Page 34

When we made it into the back room, where the bed had been the night before, it had changed again. The bed remained, still covered in tangled sheets, but the space was larger, more open, with a few things added to the fray.

An end table that seemed slightly tilted to one side. A mirror that was cracked on the bottom left that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. An encompassing closet that held rows and rows of clothes, none of which had been there before.

They beckoned us closer, each of us already weary as the weight of the night bore down. I didn't have the energy to question it, and I picked out a dress in silence, fingers running over each of them until I stopped on one that didn't make my skin crawl. The gentle lavender fabric was smooth under my fingers but not the silky finish that Sebek's had been, and it would cover most everything but my arms.

It was long, trailing down behind me, shifting from silk to a see-through lace. Even then, I felt more vulnerable in it than I did without any clothes on. It accentuated my waist and brought attention to the scars that lined my exposed skin, but it also brightened the intricate black designs that ebbed and flowed on my wrist. I trailed a finger over them, humming as a chill filled the air, and joy filtered in. Red's amusing flit of emotions calmed me as he fluttered around before landing on the final piece.

A mask.

It was intricately designed, a white lacy material that would cling tightly to my face, small lavender gems across the surface. They glittered in the low light, warm to the touch, like the one that used to hang around my neck.

I never did get to pick up the pieces of the one that had been stolen from me. Broken. Shattered. The loss of it suddenly made me sick.

" Lux mea? " Osiris called from behind me, his voice a balm.

That night by the fire had been when I'd really taken a step back and recognized these men for what they were. It was when I'd first trusted them, truly trusted them, and I'd lost the piece that had sealed that for me. Lost something that I knew Osiris had used a part of himself to make.

I turned to him, struggling to find words as I took in his tense form. He stood straight, only partially dressed in tight deep-blue suit pants and a black undershirt that was still undone on the top few buttons. His chest was unmoving, his eyes only partially focused as he looked me up and down with worried, narrow eyes.

"Sebek destroyed your gem," I whispered, my lips trembling. Osiris's eyes went there, to the empty chain on my neck. "I'm sorry, Osiris. I know how long you spent on it?—"

I didn't get the rest of the words out, Osiris moving too quickly for me to catch, his hands suddenly cupping my cheeks before his cold lips were brushing against my forehead. He was still so cautious, his hands shaking, but that didn't matter to me. The feeling of him, in whatever way he could give to me, would always be enough.

"I'll make you a new one as soon as I'm able," he whispered, setting his forehead against mine. "I'll make you a thousand necklaces and a thousand more after, however many you want. They're yours, my dear."

His next kiss was a promise, softness against my lips, a caress. Slower, more deliberate. As if he were savoring it, not questioning if he should back away. When he pulled back, he pushed my hair behind my ear before setting the mask on my face. He tied the delicate strings with expert hands, and I watched every move he made, eyes catching on the slivers of black that still clung to the veins on his wrist.

Eirik was next, the door closing behind him, taking Osiris's spot with a smooth grace. He was already dressed, a simple black suit seeming out of place on his large form, like he might bust through the seams of it at any moment. The mask, though, curled around his face, sticking out above his nose like a skull. The shape was distinctly canine, the color the same almond hue as the fur of his wolf.

He tipped my head, working quickly to tie my hair into an intricate braid that hugged the side of my head like armor, just like he had before.

I held my head a little higher when he finished, blushing at the fierce heat in his gaze that warred with a pride that leveled me. It was like watching his beast take the reins as his eyes fell into dark seas, as if he could read my thoughts. His palm centered on my cheek, and no words were needed beyond that look of promise that had me leaning farther into his touch.

"You ready, love?" Adrian asked, breaking the moment, and I took a steadying breath.

I should have expected him to have more color, his suit a coppery red that complemented his hair. His bowtie was tied intricately on his neck, tucked tightly against him as he slid one hand into his pocket, the other toying with a golden pocket watch that dangled from his chest.

His mask was silver, little cogs tracing it that seemed to rotate when I wasn't looking. Flecks of gold littered it, out of place.

Each piece, from the suits to the masks, seemed like they were designed with us in mind. It went further than I would have expected, more personal, less detached. Like the Eternium wasn't just a guide, but rather something that was learning us.

One day at a time.

I stood, giving Eirik one more glance, stealing a kiss when he wasn't expecting it, and pulling away far too soon for either of our liking. We both followed Adrian back to the main room.

Osiris was dressed fully now, wearing a simple deep blue suit, his hair slicked back, his hands tugging warily at the sleeves of his black dress shirt. His mask was almost like Eirik's, with canine features embroidered with rich blue stones. But it was different, sharper, clinging more to his deep olive skin, and the more defined angles of his face. It made him look ethereal, godly.

Prince, to his side, held his danger in a much different way. Osiris seemed like an omen of death, but Prince dressed like he was the guide meant to bring him those lost souls. His suit was a burgundy red, black accents drawing to the silver of his eyes. Devilish, with a sinful smile that had my insides melting all over again. The mask he wore resembled something I'd seen before, the helmet in the basement of the Vivas house, the brutal gold with angelic Roman architecture that seemed dirtied and crumbling.

I dragged my eyes over each of them again, all fully dressed besides Fallon, who was still tightening the straps on his outfit. His hands were on the strings at his back, his eyebrows drawn close as he pulled them tight. It took me a second to realize what it was, the fabric stiffer than a waistcoat.

He was wearing a corset.

My mouth watered, and I had to swallow as my body lit an inferno inside of me.

It was a light green that complemented his eyes and the white dress pants he already had on. It accentuated his slim waist, bringing attention to his back and strong arms as he grunted and tried to get the last few strings tied. The green material stretched, and his golden hair bounced over his heated eyes.

"I may not swing that way, but even I can say he's looking sinful," Adrian whispered in my ear, and I jolted when I realized how close he was. His laugh was addictive, reminding me of the way his hands had felt against my skin as he reached for the zipper on the back of my dress. He pulled it up the rest of the way, making sure it fit snug as he lingered on my sides. "Why don't you go help him? He looks like he needs it."

I didn't need to be told twice, walking over to Fallon on autopilot, then stopping in front of him with a dazed look on my face. His eyes were confused for only a second, before they trailed down me, his hands twitching as they fell away from his back. Watching his hands pull into fists nearly did me in. When he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, I considered just staying here.

We didn't need to go. This whole Eternium thing was a waste of time.

"What did I say about looking at me like that, trouble?" he asked, and I melted as he turned around, crouching so I could grab the strings that had been giving him trouble.

My fingers shook, and it took me a lot longer than it should have to thread them through the little holes in the back. When I managed that, I pulled them tight and started to tie the knot when Fallon reached back to stop me.

"Tighter, Ali," he whispered. There was a challenge there, excitement in his husky voice, and I yanked the strings, causing him to hiss as his head tipped back. His dark chuckle as I finished tying the knot would stick with me for the rest of the night. He stood and fixed his tie before throwing on his overcoat. "I'll remember that."

His mask was the last to go on. It was white, a simple straight color, beyond the cracks that lined it. They dug into the heavy material, splintering as though put under tremendous force. He tied it, a cold expression slipping firmly into place.

His smile dropped completely. The man I knew before taking over, shrouding his face in an armor of frost. The others surrounded us as Fallon offered me his arm.

I took it, clinging to him, and we moved. One unit, one family.

The clock chimed, signaling the start of the masquerade. The opening ceremony.

Let the Eternium begin.