Page 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

A nnoyance fired through Narissa.

She supposed she ought to be grateful that Solarius had decided to leave her alone, yet instead she found herself oddly vexed by his abrupt departure.

They had not yet been married for a full cycle of the sun, and already he couldn’t wait to get away from her.

Which was fine, she didn’t require his companionship.

Narissa had grown rather used to spending time by herself.

She would attend to her ladylike matters while he gallivanted off with his brothers to shoot constellations out of the sky—a sport which sounded far more exciting than anything she could imagine.

Solarius probably thought she intended to busy herself with knitting, or drawing, or spending obscene amounts of money at the shops in Azurvend while sharing bits of gossip with other noble ladies.

But in truth, she had no one to share her innermost thoughts and secrets with, she was without a close confidante or dearest friend.

Despite being taken in by Reif after the death of her parents, her relationship with her cousin was one of agreeable cordiality.

As Lord of House Azurvend, Reif was far too preoccupied with his own schedule and responsibilities to pay her much attention, so Narissa found her own ways to amuse herself in the long stretches of time she spent alone.

She collected the near-empty plate and set it on the nightstand, then padded across the floor to where a small, bronze siren statue was fixed to the far wall.

Wrapping one hand around the siren’s tail, she pulled gently and the hidden door gave way, groaning open to reveal a dimly lit secret room.

The space was smaller than her bedroom, but it was cozy, and it was the one place in all of Aeramere where she truly felt at peace.

Where she could lock herself away and pretend the rest of the world had ceased to exist.

Dried herbs hanging from long pieces of twine decorated the rough stone walls, and wooden shelves were crowded with vases of sugar vine, bloodroot, and ash wood.

Jars filled with cloud mist, illuminance algae, and moonflower nectar were right beside baskets of citrus peppers, syrenshade, and a random assortment of mushrooms from House Terensel.

Her smooth worktable was crowded with bowls of crushed coral, sea glass, along with a mortar, pestle, and a scratched-up cauldron.

Wooden shelves displayed Narissa’s prized collections of potions, salves, and sensual elixirs—the latter of which she sold to the ladies of Aeramere by means of clandestine meetings—because Reif would be horrified if he discovered she was brewing tonics designed to enhance a female’s sexual prowess.

Narissa cleared some room on her worktable and lit a small fire beneath the cauldron.

She poured in a small amount of lotus oil, just enough for it to simmer, then set to work grinding some winter rose petals with her mortar and pestle.

She added a few drops of smoky vanilla to the crushed flowers, blending them together until her wrist and shoulder ached, then combined them with the lotus oil in the cauldron.

Grabbing a wooden spoon from the shelf behind her, she stirred the contents while tiny bubbles gurgled and popped, and a warm, sultry scent hung heavy in the air.

Despite the cold outside temperatures and the wind rattling the panes of the framed window overlooking the sea, beads of sweat dampened Narissa’s brow.

The cotton sleeves of her day dress clung to her skin, and she shoved them up to her elbows as she continued to mix the elixir.

For one fleeting moment, she considered concocting a love potion.

Perhaps then Solarius would come to his senses, even if he was only charmed into believing it.

Narissa laughed softly at the absurdity of the idea.

She shook her head once, the golden waves of her hair frizzing slightly in the thick air.

Tucking an errant strand behind her ear, she reached for a bottle of pearl dust, then paused when two feminine voices sounded from inside of her bedchamber.

She stilled, listening as the maids who set to work tidying her room also felt the need to share their opinions on Narissa’s relationship with Solarius.

“I don’t know what he sees in Lady Narissa,” one with a nasal, high-pitched voice proclaimed.

“She’s hardly beautiful. In fact, I would call her rather plain.”

“I heard their union was contracted by Lord Starstorm and Lord Marintide.” The second maid had more of a husky voice, as though she’d swallowed a handful of rocks.

“Lord Solarius probably doesn’t even love her.”

“I pity him,” the first responded, snorting with derision.

“How tragic for someone as handsome and charming as Lord Solarius to be bound to such a delicately tedious female who prefers potions to parties.”

“She always was a bit of a wallflower.”

“Well, if Lord Solarius is looking for a more bountiful garden, my gates are certainly open.”

The maids giggled, their mocking laughter echoing through the small crevices of the stone wall, gradually filling Narissa with a sense of immeasurable dread.

She pressed the heel of her palm to her chest to alleviate the building pressure there, rubbing in slow circles while she took one steadying breath after another.

Cruelty knew no bounds.

Narissa wasn’t ignorant—she was well aware that her perceived love for the solitary and her quirky hobbies made her a less than desirable mate to most.

Yet the truth of it was she didn’t enjoy being alone.

It was simply a matter of fact.

She never experienced a proper introduction to society after the death of her parents, and it was a difficult task to find companions of worth as most ladies of Aeramere were rather fond of gossip and lacking in trustworthiness.

In truth, the only female Narissa would consider an honorable friend was Lady Sarelle Starstorm, and not even she knew the truth behind Narissa and Solarius’s abrupt and failed courtship.

Admittedly, their reasons for ending things were murky at best.

Narissa had no desire to slander his reputation or character, so she stewed in silent contempt instead, only voicing her dislike for him when the need arose.

However, Solarius seemed trapped in a world of delusion, choosing to direct his anger for his own misgivings at her instead of himself.

Naturally, outlandish rumors surrounded their falling out, with neither Narissa nor Solarius confirming or denying anything.

She was never certain why Solarius remained silent on the matter, but for Narissa, her pride had been bruised and her heart had been broken.

Shame cut her deeply, like a blade forged of cold iron.

After all, it was her secret to keep.

If she didn’t want all of Aeramere to know that Solarius had charmed his way into her bed, taken her virtue, then refused to speak to her again…

then that was her business.

She owed no one an explanation.

And for Solarius to act as though he’d done nothing wrong, like she was somehow at fault…

well it filled her with a kind of blinding rage, which was why she gave him her absolute worst any time they were stuck with one another for company.

Anger, insults, attitude, and saucy comments were all she could do to protect her fragile heart from him.

Narissa sighed, letting the contents in the cauldron simmer over the open flame.

Eventually the maids finished their cleaning and finally went about the rest of their daily tasks, but Narissa didn’t return to her bedchamber.

Instead, she enclosed herself in her room of potions and practicality, a place where she could control every aspect around her.

Where nothing was left to chance or fate.

She toiled over the cauldron for hours, perfecting the special oil blend until her eyes began to water, and she lost all track of time.

“I thought I might find you in here.”

Narissa’s head snapped up at the masculine voice and her gaze zeroed in on the entry where Reif lounged against the arching wall.

The cuffs of his blue shirt were rolled, and his loose tan pants were tucked into his shiny onyx boots.

One finger was hooked in the collar of the well-worn coat slung over his shoulder and his sandy blond hair was mussed and swept over half his face, as though he’d just stepped inside from off the beach.

Reif lifted a single brow in question.

“Care to explain why you’re hiding away from the world the day after your wedding?”

“Not particularly.” Narissa pressed her lips together and doused the flame beneath the cauldron with a spritz of water, just enough to smother the small fire into nothing but damp embers and curling ribbons of smoke.

“I would have thought you were spending time with Lord Solarius all day,” he drawled, pushing away from the uneven stone wall.

“So, you can imagine my surprise when I learned he has been out from House Azurvend since mid-morning and you were not with him.”

Narissa let her shoulders rise and fall in nonchalance.

She had perfected the art of showcasing indifference.

“Lord Solarius returned to House Celestine at his brother’s request. The invitation was not extended to me.”

Reif’s brows pulled together into a frown.

“Is that a fact?”

“So it would seem.” She wiped her hands on a towel and eyed the concoction she’d crafted.

It would need to cool before she could ladle it into the proper vials.

Her gaze flicked back to her cousin and the unfortunate topic at hand.

“I imagine his siblings will always take precedence.”

Reif made a derisive sort of noise, his boots clicking soundly across the floor as he approached her workspace.

“I’m inclined to disagree with you, Narissa. Last night, for the entirety of the evening, Lord Solarius couldn’t manage to keep his eyes off you.”

Only because she was incredibly drunk and he didn’t want her embarrassing behavior to stain their marriage.

Narissa blew out a breath, sending a ruffle of her wavy hair fluttering into her face.

She flattened her palms against the wooden table and leaned forward, glaring up at Reif.

“While I appreciate your reassurance, dear cousin, your pitiful attempts at matchmaking are nothing more than a waste of breath. Lord Solarius does not desire me in that way.”

Maybe he did once.

But that was before he got what he wanted then renounced her completely.

“If I am destined to be in a loveless marriage, then I will make the most of it.” She gathered up some wilted winter rose petals and deposited them into a small glass jar for safekeeping.

“But I will not go so far as to humiliate myself by thinking he values me.”

Solarius may have claimed her feelings mattered, but his actions that morning spoke otherwise.

Reif rapped one knuckle along the edge of her worktable and when she looked over at him, his mossy green eyes were shrewd and gleaming.

“There is one thing that will serve you well, so long as you don’t forget it.”

“Oh?” Narissa tilted her head to one side, planting both hands on her hips.

“And what’s that?”

Because of course she needed advice from her cousin on how best to win the heart of her husband, a male who clearly could not stand the ground she walked upon.

“Solarius Starstorm is quite possessive in nature. He does not like to share, nor does he want anyone touching what belongs to him.” Reif smiled broadly, as though he’d made some sort of revolutionary discovery.

Narissa was not impressed.

She suffered him a very loud, drawn-out sigh.

“What are you suggesting, Reif?”

He bent forward conspiratorially, his whisper grating and full of absurd bravado.

“Only that if you entertain the attention of another male, it won’t be long until Lord Solarius arrives to defend what’s his…which is you, of course.”

Unfazed, Narissa stared at her cousin.

“That’s it? That’s your masterful bit of guidance?” She rolled her eyes to the ceiling, then raked her fingers through her hair.

How horribly unoriginal.

“You think I should try and make him jealous?”

It was quite possibly the most male scrap of guidance ever—impractical and utterly useless.

But Reif’s response gave her pause.

“Not quite.” He held up one finger with a solemn shake of his head.

“You should make him realize what he has before it’s lost to him.”

Narissa wasn’t entirely sure if that was a compliment, but it certainly sounded like one, so she decided to accept it.

“I’ll consider your suggestion, Reif. Thank you.”

He inclined his head.

“Freshen up and come to dinner, I’ve invited some guests from House Terensel. They should be arriving any moment.”

“House Terensel?”

But before Narissa could ask who was joining them for dinner, Reif was already strolling back down the small corridor and she was left alone with her thoughts.

Outside, the sky was alight with hues of crimson, gold, and blush.

The sun would dip across the western horizon quickly as it so often did in the throes of winter, and twilight would descend before giving way to the midnight hours.

Solarius’s words prodded at the back of her mind.

“I shall return before nightfall. I promise.”

Narissa scoffed, stalking from the potions room to her bedchamber, already knowing this would not be the only time Solarius failed to keep his word.

She would simply have to prepare herself for the inevitable pain that followed his string of broken promises.