Chapter 84: Eighty-four.

I traced my fingers along the gold satin of my dress, my gaze fixed on my reflection in the mirror in front of me. I had become more accustomed to applying makeup and had done it without Ayla's help this time. My eyes were lined with dark kohl, with my lips and cheeks tinted a faint red.

The dress, on the other hand, was all Ayla's doing. She had given it to me from her own wardrobe, seeing as I did not have many clothes to work with.

It was now the third day of the festival, the birth of Set, and gold clothes were worn to represent his fiery temper. I looked up with a smile when I heard the sound of Ayla at the doorway, her golden dress fluttering as she walked nearer. Raising an eyebrow, I turned to look at her fully.

"My, my, someone looks very beautiful," I praised, to which Ayla moved closer, nudging my arm.

"And that someone is you," she finished teasingly, and I let out a small laugh before shaking my head and looking at her outfit. She was wearing a gold satin dress, with her hair half-pinned back and peach flowers resting in her curls.

"And I'm sure the flower color has nothing to do with Abrax saying he likes you in peach?" I teased, to which Ayla clung to my arm, a giddy smile on her face.

"Why? Do you think he won't like it? Am I overdoing the color?" she asked worriedly, and I shook my head with a small frown.

"Ayla, you look absolutely gorgeous in everything you wear. Don't be silly and overthink," I reprimanded, nudging her, to which she smiled and rolled her eyes. We made our way out the door as she spoke.

"Well, easy for you to say, Aeryn. You're so gorgeous, you could wear rags and still look like a goddess," she said fondly, and I blushed at her words.

"That's a bit of a reach," I muttered bashfully as we made our way down the stairs. Ayla giggled, shaking her head.

"You're just too modest. I bet you the village boys are going to fawn over you," she said dramatically, pretending to swoon. I laughed before turning, then stilled as Maya came into sight.

She was wearing a gold satin mid-length dress.

Her hair was half-pinned back and she wasn't wearing any jewelry, but she was glowing so much that I couldn't stop the huge smile that made its way onto my face. She neared us then, gesturing toward Ayla with a hand.

"Are you gonna stand there looking like a floundering fish, or will you take us there?" she said snarkily, but her words were drowned out by my squeals.

"You look amazing!" I said in awe, to which she rolled her eyes, though a smile made its way to her face nonetheless.

"As always," she pointed out, and I nodded at her words, making Ayla huff.

"I beg to differ, adorning yourself in satin is a way to accentuate our beauty," Ayla replied, and before Maya could open her mouth to argue, I chimed in.

"Well, we should be going. The boys probably left ages ago," I voiced out, and Ayla nodded enthusiastically, the thought of getting to the celebration making her giddy yet again.

"Yes, but not for the boys, for the food," Maya added, but Ayla had already grabbed our hands before warping us away.

I let my mind return to the present as jaunty music filled the air along with loud cheering and laughter. Smiling as we walked to the center, I let out a small sound of surprise at the sheer number of people gathered there. They all looked toward us with warm smiles, some even holding our hands thankfully as we passed. I couldn't understand what they were saying as we walked through, so I just continued to smile back.

My smile widened when the crowd parted and I caught sight of Kael exiting one of the small tents set up at the sides. This was the first time I had seen him since the first day of the festival, and he was most definitely a sight for sore eyes. He was wearing a gold usekh once again, paired with a sheer gold tank top and shorts. His chocolate hair was brushed back as usual, save for a few stray tendrils framing his forehead. He turned his gaze toward me, a smile blooming on his face as he took me in slowly, making his smile widen further.

"Aeryn! Let's dance!" Ayla called out eagerly from behind me, and I snapped my gaze away at her voice before glancing back at Kael, who stood at the entrance with his eyes still locked on mine.

"Okay," I muttered simply, letting my eyes slip from his intense gaze as Ayla pulled me through the dancing crowd. It was only when we were well embedded in the throng that she let go and began dancing, her hips moving in intricate patterns. Just like last time, I lost myself in the music, pulling Maya over with a laugh.

"I can't dance!" Maya grumbled, but I ignored her protests, grabbing her hands and twirling her around wildly until she couldn't help but smile.

Ayla joined in then, taking both of our hands and spinning us in circles. I laughed as we twirled, waving at Dendi and Jamila as they danced along the outskirts. From here, I could see Saf dancing with a tall male, making me smile. His back was to me, but I knew it was none other than Caius. I turned back, reveling in the energy of the crowd. The night sky looked nearly pitch-black without the full presence of the moon. It was almost the phase of the new moon now, and I marveled at the scattered stars, closing my eyes as we spun, feeling the warm wind caress my skin.

I felt Ayla's hands tense in mine and opened my eyes to look at her in question, but she was busy staring off to the side, so I followed her gaze. My eyes landed on Abrax, who was dressed in a similar outfit to Kael, his chest looking broad and strong. His hair was styled in fresh twists that brushed against his forehead, and I smiled as his eyes landed on Ayla. The dimple in his cheek deepened as he smiled at her.

Turning to the side, I saw Kael standing with Rhydian, who was dressed in the same style as the others, his defined torso visible. His midnight hair fell as it usually did, tickling near his grey eyes. I felt my cheeks tint slightly at the memory of him yesterday, but he paid no mind to it. Both he and Kael walked away from the dancing crowd toward Negus, leaving Abrax to stare back at Ayla. Arun stood by Abrax's side in a bright yellow-gold tank top, his slender arms waving enthusiastically at us.

"Shut your damn mouth before you catch a fly in it," Maya mocked Ayla, who only glared at her before turning her longing gaze back to Abrax. I let out a soft sigh.

"Guess I'm the only one I can rely on," I muttered jokingly before walking toward Abrax and Arun, ignoring Ayla's calls. They smiled as I neared, and I smiled back.

"Aeryn! You look like a beautiful lotus!" Arun said eagerly, a bright smile on his face as his green cat-like eyes lit up with adoration. I noticed he had a yellow zinnia flower crown adorning his hair, matching the shade of his top.

"You look very beautiful, Aeryn," Abrax added politely. I blushed slightly before rolling my eyes and ushering them both forward.

"I won't accept any compliments unless you join me in a celebratory dance," I said playfully, to which Arun nodded eagerly. Abrax, however, shook his head.

"You two go ahead. I'll watch from here," he answered, his brown eyes flitting toward Ayla for a brief moment. I shook my head stubbornly.

"Just so you know, I won't take 'no' for an answer," I replied. Before Abrax could hesitate further, I took the opportunity to grab both of their arms and drag them into the crowd. Thankfully, neither put up a fight, allowing me to lead them through the dancers. I smiled widely as we approached Ayla.

"Maya went to get something to drink," she informed me, her eyes lingering on Abrax for a second while Arun huffed.

"Booze, no doubt, despite the many times I've told her it damages the complexion," he commented, tucking a golden strand behind his ear. I nudged him with an elbow before glancing at the other two.

"Well, I've been wanting to test Arun's dance skills for a while, so have fun, you two!" I said hurriedly before grabbing Arun's arm and yanking him away, causing him to let out a yelp.

I didn't hear them call me back, and I waited until we were a considerable distance away before turning to look. I smiled triumphantly when I saw them both laughing and talking together.

"Well, let's dance then, Juniya," Arun said, clasping my hand, and I giggled as he twirled me.

"What does that mean?" I asked curiously, his eyes lighting up at the question.

"A fairy, because you look like one," he answered, and I blushed at the praise before nudging him playfully.

"Oh? I see I'm in the presence of a true gentleman," I remarked. He laughed softly, adjusting the flowers in his hair.

"Well, I hope you always think so. Though with Abrax, Rhydian, and Kael setting the bar so low, I don't think I have much competition," he joked with a huff, and I laughed as we circled, his slender palm resting against mine.

"I happen to find Abrax to be quite the gentleman," I voiced out, to which Arun smiled wistfully, raising an elegant eyebrow.

"Just Abrax?" he questioned, and I nodded with a laugh, thinking of the other two.

Gancing back at Ayla and Abrax, my smile widened when I saw that they were now dancing together, his large hands resting against her back while hers rested on his upper arms. A permanent blush covered her face as they spoke, and I made a mental note to tease her about it later.

"What are you looking at?" Arun's curious voice chimed in as he stood on his tiptoes to peer around eagerly. Shaking my head with a smile, I gestured casually to the small tents lining the sides.

"I was just wondering what the tents are for," I lied with ease. Arun didn't seem to notice and simply smiled, bouncing on his feet slightly.

"Oh, Aeryn, you should definitely have a look! That's where we're supposed to eat on the Day of Set, so that he isn't able to cast an evil eye on our food. The tents are filled with delicacies from all around the world, specially imported here," he explained excitedly. My mouth instinctively watered at the mention of food. Looking back toward the tent, I nodded.

"I think I might take a look," I muttered, to which Arun smiled yet again, stepping back and splaying his arms to gesture toward the entrance.

"Well, who am I to stop you then, Juniya?" he asked musically, and I laughed before turning to make my way to a tent.

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See you in the next one!