A Storm of Flames and Deceit

9. Under the Blood Moon

Nephele

The reception is held outside, a grounding breath of fresh air to whatever miracle we all just witnessed inside. At least out here, there's a natural cause for leaves falling like rain. I look skyward, smirking at Eris where he stays on my arm. "Coronation under the blood moon?" I raise a brow.

He chuckles. "It's a sacred event to autumn," he replies. "When we decided on coronation this week, it felt too perfect."

I roll my eyes, startling when the breath is squeezed from my lungs. I smell the sea a second before I realize it is Cressida suffocating me in a hug. "That was so badass, Neph!" She exclaims, smacking a kiss on my cheek. "Seriously. Bad. Ass. I didn't know you could get anymore badass."

"I'm playing a drinking game," a familiar voice interrupts. Tarquin. "I'm drinking every time she says badass. It's already in the double digits since the ceremony."

Cress smacks her cousin, pulling back from me. "I'll drink to that," another familiar voice chimes in. Lucien. He smiles at Cress and Tarquin, looking particularly long at the latter. "I'm not sure if we've met before- I'm Lucien."

"I know," Tarquin sips his drink, looking over Lucien again. "This is my cousin, Cress," he hardly nods in our direction, not breaking eye contact. "I'm Tarquin."

"I know," Lucien echoes, smirking. Cressida and I exchange a wide eye look, stifling smile behind our glasses of wine. Lucien turns to his brother. "It's impressive. How did you manage it?"

Eris rolls his eyes. "While I'm delighted by the insinuation that you think I'm capable of staging something so miraculous, brother, I'm afraid that it wasn't my doing," he replies, having the nerve to look disappointed for not staging such a show. I roll my eyes right back at him.

Lucien turns to me, still unbelieving. "Neph will tell me the truth," he says hopefully.

"Your brother does not deceive you," I reply, chuckling. "Though we both wish we thought of it."

Lucien purses his lips, taking another sip of his drink. "Well done then," he smiles behind his glass, his words drawling out. "High Lady."

I groan, grabbing Cress by the arm. "We have people to meet. Babies to kiss. People to woo," I say, the vague turn of my hand before I look at Eris. "Save me a dance."

He fumbles a bit before nodding, and as I turn away, I smirk, satisfied with myself for flustering him. The satisfaction doesn't last as per the smug look on Cress' face. "You're so in love with him," she accuses. I shush her.

"I'm High Lady of Autumn, and it is my divine right to execute you for saying such a thing," I whisper back. She snorts, rolling her eyes.

"Please," she grins. "As if everyone couldn't tell how flustered you got when he kneeled in front of you."

I swat at her again. "I can't help it," I pout. "Cress, when he looked at me like that..." I shake my head. "I was beginning to see how rulers go mad with power."

"Good thing the land itself deemed you two worthy of eachother!" She says happily. "Now, all that's left is for you to have makeup sex."

I groan into my hand. "I can't have makeup sex before I've had sex sex."

"Sure you can," Cressida shakes my shoulders. "The land is willing it."

"The land is willing what?" Tamlin interjects when Cressida almost runs clean into him. He steadies her shoulders in his broad hands.

"Nothing," she squeaks, flustered. I chuckle.

"The land is willing a lot of things, it would seem," I reply, recovering for her as Tamlin pulls his hands away. "It's just a matter of figuring out what."