We are the same in every way, we always have been. And yet, right now, it’s painfully clear that we’re not.
I slam an emotionless mask in place and shutter myself off from the one person in this world I’ve never challenged, never questioned, never doubted…until now.
“Shit, Ev, I didn’t mean tha—” Enslee starts.
“Are they dead?” I interrupt coldly, addressing the Queen of the Syphons as though the answer won’t gut me, as though I’m not already bleeding out at her feet.
Enslee shakes her head, and I don’t know if it makes it easier or harder for me to breathe.
“We don’t think so. We lost all communication with them three days ago, but it’s possible they were pinned down and are waiting for things to clear to make contact or come back. There’s a lot of Horde activity down here; it’s not as easy to move around as it used to be.”
I don’t know if she means that to be a jab, but I take it as one all the same.
Three days…my Flight fell out of contact three days ago. If Wistan has them, he’ll bleed them. I don’t think he’ll kill them, not that quickly at least, but if he’s managed to capture my whole Flight this time, he’s got two Syphons and three wyverns at his disposal. How long before he decides the wyverns are of no use to him? How long will any of them last against what I know he’s going to do to them?
“Where were they going?” I ask icily.
“Ever, I’m sorry. Things are fucked here. You have no idea what I’m deal—”
“Where did you send them?” I cut her off again, not interested in anything other than facts right now.
“Groton. It’s on the other side of the divide in Thrasher Territory.”
Azo’s com chimes and he curses as he looks at the message.
“The keep’s security system just tagged our signal. You’re going to need to cut it short, dragoness,” he tells me apologetically, already reaching for the silver case that houses the disruptor shield that’s buzzing around us.
“Ever, please. I don’t want to end things like this,” Enslee calls after me when I start to move away from the drone projecting her image.
I look back at my sister, hurt and fury numbing the impact of her repentant tone and the apology gleaming in her gaze.
“Don’t worry, Enslee, I’m only off to play dress-up with the dragons and make a few difficult decisions in impossible circumstances because they just might be the thing that saves us.”
The projection of Enslee cuts out, and with it goes the last of my self-preservation and wary indecision. I pinch the bridge of my nose and look over at Azo, who’s shoving the silver case into a hidden compartment in the styler that did my hair.
“Azo,” I ask with a sigh. “Do you by chance know how to get a message to the king?”
Chapter 37
MY LIFE IS GOING TO shit in every possible way, and tonight is only going to make it worse. But, hey, at least I look good.
I twist and study every angle of my body in the Syphon Glass I’m pretending is just a mirror. The crystal butterflies that adorn my dress glitter with my movement as they catch the light. The dress hugs my torso like a second skin, while leaving my back bare. It drapes beautifully to the ground. The fabric the jeweled insects are clinging to is some kind of gossamer, ethereal material I couldn’t name if my life depended on it. It’s a shade rosier than my complexion, and there’s a sheen to it that gives off a subtle glow. It’s the perfect canvas for the butterflies of all shapes and sizes that cluster around my bust, flutter down my torso, and gather in droves around my hips. The crystalline creatures cover every private part of me while giving the illusion that they could fly away at any second, leaving me completely exposed.
The gown is a stunning work of art, and I’m not even mad that it doesn’t appear to have any lasers.
I lean closer to my reflection and marvel at the beautiful updo my hair has been styled into. There’s zero chance I could ever replicate it on my own, but it doesn’t stop me from studying every detail. I brush the tips of my fingers across the rosy apple of my cheek. The dye applied to my face has even me questioning if there might actually be a deity perched on one of the branches of my family tree.
I’ve never looked more beautiful, or felt more doomed because of it.
“Do you like it?” Nixy asks softly as the drone projecting her image circles me.
If she was here in person, she’d be fluffing my skirts and fussing over the jeweled butterflies that have been pinned in my hair even though they’re fine. Her blue-hazel gaze studies my face, but I know the concern I see steeped in her features isn’t about the dress, it’s about everything that just happened between me and Enslee.
I don’t know how Nixy listened in on the conversation, but from the moment the wyvern blinked back into existence and told me that Aeson’s Wing should be able to get a message to the king, it’s clear that she heard every sniped word.
“It’s incredible,” I tell her, a hitch in my tone.
I drop my eyes from hers and run my hand over a butterfly near my shoulder. It really is the perfect camouflage I need for tonight. With so much of me on display, people won’t know where to look, or where to leer. If the nobles are busy ogling and judging, maybe they’ll miss what’s not there to stare at…like a dragon mark.
