That uncertainty was a plague of its own.
My only theory centered around the draining of my magic to near depletion. Did my power counter the lust somehow? After the first round of Tiers, lust had afflicted me, too, but I had chalked that up to seeing Carmine again for the first time in so long. And the lust wasn’t anywhere near the same mindlessness as last night. Then again, I hadn’t expended nearly as much power in the arena in the first week.
“Fuck,” I whispered.
If that was true, then returning to the game for the last two rounds carried even more potential consequences. I couldn’t open that door to lust any further. Ihadto be capable of closing it again.
I yanked a dress out of the wardrobe at random. Tearing off my clothes, I pulled on the dress. It was a tangle of ribbons, but I welcomed the challenge to focus my mind, as I drew in each one in the various sections over my hips, thighs, and shoulders.
Mother be,what was this thing?
My dress didn’t matter. What mattered, as ever, was Adeuto.
Calm flooded me—a peace that had remained out of reach even when I’d held him close twenty minutes ago. Adeuto mattered. Winning the game to free my twin mattered.
Popping up on Carmine’s radar was always going to come with complications. I had learned something new about the connection between my power and the mating ritual that I hadn’t known before.
Now I knew.
But no matter what, if I set foot in the arena, and survived the arena for two more weeks, then the end result was the same. Adeuto might live. Even if my dignity wouldn’t survive intact.
In fact, seducing Carmine may even help ease my treacherous path.
I looked into the mirror and blanched.
Strategic sections of crimson ribbon trussed me up like a roast. The ribbons swept up and around my calves, thighs, and hips, but left my battle-hardened stomach bare but for the single ribbon extending upward to join the ribbons over my breasts.
I could see my nipples. Wincing, I adjusted the ribbons. When that failed, I strode to the wardrobe and sliced two circles of crimson fabric from another dress.
My eyes narrowed. He’d switched all my dresses to the color of his scales. That was new.
I shoved the circles of fabric under the ribbons and dragged them into place, then settled the ribbons over the top.There.Nipples disguised.
The rest of my body… not so much.
I spun to get a glimpse of the back of the dress, then squeezed my eyes shut against what was essentially a ribbon thong with a few hanging decorations over my ass.
This dress was not me.
But screw it. My pride had taken a huge hit yesterday, and I was in the mood to defy myself as well as every demon in this fucking fortress.
I pulled my hair into a bun atop my head and eased a few strands out to fall around my face.Done.
I murmured, “Just get through the night, Syera. Crumble into a fucking ball later.”
I shoved my feet into the ridiculous, towering, crimson heels, then strode out into the hall. Carmine wasn’t here to collect me, and I preferred the alone time to stomp out some of my fury.
At least tonight was a play—one of my most preferred royal festivities, in that I could just be bored in peace. Sure, the play was more like demon porn, but I hadn’t minded that back when Carmine and I were together.
I wrenched to a halt.Shit.
I was about to watch demon porn with Carmine. My heart rate picked up, because my power was recovering quickly—insanely fast, really, which I had begrudgingly attributed to the fact that I had taken pleasure from my mate-intended. But was my power recovered enough that I wouldn’t be hijacked by lust again?
“You’re late.”
I glanced back at Gratia. “Wardrobe malfunction.”
Gratia circled in front of me. “I’d say that’s the point.”
