Page 19 of Cursed By the Dawn

Sorren stepped back, appraising me carefully.

“Now, for your attire. Stand up, please.”

First, a sleeveless satin dress was draped around my body, falling to the floor in a glossy black puddle. It was effortlessly soft, floating around my legs like smoke. An obsidian breastplate was next, cleverly shaping my chest and hugging my hips. I was shocked at how closely the material mirrored my body, revealing every curve. I’d never worn anything so revealing in all my life, and I wondered briefly if I should be scandalized. Instead, it was oddly freeing. Sorren knew innately how I wanted to feel.

As if I wasn’t the terrified girl hiding from her fate.

As if I wasn’t afraid to beseen.

Ornate pieces of metal slid over the breastplate, an intricate necklace that started at my collarbone and ended just above my navel. Raven feathers, so black they gleamed with an iridescent sheen, were added below my hips, trailing to the floor like another layer of my skirts.Sorren then placed a matching cape, a deep, regal violet, around my shoulders to join the waterfall of shadow ribbons, feathers, and satin. Lastly, a pair of gauntlets, a bit more dramatic than the ones I usually wore, slid over my arms, seamlessly wrapping around each finger.

I scarcely had time to process my transformation.

Erebus strode into the room, stealing what little breath I had left. Sorren had dressed me to match him. An obsidian breastplate, framed by a grand cape interwoven with shadows and feathers, clung to his muscled chest and narrow hips. His long legs were garbed in inky satin, and armored boots covered his feet to his lower thighs. His gauntlets were a mirror of mine, brutal and sharp.

When Erebus saw me, his lips parted.

My face burned under his abject approval. At the threads of long-awaited heat in his gaze.

“As I said. Jaw-dropping,” Sorren said with a grin, moving to exit our chambers.

“What you created is perfect,” I managed, trying to resist the magnetic pull of Erebus’s eyes before I had the chance to properly thank Sorren. “Thank you for everything.”

Sorren was still beaming from ear to ear. I’d never seen him so smug. “I will await your call, Shadow Weavers. The sky is darkening; our guests should be here soon.” He added suggestively, almost like an afterthought, “But don’t forget—you alone are the rulers of this domain. Even if they knock, you can choose to let them in whenever you are ready.”

What wasthatsupposed to mean?

Sorren laughed to himself, shutting the tall bedchamber doors with a resolutebang.

“Hello,” I greeted, stiffening. I think my stomach dropped to my toes.

“Hello,” Erebus echoed, shadows forming delicious swirls in his eyes.

“Are you ready for this?” I quickly asked. Internally, I cursed myself. I should have been complimenting him. I wanted to compliment him. Butinstead I’d jumped straight to business. “They’ll be here any moment.”Coward.

Erebus raked a hand through his moon-white hair, uncharacteristically flustered. “Are you?”

WasI ready?

The thought of meeting the other Weavers made my limbs feel like water.

The Seven had once lavished Noctis with beautiful dreams, but these were the same Weavers who’d betrayed Erebus. Who’d lost their grip on the Dream Realm and let it be overcome by demons. And then there was Mithras; I’d worshipped him nearly my entire life, trusting him with the fate of our kingdom.

“No,” I answered honestly. “I want to be ready, but I’m not.”

“Then perhaps I should give you some strength,” he suggested, eyes dipping to my mouth. At the growing heat in his gaze, a slow, toe-curling warmth pooled in my stomach. Was he insinuating what I thought he was? “Or,” he continued, stepping closer, his voice a seductive murmur, “perhaps you’d rather take it from me yourself.”

Idefinitelywasn’t imagining the delicious fire in his eyes.

It had been weeks since we last kissed, and I was positively ravenous for his touch. It was embarrassing how many times I’d fantasized about his hands gripping my waist, his lips giving life to mine. If I leaned in just a little more, if I let the tension snap between us, I didn’t think he’d hold back.

And Maker help me, I didn’t want him to.

There was also the unfortunate possibility that if I didn’t get it out of my system now, I’d make a very inappropriate scene at dinner. It would be a shame to stare at his mouth like a starved fool while the other Weavers discussed battle strategies.

“Please do,” I whispered, daring him to close the gap between us. My chest was nearly grazing his, but we still weren’t touching. “And I’ll give it right back.”

Erebus pressed an achingly slow kiss to my lips, almost reverent inhow he lowered his face to mine. His lips were soft as silk, a stark contrast to the angular, wicked beauty of his body. I treasured the slow, unhurried way he moved his lips against mine, following his lead as I kissed him back. If he wanted to savor this moment, I’d happily oblige. I ran my fingers through his white hair, coaxing a shiver from him that resulted in me making a breathless, eager noise. His clawed hands immediately gripped my shoulders. Searching. Seeking.Grounding.His mere touch sent jolts of heat down my spine even through the fabric of my cape.