of the two cloaks from its hanger, holding it before me as I stood in front of the mirror. I felt ridiculous wondering what I should wear under it, or for even caring how I should do my hair. Neither of those things mattered, but I was so desperate to keep my mind off what I would have to do tonight that I forced myself to do it anyway.
“They were made to symbolize Nyx and to help guide the lost souls of the fallen to her.” Arrick walked up toward the mirror behind me while he buttoned up a black dress shirt. I stepped aside to take in his full form. Dressed head to toe in sleek black, he looked dapper and sophisticated. It was a far cry from his usual ‘tight, dark jeans and flannel shirt with leather jacket’ look, yet it still seemed to suit him. I drank in the sight of him and my heart teased with the thought of allowing him to take my mind off my worries again to kiss him until dawn and sleep my sorrows away. But as much as I wanted to, tonight wasn’t the night.
Sighing heavily, I did my best to put a stopper on my attraction, at least for tonight. I guess it was a normal reaction. When you lose people you love and care about, those that remain become that much more important to you; and you realize you don’t want to waste any second you have been given with them. Especially when war is the only thing that exists in the future. Many more precious souls would be lost before this war was over.
I followed Arrick’s lead, donning a simple black dress that flowed down to my knees; the lace trim tickling my skin. I felt like a robot as I moved mechanically around my closet, pulling on plain, black ballet shoes and clipping on black pearl earrings. My thoughts wandered to Robin more than anyone else. I hadn’t seen my friend much since I’d gotten back. She had always been an endless ray of sunshine in a world of eternal night, but now she was the polar opposite. I swore to make it my goal for the night to be there for her in any way I could.
Someday she’d be happy again.
I’d make sure of it, or die trying.
As much as I’d enjoyed Arrick’s efforts to distract me earlier, I wasn’t sad when he gave me space to get ready and collect myself. Tonight we were burying our loved ones; saying goodbye to precious souls who would never again speak our names, embrace us, or fill our lives with their treasured presence. Rage began to bubble, but I forced it down to a simmering heat. I couldn’t let myself lose control tonight.
With the cloak draped over my shoulders, I exited my closet avoiding the mirror. I honestly didn’t care what I looked like, and I felt the need to avoid looking myself in the eye. Over the past few days I was slowly becoming someone I didn’t recognize anymore, and that wasn’t who I wanted to be.
Moonlight poured into my sitting room as if it were trying to wash away the pain I’d experienced in this place. I stepped into its glowing beams, allowing it to seep into my pores and calm me from the inside out. My jaw unclenched and my shoulders relaxed, I hadn’t realized how tense I was. Expelling a breath, I turned toward Arrick who was sitting on the edge of the couch.
“Ready?” he asked, looking like he dreaded the evening’s events as much as I did.
“As I’ll ever be,” I answered, heading for the door. Arrick sped to my side and linked our fingers together as we weaved our way through the crumbling hallways. Where there were once beautiful tapestries, fresh cut flowers and intricately woven rugs were now piles of debris and shattered memories. It was leagues cleaner than when I first arrived, but there was a lot of work to be done before the palace would be back to its former glory.
We passed servants and construction workers on our way out of the palace as they cleaned up their work areas after a long and hard day’s labor. I avoided their gazes and ignored their bows or curtseys as I passed by. They were happy to see me because they still believed I was their princess. Would Nicolae ever tell them the truth of what happened here? Of what was