Burnt Magic, page 18
For the first time ever, I felt like a princess in Asper’s perfectly tailored gown. At the thought of Asper, guilt crashed through me once more. I supposed this dress would help with what I had to pull off tonight... but my stomach was still tied in knots. Asper seemed harmless, and flirting with him in his shop had come naturally, had felt easy...
Well, easier than the conversation I knew I had to have with Percy at some point. But I still didn’t feel ready to face those feelings, to face the way his betrayal had hurt me. Even after this morning... no, especially after that interaction. It had been too raw, too intimate, and while I’d been grateful at the time... it made it too easy to fall back into that vulnerable place with him.
It was a level of intimacy I’d once craved to have with him... but now, it just felt heavy.
Asper had been fun, and right now, I wanted fun. Of course, I didn’t want it to lead to anything more, but... it felt easier to sink into something that wasn’t rooted in my complicated, obsessive feelings toward Percy Renaud. I knew I wouldn’t find that level of fun with Percy right now. Not when there was so much unresolved between us.
My mind was still ruminating as I crossed to the bed and grabbed the shoebox Asper had sent with the dress. Opening it, I pulled out pair of beautiful bejeweled heels in a deep shade of indigo and began doing the straps. I’d only just finished buckling my heel when Percy finally emerged from the sitting room, the sound of swinging doors cutting through the near silence of the suite. Glancing up, my mouth went dry at the sight of him in a dark-blue formal jacket with matching pants and a white button-up shirt—the top two buttons of which he’d left undone in a stylized, disheveled way.
Despite every thought I’d just had... I was suddenly overcome with the urge to climb Percy’s body and undo every single button torturously slowly as I kissed every inch of his bare skin.
Fuck.
I could already feel the hot pulse of my magic under my skin. Already knew that no amount of lighthearted fun with Asper would ever compare to how Percy made me feel.
But knowing how much power I’d siphoned off Percy last time we’d been left to such... activities, I knew I couldn’t afford to lose control with somebody I cared so deeply about.
In fact, it had been too easy to lose control with him.
“What happened to Asper’s suit?” I asked him, narrowing my eyes. He took one look at me, his eyes raking over my dress, and his jaw set.
“Fuck Asper,” was his only response, sending a shiver down my spine. “I went out and got my own attire.”
I raised an eyebrow at him.
“You’re really going to risk going downstairs in an outfit that Asper said wouldn’t meet royal standards?” I asked, pushing off the bed to approach him.
He stared at me with a look I couldn’t quite place before answering slowly.
“We’re meant to be together for political purposes here. I can’t show up to something like this and not even match you.”
The scent of his cologne was magnetizing. Without thinking, I reached up to toy with his collar, noting the shiver that went through him. Unexpected delight spiked through my spine at the reaction, dousing the dread from earlier, and a sensation like a hook rippled between us.
Warning bells signaled in my head, but they may as well have been muted as the corner of my mouth lifted.
“If I didn’t know better... I’d say you’re jealous, Renaud.”
His gaze darkened, and he took a step closer so that our bodies were almost touching.
“I thought that much was obvious, Fontaine,” he replied carefully, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. My eyes fluttered closed instinctively, and I found myself yearning for more of his touch, my magic sparking in response under my skin. “But you’ve been more than clear about where we stand. And considering we both know what needs to happen tonight... I won’t get in your way. I’m just here to play my part.”
My eyes snapped open, but he was gone. A trail of wind lingered in his wake, and disappointment crashed through me. When I spun around, he was already at the door, waiting for me. I bit my lip.
Maybe I wanted him to get in my way.
God, I hated this feeling. I wished I’d never found out the truth. That I’d never left the painting. That I’d never known there was anything other than that version of Percy I’d known.
What I wouldn’t give to go back to how simple it had been, before all these complicated feelings had arisen. I didn’t want Asper. I knew that, deep down. I was just a coward looking for an easier feeling, afraid of the depth of what I felt for Percy.
But despite this... I needed Percy to know that me seducing Asper didn’t mean anything... not compared to what I felt for him. Even with the recent pain of his betrayal and that fear that he would do it again, that I didn’t know this version of him and what he was capable of.
That desperation overwhelmed how unprepared I felt for this conversation as my inner feelings swirled to a crescendo.
“Percy, I—” I began hoarsely, but a knock at the door interrupted us.
Percy turned as the door opened, revealing Leira, who stood poised and elegant, wearing an expression of impatience.
“The guests are arriving,” she berated, gesturing for us to follow her.
Any bravado I’d gained in the past few seconds quickly died on my tongue, and I swallowed the words that fought to come out.
We followed as Leira turned in her extravagant, iridescent gown with its new embroidered skirt, leading us down the hall. “Now remember—nobody can know that I haven’t been here for the past seventeen years. I’m not ready to make that announcement tonight. This is still a welcome home party, but obviously, the true reason for it is a secret.”
She paused, turning to face us both.
“So, you are both our honored guests, but you are not to speak of what happened back in your world. Are we clear? Stick with the story about you both being scholars.”
Percy and I exchanged a brief glance, then nodded.
Leira began descending the floors, but Percy grabbed my arm before I could follow, sending my heart lurching. We paused at the top of the stairs, and he stared down at me with an expression I couldn’t read.
“I know you need to do this, Fleur,” Percy began, his voice low as he spoke. “But I... I don’t have a good feeling about Asper. So, whatever happens tonight... promise me you’ll be careful.”
I studied his gaze for a moment, and it hit me a moment later how this must feel for him to watch. He was in the exact same position as me... his friends were in Monsec too, and his father. They all needed us to succeed tonight.
And to add to that... Percy couldn’t even use his compulsion on Asper. He could only trust that I would pull this off...
But he hadn’t told me no. Hadn’t discouraged me a single step of the way. He was putting this trust in me, even when I was afraid to put my trust back in him after everything that had happened between us.
My gaze softened, and I forced a wry smile despite the nerves coursing through me.
“You’ve seen me do this before,” I reminded him, feigning confidence. “Don’t worry about me, Renaud—I was using these sorts of tactics before I even knew I had seduction magic. I’ll be fine.”
I noted his stance relax slightly and gestured for him to follow as we continued after Leira down the staircases.
We finally came to a stop just short of a ginormous ballroom. A set of double doors were open, leading down a grand staircase into the heart of the party. I could hear music and chatter coming from below, and my heart raced. I was used to crowds, but I wasn’t so good at small talk. And I knew none of the customs of this land. Would people expect me to dance? Was there an expected way to address higher ranking fae? Why hadn’t I thought to ask these questions earlier?
It was too late now—the announcer at the top of the stairs spotted Leira and made a gesture, which she returned to him. Then, she faced us as she said, “A few more rules before we proceed: first, be careful who you accept dances from, since dances hold power here in Faerie. Second, wait for your announcement before proceeding downstairs.”
Leira paused, bouncing on the balls of her feet and glancing over her shoulder anxiously before continuing. “And finally, remember to be subtle if you speak to King Branton. You don’t want to tip Asper off to what we’re trying to do.”
Before I could reply, the announcer spoke, the volume of his voice expanded by lesser magic.
“Presenting Princess Leira of Glaciroria!”
Rolling her shoulders back instantly, Leira nodded once at us, then turned and walked through the doors. Cheers went up in the crowd as she swept over the first few steps, descending with a practiced grace, and I couldn’t help but wonder where she’d learned it. Had she practiced her entire life every time she climbed a staircase, knowing one day she’d end up back here?
I crept closer to the doors, stealing a glance at the crowd. There must have been a thousand fae at least in that crowd, and I swallowed hard, turning back to Percy and observing him warily. He was barely out of the newborn vampire stage—this was probably the most people he’d been around at once since turning.
“Are you going to be okay with all those people?” I asked him, and he offered me a reassuring smile.
“I’ll be fine,” he replied, and nodded toward the doors. The presenter was preparing to make our introduction now, and Percy came to stand at my side. We hovered at the doorframe, waiting for the cue to go out onto the landing ahead.
“...our honored guests of the evening, Percy Renaud and his companion, Fleur Fontaine.”
I scowled, muttering under my breath.
“Your companion? Isn’t that a bit sexist?”
He offered me his arm in response, the hint of a teasing smile on his lips.
“Oh, come on. You love my company, Fontaine. Besides, we’re supposed to be a couple, remember?” he reminded me, his gaze boring down at me as he waited for me to take hold. “Now smile and try to at least look as if you don’t want to stab me.”
His smile grew pleasant after that, like it had taken no effort at all. In comparison, forcing my own mouth into a smile was one of the most difficult feats I’d ever attempted following the devastating realization that we were far from a couple—if anything, we were a hot fucking mess.
And I was about to spend my evening seducing a fae male.
My fingers curled around the crook of Percy’s elbow, and we made our way out onto the landing to face the awaiting fae.
Unlike when Leira descended, a curious hush came over the crowd this time. Every single set of eyes in the room had turned to stare at us. At Percy’s dull red eyes, at our rounded ears, at all the unusual physical quirks we couldn’t hide.
Only a few fae clapped politely to welcome us, and I felt my tight smile fading. It was taking almost all of my remaining focus not to trip on the sweeping length of my gown as we descended, and I was secretly grateful for Percy’s steady, strong presence to support my balance.
By the time we reached the bottom step, the interest in us was starting to dissipate. But I immediately noticed that not every fae who had been invited tonight had the same kind of wings as Leira’s family. Some had wings that more strongly resembled that of a butterfly—like Asper’s—while others had smaller, stumpier wings that glowed gently like that of a firefly—like King Branton’s. Interesting.
As we walked farther into the crowd, I couldn’t see Leira anywhere, and I supposed she was already deep in the crowd, mingling with her future subjects. I scanned the space for a table of food or a server—anything to give me something to do other than stand there with Percy or overthink the task at hand.
“Good evening,” a voice sounded from beside us, and we both turned to spot a male fae who had come up to Percy, holding a tray of glasses full of dark-red liquid. “At the request of the princess, I am to be your designated server tonight.”
We both eyed the blood in the glasses.
“Fae blood?” Percy asked immediately, and the server nodded.
He reached for a glass, and my heart lurched. Without thinking, my hand was on his arm instantly, tugging him to a stop. He glanced back at me, his brows furrowed.
“What?”
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to be feeding around all these people?” I asked, my voice low. What if he snapped again? But his expression remained cool.
“Relax—I’ve got it under control.”
Like hell he did. Only yesterday, he had blood all over his sleeve and had needed Leira to essentially stock our suite just to keep him sated! My stomach unfurled, a strange sort of jealousy coming over me at the thought of him drinking from some other person—be them human or fae. I hadn’t felt this way when he’d drank from Winona, but now, as his fingers curled around the glass... it was like a stampede in my heart, the sound raging through my ears.
He brought it to his lips, inhaling once before downing the entire thing in one go. My heart pounded wildly, and I couldn’t shake the desire to rip the glass from him, shatter it, and offer up my own neck instead.
What the hell was wrong with me?
When his eyes turned a more sated shade of red, the corner of his mouth lifted in satisfaction as he eyed the empty glass.
“See? Completely fine,” he insisted with a shrug, still not looking at me. He placed the glass back on the tray among the other still-full glasses. Percy regarded the rest, as if tempted to drink more, but seemed to think better of it.
“I’ll come and find you when I’m ready for more,” he instructed the server, who nodded before weaving his way back through the crowd.
I swallowed hard—and realized I’d been grinding my teeth. He finally looked back at me again, and his expression darkened.
“What is it?” he asked, and I finally managed to rip my gaze away.
“Nothing,” I muttered quickly, my heart pounding, palms sweating. I needed to get away from him before I did something stupid. Like make out with him in a dark, secluded corner of this ballroom. Or beg him to drink from me and effectively condemn him to my dreamland with Jules.
Shaking my head slightly, my gaze swept the massive ballroom in search of a food table again. There were too many bodies in here to spot one, but there had to be one at an elaborate event like this.
Thankfully, what I did spot was a server nearby serving actual wine.
“I’m going to look for food,” I told Percy sharply, taking the opportunity to put some distance between us.
Making my way over to the server, I smiled politely as I reached for a glass of the sparkling white wine. It still wasn’t my preference, but it was better than nothing. Tilting the glass toward my lips, I took a sip—the honeyed taste coating my tongue with a strange, addictive flavor.
Pleasantly surprised, I took another sip. I’d never enjoyed sparkling wine as much as this one before. Finally, I felt my muscles relax slightly, my shoulders sinking. I turned my head again, continuing to scan the crowd in search of food.
A moment later, I spotted King Ashayn up ahead, in a formal jacket covered in lapels and matching pants. He was laughing with King Branton, and with a quick scan around me for any sight of Asper, I decided now was my opportunity to speak with the king of Blazeryn.
Crossing the room quickly, I came to stand before the two of them and sank into a curtsy.
“Pardon my interruption, but I was hoping to speak to King Branton for just a moment,” I greeted, lifting my gaze a moment later to gauge the response. King Branton’s eyes had grown wide with recognition.
“Of course! A pleasure to see you again, Miss Fontaine—Ashayn has told me much about you,” he said, smiling broadly at me. He took a swig of his drink—some kind of mead sloshing in a goblet—before adding, “I hear you’re to assist Ashayn here in finally getting back my dragonfire?”
“Yes, that’s correct,” I nodded, being careful of how loudly I spoke. “I wanted to ask you exactly what happened the night it was stolen... how you know it was Asper?”
“I will never forget that night,” he said firmly, looking at me with a strange wildness in his eyes. “My collection is well guarded—no ordinary fae magic can get past my defenses. But that night, as I was heading back from dinner, I found all of my guards knocked out by a sleeping spell of sorts. I raced to the chamber and spotted him escaping out the window with these huge leathery wings I’ve never seen before.” He shook his head. “That’s how I remembered him—when I caught a glimpse of his face. I’ve never forgotten the sight of it.”
I frowned, pursing my lips and folding my arms.
“But Asper doesn’t have leathery wings...” I recalled, remembering his extravagant butterfly-like wings that very much matched his vibrant, outgoing personality.
“I am certain it was him,” King Branton insisted, and I was starting to see why King Ashayn had been so dismissive all of these years. The recount of King Branton’s story just didn’t add up.
In any case... all I could do was try and wrangle the truth out of Asper. And perhaps, that truth was that he wasn’t guilty at all.
“I will get to the bottom of this,” I promised the king, and I noted the joy in his eyes as I began to turn away.
“I’m sure you will,” he said firmly. “After all... I want those wings.”
I froze in my tracks, frowning now, and King Ashayn cleared his throat as I turned back to them both.
“Yes, that was the agreement we came to,” he admitted, fixing his gaze on me now. “Punishment for Asper’s crime will be removing his wings for King Branton to take home for his daughter.”
What the fuck?
I wanted to ask why, but a deeper part of me was afraid I might overstep if I did. Still, the idea was brutal and filled me with even more dread.
“Come now, Branton,” King Ashayn replied smoothly, patting the red-haired king on the back. “Let’s leave Miss Fontaine to complete her task. I could do with a few more oysters on my plate.”
They walked off in search of food, and only once they were far enough away did I swipe another glass of the sparkling faerie wine from a nearby serving tray, downing it in one go. A light buzz had started to come over me, and I feared I was going to need it.
