Total pages in book: 207
Estimated words: 196971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 985(@200wpm)___ 788(@250wpm)___ 657(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 196971 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 985(@200wpm)___ 788(@250wpm)___ 657(@300wpm)
“What is it?”
This is a party of otherworlders.
WHAT?
As expected, she immediately tried to spin around and climb back into the carriage, causing Ilie to chuckle even as he tightened his grip on her hand. Pulling her forcibly to him, he told her, You will be fine. Just do not let them know you are one of the Trois Belle Lames.
She said uneasily, It’s not like they would know anything about that—-
Oh, trust me, they know, he said drily. But don’t take my word for it.
You’re just trying to scare me.
You’ll see. With a smile, he pulled her closer to him as they walked forward. But for now, let us enjoy the evening. A pair of footmen swiftly threw the ivory-coated double doors open to let them pass, and as they descended the sweeping staircase leading to the ballroom, she saw everyone turn towards them.
Her knees under her skirt threatened to give out, but the marquis, as if sensing the sudden drop in her composure, tightened his hold on her.
You are with me, ma lisse. Do not forget that. I pity anyone who tries to harm one strand on your lovely head.
She was about to reply when she noticed something strangely familiar. Glancing up, she saw an orchestra playing from the balcony, mostly mermen – it was easy to recognize them by their glistening skins.
And they were playing her song, she realized. La Vie En Rose, the How I Met Your Mother version.
Her head snapped towards Ilie.
This is supposed to calm you, yes?
It’s also supposed to be what I’m listening to when I’m about to fight.
As the marquis drew her to the dance floor, he murmured words that Soleil would never have even thought someone like him would care to know.
Dance, when you’re broken open.
Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance when you’re perfectly free.
When Ilie glanced down at his heartkeeper, he almost, almost smiled. She was looking at him with stars in her eyes, something that he hadn’t been able to accomplish despite being a marquis with incomparable wealth or a half-demon whose power few beings on earth would ever match.
Fleur was right, he thought. His beautiful, brave Soleil was a hopeless romantic.
And...he liked it that way.
Even if it meant having to be endlessly ribbed by the duke and the rest of the Galere, even if it meant having to memorize all the fucking poems in the world—-
He would do it, if in exchange he would be able to keep this woman looking at him the way she was looking at him now...for eternity.
Chapter Seven
After the dance, the marquis began introducing her to the otherworlders, and with every introduction, his words became more and more outrageous.
She is the creature who dazzled the man in him.
She is the morsel that his wolf could not get enough of.
It was thoroughly entertaining, enough to distract them from asking too much about her real name and background. It was also infinitely embarrassing, enough to leave her torn between gagging him with his cravat and smothering him with kisses.
Dancing resumed after dinner, but the marquis invited her for a walk in the gardens. As they went down the marbled pathway, he asked her yet again about Zari’s visions. When he had her repeating everything for the third time, she shook her head, saying, “I, too, have gone over it several times, milord. I do not believe there is anything else I can do except be wary of the color blue.”
“True.” Without missing a step, the marquis carefully moved her to his other side as they continued on. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw that there were only rose bushes growing on his left.
And they were the shade of blue.
When she turned to him with merriment dancing in her eyes, he said flatly, “You may laugh all you want, but until you remain mortal, I will not take any chances.”
“Oh, Ilie.” He could be so dangerously sweet!
He stilled. “It has been a long time since you had last called me by my first name.” His gaze captured hers. “I like it...Soleil.”
Her cheeks became flushed with color, Soleil unable to believe the amount of pleasure she derived from simply hearing the marquis say her name. I’m being too, too silly. She knew this, and yet...she couldn’t stop herself from feeling that way.
How was it that being silly felt so glorious?
When they stopped, she saw that they had reached a pillared gazebo, hidden in the deeper and darker end of the garden, where there were more shadows than light. The marquis took a step towards her, and she found herself instinctively and breathlessly retreating until her back hit one of the pillars. She clutched it from behind, its massive width preventing her from even encircling it with her arms halfway.