Page 113 of Ashes of Aether
“Maybe that actually does help.”
“Good, now go and have some fun!” She shoves me down the steps, and I almost trip over them. “But remember, we have the Trial of Magic in the morning, so don’t let Nolan keep you upallnight!”
Before I can respond, she slams the door and leaves me no choice but to continue down the steps and through the gardens.
A few faerie dragons are still tending to the flowerbeds, and when Zephyr catches sight of me, he whizzes over. His violet wings beat back and forth, and his amethystine eyes stare up at me.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m busy.”
He swoops toward me and nudges my shoulder.
“I really am going to be late.”
He blinks lazily at me.
I heave out a sigh and gather magic into my hands. “Crysanthius,” I say, and the aether solidifies into glittering crystals.
Zephyr doesn’t hesitate to gobble them all up, his forked tongue greedily darting out. When he’s finished, I wipe my hand on my mauve skirts. Eliya would lecture me about getting faerie dragon spit all over my dress, but at least she isn’t here to see. And when I peer down, the patch isn’t too noticeable. Hopefully, it will soon dry.
I hurry down the gravelly path winding through our gardens, and Zephyr trails after me. When I reach the gates, I turn and frown at him.
“Zephyr, you can’t come with me.”
He growls in protest.
“I have a date.”
He tilts his head. Though faerie dragons understand our speech perfectly well, I don’t think he understands what I mean by ‘date.’ He probably thinks I mean the calendar kind.
“I’m meeting someone, and we’re going for dinner.” Only now do I realize that Nolan didn’t specify where exactly we would be eating. I hope it’s somewhere formal, or else I’ll be extremely over-dressed. I run a hand down my face. I really shouldn’t have trusted Eliya to dress me.
I’m still unsure whether Zephyr understands what I mean, since he blankly stares at me.
“Oh, and you can’t let my father know I’ve gone out or he’ll kill me. If you tell him, I won’t ever conjure extra aether crystals for you again.”
Zephyr swiftly bobs his head at that, his azure scales glinting in the starlight.
He thankfully doesn’t follow me as the enchanted gates swing open and I step out onto the street.
When I teleport to The Old Dove, Nolan is already waiting for me outside. He leans against the paneled windows, and the tavern’s wooden sign swings back and forth in the frosty wind.
Tonight he wears a vivid green doublet which matches his eyes. His black boots are as polished as always, without a single speck of dust on them. The wintry breeze tugs on his tousled golden hair.
At the sight of him, my breath catches in the back of my throat. It has only been two days since I last saw him, and yet it seems I’ve already forgotten how handsome he is.
I know Eliya said that I shouldn’t be nervous, that tonight is about me deciding whether I like him, but I forget how to breathe when his mesmerizing emerald eyes meet mine.
“You’re here,” Nolan says, shattering the silence between us. To his credit, his gaze doesn’t linger on my chest for long. He is far more focused on my face. Impressive, since Eliya did her best to make my breasts as prominent as possible.
I lower my eyes. “Sorry if I kept you waiting. Especially with how cold it is outside.”
“No, no. Not at all.” He holds his arm out to me, and I gingerly slip mine through his, linking us both together. It means that we’re standing rather close, and I’m conscious of every part of my arm that touches his.
We begin down the street. A layer of frost sheens the cobblestones, and I take care not to slip. The delicately embroidered slippers on my feet provide little grip against the ice. Fortunately, Nolan’s arm prevents me from sliding over the stones.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” he says.