“Do you refuse me because I paid for them?”
No, it was because if she accepted this gift, she would struggle to continue keeping a wall between them. Sleeping beside him had already made it worse.
“I recovered some Essence last night. I’m fine.” Dyna was saved from having to say more by the chime of bells as Raiden and Aerina left the Apothecary. She joined them on the street. “If you are to continue in the market, may I come with you?”
Raiden offered her his arm. “I would be delighted.”
As they strolled together, gentle music filled the market. Evos was holding a festival to celebrate spring. They paused to watch as elves stoodatop rooftops or on balconies and lit up pieces of colorful paper on fire. They released them, filling the sky with a rainbow of glowing cinders as the paper dissolved away.
“The Hail of Embers,” Raiden explained. “It’s a ceremony we hold in the spring. We write down all our troubles, ill memories, and hardships from the previous year and burn them. It symbolizes leaving the past behind and starting anew.”
Maybe she should write Cassiel’s name on one.
I’m fireproof, ahuvati.His husky, amused voice passed through the bond, and Dyna flushed.
Her shield had dropped for a second at the most embarrassing moment.
Fortifying it again, Dyna tried to ignore him and what he called her.My love. Odd how she seemed to understand his language better now, as if she had learned it already. But the pitch of his voice had reminded her of last night, when he offered another way to replenish her Essence.
Heat churned in her lower belly, and her Essence Channels ached as if encouraging her to accept. Dyna hardly had the energy to pretend she was fine.
Cassiel must have sensed it though, because his eyes followed her wherever they went. She plastered a smile on her face, making sure to speak to Raiden energetically, attentive to whatever he said.
His brows quirked up. “I am glad to see you in better spirits, my lady. I was concerned about you last night when you collapsed.”
“I had been neglecting my rest. I feel much better now.”
Raiden swept away a lock of hair from her eyes. “I am pleased to hear that.”
The unexpected touch caught her off guard. She looked away from his soft gaze with a nervous smile, shifting back on her feet. Their courtship was only pretend, or meant to be, but sometimes she wondered if Raiden wasn’t pretending anymore. Or he was doing too well to uphold a performance in front of Cassiel.
Either way, it only made her feel guilty and uncomfortable.
“Perhaps we should return to—” She cut off with a soft gasp when a striking green gown within a shop’s window caught her eye. It was made with sheer sleeves that hung off the shoulder and delicate gold embroidery on the trim, jewels sewn into the waist.
“Do you like it?” Raiden asked her.
“It’s beautiful,” she said in awe. “I don’t think I have ever seen anything quite like it anywhere else.”
“Perhaps since our dressmakers and tailors design their clothing from fabric woven of Goldseed. It is a root that grows only in Greenwood and takes form similar to silk. Gowns can be enchanted to never fade, to enhance the beauty of the wearer, or even improve your skill as a dancer.”
Dyna laughed. “Surely, you jest.”
“I do not.” Raiden nodded for her to follow him to a stall selling baubles of rings and jewelry. “You will find all sorts of magic in Greenwood.” He picked a simple wooden ring in the shape of a leaf and placed it on her finger.
A whoosh of magic tickled her skin from head to toe. The merchant held up a mirror, and Dyna gasped at the sight of her brown irises. “My eyes…”
“Elvish jewelry can be enchanted to change the color of your features to even your voice.”
It must be why the elves had taken to tattooing themselves with their Kingdom’s sigils. With these, it was easy to disguise who you were.
“Try this one.” Raiden picked up another ring. He held her gaze as he slipped it on her ring finger. The tingle of magic crawled over her scalp, and Dyna laughed at her new blonde curls.
Cassiel appeared in the mirror’s reflection, standing behind her. “What have you done to her?”
“Nothing but a mere illusion,” Raiden said flatly.
Cassiel looked her over, lifting a section of her hair to inspect the roots. “If this is permanent?—”
