“Super presumptuous.” Cat agrees, eyes wide.
I stare at the dress, and my throat feels like it’s closing. As gorgeous as the garment is, I’m not sure I should wear it. The whole point of the Calling is to try to win Essos’s heart, and accepting this gift from his brother feels like a test. Is that it? Am I meant to prove that I can look past biases and adversity and still work with someone?
Slowly, I change into it to see how it fits and, of course, it slides on like it was made for me, like everything else in my closet. There’s a box under where the dress was hanging, and I open it to find another note and red satin slippers.
I flash the note at Cat and read this one to her as well. “‘I figured your ankles needed to rest too. Dance on, princess.’”
Dave is watching me get dressed and keeps letting out huffs of disappointment. I go over and scratch behind his ears to reassure him he’s still my number one consultant.
“That settles it for me. Forget the guys, let’s have you and me run this bitch,” Cat teases.
I laugh and follow her across the hall so she can get ready while I fill her in on what happened to me. Thinking of Sybil’s warning, I leave out my visions of Galen as well as his warning about Essos.
“You and Essos looked like you might have kissed,” she muses, putting on her makeup. She’s watching my reaction in her vanity mirror.
I look at myself, wondering how finger waves would look with my hair length and dress. “That would be a hard no. I thought we might, and then nothing. He’s concerned over my wellbeing, and I keep giving him good reasons to be. But it’s not like he’s kissed anyone else, so maybe he’s not really allowed to?”
“Except for Zara,” she points out.
“Except for Zara,” I confirm with a scowl.
I consider how to approach Galen tonight to get more information from him away from the prying ears of others. At the very least, there doesn’t seem to be an excess of love between the brothers, and I want to know more about that. The thought of all this back-channeling exhausts me. I consider not going, but it might be my only shot to get information from him.
Realizing I forgot the necklace, I pop back into my room. When I open the door, I find a bouquet of closed flowers on my nightstand in place of the cold soup. I walk over and pick up the card leaning against it.
I never thought you were frail.
—E
I hold the card to my nose, and it smells like Essos, vanilla and cinnamon and sandalwood. The scent soothes my nerves, helping the pent-up stress from the day seep away. Essos’s comment earlier about my bravado wasn’t off base. Eventually, I’ll have to process how very close—again—I came to death. Dying once was enough.
I set the card carefully on my nightstand and gently touch the bouquet. The flowers might be dahlias from their shape, and I’m sad to have to wait a few days to see for sure.
Cat’s waiting for me in the hall, her mouth pinched from holding back what I assume are all her comments about how early we’re going to be. Since I’m in flats, I sweep down the stairs ahead of her, laughing back at her as my dress billows behind me, making me feel as if I’m flying. I’m not paying attention, because I collide with a solid force at the foot of the stairs. I hear Cat’s heels stop short.
Essos is holding me, steadying us both as Cat presses her hands against my shoulders to stop herself. A smile brightens his face as he looks at me.
“I’m glad to see you’ve made a full recovery. You look beautiful, as always. Your dress is stunning. Did you get some rest?”
I blush, remembering my dream about his brother. My dreams of Essos are never so erotic, always ending before the real action.
“Yes!” I squeak, stepping away from him to give him more space.
He holds out his arm to me. “Marvelous. Shall I escort you ladies in, then?” He looks at Cat as well.
Cat steps forward and takes his other arm. “We would be delighted.”
Because our numbers have whittled down, the escorts are now invited to dine with us each night. Tonight, it’s Cat’s turn to sit beside Essos, and I try not to be jealous about it, but that ugly green bitch rears her head, saying he should be doting on me. My stomach is turning so fiercely, I might be sick.
Finn is standing behind my seat, waiting for me. His eyebrow twitches when he sees me, and he gives a soft, dignified whistle as he pulls out my chair. “I heard you had an exciting day.” He takes his seat beside me.
Before I can fill him in, a hand slaps on his shoulder. “She’s lucky I was there,” Galen gloats before taking the seat on my other side. “That dress is very becoming on you.” He winks. Finn looks just as happy to see Galen as Essos was, and I wonder if this feud runs deeper than just brotherly rivalry.
“Incredibly lucky, otherwise some monster would have carried me away, and I would have drowned a second time. I wouldn’t have recommended it the first time.”I am shockingly uncomfortable, sitting between the two men. Finn has never given me the impression of an alpha male, but since he saw Galen, his chest has puffed out, and he’s sitting a bit taller.
“We wouldn’t want that,” Galen says, his gaze running the length of me. Goosebumps break out along my arms, prompting Finn to reach out and rub my back. Essos catches the movement, and I feel the warmth from his power spread out along my body. He must have assumed I was cold. It tracks, but how can I correct him from across the room that I’m not cold, it’s from a prickle of awareness?
Galen turns to Essos. “Brother, what are we feasting on tonight? I’ve been craving that pork belly your cook makes.”