She was wrong.
Oh, so wrong.
Taking a deep breath, Ember made her way
down closer to the shoreline. She needed to be as far away from the gossiping eyes of the town’s people as she could get. She knew she was bound to stick out no matter where she hid, especially in her custom silk gown, but she hadn’t thought to change. All she had cared about was getting out of there.
Kicking off her delicate slippers, she let the sand squish between her toes. Lifting up her skirts, she went closer to where the shore met the sea. She went in just far enough for the water to wash over her feet. It was cold, but it felt nice. Refreshing even. It transported her away from the present as she felt the stress dissipate from her body. The sand mystically soaked up all the worry she was harnessing and it seemed to bury both her feet and her emotions.
Tears stained her cheeks as she looked out at the horizon. The same horizon she looked at from her window just an hour before. She now sought answers instead of ships as her heart felt heavy with a toxic mix of confusion and betrayal. That book had to be a joke. If it was true, she would have heard about this stupid made-up curse before today. Her father would have surely told her about it. Maybe he didn’t know? Who knows how long that book had been hidden away in the restricted area? It could have been put there long before her father and King Ivan were born. It was also certainly possible that maybe Cassius and Asher were wrong. She surely hoped that was the case.
“Now, what’s a beautiful flower such as yourself doing crying out here all alone?” An unfamiliar voice said from behind.
Startled, she dropped her dress and turned to face her intruder. Water splashed them both, but the man did not seem phased.
Her walls immediately went up as she took a cautious glance around to ensure there were no other threats looming in the shadows.
“Who are you?” She asked. Ember wished she had sounded stronger than she did.
This stranger couldn’t have been much older than she was. Maybe a few years at most. He looked closer to Asher’s age than he did her father’s. His honeybrown hair was tousled as if he’d just rolled out of bed. His shirt was loose on him, though it was still defined enough that she could see the outline of his toned chest.
What stuck out the most to her were his captivating eyes. His eyes were the green color of the sea that lay behind her. The same mischief of the waves was playing in his gaze. A blush burned her face when she took note of how that gaze was giving her a hungry look over.
This man was trouble, that much was clear.
Ember’s instincts told her to run. However, a little voice told her she should stay and tell him to leave her alone so she could sulk in peace. There was something unexplainable about him that kept her from doing either of those things. She suddenly found herself very interested in learning his name.
“Nikolas Barrelwalker.” He said with a mock bow.
Her brow raised in suspicion, not knowing if he was telling the truth. She had no concrete reason to think he was lying, but his demeanor made her uneasy. “Right. Well this has been fun, but I should be heading back home. If you’ll excuse me,” she said softly, keeping her eyes lowered as she picked up her skirts and moved to walk past him.
Her breath caught in her throat when his hand grabbed the curve of her arm, pulling her to a stop beside him. Her eyes settled on his hand at first, surprise filling her at the sight of the old burns that scarred it. She wondered briefly if the other looked identical. Her eyes lifted, curious, as she met his gaze.
A jolt of fear shot through her. She didn’t know this man, and by the looks of him, she wouldn’t put it past him to attack and take any jewels she happened to have on her.
Her fear seemed to amuse him if nothing else. “Relax, pretty girl. I won’t hurt you.”
“Funny, coming from a man who is grabbing a woman without so much as her permission.”
For some reason, she wanted to believe him, but his unconsented grasp on her arm said otherwise.
“What do you want?” She asked, her eyes doing a wary once over of him.
He wasn’t dirty, nor did he smell. He had all his teeth from what she could see. Still, bells were going off in her head, telling her to run and she could no longer ignore those relentless red flags.
“Just a name. Yours, if we are to be specific.” He said, his eyes carefully assessing her reaction to this gesture.
His smirk was still in place and she wanted to wipe it right off his face.
“I don’t know if you’ve earned it, sir.” She said, her smile coming easy now.
The sound of his chuckle sent unexpected butterflies fluttering around her stomach. He was trying to intimidate her, she realized. She refused to break their eye contact, not wanting to fold before he did.
He held his hand over his heart as if her words had wounded him. “Ouch! Cruel words from such a sweet and proper girl. I’m truly heartbroken, though perhaps I should see this as a challenge. How do I earn the pleasure of knowing your name?”
She blushed at his continued persistence, but she didn’t shy away from his flirting like she normally did when it was Asher. It might have been because she knew Asher’s flirting was done in humor. He would never pursue anything real with her. They both knew a relationship between them would never work, but it didn’t keep her from crushing on him in her teen years.
Opening her mouth, she went to give him an answer but another voice replaced hers.
“You don’t, but you would be smart to take your hand off the lady before I call for the royal guards.”
Turning her head, she spotted Asher making his way over to them with pace.
The man, Nikolas, raised a brow as if ready to challenge Asher before his eyes drifted to her again. A moment passed, and much to her surprising disappointment, he let go of her arm.
Nikolas held up both hands in innocence, making a show of the fact that he had let her go. “No need to bring in your forces, white knight. The lady and I were just having a private conversation.” He announced, his gaze returning to her friend. Only now his expression seemed to have a hint of annoyance in it.
Once Asher was close enough, he moved between her and Nikolas. Upon watching the two men stand toe to toe, Ember couldn’t help but notice the smugness on Nikolas’ face. There wasn't a hint of unease anywhere. Asher, on the other hand, was tense and his expression held an anger she'd seen before when he warned any men away from her. “A conversation it seemed to me she wasn’t interested in having with you,” Asher said, his eyes narrowing on the man in question.
Nikolas straightened, standing to his full height as Asher got in his face. He seemed to loom over her friend, his jaw set as he raised a brow. The expression was one of a challenge, as if daring him to try and intimidate him. Like the good man Asher was, he took the challenge with no hesitation.
Nikolas’ smirk told her that he didn’t seem to be impressed with Asher’s intimidation act at all. If anything, he seemed more amused by it. That was why she chose then to intervene. “I’m fine, Asher. Really, you can stand down.” Ember said, touching his arm from her spot behind him.
Nikolas’s cocky smirk returned. “Yeah, soldier. You heard the lady. Stand down.”
Asher sized him up, no doubt wondering if he could win a fight with this man. After having consistent lessons with the guard’s, Ember had no doubt he could. Asher suddenly grabbed Nikolas’s wrist, yanking it up between them. "I can see why you wouldn’t want the guards involved in this ... Pirate,” He yanked Nikolas’s sleeve to reveal a “ P” visibly burned into the skin of his wrist.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You’re a pirate?”
To his credit, Nikolas didn’t look the least bit worried amidst the fact that he’d just been outed.
While it wasn’t illegal to be a pirate in Iron Kress, it was certainly frowned upon greatly. Most shop owners turned their noses up at known pirates and refused to sell to them. Since her mother was killed, it was an unspoken rule t
hat pirates were not welcome anywhere in the kingdom. King Ivan would sooner let them hang than welcome them into any port and her father was more than happy to oblige.
Nikolas’s eyes shifted past Asher’s shoulder to find her again. “Does that excite you, darling?” He said with a villainous smile.
Narrowing her eyes, Ember felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment and anger as she clenched her fists. “No, it does not excite me in the least.” She said through clenched teeth.
Yanking his wrist from Asher’s grip, he simply pulled his sleeve down and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “No need to lie for the bastard’s sake.” He said, his crooked smile never faltering.
Her eyes widened in surprise before the worry set in. She was quickly liking this man less and less the more he talked, but she didn’t want to see him hang simply because he couldn’t control his mouth.
Asher straightened, his form tensing in anger. She quickly moved between the two men with her back to Nikolas. She was not ready to witness a test of masculinity. She wanted Asher to focus on her and her alone. “Ignore him. I’d like to go back inside now. We have things to discuss with your brother before the party,” She said quickly, pleading with him to just take her back to safety.
Confliction crossed Asher’s face. Part of him wanted to punch this cocky bastard’s skull in, but the other knew he should listen to Ember. She could see his inner battle play out as it was clearly written on his handsome face.
“Asher,” She pleaded, taking his hand in her smaller one to get his attention.
His jaw clenched tightly, but reluctantly his gaze lowered to her. With a sigh, he finally caved. “Fine. Get your shoes. Come on.”
Relieved, she nodded and went to retrieve her now sandy slippers. With a brief glance at Nikolas, she passed him and took Asher’s arm.
“Till next time, darling,” Nikolas called out.
Cringing, she expected Asher to lose whatever cool he had left and go back and finish the fight he’d started. Peeking up at her friend she noticed his tense shoulders and knew that he was fighting every instinct to go back.
Looking over her shoulder, she met Nikolas’s smirk with a glare. He had the audacity to wink at her. She quickly turned her head forward and continued walking with Asher back to the palace.
Today was turning out to be an interesting day indeed.
Chapter 3
Finding a room where the trio could talk freely was deemed a harder task then they originally thought it to be. While the library was the go-to spot for them, there were just too many places one of the King’s informants could be hiding for them to be comfortable. Asher had voiced his concern over having already said too much during their earlier conversation. They couldn’t risk anyone
overhearing the information the brothers were going to unveil.
Cassius and Ember’s rooms were deemed too problematic as well, seeing as their guards would make note of it and report back to the King or her father when they returned.
The three considered heading down to Asher’s room, but even walls had eyes and ears down there. Soon enough, the staff separated them when it was time to get ready for the party.
As Malia brought her back to her bed chambers, Ember tried not to focus on what Cassius had revealed to her earlier in the library. She wouldn’t panic again until she got more information about why he would say such an awful thing to her. They’d just have to find time during the party to sneak away and talk.
As Ember stood in the center of her room, she let Malia go about dressing her for the party. She was debating over what she’d say to her father when he made his presence known. Her fear was she’d blurt out her questions about the curse if she became too nervous. Especially, when she couldn’t decipher what was fact and what was fiction. She didn’t want to cause a scene before there was cause for one.
A gasp left her lips, returning her from her thoughts as Malia tightly tied the strings of her corset. Her gown for tonight was currently laid out on the bed in front of her. The garment was breathtakingly beautiful. From the burgundy shades in the skirt, to the maroon color of the bodice that would cover her chest with a heart-shaped neckline. The sleeves would fall off her shoulders in a sheer red fabric that shined with sparkles. The horrible feeling of dread aside, she simply couldn’t wait to put it on.
Once the gown was on Malia would help braid her hair, tying away her curls into a controlled style. “I suppose you’ll be dancing with the Prince tonight. That should be a beautiful sight if I’m not too bold in saying,” Malia’s said, sounding cautious as if she wasn’t exactly sure where their boundary line was marked.
“Hmm,” Ember nodded in agreement, though it was clear her heart wasn’t in agreement.
Malia had been Ember’s maid for almost a year now. They were around the same age, which at times seemed odd, but it also made it easier to talk to each other about certain things. Ember’s frustrations over her love life might have been one of those topics of discussion. Well, maybe not a discussion as much as it was Ember ranting while Malia nodded and listened.
Malia debated something in her head, something she wanted to say before going to retrieve the dress. “I’m sure Lord Asher is a fine dance partner as well,” she finally announced after much deliberation. She made sure not to avoid eye contact as she helped Ember into the gown.
Ember’s body suddenly tensed at the implication. If anyone was to overhear such a comment, there’d be a lot of questions she was not ready to answer. “You’re right. That would be too bold to say,” she said, her voice tense as she sent Malia a sharp glare.
Timid Malia seemed to sink into herself at the infliction of the tone. Guilt hit Ember when she realized it, but she couldn’t take it back. She’d been warned before about the walls having ears and she couldn’t let that type of rumor start. Any rumor of her seeing Asher as anything more than her future brother in-law would ruin her reputation and she couldn’t risk that happening.
Still, Malia didn’t deserve that treatment.
Ember opened her mouth to apologize, but the sound of a knock on her door stopped any sound from coming out. Her eyes darted toward the door startled. Her heart skipped, wondering if somehow someone had heard what Cassius had revealed to her in the library and they were here to drag her down to the dungeon. While it didn’t seem possible, she still found her heart beating against her rib cage at a startling rate.
Malia hurried to finish getting the dress on correctly as her unannounced guest knocked again. “Emberlyn, are you decent?”
Her eyes widened fearfully as she
recognized the voice. It was her father! He must have gotten back from the docks not that long ago. Dred and excitement both filled her as she
straightened her dress to get rid of the wrinkles she’d caused. “I’m decent, father,” she called back as she ran her fingers through her curls, hoping they weren’t too out of sorts.
The doors to her room opened, revealing a guard stationed at either door with her father standing in between them. While Malia bowed, Emberlyn’s smile spread across her face. “Hello, father. I’m glad you returned safely,” she said, bowing her head slightly with a small curtsy before she crossed the room to welcome him with an embrace.
A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. Theodore Lethorne was a big burly man. His rustic red hair was cut short, probably in an attempt to hide his receding hairline. Like the hair on his head, his beard had peppered gray in it now. It didn’t seem to bother him. He’d been handsome once, but the grief and years at sea had aged him. It didn’t change the love he showed behind his dark, almost black, colored eyes.
“The waves were kind to us this time, allowing us to arrive not too long ago. Don’t worry your pretty head about such things.” He said as his massive hand touched her cheek.
A sad smile appeared on her lips as she nodded. “Of course, father. What do you think of my dress? Queen Kailani sent it to me. I love it.”
Her father took her hand and twirled
her underneath his arm as he examined her dress for himself. The skirt flared out slightly as she spun, causing her small giggle to escape through her lips.
As he lowered his arm, he didn't
immediately let her hand go. A detail that caught her attention. “Do you approve, father?” She asked.
Her voice sounded almost nervous as she sought out his approval, but she refused to show it as she studied his face for any sign of what he’d say next. The frown on his face gave nothing away. He didn’t look disgusted by the clothing, but he didn’t look happy with it either.
Biting her lip, she grew more anxious the longer he was quiet. “Do you not like it? I can have Malia find something else. I’m sure Kailani will under”
His chuckle caught her off guard. “Don’t be so nervous, child. You look beautiful. I was just, I don’t know, stunned by how much you look like your mother. You’ve grown up to be a stunning young woman. That Prince won’t know how to breathe when he sees you tonight.”
Ember found her face turning the same shade as her sleeves as he raised her hand up and kissed her knuckles. “He’s a lucky man to be gifted a bride as pretty as you, Emberlyn. When King Ivan announces the engagement tonight no one will dare doubt your match. You look every bit the part of a queen awaiting her crown.”
The mention of the engagement sent chills down her spine. Cassius’ words from earlier came back to her, taunting her with the deadly fate that awaited her once he was crowned king. She desperately hoped there was more to the curse. “Do I?” Her voice cracked, fear slipping through the cracks before she could stop it.
The Black Moon's Curse (The Stellara Trilogy Book 1) Page 2