The Bound (Ascension #2)(90)

Once Cyrene had reached a certain age, she was forbidden from the fights, but by then, she could join the festival in the city where everyone wore white ribbons in their hair and danced in the various banquet halls.

At night, her family would sit around the hearth and remember all the things they were thankful for on this day for the Creator. They would go to bed, full of love and chocolate and blessings. Rhea would sneak into their house through the second-story window and snuggle with Cyrene and her sister, Elea, giggling at cold toes and their adventures from the evening.

This Eos holiday, there would be no snow.

No mountains.

No family.

No Rhea.

Cyrene never thought she would miss the cold. Colder temperatures wouldn’t hit Eleysia for at least a couple of weeks, and even then, it would be nothing like home.

The door to her room opened, and Cyrene jumped. “Oh, it’s just you,” she said, when she saw Maelia’s face in the doorway.

Maelia toed the door closed behind her. “Happy holiday to you, too,” she said.

Cyrene sat up in bed and pulled the covers back. “Come sit with me.”

Maelia smiled brightly and dashed into Cyrene’s bed. For a minute, she could almost imagine Maelia as a kid with her Captains of the Guard parents easing up on her on this one day.

“This is my first year away,” Cyrene whispered.

“Mine, too.”

“I thought I would be in the parade in Byern. People would look up to me as I walked through the city. I’d been dreaming about it since I was a girl.”

“I’m glad I’m not in a parade,” Maelia admitted. “I just wish I were standing on top of the perimeter wall in Levin with my parents. It was the one day of the year when I was permitted to see the world from so high up.”

“I bet that was freezing,” Cyrene said.

Levin was even farther north than Byern, and they always had bitterly cold winters.

“You don’t notice the cold after a while.”

A knock sounded from the door. Both girls started and then giggled at the interruption.

Cyrene called, “Come in!”

The door opened, and there stood Dean, looking ever the part of the Eleysian Prince. He smiled when he found them in bed together. “Am I interrupting?”

Cyrene laughed. “No, we were just reminiscing about Byern.”

“And the snow,” Maelia said.

Dean shuddered. “The snow? Why would you miss the snow?”

“It’s home,” they said in unison.

“I see. Well, I came to bring you an Eos present, Cyrene. Maelia, I know that Darmian was asking around about you,” Dean said.

Cyrene’s eyes widened. “You and Darmian?”

“Don’t get any of your ideas. I’m sure it’s just…business,” Maelia said, already getting out of bed.

“‘Business,’” Cyrene said, making finger quotes.

Maelia rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her.

“Present?” Cyrene asked.

She got out of bed and stepped into her dressing robe. She didn’t feel comfortable dressed just in her night shift around Dean even though she sometimes thought the Eleysian clothing bared more than her Byern shift.

Dean walked around the enormous four-poster bed and casually took a seat on the down comforter. If someone had found out about that happening in Byern, the entire court would be talking about it. But he seemed so comfortable and confident in the space that she took the seat next to him.

He offered her a small box. She arched an eyebrow and then tore into it. She removed a bag from within and was delighted to find decadent Eleysian chocolate.

She popped one into her mouth and moaned. “Creator, this is delicious.”

“I did say I would ply you with them.”

Cyrene laughed. “Feel free.”

“But I have one more thing,” he said. He removed a tiny box from his pockets and opened it for her.

She stared at the contents within and went still. It was the most beautiful string of milky-white pearls she had ever seen. When she couldn’t find the words to respond, Dean removed them from the box and held them out for her to see.

“Dean,” she whispered, “they’re beautiful.”

“A family heirloom.”

“I can’t,” she breathed. “It’s your birthday and you’re giving me gifts.”

“Ah, but you’re going to the ball with me. That’s gift enough. And trust me, the pearls will look much better on you when you wear them tonight than sitting in a box,” he told her. “Allow me.”

She shifted her back to his chest until they were nearly touching. She could feel the heat radiating off of him. It took everything in her not to lean back toward him and let his warmth seep into her. She pulled her long dark tresses to one side. He placed the pearls around her neck, and then he clasped the necklace into place. His fingers trailed along her neckline, and she shivered.

“There,” he whispered, his breath hot on her shoulder. “Perfect.”

“Thank you.” She touched a hand to the pearls and faced him. “They’re amazing.”

Dean laced their fingers together. That one small gesture disarmed her. It was so simple yet meant so much. His thumb stroked her hand while the other hand came up to cup her cheek. Her breathing hitched as her eyes landed on his lips.