Twisting toward him, Trey lurched up as far as he could and slammed his head directly into his nose, reveling in the sound of Eithan’s surprised yell and the tool clattering to the floor.

Eithan’s head whipped back, and his hand flew to his face to hover over his gushing nose. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear the spots Trey was sure were swimming in his vision, but he didn’t move closer.

Unease flashed across his watering eyes. “You broke my nose.”

“Yes,” Trey spat. “And if you touch me again, I swear to the gods, I’ll fucking kill you.”

Chapter 24

VERA

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes wide as they lowered down her form, taking in the steel gray dress Reniya had helped her into.

“Don’t you think this shows a little more cleavage than necessary?” She scowled, placing her fingers over the deep plunge of the gown, ending just a few inches above her navel.

Reniya’s face peeked out over her shoulder from where she was currently pinning Vera’s plait around her head like a makeshift crown. “You can never show too much cleavage. Now, be still,” she said, disappearing behind her head again and yanking sharply on her hair.

Remembering the way Reniya had scared the shit out of her, sprawled out in a chair in front of her hearth, spinning her dagger as she and Jaren walked in, Vera opted not to make a comment.

Reniya hadn’t even let her remove her boots before she’d lit into her, reminding her so much of Elric as she reprimanded her for wasting their limited training hours.

“You want to hump Barilias all night, be my guest, but don’t you dare blow me off for it again.”

Vera’s face had heated, painfully aware that Reniya could smell the release still plastered to the inside of her thighs. “I was reading up on our history.”

Her guardian’s eyes had immediately narrowed, and she flared her nostrils, overexaggerating her deep inhale. “I certainly hope your reading included the proper use of truik elixir.”

Vera fidgeted before the mirror, her ears warming all over again just thinking about the grin Jaren had shot Reniya in answer.

She cleared her throat, wiping the memory from her mind, and focused back on the reflected version of her staring back. If she was honest, besides the amount of cleavage it showed, the gown was absolutely stunning.

It fit her like a glove, showcasing what curves she had while also not suffocating her like the gown on Aleron had. The corsets here were much different, more for pushing up her breasts and accentuating her natural shape than making her appear as thin as possible.

She’d been baffled when she’d discovered this particular dress even had one built into it.

The bodice had intricate detailing and beads sewn throughout, making it appear like an array of stars, while the skirt was made of a soft velvety texture, swaying as she moved.

A sheer cape flowed from the straps over her shoulders, making her collar and neck stand out and doing absolutely nothing to hide her multitude of marks. Including the scar on her throat.