Carver nodded. “When everything came out about his addiction, Carina came to see him. It . . . didn’t go well.” He would never forget the way Berron had roared at her. How Carina had fled Berron’s room, tears streaming down her face. “He said he never wanted to see her again.” As far as Carver knew, Carina had never returned to Westmont. He told Amryn how Berron had reacted to seeing Carina at the emperor’s feast.
When he finished, Amryn shook her head. “My heart aches for both of them. I wish . . .” Her words trailed off, but those last two echoed in his mind.I wish.
Carver had never realized how sad those two words could be.
The dress shop was located near Market Square, one of the city’s largest and busiest quarters. Elowen shared that some of her favorite food vendors were there, and she insisted they explore the square after the fittings.
Ivan opened the door to the shop and Elowen led the way inside. Carver and Ivan exchanged a single look that would have gone on longer if Amryn hadn’t tugged Carver along.
Elowen was already greeting a tall, spindle-like woman who had silver woven through her dark hair. Her sharp gaze was immediately drawn to Amryn. “Your hair is absolute perfection,” she said, her Palarian accent thick. “And your complexion! My, my . . . so many colors to experiment with. I have a rich green silk that would be utterly gorgeous on you.”
“Amryn would look fabulous in any shade of green, I think,” Elowen agreed. “But the gown we need right now must complement my brother’s formal Westmont uniform. Dark blue with accents of gold. And we need it in time for the emperor’s ball.”
“Sa ve!” Piera exclaimed in her native tongue. “You think I’m some sort of magician, Elowen Vincetti? Thinking I can create a masterpiece in four short weeks?”
Carver’s sister gave the woman an indulgent smile, her hands clasped before her in a subtle plea. “Your skill is unmatched, Piera.” She pulled a face. “Besides, you wouldn’t want to see Amryn—one of the emperor’s Chosen, mind you, let alone the wife of General Carver Vincetti—dressed in anything other than one ofyourworks, would you?”
Piera’s eyes darted to Amryn, sweeping over her hair. She made a disgruntled sound in her throat, then jabbed a finger at Elowen. “You’re a cruel girl. You know how to torture me.”
“So you’ll do it?” she asked brightly.
“Yes,” the woman bit out. “I will work a miracle for you.”
“Can you worktwomiracles?” Elowen asked, batting her eyelashes. “I need a dress, too.”
Piera threw up her hands. “Sa ve!”
Chapter 37
Amryn
Thedressfittingstooklonger than Amryn had anticipated. Piera Denvoux was clearly a woman who did not settle for less than perfection, and Amryn didn’t dare argue with her.
Elowen did.
Piera and Elowen had decades between them in age, but they bickered like comfortable old friends. And they were both talented when it came to matters of fashion. Their understanding of styles, color, and fabrics was impressive. They discussed textures, shades, and cuts easily and rapidly, and only a fraction of it made any sense to Amryn.
At one point, she realized only Ford and Ivan were seated near the front window of the shop. When she asked where Carver had gone, Ford had shrugged. “He said he had an errand to run, and he’d meet us after.”
Once Piera had gotten all she needed from them—and all the input from Elowen she seemed able to stand—the Palarian woman shooed them from her store. “Sa ve!” she muttered, for perhaps the hundredth time. “I’ll need every waking moment to get these done in time.” At the door, she paused long enough to give Amryn a nod and deliver a swift peck against Elowen’s cheek—which Elowen returned easily—before Piera slammed the door in their faces.
Elowen grinned as she twisted away from the shop. “She adores me.”
“And yet, she also seems annoyed by you,” Ford said. “Funny, I think most everyone in your life can relate to that.”
Elowen kicked his shin, making him stumble and curse.
Ivan tracked the interplay, the skin around his eyes tightening.
Amryn peered up and down the street. The crowds were even thicker than before, and without the muting ability of the bloodstone she would have been utterly overwhelmed. As it was, the emotions she felt were only a dull hum. With some searching—and a little borrowed power from the bloodstone that helped her focus her gift—she found a pulse of confident strength she recognized instantly as belonging to Carver. He was nearby, but she couldn’t see him. He must have entered one of the other shops, or perhaps he was on an adjacent street.
“I’m starving,” Elowen declared. “Is everyone ready for Market Square?”
“What about Carver?” Amryn asked.
Elowen shrugged. “He knew we wanted to head to the square afterwards. He can find us there.”
Amryn glanced toward the square that opened farther down the street. The carefree sound of pipe music drifted through sounds of laughter and the low thrum of voices. She had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy for Carver to find them. Not with the crowds she could just make out. But no one else seemed worried.
