Page 95 of The Rebel and the Rose
He nodded, still watching her in that way that made her legs feel like jelly. He plucked a red feather from the end of her scarf and stuck it in the front pocket of his waistcoat. She was surprised by how much she liked it, how it made him look like he belonged to her.
‘Stay close to me tonight.’ His eyes took on a new intensity, glimpses of the hardened Dagger already peeking through. ‘No matter what.’
‘All right.’ Her stomach swooped. Was her corset too tight or was her heart trying to squeeze its way out? She felt her magic more keenly now, unfurling from that deep space inside her, stretching languidly like a cat. What was it about this man that made her feel so vitally present?
Val shoved between them. ‘Caruso is wearing an actualcravat,’ she said, with a snort. ‘I didn’t think he had it in him.’
Without tearing his gaze from Sera, Ransom said, ‘He plans to strangle Andreas with it at the first sign of trouble.’
Val hummed. ‘That makes it less endearing.’
Nadia sauntered over with all the confidence of a queen. She was dressed just like Sera and Val, her gold corset laced with the same shiny black ribbon that hung from her skirts.
She swished the end of Sera’s feathered scarf. ‘You carry this off, farmgirl.’
‘I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not.’
Nadia smirked. ‘Honestly, neither am I.’
Next to her, Theo fitted his top hat onto his head, then made a show of checking the pocket watch Val had swiped for him that afternoon. ‘Time to go.’
It was a short walk to the mills, the group blending in so seamlessly with the revellers that at times Sera lost sight of Val and Nadia in the thickening crowds. But never Ransom. He stayed so close to her their hands brushed as they walked, every fleeting touch setting the ember of her magic aglow.
As Sera stepped inside the Rose Garden of Marvale, she had the uncanny sensation that she had strayed into a dream. A grand dance hall located on the ground floor of the largest of the red mills, the Rose Garden crowned the north hills of Marvale like a glittering ruby, overlooking the night-kissed sprawl of the village. It was already teeming. The warm night air trilled with music, the lullaby as inviting as the generous garlands that hung from the arched ceiling, casting a floral scent about the hall.
Sharply dressed waiters scurried to and fro, carrying trays of fizzing wine and brightly coloured cocktails, while dancers bedecked in feathers and elaborate headdresses sashayed through the crowd, enticing people to get up and dance with them. There were so many people here – more laughter and dancing and kissing and drinking than she’d ever seen in her life.
And yet, the moment she stepped through those doors, her gaze fell on the prince.
Even seated at the other end of the hall, with his face upturned towards the dancers on the stage, Andreas Mondragon Rayere stuck out like a lit flame. Here was a beacon burning brighter than the spectacle around him, the North Star in a sea of midnight.
And when he turned his head suddenly, as though some innate force inside him had whispered of her arrival, his eyes met hers across the room.
They flickered bright gold.
In a single thudding heartbeat, Sera’s magic erupted into life.
The prince smiled.
And she went to him.
Chapter 24Seraphine
‘Seraphine.’ Ransom’s hand tightened around hers. Concern edged his voice. ‘Where are you going?’
‘I’m all right,’ she said, gently shaking him off. ‘I’ll be all right.’
She did not know her magic well, but she knew enough, somehow, to recognize a moment of destiny – an intersection that had been fated to happen since that night on the Aurore. She knew, too, that this path, or at least the last few steps of it, were ones she must now walk alone.
And she was not going to be shy about it.
Striding purposefully towards the prince, she lifted her chin, the heat inside her thrumming like a second heartbeat. Like called to like, magic to magic. Saint to saint. Sera hadnever felt surer of her own footsteps, or more keenly aware of the strands of fate tightening around her.
Yes, she was right to come here.
Yes, she would find the answers she sought.
As though he could feel the same force working on him, Andreas Mondragon Rayere rose from his chair and stepped away from his table without bothering to finish his conversation. The crowds parted as he moved through them, but he kept his eyes on Sera.
