Hyacinth (Tamlin's Healing Arc)

Chapter Fifteen

Tamlin had returned to the Manor to sleep for the day and promised Cin he'd meet her at the Fountain Square at dusk.

Cin had one fancy dress, which had once belonged to her mother. It had been altered to fit Cin's curves and the little pouch of her belly. Surprisingly, the alterations accentuated the beauty of the dress. It was a shimmering white halter neck mid-riff with a flowing white skirt that billowed around her when she spun. The skirt had a second layer of white lace with pink and white roses stitched into it. It was high-waisted, barely grazing the mid-riff.

"All this for that Rustar guy?" Bron asked from the doorway of the bathing room as Cin swept her curls back into a half updo, leaving a few curls to frame her face. She had already applied coal to her waterline and drawn a sharp, clean wing above her eyelids. "What kind of name is Rustar anyway?"

"You'll probably never see Rustar again after tonight. This," she gestured to her clothes, her hair, her face, "is for me. We lost good friends in the wars, and now we've lost Papa too. But we are still here. We deserve to celebrate the life we still have."

"Speaking of Papa, Gaol and Cheri are going to propose amending the Remembrance Night rules. In addition to remembering those we lost in the war, they want us to remember those we lost in general." Bron leaned against the doorframe, his arms folded across his chest. Cin glanced over at him and nearly laughed.

He had a comment about her outfit while he stood there dressed in their father's finest. It was his way of honoring their father, and Cin couldn't fault him for that.

"At least it gives us a year to come up with a good memory," Cin grinned, inviting Bron to join in on the teasing.

Bron laughed. "No fart jokes, or I walk away."

"Just fart jokes? My, my, my, how low you set the bar."

"Cauldron spare us all." Bron rolled his eyes, chuckling as he headed down the hallway. Cin checked her outfit and makeup one last time before following her brother into the kitchen.

She heard Hart's voice even before entering the kitchen, where he was pouring four cups of what smelled like coffee in front of Quiet Jon. The new rule in the house, seconded by Bron, was that if Hart was there, he had to make coffee or tea for everyone.

"We just helped the Nightshade Berries set up on the field, Cin. Good job on the grass. You'd never say it was a barren field just yesterday," Hart called out, his focus entirely on not spilling hot coffee on the floor or, worse, on Quiet Jon.

Quiet Jon grinned at Cin and flipped his thumbs up. His smile faded as he caught sight of her in her entirety. His eyes roamed over her from head to the brown boots peeking out beneath the hem of her skirt. The grin slowly crept back onto his face. He raised an eyebrow and nodded in approval.

"Wipe that look off your face, Jonathan," Bron snapped his fingers in front of Quiet Jon's face. The snap startled Hart, who jolted and spilled a dollop of hot coffee on the table.

Irritated, Hart looked up and noticed Cin. "Niiiiiiice. You look amazing."

"Did you hear that?" Cin gave Bron an incredulous look. "That's what you call a compliment. You say that when someone dresses up. None of 'all-this-for-that-guy' nonsense."

"Oh, shut up, all of you," Bron rolled his eyes. Quiet Jon's jaw dropped, and his brows furrowed deeply. He looked more offended than Hart and Cin combined, even though he hadn't been speaking. Cin and Hart exchanged amused looks and burst into laughter.

After they had finished the coffee Hart had made, the four of them left for Fountain Square, where Rafe, Mendes, and Enzo were waiting. It wasn't until they entered the square that Cin spotted Tamlin—disguised as Rustar—talking to the trio.