Page 75 of A Veil of Gods and Kings

“Oh, not really. I just have to meet Luelle and Chera as soon as we get back to finalize more details.”

Valerian tucked his hands behind his back, the firm line of his jaw washed in the haze of late afternoon light. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “The dreaded dress fitting?”

“Not that one.”

“Oh?”

“It’s for dinner in two nights.”

“Dressing up for the pleasure of it?”

I huffed a laugh and slowed my pace. I wish I could stay outside of the palace walls with him forever. “No,” I whispered. “We’re having a practice dinner for my presentation.” I swallowed the word, choking over it, like I could dissolve it. “As soon as Father returns, the dinners and parties will begin.”

Valerian studied me, his expression so intent it swirled through me. “Well,” he said, finding his voice, “you still have summer to avoid these horrendous dresses.”

I chuckled. “As if the dresses are my biggest worry.”

We reached the top of a hill, and the palace, with its stone walls and manicured trees, came into view. I stopped walking, my breathing increasing, pressing the fabric of the servant’s tunic against me. “Hey,” Val said, his voice dropping to a hush that seemed to belong to the lulling hum of the evening air. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s stupid.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Other people have bigger problems than me.”

“That may be true, but that doesn’t make your problems unimportant.”

I lifted my face to him. His eyes held a dip of the peachy color of the sunlight, his dark lashes tipped with it. “Thank you, Val,” I said, and I gripped his hand. “You’ve kept me on track my whole life.”

He drew in closer to me, the earthy smell of him, the sweat of the day filling my sinuses. “No,” he said. “All I’ve ever done is reminded you of the lane that’s already yours. You’re the one who’s kept yourself on track, Epiphany. And you’ll do well at anything you put your mind to.”

Words didn’t seem to come. They hovered on the tip of my tongue, longing to trail out with the birds' songs peppering through the woods. But instead, only silence came. Only breathing trailing the air in our midst.

“We’ll be late. We should catch up.” He dropped my hand and nodded towards the palace where it sat silhouetted behind the sunset on the horizon ahead of us.

He pulled away, walking.

And I released another heavy breath.

That’s all that we would ever have between us.

Breaths of unspoken words.

My eyes pricked, but I joined him again on the path to face down the reality of my future.

25

Hyacinth

Epiphany ambled into my sitting room, her lilac dress fluttering around her ankles, her gaze distant. The ivory columns behind her stretched up, kissing the arched, painted ceilings. Pip dropped beside me. “Did you call for me?”

“Yes, you and Emrin. I wanted to speak with you both before this dinner tomorrow night.”

Her lips pinched, but she leaned against the seat, her fingers trailing together in her lap. Something skittered down my spine, a bad feeling. I’d focused so much on all my problems, perhaps I’d neglected Epiphany’s needs.

“How has Apollo been?” she said, drawing me out of my thoughts.

I jumped. “What?”

Her eyebrows drew together. “Is he more amicable since Temi and I started spending time together?”

“Oh, yes, he is.” I’d almost forgotten just how contentious our relationship had been only a few weeks before. Spending so much time with him… I took a deep breath and knocked my ring against the wooden arm of the chair I sat in. “What have you and Temi been up to?”