“Not now. Not tonight. Let’s just be together.”
As the hours passed and the occasional star shone through the speeding clouds overhead, Ella felt her furred cloak struggle to hold off the night’s chill.
Inside, her warm bedchamber beckoned.
As Ella made a decision, she felt her breath come short. She was going to invite Killian inside. They’d never been together. Not in that way.
Ella opened her mouth, and Killian suddenly looked up at the sky.
“Scratch it,” he cursed, “I was supposed to be back in time to have dinner with the Council of Lords.” He grinned sheepishly. “My mother will kill me.”
“Do you have to go?” Ella asked.
“I can’t tell you how much I want to stay,” he said. Ella thought she saw his eyes flicker to the balcony doors.
But he sighed and drew away. It hit her with force; she didn’t want him to leave. “Don’t go.” Ella pulled him close.
“I wish I could stay. Will you come and see me?”
“At the palace? Are you sure?”
Killian stroked Ella’s cheek as he held her. “I’m sure.”
“When?”
“The day after tomorrow. In the evening. We can have dinner, the two of us and my mother. She likes you, Ella.”
Ella shook her head as she smiled. “She’s only met me twice.”
“Will you come?”
Killian tilted Ella’s head, and they kissed.
Ella had kissed Killian back in Sarostar, in another time, when life was simpler, and no one knew about the darkness to come. This kiss sent a tingle through her lips as their two bodies fitted together perfectly, with his head at just the right height.
The kiss went on for a long time, but eventually Ella and Killian’s lips parted.
“The day after tomorrow,” Ella said. “In the evening.”
“I’ll wait for you,” said Killian. “I promise.”
Ella nodded. “I’ll come,” she said.
Killian spread his arms at his sides and chanted under his breath as he rose into the air.
And then he was gone.
Two days later, Ella arrived at the Imperial Palace in her best dress, a figure-hugging garment of soft yellow Alturan silk. She’d taken special care with her appearance, lining her eyes with the dark paste Shani used, chewing bitter peppermint for her breath, and selecting emerald jewelry to match her green eyes. She was glad for the cloak she wore over her snug dress; she’d had to pass dozens of guards to get to this point, and of course they were all men.
As the weather closed in and the howling wind scattered sleet through the air, Ella wished she had some easier method of communicating with Killian. Perhaps she could build some kind of signaling system for the two of them, she thought wryly.
She thought about their future together. As always, the thoughts filled her with both excitement and apprehension. She looked up at the grand fa?ade of the Imperial Palace. How would she fit in here?
Ella wondered which of the several entrances to use and decided on the main gate. Killian hadn’t mentioned another entrance, so the main entrance made the most sense. She wore no raj hada and had no guards with her. No one here knew who she was.
Ella ascended marble steps broad enough for a hundred men to walk forward together and not touch shoulders. The arched entrance loomed impossibly tall, the massive double doors closed to the weather. Ella spotted a small entry portal set into one of the doors and turned the handle.
Ella entered a cavernous hall and quickly closed the door behind her, mindful of the frowns the scurrying courtiers sent her way. She glanced around and wondered whom she should approach; all she could see were rushing officials and cushioned benches lining the walls. She’d come this way before, but she knew she couldn’t just start scouting around for Killian.
“Yes?” a well-dressed man approached, looking down his long nose at Ella. His thin hair was combed over a bald patch on the top of his head. Ella didn’t recognize him. “I’m Lord Osker, the emperor’s steward. Can I direct you?”
“I’m here to see the emperor,” Ella said.
“I see.” Lord Osker looked Ella up and down. She regretted wearing emeralds now; they marked her out as Alturan. “What is your name, and what is it regarding?”
Ella flushed. She’d expected Killian or perhaps Lady Alise to be waiting for her. Should she tell Osker she’d been summoned for a private dinner with the emperor and his mother?
“I’m Enchantress Ella Torresante. The high lord of Altura is my brother. It’s about a private matter. The emperor is expecting me.”
“Of course,” Lord Osker said. “Please make yourself comfortable.” He indicated one of the benches.
Ella nodded and sat down.