the rafters cooing. And then I burst into a laugh. Temi cocked her head to the side. “What’s funny?”

“This.” I gestured around. “Us. We’re practically a queen and a goddess, sitting in silk dresses in a filthy hayloft. This whole situation is ridiculous.”

“Except I’m no goddess.”

“And I’m not a queen.” I cleared my throat. “Also, I prefer this dusty attic to the entire palace. So… maybe the entire idea was stupid.” I dropped my head back against the wall. “Thank you for looking for me.”

“Of course. You’d do the same for me, right?”

“Definitely.”

She grinned, her teeth glimmering like a shooting star in the shadows. “You would not find me in a barn, however.”

“Where would I find you?”

“On a night like tonight, probably stretched out under the light of the moon. I’ve always found it comforting.”

I scraped my hand over the straw. “Let’s do that.”

“Do what?”

“Let’s go in the gardens and lay out and watch the stars… in these stupid dresses.”

“Hey”—Temi swept her elegant fingers over the body of her gown—“I like my outfit, thank you.”