My fingers stilled around a button. He said that with such conviction that I felt it through his bear voice, right in my heart. It was a thing he wished for me. It had nothing to do with our marriage agreement or my ability to end his curse. It was simply a good thing he wanted for me.
My heart felt as light as a cloud—like if he said one more sweet thing it might just float out of my chest until it could settle in his hands.
I finished the buttons and sat down next to his big head. “Maybe you could hold me again tonight? As a nightmare prevention tactic?”
He smiled. His massive teeth and huge jaws made the gesture look absolutely feral, but I felt a rush of joy behind his expression. Maybe it was the light in his eyes? Or the tilt of his lips? I don’t know how I saw it, but it warmed my whole heart. My words had made him happy, and I wanted to do it again. It was a thousand times better than worrying him with my thoughtless stealing or lying.
Three quick knocks on the door between the sitting room and the hall broke the moment.
A pause, and then two more knocks identified our visitor. “Brielle’s here,” I said, standing.
Bylur lifted a furry brow. “You have a secret knock?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, but it isn’t very secret if she keeps doing it in front of the guards.”
A low rumble filled his belly, and I was sure if he’d been in his fae form, he would have laughed out loud.
Brielle’s voice drifted in from the sitting room as she let herself in. “I’m sure she won’t mind.” Her eyes caught on me, and she scurried into the bedroom to take my hand. “Auria! You’re dressed! Let’s go!”
“Go?” Where would she—
“To Brittania’s! I’ve already sent her a message, so she’ll be expecting us. We have to get dresses for the ball tomorrow!”
* * *
Brittania pinched a handful of fabric at my waist, and sang, “Holding still now. Pins are coming.”
“I haven’t moved anything besides my hands and my mouth yet,” I reminded her, pinching off another tiny bite of baguette and dropping it into my mouth.
“I’ve never seen another noble insist on eating while I worked.” She muttered the words, but I heard the smile behind them. “This will be the most wonderful dress I’ve made for you yet. Do you have a necklace to go with it?”
I had half a dozen necklaces I’d stolen when I’d been exploring the castle during my first few weeks here. But that wasn’t a good answer. Fortunately, the door flew open and saved me from speaking.
Unfortunately, Dedalus filled the doorframe. He glanced around the room and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. If I didn’t know better, I would have said he was nervous.
But he rolled his shoulders back and marched toward me.
I swallowed the sweet bread that was in my mouth and met his stare.
“Lady Auria.” His voice was just as terrifying as always, but he shifted his weight again, like he was anxious about talking to me.
No fear.Bylur said he was more our friend than not. “Lord Dedalus.” I smiled, proud of the way I’d kept my voice steady.
He nodded and wrapped his hand around the sword hilt at his side. Did he usually follow people to the dressmaker to argue with them?
“Tell yourhusbandthat I fixed his bed. And he owes me for it.” He sneered the words, but they still made me smile. Bylurwasmy husband. My strong, sweet, forgiving, and terrifying husband. And probably handsome too. I hadn’t seen any ugly fae yet—
Wait, what? “You fixed our bed?” I asked at the same time that Brielle slid closer and said, “Why don’t you tell him yourself? You can’t just assume she’ll deliver messages because they’re married.”
Dedalus turned his stare to her. “I would very much like to tell him, but your shadow-kissing brother brought the request to me, and I can’t find him now. Nobody knows where Bylur is, unless you’re keeping that secret to yourselves. We won’t have a council meeting tonight because it’s the second night to get ready for this ball.” He pointed at me. “She will at least see him before the rest of us do.”
He turned to me again. “Don’t let your bear play on the bed anymore. I have better things to do than run around the castle repairing its damage.” He nodded at me, in a weirdly polite gesture after all his growling, bowed at Brielle, and then stormed out of the building.
“He gets more charming every day, doesn’t he,” Brittania hummed in a sing-song voice. “It’s a shame he can’t get any attention.”
I rolled my eyes. “He gets plenty of attention.”
Brittania pinched another piece of fabric. “Not from the person he’d like.”
