Page 251 of Blade of the Nightking

As we climbed, I found myself thinking of Solmire—of the winding stairs leading to the Aethereum. I wondered if Firstborn hands had shaped this place as well.

The moment the servant opened the door at the top, I knew without a doubt they had.

The observatory shared the same graceful proportions as the dome in Solmire, only here it had been fashioned from crystal-clear glass rather than stone. Light filtered through it, bathing my skin in watery blue hues. At its center, an enormous starburst mosaic stretched across the floor, nearly identical to the one in the Aethereum.

For one disorienting heartbeat, I was back in Solmire—the cold tiles biting into my back, Aedric's heat between my thighs, snow drifting lazily down to settle around us. We’d lain there afterward, our fingers entwined, while he whispered things I'd believed with every foolish piece of my heart.

An ache bloomed beneath my ribs.

I dragged my thoughts back to the present before they could carry me any deeper and forced myself to take in the observatory around me.

Beyond the glass, Pelaga unfurled beneath the palace in breathtaking splendor—spires and bridges, broad avenues, lush aquatic gardens, and open plazas. Schools of tiny fish darted past the dome, their scales flashing silver and sapphire as they caught the light. High above, a great sea turtle glided unhurriedly across the glass, its immense silhouette casting a slow-moving shadow over the chamber.

Waiting for me at the far side of the room, arms thrown wide and his smile even wider, was Thalassis. Even without the Ambrosia flooding my veins, he was spectacular. He wore a loose tunic of midnight blue over flowing trousers, the front unlaced just enough to reveal the smooth skin of his chest. His long, slender braids had been tied back from his face, drawing attention to the square line of his jaw and the bright sparkle in his eyes.

“Elowen!” he boomed, striding toward me with arms already outstretched. He caught my hand, lifted it to his lips, and brushed a kiss across my knuckles before flashing me a knowing wink. “I trust the rest of your evening was... satisfying?”

I flushed. Thalassis, of course, meant Aedric.

But it wasn't Aedric who sprang to mind.

It was Rìan, standing behind me, deft fingers working open the row of tiny buttons at my back. The ghost of his knuckles brushing my skin. The quiet concentration on his face. The impossible tenderness of the moment.

It had been nothing. And yet, somehow, it hadn't.

“Yes,” I forced myself to say. “Your Ambrosia certainly had some interesting effects.”

“There are stronger vintages,” Thalassis said, straightening. “Ones that reduce people to little more than instinct. I prefer the subtler blends. They leave room for conversation, for music... for connection.” He spread his hands. “We had a delightful evening together, did we not?”

I inclined my head. “Very much so.”

Thalassis craned his head around me. “Where is Aedric now?”

“I left him in the guest suite. He was still resting.”

“Mm.” His smile was positively wicked. He offered me his arm. I took it, and he led me to the edge of the observatory, stopping before the great glass dome overlooking Pelaga.

“I must confess,” he said, “I was delighted when you suggested we spend the morning together. Aedric didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic.”

“Aedric is rather possessive when it comes to me.”

Thalassis's gaze was sharp despite the grin on his face. “As well he should be. You're a spectacularly beautiful female. And an Eidra bonded to the High Lord of Flame? The other Courts sleep a little less soundly because of it.”

Something in the way he said it unsettled me, but before I could ask what he meant, he waved an impatient hand.

“Politics is a dreadful way to begin the day.” His smile returned in full force. “Come. You asked to see my city.” He gestured toward the vast expanse beyond the glass.

“It truly is remarkable,” I admitted. “I didn't think anything like this could exist.”

“I thought we'd begin here,” he said. “Not only because the view is difficult to rival, but because I suspected you'd notice something familiar.”

He inclined his head, waiting.

“It reminds me of the Aethereum in Solmire.”

“Yes!” He clapped his hands together. “For good reason. Both were built by the Vaelorii—sun worshippers. You’ve heard of them, I imagine?”

“Yes—the skin shifters.”