Page 43 of Wrath Of Suns And Shadows (The Osparia #2)
His despair was jarring, and the mixed emotions only confused me further.
I didn’t understand what the hell was happening between us.
Something in me was telling me to trust him, to believe he had a plan out of this mess and to let me go, but I still didn’t understand his reasoning behind it.
And I guessed I wouldn’t get that answer, at least not yet.
I didn’t have a choice. I would have to trust him because when I looked around the empty bedroom, the only ally I had while being surrounded in a palace of true enemies, other than myself, was standing firmly in front of me.
“Do you understand?” he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Yes, I’ll be on good behavior,” I said, feeling like a child being disciplined.
He took a breath before releasing me and opened the door to call for the seamstress again.
She came back a few moments later with a wine-red dress.
I waved my hand, telling Kade to turn away while I let my towel fall to the floor, away from his prying eyes.
The seamstress quickly slipped the dress on me and made it fit me perfectly.
It hugged my every curve, with a long slit that went to my hip.
It was off the shoulder and complemented my neckline, putting the necklace my father had given to me on full display.
I had never worn something so exposing . . . so attractive.
“You are stunning,” he declared from behind me, and when I glanced up in the mirror, he was staring at me through the glass. I didn’t know when he had turned back around, but his eyes lingered on mine a moment too long, until the seamstress stood and cleared her throat.
“Alright, darling, let’s get your hair finished and get you two moving along for the dinner,” the seamstress said as she began, but as soon as she tried to go for the feathers in my hair, I grabbed her wrist.
“Do whatever you want to my hair, but leave my feathers alone.”
“Of course, my apologies.” She stumbled over her words at the fierceness in my tone. The rest of the time, she worked in silence. Once she was finished, she stood back and looked me over before glancing at Kade.
“You both look lovely for tonight,” she said as she took a few more steps back.
“All alright now, come on, scoot together, show me.” She gestured to us playfully, and I looked confused.
But Kade came to my side, placed his hand on my hip, tugged me closer to him, and grinned smugly at me through the glass.
The color of my dress matched perfectly to accent his suit.
“Why would you want to match with me?” I asked, and Kade didn’t release my hip.
“Because you are mine , and I want to be sure everyone knows it,” he informed me, and I rolled my eyes. He wanted all the accountability for capturing the most prized possession of Ember for his father. Of course, he would want to show that off in any way he could. Including dressing to match me.
“Thank you, Della. You’re dismissed,” Kade said to the seamstress, and she gave a small bow of her head before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.
“Are you ready, Bunny?” Kade said, as if wanting to reiterate what we had talked about earlier with the nickname.
“Yes, Prince.” If he wanted to continue the name-calling, I’d stick to the formalities.
Kade released my hip, and a part of me missed the reassurance that touch held in it as he led the way to the bedroom door and we began walking to a dinner I knew without a doubt I didn’t want to attend.
We made it through half the dinner before the emperor and his royal councilmen quit admiring me and talking about me like I wasn’t in the room and sitting at the same table.
“So, Emelyn, how did you stay hidden for so long?” When he finally addressed me, a part of me wanted to stay silent, not give him anything, not even my voice, but Kade gripped my knee under the table, and I knew he wanted me to say something.
“I stayed on the move,” I responded quickly, shoving a fork full of vegetables into my mouth, hoping that he wouldn’t talk to me again.
“Yes, but there were so many close calls. ” The emperor spoke with confidence.
“How did you manage to get away from some of my greatest fighters, including my daughter, Valla. I’m sure you’ve met her.
She is quite exquisite if I do say so myself.
Her skill, her loyalty, she is my greatest treasure, other than you of course.
” The longer he praised her, the harder it was to hold back my retort. My skin was simmering with rage.
“Obviously, she isn’t as good as you thought, if she can’t even keep her prisoner in her cell. And when I finally destroy her for all the life she’s taken, I hope you’re alive to see it.” At my words, I watched the amusement fade from Valos’s eyes as his grin turned menacing.
“Hmm, we’ll see just how strong your spirit is after I break it,” he threatened, and Kade gripped my leg again under the table, letting me know to stop.
“I’ll never bend, never break. Valla tried and failed, and you will be no different.”
“You will not disrespect me in my empire, in my home. Since I can’t fucking kill you, instead you’ll be our entertainment during your time here, until I can follow through with the rest of my plans.”
“Father, no—”
“Do not question me.”
“With irons on, she’ll never survive.” I didn’t know what piece of knowledge I was missing during their back-and-forth.
“We will put rules in place. She won’t die, but I’ll be sure she gets close to it.” Now I understood where Valla got her sick mentality from.
“Father—”
“You’re dismissed,” Valos said as he stood and turned away from us, walking toward the door with his royal councilmen standing and following behind him. None of them dared to question him.
Kade hissed a curse under his breath as he pushed away from the table and stood. He motioned for me to follow him. I stood and walked with him quietly on the long stretch back to the room. Once we were finally inside, he spoke.
“What the hell was that?”
“Me doing my best,” I retorted, and he placed his fingers on his temples as if trying to stop himself from getting a headache that was probably already there. “What entertainment was he talking about?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“My father puts on shows for other royals or anyone who can afford to get in. It’s essentially what we did on the ship, except most of the time when we’re there, no one dies.
Here, people do. Only the living walk out of the ring,” he said, and I thought back to when I slit Seth’s throat and a grin played on my lips.
“Stop looking like that,” he snapped, and I looked over at him.
“Like what?” I asked.
“That victorious, little grin of yours does things to me, and I can’t fathom how you’re smiling knowing you’re going to be thrown into battle with some of the best fighters known to man.”
“I’ve been fighting my entire life. This is no different.
” His eyes watched me intently as his lips parted slightly, and a look of sorrow crossed over his face.
He cleared his throat and looked away from me, running a hand through his hair.
I could tell he was already articulating a plan in his head.
Just like all those long nights, I watched him at his desk rather than getting any sleep.
It reminded me of Atreya. I could tell whatever responsibilities this man had been taking on, he had been doing it for too long—for too many people.
And I didn’t understand why he was taking on even more for me.
Why not just let me die in the ring? Wouldn’t that solve Ember’s problems?
I left for the bathroom to change into something more comfortable as Kade continued whatever internal spiral he was having.
I found a silky nightgown similar to the one on the ship and slipped it on quickly before walking out and finding the bed and burying myself in it.
I watched Kade as he looked out of the large, open windows.
The moonlight danced against the planes of his face.
The faint glow framed all his hard lines, and I didn’t think it was possible, but he looked even more mesmerizing than normal.
“Enjoying the view, Bunny?” he teased without ever looking at me. I huffed and turned away from him, and his light chuckle greeted me, skating down my spine.
“If you need anything, I’ll be in the adjoining bedroom directly across the hall.
Knock on the door that connects our rooms in the bathroom.
All the doors are locked from the outside, but I’ll hear you,” he instructed as he walked across the room and opened my bedroom door.
“Don’t trust anyone, Emelyn. Come to me for anything you need.
” He tossed a look over his shoulder before he walked out of the room and left me alone in the dark.
I lay there for countless minutes, unable to sleep, and then I saw it—no, I felt it. The shadows stirred around me. Excitement filled my chest, but the longer I looked, the more I deflated. I realized I was just seeing what I wanted to see.