Chapter 48

Dessa couldn't help but grin as she rushed forward into Kalla's outstretched arms, both of them laughing as soon as they wrapped each other in a hug.

Though she'd caused quite a lot of chaos for Dalcaine before, Kalla had practically become family after all she'd done for Dessa's family, Dalcaine, and Escarral. Like Gideon and Cleo, Kalla was always teaching her how to do everything that made her parents' have heart attacks. She loved to tease Jai about it, too. Dessa's father would act annoyed, but Kalla was one of his closest friends and ended up rolling his eyes before giving her a crushing hug.

"Am I becoming blind and deaf in my old age, or did the five of you just appear out of nowhere?" Kalla asked her then, squeezing her tight before kissing the side of her head.

"You, old?" Dessa laughed. She looked pointedly at the small tattoo along her left cheekbone, the one in an ancient Fae language that Dessa had always been able to read. It was spelled with magic that gave her immortality. "Never. But yes to the latter."

"Then your mother's letter a few weeks ago about you finally getting your magic..."

She lifted a hand between them and her shadowflame immediately flickered to life. Kalla's eyes widened as she marveled at her show of magic, at the dark flames with sprinkles of glittering silver.

"Lyv wasn't wrong about that, was she, kid?"

"Nope."

Even as Dessa closed her hand, smothering the shadowflame, Kalla couldn't stop looking at her. Something flickered in her ice blue eyes. Something like...realization...as she slowly lifted her hands to Dessa's face to cradle it between them. She didn't say a word even as she looked behind her at Elys. A silent question was asked, to which he nodded his head just as Dessa shifted to glance back at him.

"Well," Kalla smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Do you want to get settled in your rooms before we head out? And Des...I want to talk to you, too. Learn more about what's been going on from you and not just Lyv's letters."

"Same rooms as always?" Archer asked, hiking his bag over his shoulder once more as he started following Milena and Eamon out.

"You got it, kid."

Leaving her, Dessa, and Elys alone.

When Dessa turned back to her, gone was the fun and mischievous Kalla Dessa knew all too well and in her place was a female who was filled with worry. Without her even having to say it, she knew why there was a sudden change in her. She'd seen Cleo struggle with gaining control over her magic when she was little, went through the fear and prejudice of others who saw her as a threat. She was worried about Dessa facing those same challenges, even though she was a princess of Dalcaine and had so many people surrounding her to help and guide her along the way.

Dessa's smile waivered as she reached up and covered Kalla's hands with her own. "I'm all right, Aunt Kalla," she told her quietly. "I promise."

"Are you sure?" she whispered back. "Gods, we all knew this day would come, but still. Seeing you with your magic and knowing it's both light and dark..."

"I'm sure. And if you need some reassurance, just ask that one behind me."

Kalla looked over her shoulder at Elys again.

"She really is all right, Kalla. And she's doing a phenomenal job with learning her magic."

She nodded, looking at Dessa again. "Tell me everything."

So, she did. Everything from those first few times she felt the sparks of her magic come to life inside her to her and Elys's fight when it finally broke free in a fierce explosion, learning what she could do by herself and having her family, including Cleo, teach her everything they could. Kalla listened without saying a word, though the creases between the scrunched up brows never went away, a clear sign of her continuing worry.

"And now, we're going to Arloerin so I can train more with Cleo," Dessa concluded. "But after all the training and such, we needed a...break of sorts, which is why we're here for the night."

Kalla finally smiled, brushing her fingers along Dessa's cheek. "Well, a fun break you shall have. Go get settled and I'll have Shyael bring something for you to wear. A proper Blackloch dress for a nightly party, one your father would never want to see you in," she told her, then dropped her voice to a whisper as she winked, "but another male will certain love."

Of course, she had to go and embarrass her. It was her go-to mechanism when she was trying to fight off her anxiety and worry. Laughter and playfulness to cover up everything else.

Elys didn't follow her out, though, as she left Kalla's room. Instead, he stayed behind, facing Kalla as Dessa closed the door behind her.

That first question had her stopping mid-stride

"She doesn't know what's going to happen now that she has her magic now, does she?" Kalla asked Elys quietly. "She doesn't know what's going to happen with all of us?"

What did she mean by that, by all of us?

"We've just been focusing on her training these last few weeks. And with our combined magic...we've only managed to go back a few times and only for a little while. How am I supposed to tell her we're going to be gone for the better part of two years but can't decipher from my visions on when that's going to happen? I only want to tell her when I have all the pieces myself."

"But withholding these things from her..."

She could almost imagine Elys shaking his head, running his fingers through his hair. "No. I don't want to burden her with that knowledge just yet, not when we know what we're going to walk into when we get to Arloerin."

"And what in the hell do you mean by that?"

Elys paused, silently cursing himself. Not only did he not want Dessa's parents know about that attack on Arloerin, but he didn't want Kalla to know either. If they did, surely they'd send their own armies along with them and forbade them from stepping foot into the city.

"Nothing. Cleo's going to have a lot going on...and we're going not only to help Des train with her magic, but to help Cleo as well."

"I swear, if you're keeping something from us all that threatens the life of someone I would give my life for..."

"Cleo didn't want me to say anything either. She knows how everyone worries, no matter how many times she's proven to you how she can take care of herself."

"I raised the girl as if she were my own. I can't not worry about her. I will love and protect her until the day I go into the land of light and shadows."

"Good...then trust her enough to let her take care of what's to come herself."

Kalla growled but then went silent, walking away from him. The sound of liquid being poured into a glass gave away her attempt to drink away the thought of what Cleo was to face. She sat down hard on one of the plush chairs in front of the hearth, then drained the glass.

"Why don't you want to tell her? I'm sure the others know, but why not your m-"

"Of course, they know. Eamon and I used to talk about it when we were kids all the time. Archer didn't need to be told about it, not when he has his father's susurrate abilities. And Milena...she undoubtedly knows from Eamon since he can't keep anything from her and never has been. Even before they were officially mated they were reading each other's thoughts. It's annoying as hell, all those silent conversations between them, especially when they're inappropriate."

Kalla burst out into laughter. "You're just jealous because you can't wait for that day when you get to do the same thing with yours. And if I'm correct like I always am, that might be coming a little sooner rather than later."

"Don't even start, Kalla."

"Oh, come on! I think it's cute! Gods, watching you grow up and now finally getting to be with..."

"Seriously, Kalla. Stop talking."

"Why? I love teasing you about...oh. Oh."

"Exactly."

Kalla heaved a sigh, her bootsteps slowly walking toward where Elys must have been standing. Her voice dropped to a whisper, one so low it had Dessa straining to hear. "You know...I know you better than you think I do, kid. I got to spend a lot of time with you even before I officially met you when you were five. Even after you two were...you know...you still had a hard time believing you deserve everything you have, even though you're probably the happiest I've ever seen you when you're with her. I'm just happy I get to see it again, so please don't let your insecurities stop you."

Elys was silent then and all Dessa wanted to know was what he was thinking.

"You sound like Cleo when I talked to her about it," he finally said.

"Please. More like Cleo sounds like me. Where do you think she learned it from? Now, go get settled in to the room I strategically had you staying in before for a very specific reason and change out of that armor and leather. Did you think you were walking into a fight when you got here to Blackloch?"

"You never know."

"Sure, kid."

This time, Dessa had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't Kalla who downed a glass of alcohol.

***

"Have I mentioned how much I love coming to Blackloch, even though Daddy would have a conniption if he realized I was here?" Milena sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror leaned up on the wall next to Dessa's bathing room door. "Not to mention covering me up with a cloak as soon as he saw me in this dress."

Indeed, the dress she wore left little to the imagination. It was made of a shimmering gold silk fabric almost the same color as her hair and looked beautiful against the dark tan of her skin. Though the neckline draped along her shoulders and collarbone, the back swooped all the way down to her waist. Not to mention the thigh-high slit along her right leg and the strappy heels she donned.

Dessa snorted out a laugh, peeking out to look at her. "We say nothing of this detour on our trip, got it?"

"Definitely got it," Milena grinned with a wink. "Especially when you're wearing a dress like that."

Looking down, the first thing she saw was the deep V of the neckline of her dress...if she could call it a dress, that is. It was made from the softest black silk, embroidered with silver swirls on the shoulder straps and dotted with black diamonds. The V neckline went all the way down to her navel and the back was just as deep. A thin jeweled strap held the front together just below her breasts, but one shift of her shoulders and the top would fall if she let it. As for the skirt, it flowed in soft waves of fabric to the floor and had a slit along the right leg just as high as Milena's. The only thing she hadn't done yet were put on the strappy sandals with laces that would wind up and around her calves.

Milena met Dessa's gaze in the mirror as a small smile curled at one corner of her lips. "I like the dress...and I know of someone else who will love it even more."

Dessa's face flamed as she concentrated on weaving a silver metal headband into her hair. "Don't even start with that. We're just playing the part of being Blackloch citizens and enjoying a party."

She wasn't giving up, though, coming up beside her to lean against the counter. "You still haven't told me what happened between you two the other night."

"Nothing happened."

"Everything happened."

"Milena..."

"Dessa Jai Deverell Ayveri, don't deny me the chance to scream I told you so at the top of my lungs."

"You'd do that even if I didn't tell you anything."

"Because I know you as well as I know myself. And something happened between you and Elys. Something that's so steamy you've been thinking about it nonstop."

Definitely true. Even just the thought of the kiss between them had Dessa's heart fluttering as she finished lining her eyes and sweeping red lipstick along her lips.

Knowing she wasn't going to let her get around it, Dessa finally heaved a sigh. "Fine. We stayed up late and I...I kissed him. It was just a few moments long and I kind of caught him off guard. All I could think of when I was looking at him was mine. And I just wanted to see what it was like."

"Say that to the way you were both covered in each other's scents the next morning then. And those looks..."

"I didn't say that was the only kiss."

Both of Milena's brows shot up as a sly smile stretched across her face. It was such a Gideon look it had Dessa shaking her head just like Jai did.

"Tell me everything."

There wasn't telling her everything, though, not when a knock on Dessa's door had them both peeking out of the bathing room.

Milena growled, obviously knowing who was on the other side as she stalked over and threw it open. "Eamon Ayveri, you just completely ruined my spicy conversation I was about to have with Des."

Eamon didn't seem sorry at all, not when his eyes went wide at the sight of her in her dress. He was dressed in a gold embroidered jacket and leather pants, looking every bit the Dalcaine prince he was. "Well, I'm certainly not, you beautiful female."

When he went in for a kiss, Milena put a hand on his face and shoved him away. "Nope. Don't you dare think you're getting a kiss from me."

"Not even a peck?"

"Definitely not." She gestured to all of herself in her gold dress. "You're not getting any of this tonight."

At that, Eamon threw his head back and laughed then gestured to himself like she did her. "Like you'd be able to resist all this, too."

"Shut up, idiot."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Rolling her eyes, Dessa walked to where her sandals were sitting by the wardrobe as the two of them continued bickering back and forth as they left, keeping the door open so their voices carried down the hallway. Just as she finished with the last of the laces, Dessa leaned up again and made a move to shift her skirts to stand.

But paused as soon as she saw Elys leaned against the doorframe, staring at her.

Dessa tried to hide her smile as she looked him over. Instead of the formal attire Eamon had been wearing, Elys was dressed in a black shirt tucked into leather pants. He'd shaved so his beard was just a shadow along his jawline and his hair was expertly slicked back.

Standing up, she slowly spun around to show him everything. "What do you think?"

He visibly swallowed, eyes trailing over her again. "You look stunning...and I think you need to cover up more because everyone will be looking at you."

She snorted out a laugh and made her way toward her, only for him to meet her in the middle. One of his hands curled around her hip, and she could feel the heat of his palm through the silk. It made her shiver as she moved closer as her fingers curled around his collar.

Even as he was looking at her tenderly, Dessa still couldn't help but think back to what she'd overheard between him and Kalla. He knew just by the look that must have been on her face.

"I know you were there, Des," he said to her quietly, touching his nose to hers. "Seer, remember?"

"I know I shouldn't have, but..."

"I'm sorry," he said, holding her tighter. "What Kalla was talking about, about what I'm keeping from you about what happens..."

She shook her head, stopping him midsentence. "I don't want to fight about you keeping something from me again, not when I know you have good reason to and will tell me when the time's right. Not when I just want to use this night to forget about everything that's been going on, all right? I just want to be Dessa, not Princess of Dalcaine, and I want to spend it with you, Elys, not Seer of Ikreus. Got it?"

"Got it."