Page 29 of Once Written in Gilded Blood

“Where have you been?” I whisper once Kalel reaches me.

He bends and places a kiss on my cheek, murmuring back, “You look beautiful, Alira. Nina did well with your dress.” He straightens and takes in my attire.

Nikolai coughs. “I helped too.”

Kalel shoots him a disbelieving look. “Forgive me if I don’t take your word for it.”

I laugh. “He put one flower on. Nina did the rest,” I explain, and Nikolai looks offended but cracks a grin regardless.

Kalel smiles at me but there’s a distant look in his eyes. “The music will be starting soon. May I?” He lowers to his knee and bends forward, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my hand.

I curtsy the way that the ladies of other dukes showed me to and can’t help the blush that races across my cheeks.

“Have fun, you two,” Nikolai calls out when we start toward the open area they’ve left for the dancers. Nina and Ustel are already among the few couples standing together and waiting for the music to start.

Kalel walks in steady strides beside me, the weak smile still on his face, lost in his thoughts.

“Did you speak with King Achill about the gates?” I ask with a hushed tone. It has to be about the gates, or maybe Tessa got hurt on her way back here. Worry blooms in my chest and makes my throat dry at the thought.

Kalel glances down at me. There’s a wealth of misery in his gaze that doesn’t make me confident about what it means now that the gates are open. “There’s nothing to worry about with the gates tonight. The king will be taking care of it,” Kalel murmurs as he puts one hand around my waist and the other gently holds my hand to prepare for the dance. He softens his expression, and it makes my stomach flip. “Follow my lead.”

I firm my lips. “But don’t you think it’s odd that the solstice⁠—”

“Not another word about it, little godling,” Kalel says gently as he grins and steals away anything else I can say with a delicate kiss. He’s being so gentle and passive in responding to my questions. I have half a mind to delve into why, but his soft kisses are more enticing.

I smile at him as the music starts up. The orchestra is wondrous; they have an entire row of violinists in the front and a few cellos behind them. A demon with a large drum, a few on harps and flutes. Each of them dressed in formal wear, bright red uniforms that lace up to their jaws and gold buttons that line the front of their jackets. They play the most enchanting song I’ve ever heard. It’s heavy on the violins, playing the higher notes that jump around and make your heart race.

A surprised breath leaves my lips. “This is beautiful. I’ve never heard music like this before.” But it’s not just the song that’s beautiful. It’s all of it. The atmosphere, the cool evening air, and the joyful sounds of people dancing.

“They are the songs of night. Of Mortem. Of Pluto’s loneliness in his underworld kingdom.”

“Is death truly so lovely?” I murmur. It comes out sadder than I intended.

Kalel quirks a brow before grinning. “Not death…perhaps longing. It is longing and despair. Hope. The endless night that longs for the break of day. Mortem longs for life. Pluto must yearn for someone, don’t you think?”

“Hmm. Who knew such melancholic things could inspire such celebration?”

Kalel takes my hand with his right and places his left hand on my waist. Moving slowly so I can follow his steps. He chuckles and moves languidly to the rhythm. “Yes, sad above all else, I fear. Demons are terribly romantic,” he teases. I follow his steps and study how lovely his eyes are when the string lights reflect in his gaze.

It’s incredibly intimate being locked in dance with him. I never thought that the Blood Knight who had once slain me so many times could be capable of such seamless and soft languid moves.

He pulls me closer as the song shifts to another dark, heavy string movement. “You look absolutely breathtaking.” Kalel leans his head against mine. “I know we’ve had our differences in the past, but I would be remiss if I did not tell you how I feel.”

My eyes widen as we dance slowly, making wide strides to the side and a few twirls before Kalel dips me back. My hair falls behind my shoulders, and I’m left gazing up into his eyes.

“At first, I thought it was only an obsession; I couldn’t get you out of my head. The way you look at me with so much understanding and sympathy is unmatched. Now I know that it is much more than that. It is a desire to know you more than anyone has ever had the chance to. To understand your love for the world around you and to see the world through your eyes. You may have blood on your hands from our faults as knights, but you are beautiful in the way you use that pain to spread love and kindness. I love you, Alira.” Kalel’s voice is soft, his eyes filling with tears as he sets his forehead down on my shoulder.

The dance comes to a close, and our feet stop simultaneously.

I wrap my arms around him and smile, tears spilling down my cheeks. “I love you too, Kalel. The seeds we’ll sow together in this world will bring light back into it.”

He pulls back enough to gaze down at me and leans in for a kiss. I’m almost too absorbed in our embrace to notice that a hush has fallen over the festival.

When I pull away from our kiss and press my cheek against his chest, I stare out into the crowd of demon-folk that watch us with curiosity and a flicker of hope. Acceptance. Part of me wonders if they’ve ever seen their army commander this gentle before. Or a demigod who isn’t trying to kill them.

I smile, feeling warmer than I’ve ever been. A beautiful future…

My eyes lift beyond the crowd, and for a moment, my heart stops beating.