I faux glared at him, but he just tugged me along toward wherever we were going. He turned right and led me down to what I realized were his rooms as we entered.
The entire back wall was windows—no, glass doors, I realized. Ones that would slide open to access the balcony and let the entire room open up to the sky. The other walls were left as the pure star opal the palace was made of; the shimmering white gem gleaming in the sun. The sofas in the living area were black, much like the ones at the fortress. Bookshelves lined the wall opposite them, giving easy access to reading material.
He had a desk facing the wall of doors that would provide an amazing view while working, with a light gray wooden table and a comfortable looking black, tufted leather chair that swiveled. There was a small dining area with a black wooden table and two grey chairs, but that was it. No long, ten-person table like Cyrus had in his rooms.
Calix’s living area was done in a simpler, calming palette as well. And as he led me into his bedroom, I could see the need for it, since this room was dominated in the black and purple royal colors, it probably helped to break it up. The bedroom was even more similar to the fortress, with a looming dragon head over the headboard, and scales carved into each of the four posters, with carved fire burning at the top of each.
Lucky me, this bed was also clearly built for a family of giants.Plentyof room to play.
Across the bed, however, he had laid out several pieces of armor. Women’s armor, done in silver, purple, and black. Night’s colors, and my own. The dragon-scaled portion was still black, as it came from black dragons, but the shoulder straps were now purple, while a revised version of the sigil was right in the middle of the chest. The moon was done in silver instead of purple, with the rest of the circle colored black with silver stars floating inside it, and the wings on each side remained their usual purple color. The metal piece the revised sigil was affixed to was a sparkling silver that reached across the chest on each side.
The leather pants now had silver panels going down each leg, while the armbands were completely redone in silver, with scales outlined in purple going up them and a purple band of runes at the wrist and the top of the band where it sat on the bicep.
“Calix…” I trailed off, looking up at him, finding myself surprisingly emotional at the gesture.
“You need armor fit for the queen of Night.” He smiled, and I couldn’t help reaching up and pulling him down for a kiss. He smiled against my mouth as my tongue invaded his, my hand winding around his neck as I pulled myself into him.
“As much as I’d love—” Calix mumbled with every breath he stole, “to continue this. I have something else for you.”
I forced myself back, mourning the loss of his lips already but wanting to see what it was as I smiled wide, bouncing on my toes. “You do?”
Calix laughed, the Aurora appearing in his lilac eyes. “Yes. I must admit, if I knew gifts made you this happy, I would have bought out the kingdoms by now.”
I slapped him on the shoulder, but he wasn’t wrong. I’d never gotten a gift before my necklace, which was now proudly back on my neck with no reason to hide it anymore.
Calix grabbed something off the long black and purple velvet bench at the foot of his bed. It was wrapped in cloth, and he placed it on the bed, gently removing the pieces of cloth to uncover it.
My breath caught as my hand came to the base of my throat, completely speechless.
“You deserve a blade worthy of you,” Calix said softly.
Where Calix wielded a blade made of a material as black as night, mine was a shining, sparkly silver. The entire blade shone, except for the row of runes down the middle of the blade. The runes were matte black instead of Calix’s shining silver runes. I ran my fingertip down one in amazement before my eyes caught the hilt of the blade.
It was a dragon, of course. With its nose dipping down onto the blade, and its tail spiraling up the hilt, where the pointed star-like end of the tail ended at the pommel. Its wings crested out to each side, hugging the crossguard. Its eyes shone with star opal, and I nearly cried to find our soulmark engraved onto its back.
“The same maker who did my sword made this one,” Calix informed me nervously. “It’s twin, in effect, for as opposite as it may be. I wanted to do something on it that tied you to both Day and Night kingdoms, and thought our soulmark would be perfect.”
“It is.” I breathed out before I grabbed the hilt. My hand fit comfortably around the hilt, the wings cleverly set low enough to not get in the way of the hold of the sword. The guard underneath the hilt was black and inset with gems the colors of Calix’s eyes. A beautiful touch of purple on my starlit blade.
The feel of it was incredible in the hand, and lighter than I thought it would be. It felt like it had been made just for me, and I suppose it had. I placed it carefully down on the bed, noting the new leather sword belt crafted with star opal accents to go with it.
I threw myself at Calix, jumping up to wrap my legs around him as he grabbed my ass to hold me up, his lips finding mine unerringly.
“Thank.” I kissed him again, and again. “You.” And again. Until we fell to the bed, laughing as he complained about potentially breaking my sword.
* * *
When I finally made itback to my room, my new sword and armor in hand, Priscilla and Delia were waiting for me with smirks on their faces. I rolled my eyes at them both.
“Very mature,” I admonished, causing them to break into laughter.
“So, does this mean you two have figured things out?” Priscilla asked softly, looking slightly concerned.
I bit my lip, trying to think of how to explain it to her. “Mostly. Together? Yes?—”
A high-pitched squeal had me jumping in surprise, and I shouldn’t have been surprised that Ilta was to blame. She came through the doorway and launched herself at me, making me laugh.
“You are?! Really?!” She looked more emotional than I was, and my nod had her practically strangling me with her hug. When she finally let go, Priscilla took over, hugging me tightly.
