Elex stood across from me. I could scarcely believe how handsome he looked in the formal dress. Seeing him on the other platform, smiling, his place among the Guilds assured now, allowed relief to flow through me.
He’d been so angry with Dorian. I was afraid he’d do something foolish. Elex’s magic was strong, but not as strong as the oldest of the Temple Masters.
I didn’t want Dorian pissed off at him.
I didn’t trust Dorian.
The thoughts about the master slipped away as the parade began to file by.
The ribbons intrigued me, shining in the midmorning sun. These twirlers must have practiced for dozens if not hundreds of hours, and it would be a good bet most of that had been since the announcement.
Floats, bands, troupes of dancers, entertainers, gymnasts—they all moved by us, showing off and showing each other up.
There was laughter and bubbling joy all around. Magic was abundant, and to my delight, wound through the crowds, both in the parades and in the spectators, indulging in the happiness.
I learned magic loved life. It loved joy, laughter, friendship.
It loved love.
It thrived on love.
It glowed with love.
It bubbled and danced around Elex, beckoning me over.
Danai’s voice, however, sliced into my pining.
“This is all so wonderful, Kimber. So wonderful. Everything is going off without a hitch. Have you decided where you are going to go this evening? There are so many different celebrations. There’s the temple, the city square, the mountain, several smaller ones. Wherever you go, make sure you let the guards know.”
She scrutinized me for a moment, and I tipped my head to look up at her. A slow smile spread across her face.
“You know exactly where you’re going after the feasts, and it has nothing to do with another celebration.”
I felt my own slow smile show. “Maybe.”
Her words were close to my ear. “Whoever it is—make sure there are guards at the door. Your place or his.”
The bright red blush heated my cheeks.
Catching my eye, she followed my gaze.
“It’s that handsome Elex, isn’t it?”
There was nothing shy about my smile. “Perhaps.”
“He’s a good choice, my dear. Handsome, loyal, and clearly keen on you. I am sorry that we haven’t left you two alone long enough to… get acquainted.”
“Elex has been my best friend for years. I didn’t realize there was or even could be anything between us.”
“And now you can’t wait to find out.”
My nod was short and sharp.
Straightening her chair, she also gave a short, sharp nod. “I will fix the seating arrangement at the banquet tonight.”
“No, Mistress Danai, you don’t have to—”
A pointed glance at me cut the words off. “Please. You can see the magic.?.?. You see how it works. I always do my utmost to accommodate and feed the joy and love that magic likes.” Her head tipped, and she found someone on the platform across from us, the magic flaring around her. I drew a quick breath as she found me again and smiled.
“Just wait until you’re in bed. Better than any fireworks show.”
*
Elex’s face was full of concern when he saw his seat had been changed. The moment he saw I was sitting next to him, he relaxed completely and headed over.
The formal dress was doing it for me. So much.
He slipped into the chair with a nod of his head toward me.
“Good evening, Lady Kimber.”
“Good evening to you as well, Lord Elex.”
The titles were new. I still felt odd when people used them, but in his delightfully deep baritone voice, I found myself really liking it.
Pressing a kiss to my hand, he triggered a mad cascade of electricity through every part of me.
How had we never seen this? And why had we let everyone keep us so far apart for the past weeks?
When he placed my hand back on the table, he didn’t let go. Instead, he trailed his thumb back and forth along my knuckles, and it very much felt as though he had no interest in letting go again.
“You look lovely tonight, Kimber.” His voice was just loud enough to carry over the din of the room. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything quite so… bold.”
I gave him a shrug. “Oh, this old thing?”
Chuckling, his head shook.
I had never, ever owned a gown like the one I currently wore. A rich, deep green, it sparkled with a thousand small crystals. The heavier fabric had a high cut neckline, and beyond my shoulders, the sleeves were a sheer material, also laden with the same crystals.
Naturally, Danai and Lunella had dragged me to the shops when they saw my ‘shades-of-beige’ wardrobe.
I really couldn’t argue with them. I was a ‘shades-of-beige’ kind of person until now.
Danai’s face was between us quite suddenly. “It’s an excellent color for her, don’t you think, Lord Elex?”
“I do like it on her,” he agreed.
Danai patted my shoulder and moved on. Elex watched her go and leaned over to me.
“I’d like even more to see what it looks like on the floor of my bedroom.”
With a heaving, false gasp, I whipped my head to him. “Sir, I am scandalized!”
“I can scandalize you even more when the dress is on my floor.”
This time, I just laughed. “You’d better make me regret keeping you at arm’s length, Elex.”
His chin landed on his fist, pretending to think. I slapped his arm and turned back to the table.
“How are your lessons coming along with the immovable boulder that calls itself Dorian?”
Sighing deeply, I rolled my eyes. “About as well as you’d expect. He’s…a boulder. He’s also brilliant, and I’m delighted he agreed to teach me. Still. He could be just a bit nicer.”
“I guess the older you are, the more of an asshole you can get away with being.”
“Elex! Don’t be jealous. We’ve both had too much going on to be jealous of those who have been around us. I mean, I could get jealous of that gorgeous Parli you’ve been around for the past few weeks.”
“Parli? She’s…Oh.” The comprehension washed over his face. His cheeks pinked, and he let a laugh out. “Okay, so I need to relax.”
I wrapped my hand around his. “We’ve been friends for ninety years, Elex. This new path is just weeks old. Give us both time to adjust.”
“Yes, of course.” The smile was genuine.
Not too soon after the last course of dinner, Elex stood and offered his hand. “Dance with me.”
I took the hand offered and moved away from the table. Without another word, he led me to the dance floor in the middle of the room as the orchestra started a beautiful, ancient piece of music, a traditional dance in S’Kir.
A traditional courting dance.
As Elex wrapped his arm around my waist, I leveled a bemused grin at him.
“Did you do this on purpose?”
“Perhaps.” The grin was in his voice.
“You don’t need to court me,” I whispered the words.
“I know.” His eyes alighted on the audience we now had. “But they need me to.”
It still struck me as odd that I had to show people what I was doing. Until the cave, I was nothing more than a slightly magically inclined teacher, the daughter of two humble bakers, who taught the young ones at the temple.
Now, I was a Lady of the Temple of the Lost God.