He squeezes my shoulder, and then he strolls from the hall, donning a smug look just to rile up his cousin. Avery watches him go with a half amused, half irritated expression.
“Did I interrupt something?” Avery asks in a droll voice once Sebastian’s footfalls fade.
I should feel guilty, but there’s something delightful about the slightly jealous look on the captain’s face. I’m sure that deep down he knows nothing happened between Sebastian and me just now, but he looks irked just from the thought of it.
And I can work with that.
“No.” I pat my hair as if I’m hoping to lay it back into place. The captain’s light brown eyes narrow with suspicion as he watches my hand go through the strands. “Why do you ask?”
Avery shrugs, feigning disinterest. “I was only mildly curious since I found you tangled up in your business partner’s arms and all.”
I let my hand drop and slowly saunter toward him, locking my eyes on his. I tilt my head ever so slightly. “What’s wrong, Captain? Jealous?”
The corner of his mouth twitches, and he takes a step in. “Not particularly. Should I be?”
I give him a one-shouldered shrug and casually let my hand slide down the side of my neck. “I can’t say I would know.”
“Are you going to invite me in?” His voice has gone deeper, and a lovely shiver travels all the way from the base of my neck to my toes. He smells as if he just bathed as well, washing away that horrible carriage ride, and the slightly-stronger-than-usual scent of his cologne mingles with the clean tang of soap and something that is uniquely Avery. It’s a dangerous combination, one that makes my mind fuzzy and my inhibitions slip into the back of my conscious thoughts.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I lie through my teeth. Even as I say it, my hand strays to his loose shirt.
Oh, it’s a good idea all right. I’m going to kiss him, be done with it, and move on with my life. Yes, that’s why I’m fisting my hands in the fabric of his shirt, tugging him over the threshold…kicking the door shut behind us.
His eyes darken and dart to my lips, making me almost forget this is for closure purposes. It’s not about pleasure—no. It’s to prove to myself once and for all that Avery isn’t the catnip I’ve convinced myself he is.
I lick my lips. His chest muscles tighten under my palm, and then his hands find my waist.
Startled by how good the contact feels, I let out an involuntary sigh—which isn’t the best sign, honestly. In fact, I probably should just get on with it. Three seconds should be long enough. I’ll count and then pull away.
“Lucia,” he growls into my ear.
“Stop talking,” I snarl, on the edge of losing real control. Then I kiss him.
And I mean I kiss him. My lips crush to his, and he yanks me close, responding immediately. He’s not gentle, but neither am I.
One…two…oh, forget it.
We bump into the wall, crash into a table. He yanks the pins from my hair and then winds his fingers through the messy strands as they fall down my back. I pull him closer and completely lose myself in the sensation.
It’s just like the island all over again. Memory washes over me, making me feel everything I’ve tried so hard to suppress. He’s everything.
Everything.
“No!” I jerk out of the captain’s arms, leaving him looking thoroughly bewildered. I whirl around and turn my back to him, overwhelmed. I fist my hands in my hair, so mad at myself I can’t even think straight.
“Lucia—” he starts, his voice husky and delicious and infuriating beyond reason.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this!” I holler as I turn back.
He watches me, wearing a slight smile on his face even though he looks a tiny bit concerned for my sanity.
“You weren’t supposed to be…and I wasn’t supposed to. And this—” I shake, more terrified than mad. “You need to leave.”
With bright eyes, Avery holds up his hands in a surrender even as he stalks closer. “Let me see if I got the gist of that.”
“Go,” I demand, pointing at the door as I step back.
As usual, the captain doesn’t listen. “You have feelings for me—but you’re upset about it.”
“No,” I scoff, my voice rising.
“You might even love me,” he continues, mock-whispering that dreadful word as he raises his eyebrows in a teasing way. He doesn’t bother to hide his grin now.
I bump into my dressing table. “So help me, Avery, if you don’t leave right this moment…”
With me trapped, he closes in, setting a hand on either side of the table as he cages me in. “You…”
His words drop off when his gaze drifts to something behind us. His manner changes so abruptly, I blink at him, startled. I twist around, wondering what could possibly cause him to lose his train of thought at this of all moments.
A single blood red rose lies across a crisp white envelope. With a flick of his wrist, Avery snatches the envelope from the dressing table. My name is written on the front in curly, formal writing, and a shiny, thick black ribbon is tied around it, ending in a bow on the front.
I pick up the rose and breathe in its rich, floral fragrance. “What is it?”
Avery hands me the envelope, still frowning at it. “It’s yours. You open it.”
I slide off the ribbon and break the black seal. There’s no crest or initials, just a simple scalloped-edge circle pressed into the wax.
Your attendance is cordially requested tonight.
If you choose to attend, your escort will meet you at
The Stag of the Forest at half past midnight.
Bring one guest; tell no others.
Formal attire required.
I hand the invitation to Avery and let him read it for himself. He raises his eyebrows and looks up. “Well, Lady Adventuress, I think you just got an invitation to one of the underground masquerades.”
I have a terrible feeling about this, but I already know I’m going to go. And I cannot go alone. I peer at him, already questioning my decision. “What do you think, Captain? Care to join me?”
We won’t tell Sebastian or Adeline, especially not after my conversation with Sebastian earlier. He’d try to keep me from going, and we’d just get into another argument. I don’t want that, not when we’re doing so well.
Avery gives me a wicked grin. “Middle of the night? Illicit? Mysterious? Sounds like my kind of party.”
“Do you know where The Stag of the Forest is located?”
“I do. Meet me at the fountain in the back gardens at midnight, and I’ll take you there.” He moves in. “Now that we’ve settled that, where were we?”
I shove him toward the door. “Absolutely not. You’re leaving now.”
Laughing, he lets me usher him to the hall, but he turns back before he’s through the door and snatches my hand, raising it to his lips. Just when I think he’s going to brush a kiss over my knuckles, he flips my hand over and presses a soft, lingering kiss to my wrist.
My mouth goes dry, and my knees go wobbly.
“Until tonight,” the captain promises, and then he’s out the door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Underground Masquerade
It was easy slipping from the castle, far simpler than I expected. But now that I’m stepping into the nighttime shadows of the garden, I begin to wonder if this is a mistake. Sebastian warned me, and yet here I am, running into the villain’s arms as soon as I get an invitation.
Just as I’m losing my nerve, I spot Avery lounging against a wall in that casual way of his, as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. His golden-brown hair looks black in the night, and his clothes are dark as well. He looks forbidden.
A thrill runs through me, one I’m ashamed to say is from anticipation and not reservations about the evening. Let’s be honest, by this point, my common sense has given up on me and gone on holiday.
I pass the enchanted fountain. It bubbles in several differe
nt colors, magically lit from within. It glows in the night, letting off an ethereal light. The captain waits just beyond it. I watch where I’m walking so I don’t trip on a stray cobblestone and land on my face, but I can feel his eyes on me.
Clouds approach from the sea, and a cold breeze blows through the gardens, moving tree limbs that are now heavy with buds. It lifts my cloak and toys at my braided hair, which I’ve pinned in a coil at the top of my head. It would have been easier if I could have asked Adeline for help, but she would have run right to Sebastian and ratted me out.
The weather feels ominous, but there’s promise in the air, something exhilarating. One way or another, bad or good, I am confident this night won’t be boring.
As soon as I reach him, Avery steps forward to greet me. He steps into my personal space, entirely too close, but doesn’t touch me. “Are you warm enough?”
I nod, not trusting my voice.
“And you’re sure about this?” His voice seems somehow darker in the night, a bit more dangerous. At some point, Avery became comfortable—everything about him instills confidence, but now I’m reminded that this man is anything but safe.
“I am,” I whisper.
Gently, he brushes a finger against my cheek, and my pulse jumps. “Then let’s hurry so we’re not late.”
Instead of offering his arm, he slides his palm against mine. Our fingers twine together, and he expertly leads me through the castle garden, navigating the maze with ease. I grow nervous as we leave through a gate in the back wall, slipping into a small grove behind the castle. We follow a winding dirt trail, delving deeper and deeper into the woods. Our path is lit with a sliver of a moon, but soon even that’s covered by the thickening clouds.
Just when it’s too dark to continue without a lantern or charm, I see something through the trees. “Avery, there’s a carriage.”
Avery nods. “Right on time.”
“You’re armed, aren’t you?” Perhaps I’m not as confident as I was in the light of day, safe in my room in the castle, but I’d like to think I’m simply cautious.
The captain pats the sword that’s currently hidden under his cloak. “Always.”
I, too, have my dagger under my skirts. It feels foreign—lighter, perhaps a bit deadlier. But I wish it were on my waist, a little easier to access.
As we press forward, something winged and nearly-silent sweeps in front of us, diving to the ground. A tiny creature squeals, and then its cries are silenced as the owl disappears into the trees. Avery and I glance at each other. I wince, slightly unnerved. I know it’s the natural way of things, but it’s still hard to witness.
“I’m sure that’s a good sign,” Avery says, his voice heavy with amused sarcasm. Though it’s too dark to see his facial expressions, I know the look on his face, the way he raises his eyebrows and the wry smile that makes his eyes seem to light—can see it in my mind as clearly as I know my own name.
I stagger, more startled by the thought than the owl. I know that about Avery—and a dozen other little things as well. I know the way he laughs, the way he cares for his crew with a tenacious passion, the way he looked at me the night we repeated unknown vows on that island a world away. Know that out of all the people in Kalae, he’s the one I want to spend time with most, the one I feel completely at ease with, the one who cares for me exactly as I am, never demanding I change, never asking for anything more than I can offer.
“Lucia?” Avery asks after I stand here for a moment too long. “Are you all right? We can still turn back. It’s not too late.”
“Yes, it is,” I whisper, but I’m not talking about the carriage or the masquerade or the elemental butterflies that have turned the royal city upside down.
I love him.
Oblivious to my thoughts, he cocks his head to the side. “You sure?”
“Quite.”
After a few more moments, he chuckles and asks, “Then do you think we should continue? Or perhaps we’ll wait here and see if they can find us?”
Forcing a laugh because I’m actually terrified, I swat his arm. “Come on.”
Before he can say anything else, I yank him the rest of the way. Our narrow trail ends in a wooded lane. The carriage waits by the stag statue in the trees. The pedestal at the base has been charmed with a light spell. After soaking up the rays of the sun all day, it now glows in the night.
The carriage is sleek and black, pulled by four glossy midnight horses. There’s no crest, no identifying decor. Our driver and footman are also cloaked in black, and they wear half-masks over their eyes, hiding their identities.
The footman steps forward as soon as we break from the trees, and he gives us an exaggerated bow. “My lady, you and your Captain are most welcome.”
I glance at Avery, but the captain’s expression gives nothing away. He’s watchful, but there’s nothing about the set of his jaw or shoulders that makes me think he’s tense. If anything, he looks amused by the show.
“To protect your identities, the masquerade master requires all guests wear masks.” The man comes forward, offering us each a silken masquerade mask, exactly like his own. They are simple and black, not showy like some of the festival creations I’ve seen before.
Avery fastens mine for me, tying the ribbon at the back of my head, then he quickly secures his as well. The fabric is cool against my face. On a warmer night, it would likely feel stifling, but now it’s exotic and exciting. Anticipation flutters in my stomach, making me almost giddy.
The footman opens the door and helps me into the carriage. It’s no surprise that the upholstery is black as well. Avery settles next to me, a little too close for my sanity.
Before the footman closes the door, he says, “We have two more stops, and then we’ll be on our way.”
As soon as the carriage starts rolling, Avery turns his head so his lips are near my ear. “They’re dedicated to their theme.”
“What’s that?” I ask, trying not to focus on the soft tickle of his words on my skin or the way he looks, half hidden.
“Secrets, mystery…” He pauses, and I turn to him, meeting his eyes in the dark. He lowers his voice and moves in a smidgen closer. “Intrigue.”
I gulp and pull my eyes from his.
Soon the soft dirt lane turns to hard cobblestones, and the horses’ hooves clack against them as they trot toward our next stop. Soon, the horses slow. I hear our footman’s voice, but when I push aside the heavy black curtain, the windows are too dark to see through.
“They’ve been charmed,” Avery says. “Best not let them catch you trying to see out.”
A twinge of apprehension makes me rethink our decision to come tonight. I lean close to Avery. “Do you think this is safe?”
He shrugs, not looking terribly concerned. “Safer than sirens, I imagine.”
I suppose that must be true.
In a few moments, the door opens, and the footman assists a woman in a dark red gown into the carriage. The cut is scandalously low, and the color is contrary to what is so popular in the city’s daylight hours. After the woman chooses a seat on the opposite side of the carriage, a man enters and sits beside her. Avery nods a greeting to them, but we all stay quiet. They speak to each other in hushed whispers, but I cannot hear what they are saying.
We travel through the city, though in what direction, I have no idea. We pick up another couple, and the ample woman sits next to me, making me scoot even closer to Avery to give her room. I try not to think of how my leg is pressed against his, about how I am close enough to hear every soft breath. He shifts, and our shoulders bump together.
The carriage begins to move again, but this time, it picks up speed. We sit for quite a while, and I grow more anxious when we leave the cobblestone streets again, setting out on a soft dirt road. My mind wanders to Sebastian’s words. When it seems we’ve gone far enough to surely be well-clear of the city, the carriage comes to a stop. The other couples buzz with excitement, though no one speaks to anyone other than th
eir companion, and they all wear masks.
Avery is uncharacteristically quiet, and I wonder if it’s because he wants to ensure his identity is kept under wraps or if he’s trying to ascertain those of our fellow passengers.
The footman finally opens the door, and we filter out, ladies first. I gape at the quiet, overgrown courtyard we’ve arrived in. It’s a ruin, ancient and crumbling. There’s a dry fountain in the middle, and a few benches covered in dormant vines. Tall, thick evergreen bushes surround the tiny courtyard, and with the help of the dark night, they obscure our surroundings.
“A few rules,” the footman says as soon as we’re clear of the carriage. “Do not share your identity, and do not ask anyone for theirs. The tunnels past the ballroom are forbidden. Do not lose your mask, or you will not be permitted entry again. Also, show it to no one—tell no one. Repeat after me: I will tell no one.”
The woman who sat next to me in the carriage looks as if this is all old news, but the couple who got in right after us nods as they say the words, both quite serious. The somber tone, mixed with my nerves, makes me want to laugh. What is this place that they take themselves quite so seriously?
Avery and I both repeat the oath, slightly less enthusiastic than the rest, and then a cold chill runs down my spine.
It was a binding spell—we’ve been charmed.
I glance at Avery, concerned, but he subtly shakes his head, telling me not to worry myself over it. But that’s easier said than done.
After the charm is complete, the footman holds out a hand, casting a type of matter manipulation spell, and a large stone bench slowly inches over the stone courtyard, creating a horrible screeching noise that makes me want to cover my ears. Once the bench is clear, he pulls back a door, revealing a stairway built into the ground. With a flick of his wrist, a flame blooms in the palm of our escort’s hand, lighting the dark night. “Follow me.”
He leads us down the stairs, into the tunnel. It grows warmer the farther we go, as if the cold night air cannot penetrate the thick layers of stone and earth. We take so many turns, I lose count, and I fear I’ll never find my way on my own if we should return.
Wildwood Larkwing (Silver and Orchids Book 3) Page 15