“If you insist.” The messenger bows.
I nod tersely. “I do.”
Kane joins me in staring up at the palace. It’s nothing like the elegant and spindly towers that make up his castle in the Underworld. I suddenly miss it. “You’re afraid,” he says quietly.
“If she sees me like this, she will tell everyone,” I say. I start up the palace stairs, towards the heavy oak door leading into the imposing building.
“And that bothers you?” He asks, cocking a brow judgementally.
“I have a reputation too,” I murmur. Servants push the doors open wide for us. I take a deep breath before stepping over the threshold.
“Then I suppose she shouldn’t see you like this,” Kane says.
His cold hand closes around mine, and I feel a fire burning in my chest. I meet his black gaze, lips parted in confusion. Suddenly, my palm tingles and the sensation travels up my arm to my shoulders and down the rest of my body until it even touches my toes. I gasp, startled, as shadows streak towards us. Nearby guards freeze, eyes locked on us warily. Kane ignores them as he commands his magic. The shadows coil around my feet and up my body, licking at me. When they fade away, I inhale sharply in shock.
Kane’s magic has replaced my worn trousers and dirtied tunic with a gown of the softest material. It frames my body perfectly, light enough to keep me cool despite the heat of the afternoon. It’s midnight black, with obsidian gems decorating the sleeves, sparkling subtly in the light. My boots have been replaced with dainty slippers. He’s even used his magic to fix my hair. He left it loose, with a braid wrapped around my crown.
I run my fingers over the material, wondering at it. “It’s a special material, made only in the Underworld,” Kane says, rubbing it between his thumb and forefinger. “It’s made of my shadow.”
“You can do this?” I ask disbelievingly.
I tear my eyes away from the lovely gown to look at him. He’s magicked his own clothes. His trousers are well-tailored, a black shirt tucked into the waistband and a black jacket over his shoulders. His hair is swept back, drawing my attention to his endless eyes and the beard shadowing his jaw. He takes my breath away.
"For the time being," he says, a hand on my back to push me forward. "We're late."
“Right,” I say, feeling light-headed by his sudden show of kindness. “It’s just this way.”
I hold my head high as we enter the conservatory. Kane has his hand on the small of my back, looking for all the world like a gentlemanly fiancé. My heart hammers in my chest as we pass tropical trees and exotic flowers towards the center of the conservatory. Fera always loved the conservatory. We used to play hide and seek in it when we were young, and as we grew older, it's where we would go to share our secrets. That is until I realized it wasn't wise to tell her my secrets.
The familiar lattice table comes into view. It's decorated with dainty and colorful cakes and desserts. A kettle of tea waits on a warmer, besides various pitchers of cool drinks. Around the table, tall, leafy trees encapsulate the area in a dome of green. But that's not what captures my attention. Fera sits in a high-backed lattice chair. Her blonde hair is piled in an intricate bun on top of her head. A delicate silver crown rests on her brow. She sips on a cup of tea, setting it down gently before lifting her gaze towards us.
“Briar,” she says sweetly, rising. I meet her halfway towards the table and take her offered hands. She squeezes my hands tightly, a bright smile on her face. “It’s so good to see you, though I will confess, I expected you to look much different.”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” I say even though I know perfectly well what she means. “But it is good to see you.”
Fera smiles tightly. "Well, you look gorgeous; I can safely put everyone at ease now." She peeks over my shoulder, eyeing Kane. "But introduce me."
“Of course.” I smile, stepping back beside my betrothed. He stares imperiously at her, power radiating from him like heat from a fire. “This is Kane, of the line of the Gods.”
“A pleasure,” Kane says coolly, dipping his chin. It’s the only show of respect anyone could expect from him.
“The pleasure is mine,” Fera says with a smile. Her eyes dart over him before she takes her seat again. “Not many can say they’ve faced Death and lived to tell the tale.”
“One can only boast such a thing for so long.” Kane pulls my chair out, not bothering to meet Fera’s gaze as he addresses her. “Death always wins in the end.”
“So it would seem,” Fera murmurs. “Please, enjoy. I’m starved.”
I take a few small cakes from the displays, stomach growling conspicuously. A servant arrives to pour tea. I nod my thanks to her. “You’ve been very generous. We didn’t expect an invitation.”
“Why didn’t you call on me when you arrived? I would have invited you much sooner if I had known,” Fera says, popping a bite of cake in her plump mouth.
“I prefer to travel without much attention,” Kane says, taking the lead. I plop four sugars into my tea and stir. “I’m sure you can understand.”
“Does that entail a stay in the city’s most notorious brothel?” Fera cocks a brow and sips delicately on her tea.
I cough in surprise, choking on my tea. Kane's eyes cut towards me, and I feel a swell of his magic around me, trying to calm me. "As I said, I prefer to go unnoticed." Kane's voice is even and unconcerned.
"Of course, it is as you said," Fera says, smiling tightly. Her eyes dart towards me, and for an instant, all I see is cold disdain. "Briar, how do you find the
