Chapter 17

T he mirror shattered and the reflective shards flew past her as if in a strong wind, slicing at her flesh, fire and ice, cutting deep and drawing blood …

She awoke with a gasp in her own room, and held out her hands, expecting to see bloody lacerations across her palms and wrists, but there was nothing. She ached pleasurably though, deep in the secret parts of her, and a hot flush crawled up her cheeks as she recalled the night before.

"A bath is waiting for you." Lily's soft voice sounded from the shadows of the room, and she padded forward into the light, holding out a silk robe for her.

Ember slid it on and padded into the bathroom to wash. There were bruises, scratches and what looked like bites all over her body, but the water was soothing, and the stinging soon eased. It hadn't been a dream. It was all real. She'd had sex with Cole. More than that, she'd had the best sex of her life . He had wrung sensations out of her, drop by scandalous drop, that she hadn't even imagined were inside her. Lissa's face floated into her head, and she forced it out again. Right now, she didn't care what Lissa thought. She liked what Cole had done to her. She wanted more.

Lying in a blissful reverie, she soaped herself lazily, her flesh remembering another touch, another pair of hands, another's fingers … and then she sat up abruptly, splashing water on the tiled floor. Here she was, fantasising about Cole when she could be having the real thing.

She settled at the table in her robe, and Lily served her a hot breakfast, all Earthly things, Ember noted with surprise and gratification: eggs, bacon, croissants, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, and a pot of strong coffee.

She ate quickly, ravenous, while Lily laid out a choice of clothes. Ember chose a top and matching skirt in soft buttercup yellow with gathered detailing that accentuated the curve of her breasts. Like everything she had worn so far, it felt soft and luxurious, especially against her bruised skin. Lily asked if she wanted a soothing ointment to heal the fiery marks on her body, but Ember refused. In some perverse way, she liked the pain. She wanted a reminder of what Cole had done to her.

"I'm glad you returned safely." Lily tied the ribbons of the skirt at Ember's back, drawing the waist in so that it flared out over her hips, giving her a classic hourglass shape without the discomfort of a corset. "You should be careful roaming the castle hallways, especially at night. It would be best if I accompanied you in the future."

"I'm sorry," said Ember, remembering uneasily that this was the second warning she'd had to be careful in the hallways. "I thought I'd be safe enough. I went to the forest with Ashe, and then Cole found me and …"

Lily's eyes grew wide, although she was making an obvious effort to school her expression. "Two Princes in one night?" She gave a horrified squeak and covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry …"

Ember burst out laughing. Lily ducked her head, embarrassed, and then glanced at Ember with a shy smile.

"It's alright," said Ember. "Ashe was just showing me the way, and then Cole turned up and …"

"I can guess," Lily said dryly, who had deliberately fixed Ember's hair so that it covered the bite marks on her neck. "You don't have to explain, but please be careful. The princes are not to be trifled with. They hold the power of life and death of everyone in the kingdom, and after the tournament …"

Her voice trailed off, and she busied herself with Ember's ribbons again.

"I understand," said Ember, but she didn't really, and she felt sure of Cole. He wouldn't hurt her. He had told her he needed her as moral support through the tournament, and she believed him. Just the thought of him was enough to bring a delicious melting in her stomach and a heat rising to her cheeks.

Lily turned her around and considered her closely before pronouncing her done. Ember looked down at her skirts, smoothing them with her fingers. "I wish I could see myself. I've only seen one mirror in the castle, and it doesn't even show any reflections."

"A mirror! Of course. I'll have it put in the bathroom. It's there now."

Ember picked up her skirts and ran to the bathroom, hardly able to believe a mirror had just appeared in the time it took them to exchange a few words, but yes, there it was, a large gold-framed mirror on the wall that reflected from head to toe. Ember called out to Lily to thank her, and made a little twirl, admiring the way her dress flared out before settling in all the right places. The soft yellow gave her an innocent virginal air, but the cut was decidedly not, low in front and clinging to her hips, the material of the skirts so sheer it showed her lace underwear underneath. She would never in a million years wear anything like this back home, but here, in this place of passion, luxury and unbridled excess, it seemed entirely appropriate.

Her gaze wandered up to the reflection of her face, her lips still swollen from kisses, her cheeks flushed with pleasure, the marks of Cole's passion on her neck, and then her eyes widened, and her hand flew to her throat. The gold and diamond necklace she wore had changed. She was sure of it. It looked like a leather collar. Just for an instant, and then it had become a sparkling gold and diamond band again. She squinted at it, but it remained the same and she decided her eyes—or the mirror—must have been playing tricks on her.

When she returned to the bedroom, Lily was holding out a wicker basket to her, and she took it in some surprise.

"This just arrived for you." Lily's voice was expressionless, but Ember was too excited at the thought of a present to notice. She opened the basket and out tumbled a roly-poly bundle of white fur, all pink tongue and scrabbly feet with a flicker of diamonds, and she gasped in delight.

"A puppy! Oh, how gorgeous."

She picked the puppy up and it snuggled into her, covering her chin with puppy kisses.

"He'll ruin your hair." Lily was disapproving, and Ember laughed.

"What does that matter? He's lovely!" She admired his pretty white fur and the diamond collar around his neck before setting him down. At once, he ran off to explore. She watched him fondly and took out the note at the bottom of the basket.

‘A gift for my greatest treasure. I wear your scent today like perfume. Come and find me at the training grounds - C.'

She gave a small, secret smile. "I have to go to the training grounds. Will you come?"

"Of course," said Lily, bobbing her head. "It does me no good if you're injured or murdered in the hallways."

Ember shot Lily a frown at that, but then the puppy came and licked her toes, making her giggle and reach for her shoes.

"He needs a … oh thank you," as Lily handed her a leash before she could finish her sentence. She clipped it to the puppy's collar and the three of them left the room.