Page 100 of All the Chaos of Constellations
“I said, no. I cannot dance with you right now, Your Highness.” Novalise disentangled herself from his hold.
She expected backlash of some kind, perhaps even a flair of his temper or a glimpse of his ominous shadows. But a flicker of admiration passed over his handsome face instead.
“Very well, my lady.” He lowered his head, placing an icy kiss on her cheek. His whisper floated past her ear, causing goosebumps to skitter along her skin. “He’s in the gardens.”
Novalise dropped her shoulders and angled her face to the shadow prince, fully aware his mouth was entirely too close to her own. “Who?”
His voice was low, like a sinuous swath of velvet dancing across her skin. “I think you already know the answer to that question.”
She nodded once, dipped into a low curtsy, then excused herself. If Asher was in the gardens, there was no time to waste. Following the gentle tug on the mating bond, she slipped outside into the warm summer evening. She’d worn her hair loose so it hung down to the middle of her back, the tiny moonstone charms woven into the strands tinkling in the soft breeze.
Novalise played the part well, nodding to lords and ladies she passed on the path and offering them a pleasant smile as she kept her stride deliberately leisurely, as though she was simply enjoying a stroll through the lavish ornamental gardens. Deeper she went into the maze of climbing flame-red flowers wrapped around pillars of obsidian and hedgerows so tall and dense, they obscured the light from the floating lanterns suspended between them. Overhead, wisps of clouds unfurled before the moon, casting a halo around it, draping the gardens in a blanket of hazy darkness.
Rounding a corner, she spied an ivory stone bench situated beneath an arching wall of scarlet roses. The pull of the bond beckoned her to the path veering to the left, but a lulling voice guised beneath a veil of stealth caught her off guard.
Novalise stilled as a warm, feminine voice drifted through the towering barrier of roses.
“Another rebellion? Where?” It was Queen Elowyn who spoke, but Novalise couldn’t quite tell the male whose company she kept.
“Two, Your Majesty.” The mysterious, gravelly response sounded closer to the roses than before. “One in Azurvend, and another in Galefell.”
Prince Drake was right, the rumors were true.
There were uprisings in Aeramere after all.
“Do we know who’s behind them?” the queen asked.
“There’s no proof or guarantee, but…”
Novalise had to uncover who was behind such a cryptic tone. She bent down, quietly removing her heels, then gathered the hem of her gown and climbed up onto the stone bench. The decadent scent of roses surrounded her, alluringly sweet, and she rose up on her toes in an effort to peek through the petals and leaves. She barely saw Queen Elowyn, just the back of her emerald-green cloak and the glint of a crown on top of her head. Mindful of the thorns, Novalise leaned forward for a better look at the male who accompanied her, but all she could see was a crop of golden blond hair.
“He must be growing bored,” Queen Elowyn murmured, as though her thoughts were her own. “If we can find a means to distract him, something to divert his attention, then perhaps he will cease this foolish charade.”
Prince Aspen.
Queen Elowyn paced in a slow circle, the click of her heels stirring the wilted rose petals at her feet. “I planned to marry him off to Lady Novalise Starstorm, but she got herself tangled up with the Shadowblade Assassin instead, likely her mother’s doing.”
Novalise jerked backward and nearly toppled off the bench. She threw her arms out to catch her balance, holding her breath, praying to the stars she didn’t make too much noise. Queen Elowyn made it seem like Novalise’s mother had married her off to Prince Drake on purpose. Which could only mean one thing…Asher was right.
She shuddered, almost grateful for her mother and Ariesian’s decision to make her wed Prince Drake. He was far more tolerable than Prince Aspen. Marriage to the faerie prince would have been horrendous. Acid roiled in her stomach, but she ignored it, rising on her toes to peer through the rose wall once more. Except this time, her whole body was trembling.
The male chuckled, his quiet laughter a seductive melody.
Novalise’s knees quaked and a shameful blush bled into her cheeks.
“Do you really think a wife is a sufficient distraction, Your Majesty?” he asked, a hint of amusement coloring his tone.
“For Aspen, a female is always a good time.”
The queen paused, turning to face her champion. She tilted her head and the faceless male stepped closer. Novalise leaned forward, desperate to see with whom she held clandestine meetings.
“What about the other Starstorm daughter?” Queen Elowyn pondered. “Sarelle, is it?”
No!
Novalise pitched forward, the sharp tip of a thorn stabbing into her shoulder. She hissed in pain, then plucked it free from her flesh.
The voices on the other side of the rose wall had gone silent.
