Maris stepped back so that she could see herself in the mirror.

Zarya’s jaw went slack at a face she barely recognized. Her eyelids felt heavy from the eye shadow and mascara, but the color made her amber eyes glow, especially the way he’d ringed her eyes with a thick band of black and swept it out at the sides. Her skin appeared smoother and more radiant than it ever had before. He’d pulled her mahogany hair back from her face to show off her deep widow’s peak, and laced white and silver ribbons through it.

She felt like a mythical princess.

One about to be fed to a dragon…

“You are beautiful,” Maris said as he fussed with the back of her hair, fluffing out the fat curls he’d made.

“I’ve never felt beautiful.” And she definitely wasn’t the kind of woman who turned men’s heads when she entered a room. Their stomachs, she’d been told, was another matter.

Other than Darling, she could count her number of boyfriends on two fingers. And neither of them had stayed around for very long. One had left as soon as she refused to pay his rent. The other after he realized she had a much prettier younger sister. Sorche had sent him packing immediately, but the damage to Zarya’s ego had already been done.

Maris smiled at her in the mirror. “Don’t listen to the haters. Trust me. I’m not the kind of guy who notices women, but I can see why Darling loves you. Aside from being a sweetheart, you have hair to die for. Your eyes are unusual, but stunning, and your skin… perfection. I envy you so much.”

The last part surprised her. “Why?”

“You’ve done things with Darling that I’ve only dreamed about. I would give absolutely anything to have one night in his arms.”

The painful regret in his voice touched her. “You really do love him, don’t you?”

His dark gaze was so sad as he closed the lid on her blush and set it back on the table. “Yes, I do. You’ve no idea how many times I’ve wished that I’d been born a woman… or that he really was gay.”

“He never experimented?” From what she’d heard about the men of the ruling class, they were indiscriminate about their lovers’ genders.

A shadow of inner turmoil darkened his eyes.

Even though she hadn’t known Maris long, she’d learned to fear that expression and what it usually signified. “What?”

Maris moved away from her.

Zarya got up and went to him. She knew from his reaction that it had to be bad. Still, if it was about Darling, she needed to know before she went in there to face him. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Tears glistened in his eyes. His lips quivered.

A knot formed in her stomach. How awful could it be, given what her people had done to Darling?

Maris touched a trembling hand to his lips. “I promised Darling I would never tell anyone. Sorry.”