Page 48 of Death of a Mortal

Taken aback only for a moment, the prince arranged his face in an arrogant grin. “Hopefully, because you’d like to. But if not, then because I asked nicely.”

I had to fight a smile. I liked our banter. It made him feel…real. I didn’t tiptoe around the fact that he was a prince, and he didn’t treat me like a mortal servant.

“Only because you asked nicely.” And then I winked—gods, what was happening to me? I completely lost my head around this male.

He gave me a wide smile. “Very good. I shall come for you before dinnertime then. Ladies,” he said as he nodded toward the gossipers at the other end of the table, all of whom were watching the scene unfold with mouths hanging open.

As soon as the door to the dining hall closed, Nella squealed, grasping my hands and practically jumping out of her seat.

“Oh, Naci, we have to get you ready! You have a date with the prince!”

Holy shit, she was right. My heart sank at the realization that the only clothes I had were my laundry uniform. I had burned theDolvenar mortal servant uniform in our fireplace—chains, collar, and all. Not that I would have wanted to wear that to dinner either.

This would be so embarrassing, dining with royalty in my uniform… Maybe I would tell him I didn’t feel well and decline when he came back to pick me up.

But then I saw it when we got back to our room, lying across my bed with a note.

A long deep-purple dress. It was simple, nowhere near as elegant as what the nobles and other fae could be seen wearing walking the halls of the castle. But beautiful with gold embroidery on the wrists of the long sleeves and around the square neckline. A pair of purple shoes sat on the floor just beside the dress.

I look forward to seeing how the purple complements your spark.

-V

This prince was melting my heart that I hadn’t even realized was so frozen. And the irony was not lost on me. He claimed to love my spark, when it was a spark that had given me my heinous scars. Granted, it had been a huge, magical spark. While I was growing used to the loss of vision, I still felt just as disgusted by the scars as the first time I’d seen the jagged pink skin in the mirror.

Yet, the prince had looked at me without gawking, had said I was beautiful and wild despite my scars. He saw them as strength and resilience. Could I really be the girl he said he saw when he looked at me underneath it all?

I reached down to touch the dress’s fabric. Nella came up behind me and took the note to read it herself, looking at the dress in awe. It was soft and silky, cool to the touch. I wouldn’t admit it out loud, but I couldn’t wait to try it on. I’d never evenhelda dress so exquisite.

But what was folded underneath the dress set my face on fire.

A purple slip. A veryskimpypurple slip.

Oh gods.

I scrambled to pick it up before Nella could see, but I was too late. Not only had she seen it, but she had gasped and snatched it from my grasp. She held it up on display. It unfolded, revealing the delicate black ribbon that would cinch the waist and the black lace that covered the bosom.

He wanted me to wear this? Forhim?

If I thought wearing my uniform to dinner would be embarrassing, this had to be worse.

He’d clearly lost his mind.

And yet my mortification battled something far more reckless.

“Naci, I think—”

“Not a word, Nella. Not. A. Word. I’m going to bathe.” I wouldn’t have been surprised if steam had been coming off my face.

Her fit of giggles chased me all the way to the tub.

She followed a few minutes later, carrying both the dress and the slip, and placed them on the chair beside the basin, the fire underneath already lit.

“The dress is really very beautiful, Naci. He must really like you.”

“Maybe.” That was all I could say. I still had not allowed myself to hope he might actually like me. But this gesture…it made me soften toward him even more.

I laid back in the warm bath, letting Nella wash my long hair while I scrubbed at my nails. I let her talk on and on through grand fantasies about becoming the prince’s princess. But I was only half listening while my own thoughts ran away with what it would be like to be seen by the prince in that little slip. It had been a while since I was last with Fadric in that kind of way…