Chapter 20

It was their last night together before they headed home to Ichor Knell, and Cosette was both relieved and disappointed. She couldn’t deny she had loved every minute with Oriel, despite her previous fears of being alone with him for an extended period of time. But she also felt nervous at the thought of returning. How would life change? What would become of their relationship? She disliked the unknown, not knowing what to expect. And uncertainty plagued her future with Oriel.

“You appear deep in thought,” he said as he walked beside her in the moonlit grove, her arm threaded through his.

“I have a lot on my mind.”

“Care to indulge me?” he asked with a smiling glint in his eye.

Her heart pounded fiercely as she looked up at him, and she soon found herself unable to hold his gaze. Instead, she watched long, green reeds of grass pass as they walked. Something had developed between them, and it both terrified her and brought her joy.

“I don’t think so,” she whispered, attempting to slip her arm from his, but he caught onto her hand and turned her to face him. Holding his gaze proved to be difficult.

She looked anywhere but at his face. The deep-green grass. The silver moonlight shining in the navy-blue sky. The reflective waters of the pond that echoed a chorus of croaking frogs. But not at him. Why was her timidity returning? She wanted it to go away and stay away.

“Then will you dance with me?” The surprise of his question caught her off guard—enough for her gaze to dart to his face.

Her stomach fluttered upon gazing into his eyes.

She shook her head. “There is no music. Perhaps we should return—”

“I hear plenty of music,” he commented as he placed a hand on her waist and cupped his hand around hers. She blushed and stared at her feet as he started swaying back and forth. “The wind in the grass. Croaking frogs. They’re making music for us. Besides, I’ve heard you have a great imagination.”

She bit her lip. “I’ve been told as much a few times. But I…” She swallowed. “I have never danced with anyone but my papa and brothers.”

“Not true. We danced together the day before our union ceremony.”

“It hardly counts. I was too petrified to move.”

When she tried to pull away again, he pulled her back.

“What a shame,” he said, continuing their swaying. “A musician like yourself is sure to have a knack for graceful feet. All your would-be suitors don’t know what they’ve been missing out on.”

Timidity won over, and she broke away from him, hugging her arms tight around her torso. This happened once in a while when anxiety washed away any progress she previously made. Usually during these times, she would find solace in her music room and play the pianoforte until her insecurity passed. But tonight, she had nowhere to hide.

Tears of frustration burned her eyes.

When she thought she might give in to her tears, an iris appeared in front of her, a beautiful combination of purple, white, and yellow. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, looking up to meet Oriel’s kind, gentle gaze. There was no judgement there. No frustration. No anger. Just kindness and warmth.

She gingerly took the flower from him and brought it to her nose, inhaling its sweet fragrance.

“I do like these,” she murmured, bringing it to her nose once more. The scent alone helped to settle the anxiety in her heart. Not completely. But it was enough.

“I’m fond of them myself. My mother loved irises. Laurel and I garnish her resting place with them every year, and now it has become a tradition.”

“Your mother had exquisite taste.”

His smile was as soft and tender as his gaze. “She did. And Laurel loves daisies. Did I ever tell you about Zachariah’s mishap when he attempted to woo Laurel?”

She shook her head. “No.”

A chuckle escaped his mouth even before he had a chance to tell the story. “Flowers don’t grow in Ichor Knell, so Zachariah ventured outside the Homeland to cut Laurel some daisies, and he pressed them in books to retain their color. It’s safe to say she wasn’t happy with his attention.”

“What?” she asked, surprised. “But…but they’re so in love. What happened?”

“Laurel threw his daisies out the window.”

Another laugh erupted from him, and she felt her own amusement bubbling up. She covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing.

“How awful!” she said. “You saw this?”

“No, but Dracula certainly did, and our shah has loose lips.”

Whenever she caught a glimpse of Laurel and Zachariah together, they always appeared to be so in love. She couldn’t imagine Laurel being unhappy with Zachariah’s romantic attention.

“How did they come to love each other?” she asked, her defenses falling as each second passed.

“I haven’t a clue. Laurel is a stubborn mule. Zachariah is unwavering. He’s been the only one who has had success breaking through her thick wall. I’m afraid it’s down for good now.”

Cosette bit her lip and turned her attention to the iris in her hands. Like Laurel, she wanted her wall to break down and stay down. Unfortunately, her wall kept rebuilding itself, but perhaps with time…

“I will dance with you,” she whispered, her heart pounding as she said the words. “But I rarely get the chance to practice other than in my room.”

Oriel pulled her toward him, the stem of the iris clasped in between both their hands. “So you frolic through the flowers, and you dance alone in your room? You get more interesting by the minute.”

He led her through a dance with simple steps, and she could hardly contain her heart as he danced so near to her. She followed his lead, and soon enough, she stopped staring at her feet and found the courage to lift her gaze. His own gaze was unwavering, and a bright smile lit up his face. He took her by surprise as he pushed her away at the waist and into a spin, and she couldn’t stop the unrestrained laughter from escaping. The dance progressed in a series of turns, a couple of spins, and he finished with him dipping her low enough for the ends of her hair to brush the grass. When he righted her, they were both laughing, and she attempted to smooth down her hair. But she noticed one remarkable thing.

Her heart felt considerably lighter. What had he done? Taking her troubles and her anxiety away had seemed effortless on his part.

“I thank you for this dance, milady,” he said, bowing with a flourish.

She curtsied with a little more exaggeration than necessary. “The pleasure is all mine, Your Lordship.”

He took her hand, and they laughed again as they continued down the dark trail through the marshy woods. Each laugh he coaxed from her lightened her heart, her burdens turning into smoke.

She inhaled the scent of the iris and breathed out a sigh. He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back. The vampire beside her… He made her so happy. How could this much happiness possibly exist?

Warmth spread through her as he helped her onto a log and held her hand as she walked across, no longer allowing her insecurity to get the best of her. Even more, she didn’t want him to let go. Ever.

When she reached the end of the log, he placed his hands on her waist and lifted her down. To her delightful surprise, he kissed her before her feet touched the ground. She loved those kisses. They made her heart flutter like her butterfly wings when she landed on the tip of a flower petal.

They continued holding hands, their arms swinging between them as they ventured through the dark meadow. A frog croaked moments before she heard a splash by the pond. Tall reeds obscured her view of the water and the chorus of croaks beyond. Her gaze followed several torch bugs flitting through the sky. A gentle breeze shuffled through the leaves overhead. Quiet. Peaceful.

“Why did you choose an arranged union?” she asked suddenly as she glanced at him. She had been curious for a while now.

“Like I mentioned before,” he said slowly, staring down at the path in front of him, “I had the worst of luck, especially when it came to courting. Nothing ever worked out. Either I was more interested, she was more interested, or we just weren’t compatible. Timing never seemed to be quite right, either.”

“You were going to mate with Willow Ardelean,” she whispered, biting her lip. “I heard the rumors.”

Oriel frowned. “It was the product of her scheming father and my scheming grandfather. Willow was never interested in courting at all, so Dracula was trying to force her hand.”

“Were you interested in courting her?”

“Yes…” He seemed to answer carefully, and a pang of envy hit her, but she quickly tried to hide it. “But then she told me she chose the blood hunter as her mate. I was quite surprised. Her father was furious. But I’m glad it never worked out. She’s too…” He paused as if thinking of the word. “Well, we just wouldn’t have worked.”

Willow Degore certainly was admirable, but Cosette admitted when she had first heard of the rumors of the possible union between Oriel and Willow, she had been envious.

“And what about me?” she whispered, hardly daring to hope. “Do you consider us compatible?”

“Most definitely yes.”

She gasped when he wrapped an arm around her waist and spun her to face him. He trapped her inside his arms, her body pressed against his. When he kissed each corner of her mouth and then her nose, followed by her forehead, she could hardly breathe.

“Cosette.” The sweet way her name left his lips filled her soul with warmth before he ran his fingers through her hair. She found herself unable to look away from his gaze. “I’ve never connected with anyone as I do with you. It’s a huge stroke of luck. I love you.”

Her eyes widened slowly as she stared back at him, his words repeating again and again in her mind. Her heart thrummed faster and faster.

“What?” she whispered, convinced she had imagined it.

“I love you,” he repeated, this time more firmly. “I am hopelessly in love with you, Cosette. And not just because you are my mate. I believe for once in my life, I have gotten it right. You are the one I belong with, and it’s fate we ended up together.”

Her heart thrummed even faster at the honesty in his eyes. He loved her? But how? But why?

Her heart beat far too fast, and to her horror, her feet seemed to move on their own as she ran. Not far. But she ducked behind a tree, her back pressed against the rough bark as she tried to slow her breathing. She was going to transform. She felt it building within her.

“Not here, not here, not here,” she whispered to herself as she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. To her relief, her heart slowed, not completely, but enough to keep her transformation at bay.

She couldn’t believe it. Oriel loved her? Yet, as she turned his words over in her mind, she realized she hadn’t imagined them.

Love…

Love…

Love…

Quiet footsteps broke her out of her shock, and she clutched her hands tight to her heart to keep her transformation at bay. If she turned into a butterfly in her fluster and couldn’t turn back, she would be mortified.

“Are my feelings not welcome?” Oriel asked in a hesitant tone.

“Yes,” she breathed, but then her eyes widened. “I mean no. I mean…” She let out a breath. “I never thought I was capable of being loved. My longest courtship lasted literally an hour. I’m not…easy to love. I’m having a hard time mulling over your words.”

He came closer, touching her elbow with the gentlest of hands.

“Why did you accept my suit?” he asked. “Other than because I had given you the shell. What did you hope to find in our union?”

She’d often wondered the same of him. But for herself… She never thought another could love her, but she had never given up hope. “I accepted because I was selfishly fond of you. And I had hoped I might find happiness.”

He moved even closer, now standing directly in front of her. He trailed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. She closed her eyes with a sigh. His touch was gentle. Loving.

“And did you find happiness?” he asked in a hopeful voice.

“Yes.” She leaned into his touch and opened her eyes to meet his gaze. “And your feelings are most certainly welcome.”

He let out a sigh, one filled with relief. “I am glad to hear it. So very glad.”

She smiled, relieved herself. “So am I.”

****

At the very beginning when Cosette had started sleeping in the same bed as Oriel, it had been nerve wracking. But now she needed it. She could not fall asleep easily without him there, without feeling his comforting presence beside her. She felt safer near him. Which was exactly why she waited up for him.

What was he doing downstairs? Cocking her ears, she sifted through dozens of noises to hear him pacing and tapping his foot as if nervous. Why was he nervous?

Finally, she heard his quiet, hesitant footsteps ascend the stairs. The door handle turned, and he stepped inside holding a candle, staring back at her with wide, anxious eyes.

“Is everything all right?” she asked, anxiety churning within her.

“Everything is fine. Are you ready for bed?”

She glanced down at her nightgown, puzzlement furrowing her eyebrows. Was it not obvious? She was dressed for bed. Her hair was down and brushed. The only thing she hadn’t done yet was blow out the candle.

She extinguished the flame, the smoke drifting upward as the fire flickered out. Only half of the room became dim, as Oriel still held his own candle. He started to tap his foot against the floorboards.

If he said everything was fine, then surely everything was fine.

Once he blew out his candle, the room was bathed in darkness with only a small amount of moonlight filtering in through the window.

She turned over onto her side, facing away from him to give him privacy to change. But he didn’t change. He climbed onto the bed fully clothed.

A light, gentle hand touched her shoulder, and her eyes widened. This was the first time he had ever touched her in the bed. She lay still, hardly daring to breathe.

His hand slowly slid down her arm and wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Her back was pressed against his chest, her eyes still wide. She noticed his heart beating wildly fast.

She still held her breath.

With the lightest of touches, he brushed her hair away from her neck and placed a gentle kiss right below her ear, soft as a feather.

Her hands started to tremble. Her stomach rolled nervously.

But she gave no objection, and he seemed to take it as a good sign. More of his feathery kisses trailed down her neck, leaving a path of fire in its wake. His arm abandoned its place around her waist, and a moment later, his fingers began tracing her jaw.

Breathe, she reminded herself.

Her reminder didn’t work as he tipped her chin so she faced him. There was something in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. A tenderness. A desire. He kissed her softly on the lips. And then not quite as softly as he kissed her insistently. Purposefully.

Her hands trembled as she returned his kiss. She knew what he was asking for. And she was willing. She had always been willing.

Somehow, she found the courage to wrap her arms around his neck, and he took the kiss deeper. Her own heart beat fast with nervousness. Her hands refused to cease trembling, and she hoped he couldn’t feel it.

One of his hands tangled in her hair. The other slipped her nightgown off one shoulder before he proceeded to brush her skin with kisses.

With a mind of its own, her heart beat far too fast. Her nervousness overcame her in a rush. And to her horror, her transformation forced itself upon her, turning her into a butterfly before she had a chance to try to stop it. She fluttered upward, landing on the curtain rod to put distance between them.

She couldn’t breathe. Her heart pounded hard.

Down below, Oriel pressed his forehead to the bed and took a deep breath, his fists clenched. His chest rose and fell. Once. Twice.

She flattened her wings in embarrassment as she forced herself not to cry. She was mortified. Perhaps when her heart calmed down, they could try again.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get the chance. He slid off the bed and slipped out of the room without a word. She stared at the closed door he had just disappeared behind with a heavy heart.

What had she done?