I’d asked him how I could trust him… but I should have directed the question at myself. I’d told him about the voice in my head, about my fears, how helpless I felt, as if it were second nature to confide in him. Why? I was still determined to discover his true motives. I didn’t believe he was telling me the truth, not the full extent of it. So, why? Why when his eyes met mine, did I feel like spilling all of my innermost thoughts?
Burying my head in the pillow, the sweet scent of lavender filled my nose as I curled into a ball. The bath oil he favored—I’d noted. The scent of him. Calm. Before I could process why the bedding smelled like Alandris, exhaustion-driven sleep took me.
Ihad to sit out of lessons for an entire week while I recovered. As predicted, the marks faded from my skin after one night, but the Grand Arch Magus still forbade me from participating in lessons even after they lessened. In truth, I was partially thankful for it. Exhaustion riddled every inch of my body. If he had allowed me to practice, I would probably have embarrassed myself in front of the other Mages. It wasn’t as though I was in the right headspace to work with my magic. My thoughts were still very much elsewhere. An elsewhere I refused to acknowledge.
Elle had accepted the explanation that I’d gotten into a ‘minor spat’ with Jyuri and had to recover in a private room as well as expected. It felt awful lying to her, especially as she swept me up in a hug, crying over how worried she was about me. I couldn’t exactly tell her that my magic had been the primary reason I needed to recover in solitude. Alandris was clear that he didn’t want anyone to see the marks. Another thing he refused to explain.
All that remained from my duel with Jyuri were the bruises he’d left on my throat, which I’d been covering with high-collared shirts. Luckily, he hadn’t caused any permanent damage. I was glad I hadn’t spotted him at the Consortium since the incident. I had a suspicious feeling he’d been told to keep away. Better for both of us. I was likely to stab him if I saw him again.
Another week passed in a blur. My return to lessons with the other Mages was permitted, but Alandris remained distant. We hadn’t spoken since the night of my injury, when I’d lashed out at him, and he’d closed me out in return. He’d said we would resume lessons after the ball, but who knew if that remained true after the words exchanged between the two of us?
I was deep in thought when Elle came rushing into our room, squealing with excitement. “They are here! Get up, Nairu. Come on!”
The weight of the enormous fabric bag resting on her shoulder tilted her body to the right. It took me a moment, but I realized she was referring to our dresses from Alessnae. Nothing else made her lose her usual composure—turning her into a giddy, jittery mess. Before I could wrestle myself out of the bedcovers and stand, she’d thrown the bag down onto her bed and began untying the ribbons that held it together.
“You first,” I insisted.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.”
She pulled forth a bundle of light blue silk fabric, sparkling with beautiful golden embroidery, and held it out in front of herself, mouth agape. It was brilliant. The base of the gown was a sweetheart corset covered in golden stars and dots that glimmered in the light. Extending from that neckline was a high collar made of sheer mesh, connecting to billowing bell sleeves of the same material that ended in more stars. The skirt of thegown was a pale gold, covered in more of the blue silk material and gold embroidery that crawled up from the hem.
“It suits you perfectly,” I told her.
The night sky weaved into a tangible thing. Wise and calm and ever present.
Elle clutched the gown to her chest and turned to me. “I don’t think I want to put it on yet. I want to stare at it for a bit longer while we get ready.” She carefully draped the dress over her chair and motioned for me to come closer. “It’s your turn.”
“It’s not too late for me to back out, is it?”
It was a joke, but the look of abject horror Elle gave me in return had me biting my tongue.
I reached into the bag and pulled forth my gown. A shock of scarlet pulled my attention immediately, my fingers sliding over the smooth silken material. As Elle had, I held it before me, stunned by its beauty. Alessnae had crafted an off-the-shoulder gown with slender straps that gave way to short mesh sleeves. Midway down the corseted bodice started detailed emerald green embroidery—leaves cascading down the length of the front of the gown, complementing the scarlet flowers that sprawled from the left breast to the right hip. Serving mainly as texture, the flowers—matching the silk in color—were a hidden gem, best observed up close. The scarlet overskirt went to the floor on the back and both sides, layered several times with a matching sheer fabric of varying heights, but the front stopped midthigh before transitioning to a single layer of sheer material. Sheer emerald fabric crafted the underskirt, visible only on the sides, and long enough for a small train.
Elle had been right. Alessnae was as much of a Mage as we were. Something like the masterpieces she’d crafted would only be possible through the magic of creation. I could imagine the manifestation of her magic swirling around her as she threadedthe needle through the fabric, hands dancing along as loyal servants to her machinations.
“Like a flower in bloom,” Elle hummed. “You will be a magnificent specimen.”
A blush crept up my neck. “It’s gorgeous—it’s—it’s honestly too much.”
She threw her hands up, exasperated. “I don’t want to hear it, Nairu. Also, here,”—she removed a small object from a box on her desk—“The queen needs her crown. I may or may not have asked Alessnae her plans for your gown so that I could transform your magical item into its perfect complement.”
And found it she had. A crown of black leaves that wrapped around the back and sides of the head, asymmetrical so one side erupted into a bundle of leaves, the other side only one.
“I love it—truly—but is everyone going to be this… dressed up?”
Elle crossed her arms with a pout. “Stop worrying so much! This is the first ball the Mages Consortium has hosted in years. I can assure you everyone in attendance will use it as an opportunity to show off their grandeur. Besides—for you—the crown is a necessary piece of your disguise.”
She had a point. Even if it was embarrassing to be dressed so luxuriously, it wouldn’t matter in the end. If the crown worked as intended, anyone who spotted me would forget me not long after.
With that bit of comfort, I allowed my nerves to settle and plopped down in Elle’s chair. “Now, then. Do what you must to my face”—I pulled my collar down—“and my neck.”
Elle’s mouth dropped at the sight of my bruises. “What happened?”
“It’s a bit of a long story. I’m fine, though.” I gave a wan smile. “Can you cover them?”
She hesitated, biting her lip. “I will not press you, Nairu, but know that you can trust me. And yes, I can cover them.”
We’d decided to enter the ballroom separately, for fear of someone recognizing me instantly for the mere fact that I was with Elle—as I oft was. Elle was confident in the crown's magic, but she still urged me to err on the side of caution and stick to the outskirts of the party when possible. It was better for what I needed to do. I needed to be a fly on the wall to eavesdrop on conversations and figure out what Alandris was really doing with the Mages Consortium… and me.
