Page 19 of Bound By Crimson
The Roses
Lyric rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling, the morning light pale and sharp against the curtains. For a moment, she didn’t move.
Her skin still tingled.
She touched the hollow of her throat where his lips had pressed—where the red ribbon had once lain.
His scent still clung to her skin and hair. Smoke, sandalwood, and that darker trace of something untamed. It curled around her like heat, like memory, like a mark only she could feel.
Her pulse quickened, memories flooding back in fragments. The candlelight. The music. The weight of his hands. The burn of his eyes through the mask.
She swallowed, throat tight.
She didn’t even know his name.
---
By the time she arrived at the Velvet Cauldron, it was almost noon.
The bells above the door chimed as she slipped inside, clutching the dress and mask.
Velora looked up from behind the counter, where she was sorting a tray of crystals. “Late start today, Little Star?”
“I—yeah.” Lyric flushed. “Rough morning.”
Velora’s gaze softened. “Good. That means you lived a little.”
Lyric smiled faintly as she carried the dress and mask to their usual spots. The gown felt heavier than it had before. Like it had absorbed the weight of what had happened—the heat, the ache, the power.
She carefully placed the mask back inside the glass case by the window, where it had first been displayed.
She smoothed the gown’s satin as she returned it to its place. Her fingers lingered at the bodice, remembering how his hand had rested there… possessive. Commanding.
She didn’t feel like the same girl anymore.
Something had shifted inside her. She wasn’t sure she could ever be that quiet, cautious version of herself again.
Velora leaned against the counter, watching her with a knowing smile. “So. Tell me everything.”
Lyric blinked. “Everything?”
“The masquerade, darling.” Velora twirled a strand of her copper-streaked braid. “The music. The food. The gowns. Was it as glamorous as you imagined?”
Lyric drew a breath. “It was…” She closed her eyes, the memories rising easily.
“The ballroom had huge stone walls with iron candelabras all along the sides. The candles made the shadows dance. There were crystal chandeliers, but they looked like they’d been there for centuries. The whole place felt… gothic. Beautiful, but eerie too.
There was an orchestra playing music that made you feel like you were in another century. The food was incredible. Pastries. Champagne. And everyone was masked. Dancing. It felt like stepping into another world.”
“And the people?” Velora asked, eyes bright.
“Elegant. Mysterious.” Lyric paused, carefully choosing her words. “It felt like they all belonged there.”
Velora grinned. “It sounds like magic.”
Lyric smiled, but her pulse raced. She had left out the most important part.
The man.
