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Aether was waiting at the base of the lodging towers, and for a moment, I almost didn't recognize him. Gone were the intimidating leathers I'd grown accustomed to during my imprisonment. Instead, he wore what I assumed to be his Umbra uniform—black pants that barely contained his thighs, and a fitted black suit-jacket that emphasized the breadth of his shoulders. I'd never seen him like this, and something about it made him seem more real, more present than the shadowy figure who had haunted my tower. The sight wasn't terrible—which only made it worse. I remembered how his shadows had felt against my skin just days ago. I pushed the thought away.

Vexa stood beside him, dressed in similar fashion. She was twisting a dagger through her fingers when she noticed Effie's approach and bounded over to us. "Well aren't you a vision." Shemurmured in a low tone before sliding her arm around Effie's waist and pulling her in for a kiss.

Oh.

"You clean up well, Duskbound," she said, finally acknowledging my presence. "Nice hair."

"Well, that credit goes to me." Effie stepped forward, a satisfied smile gracing her lips. “Or, Matilda, rather.”

Aether turned towards us, his eyes raking over me. Suddenly I felt awkward.

He walked over, paying close attention to my hair. Something strange crossed over his eyes, and he shrugged.

"Wait up!" Rethlyn called from behind us, falling into a sprint. He appeared disheveled, his dress shirt only half-tucked into his trousers.

"She'll ride with me on Nihr." Aether started towards the stables.

"Why can't I ride Tryggar?" I asked, catching up with him. But before I slowed down, he turned and I nearly slammed into him. He looked down at me with a questionable expression.

"Seriously?" It was all he said, eyes lingering on me for another beat before he turned back around.

Once we arrived at the stables, his whistle nearly knocked me over. And soon enough, the giant beast appeared above us, wings slamming against the wind, sending my midnight locks flying.

Nihr found a clearing on the ground, her black wings showing off the specks of silver that dotted them.

I began walking towards the mounting platform.

"Where are you going?" Aether called from behind me. Vexa and Effie skipped past me, arms interlocked as they called Draug over.

I turned to see Aether waiting, impatience splayed across his face.

"What?"

"Come here," he said, a hint of exasperation in his tone.

I trudged back over to him, trying not to look like a petulant child as he lifted me up. His hands were firm against my waist, the touch brief but burning even through the layers of fabric. As he placed me on Nihr's back, I caught a whiff of him—rain and ash, like a storm about to break.

The saddle was warm beneath me, and I had just enough time to adjust my skirts before I felt him mount behind me. His body was rigid, carefully maintaining a sliver of space between us, but it didn't matter. I could feel the heat radiating off him, could sense every slight movement as Nihr shifted beneath us. The formal jacket did little to disguise the strength coiled in his frame, and I found myself sitting unnaturally straight, trying to minimize any point of contact.

"Relax," he muttered, his breath stirring the hair near my ear. "You look like you're being led to execution."

"Aren't I?" I shot back, but my voice wasn't as steady as I'd have liked.

He made a sound that might have been a laugh—or might have been a warning—and Nihr spread her wings, preparing for flight. As we took to the air, the wind whipped my newly darkened hair back, and I felt rather than saw Aether lean away slightly. When he spoke again, his voice was almost too low to hear over the beating of Nihr's wings.

"It's better the other way."

I wasn't sure if he meant my hair, my posture, or something else entirely. I didn't ask.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A grand hallopened before us, a cavernous space dominated by sweeping archways and massive iron chandeliers. Black candles dripped steadily onto the stone floor below, their flames dancing in drafts that seemed to come from nowhere. The effect was unsettling. Like the room itself was breathing.

Nobles gathered in clusters, their voices a low hum of quiet conversation. Despite their fine clothing and rigid postures, there was something predatory in the way they watched each other, in how their eyes darted between one another.

"Your parents are here?" I muttered back.

"Later," she hissed, pulling me along with the crowd. "Just remember to keep your head down and your mouth shut."