Page 252 of Burn of the Everflame

“It’s too much,” I whispered. “I can’t bear it.”

“It’s supposed to be,” Lily said brightly. “Too much is a Descended tradition.”

I hadn’t meant the dress.

“The more elaborate our attire, the more we show our support for the couple,” Eleanor explained. She gestured to her own billowing ballgown, also in shades of gold, as was Lily’s jewel-encrusted sheath. She’d told me earlier that the color was a nod to the mating mark’s hue when it glowed, as well as the bond’s priceless value. “If you wore something plain, it would insult the couple.”

My washroom door cracked open, and Taran’s face peered out. “Someone insulted Zal?”

“No, Taran,” Eleanor said. “He’s still outside.”

His brow furrowed. “You’re certain?”

She strolled out to the terrace, leaning over the balustrade. “He’s greeting the guests. Where you should be.”

The door slammed shut.

Eleanor threw me a pointed look. “It’s where you should be, too. Zalaric invited the entire governing council, and members of all the Twenty Houses will be there. It’s a good chance to strengthen your alliances.”

“Luther’s down there,” I said. “He’s doing that for me.”

“You’re the Queen, Diem. No one can replace you. Not even Luther.”

I winced. “But a phoenix is the symbol of House Corbois. I can’t wear that after Garath kicked Taran out.”

“Zalaric wouldn’t have designed it for you if he and Taran didn’t want you to wear it.”

“Zalaric designed this dress?”

“He designed all our outfits,” Teller said. He wrinkled his nose at his own caped golden suit, which lay untouched on my desk. “Said he refused to take a mate with his friends looking like paupers.”

The washroom door opened, and Taran appeared. “Zal’s refusing to mate?”

Eleanor groaned. “Everything’s fine.”

“He’s still here?”

“Yes.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

The door clicked shut. A moment later, it reopened—“Wear the dress, Queenie,” he said—and closed again.

I sighed and accepted defeat, slipping behind a changing screen to disrobe as Eleanor gathered the dress and followed. I lowered my voice to a whisper. “What’s going on with Taran?”

“He’s convinced that Zalaric will change his mind,” Eleanor whispered back. “I told him a thousand times that’s not going to happen. This isn’t like before.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Before?”

“This isn’t Taran’s first mating ceremony. There was another years ago—a man from a lower House named Baird. Taran tried for ages to convince his father to let them mate, but Garath refused because Baird’s House wasn’t a useful alliance. Taran decided to do it anyway in secret. He thought if he proved their love was true enough for the mating magic to work, his father would accept them.” Her exasperation softened to something closer to pity. “When the time came for the ceremony to start, Baird didn’t show up.”

My eyes narrowed. “Did Garath do something to him?”

She shook her head sadly. “Baird told everyone that he didn’t love Taran enough for the magic to work. His whole House packed up and left Lumnos City. I think they feared House Corbois would retaliate.” She scowled. “When Garath found out, he laughed. He told Taran it was what he deserved for disobeying him.”

For the thousandth time, I vowed to make Taran’s father pay for the pain he’d put his son through. Even when the physical abuse ended, he found ways to keep Taran battered and bruised.