Page 87 of Only Flames Remain

I would certainly be turning heads in this dress tonight.

I stepped back for Enora’s assessment and the shining tears in her gaze were the best stamp of approval. “You look absolutely breathtaking, Aveline.”

I softly smiled at her. “As do you.”

She reached behind her head, pulling a diamond encrusted clip out of her own hair. She motioned for me to turn around, securing the front pieces of my hair back with the clip so that they wouldn’t fall into my eyes.

“There. Perfect.” She announced.

“You’re sure?” I asked, touching the clip tenderly. “Enora…this is too much.”

She winked at me as she gave my hand a squeeze. “I insist.”

I inhaled deeply, steeling myself. This would be the first time I was seen at court in Gothryn, and I wasn’t sure how many humans would be in attendance. I would surely stick out like a sore thumb.

“Are you ready?” I asked her, running my hands down the soft, silky material of the dress.

“Yes, but we are missing one thing…” She mused.

“What’s that?”

“A mask. It is a masquerade ball after all,” she replied with a flourish of her hand as she moved to the door. She turned back to me as she glided into the hallway. “There is something we need to talk about later. After the ball.”

I frowned; brows drawn together. “Is everything all right?”

Enora plastered a smile across her face that I could tell was forced from a mile away. “Everything is fine.”

She started down the corridor, and I dutifully trailed after her.

“And where, exactly, are we supposed to procure masks?” I asked at her back.

Night had fallen and torches were lit against the walls of the stone corridor, illuminating the darkness every few feet. Pools of lit candles were nestled along the corridor walls, casting romantic shadows against the stone as we approached the curved staircase that would lead down to the main hall. We took the steps down toward the main level.

Enora cast a glance over her shoulder at me as she reached the bottom of the steps.

“Noor will have masks we can borrow. She has everything. Bit of a hoarder, really.”

I laughed at her back as I followed her toward the library. I had never been in this wing of the castle before. Plenty of fae and humans had been milling about the main arteries of the palace, but this wing was mostly deserted in preparation for the ball. I followed Enora through a wide set of double doors that were propped open, intricate stained glass set into the frame of the oak. The scene unfurled as we approached and I realized it was a horde of flying dragons.

I skidded to a stop right past the library entryway and Enora turned back, amusement in her gaze.

I had never seen anything so grand in my entire life. This library was built more like a sanctuary than a place of study, the vaulted ceilings adorned with heavy wooden arches. It was several stories high, four or five if I had to guess from my vantage point by the front doors. Floor to ceiling bookcases extended from one wall to the next, broken only by carved pillars that supported the upper galleries.

A wide ivory staircase the color of bone cut through the center of the space to spiral upward, connecting each landing to one another. There were desks adorning each level with lanterns lit, several fae forsaking the party in favor of reading and searching for books among the stacks.

The narrow balconies running the length of the hall on both sides allowed for a peek onto each level. The far wall was adorned with ornate arched windows. The faint glow of moonlight poured in, casting angled shadows across the floor. Common magic was on display here; floating candlelight spattered across the ceiling to give the illusion of stars above.

My mouth dropped open in awe as I scanned the wooden shelves packed tight with centuries of books. The long hall and high ceilings gave the impression of a cathedral. I breathed deeply, and the air smelled of old paper, resin, and smoke. I had half a mind to forgo the party myself in favor of researching forbidden histories and forgotten magic.

“This is…” I started.

“Incredible?” Enora finished for me.

She continued on and I had no choice but to follow after her, though I could stand here and admire the library’s beauty for an eternity. The dress Sorin had selected for me was the perfect length, I did not need to gather my skirts to trail after her.

Enora stopped at a desk toward the back of the space, beneath the arched windows that peered out over the Blackwater Lake beyond.

A woman sat behind the desk, her hair cut short and almost as white as Enora’s. Her ears were pointed sharply, a pair of black spectacles propped atop her nose. Her skin had faint lines of wrinkles, but that did little to reveal her true age. Fae aged much differently than humans.