Page 37 of Immortal Origins
Ambrose’s fingers instinctively touched her neck, trailing the place she knew her mark would be. While she appreciated Lily’s ability to treat her so… normal… she knew the mark would never let anyone forget she’d been a servant.
Though her mark had changed, a mark was a mark.
“Thank you.” Was all she could find the words to say.
“You don’t have to thank me.” Lily lightly tapped her shoulder against hers. “I’m just really glad you got to see them this year.” A wicked smile crossed her face. “Now, let’s go get something to drink.”
Lily grabbed Ambrose’s arm and pushed through the crowd, a womanon a mission. It didn’t take long for her to find what she was looking for and she was placing a mug of a deep-red blackberry wine into Ambrose’s hand. It was so delicious she almost finished her cup in one gulp. They tossed themselves into the gathering, drinking their fill, dancing until their legs shook. Ambrose twirled, arms in the air as though nothing could hold her back. She let herself spin through limbs and people, unsure of where her feet were carrying her but so lost in flight she didn’t care.
For once, she was free.
And nobody could take that from her.
It was almost too easy for Ambrose to get lost in herself. Whether drunk on wine or her own sense of freedom, she didn’t want the night to ever end. It wasn’t until she noticed the servants in the palace start to merge into the crowd that she remembered what she was waiting for. She reigned in control of her senses and fought the waves of dizziness that taunted her. She would never have a better chance than she did right now.
She had to find Adym.
Then Ernaline.
Chapter 16
Reminded of her mission, Ambrose made her way carefully through the crowd, dancing so she wouldn’t draw unnecessary attention. If she could make her way around the fire, at some point she should run across her brother or Ernaline. She just needed to do it without looking like she was doing anything out of the ordinary. If she took her time she knew she would find them.
As she spun her feet and swept through bodies and tangled limbs, she took a few deep breaths and focused her intention. Head swimming, she wished she hadn’t had so much wine but there was no going back now. Through each deep breath she pulled in her focus.
In. Out. In. Out…
Her skin tingled and the sounds of the crowd began to dissipate, senses sharpening as her ears focused solely on the sounds her feet made as they slid across the dirt. When she could feel the ground and every rock, no matter how small, the drag of her feet and the rough feel of the hard dirt, she threw her focus into the ground. As deep and far as she could push it. It was a new magick that Magnus showed her recently during her training. One that took an insane amount of concentration but he encouraged her to master it every time they met.
The hair of her arms stood on end as the current inside of her pulsated from her body and into the dirt. She closed her eyes and could see each pulse as it made its way through the ground like an echo. Shapes took form as each of those echoes showed her every individual who moved around the fire. Lovers holding one another tightly as they swayed and spun. Friendsembracing each other as they happily drank and laughed. Fighters flexing and showing off bodies they worked tirelessly for. Humans and fae alike clinking their glasses and filling their mugs. Each image a golden shadow of its owner as the echoes carried across the terrain, showing her the beings around her. She pushed her magick further and deeper, searching for someone in particular.
After it seemed as though she searched the entire gathering and would need to accept that he hadn’t come, she found who she was looking for. She slowly made her way to the edge, keeping her eyes closed as she moved. When she reached him, she swept up beside him but made sure to appear as though she wasn’t giving anyone her attention.
“Adym,” she whispered after making sure no one else would hear her.
His shoulders tensed in a way that only she would recognize as surprise, his composure nearly impenetrable.
“Ambrose?” he whispered, the shock mirrored in his tone. “What are you doing here?”
“I came looking for you. I’ve been waitingmonthsto talk to you.” Something swelled in her chest as she realized how much she’d missed him. They’d never been separated for more than a day and months without him came crashing down onto her all at once.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said shortly, back stiffening. “You shouldn’t be speaking to me. Are you trying to get us killed?”
“No. Of course not. I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be risking this, but Ihadto talk to you. This was the only way.”
“Then talk.”
“I…” Now that she was in front of him, she had no idea what to say. Months of speaking to him every day in her head and now that she was standing next to him, she had no words.
“Fine. I’ll talk,” he fumed. “What the helldid you do?”
“I didn’t…”
“Didn’t what? Didn’t think?” he demanded, accusingly. “Youneverdo.”
His words punched her in the chest. “You have no idea what happened. You weren’t there.”
“I know the royals have never been this intense. They’re beyond themselves. Casimir has the guard doing extra duties and shifts. No one is allowed to leave the palace unattended at any time. He has us drilling hours before the sun comes up with no sleep and sends us to our posts without breakfast. At any point, he grabs one of us and takes us in for questioning, which some of the no-stars haven’t come back from. At all. The entire palace is on edge because ofyou.” He broke his composure enough to angrily turn his head towards her just slightly, seeing her for the first time. His brows scrunched as his eyes flared with anger scanning her face, to her hair and finally, to her mark. “Ambrose. Whatdid you do?”
