A Court of Stars and Memories

46. Fun and Games

A cool breeze swept across the balcony, speckling Mitsi's cheeks with drizzle. She tipped her head back and drew a deep breath of the crisp mountain air. A few more drops of rain fell from the sparse clouds that lingered this far up the palace, and on the ground below, she knew a storm had fully set in.

The rain had begun while she was still in the Peregryn training grounds, but she and Eira returned to the palace shortly after so they could prepare for the evening. They'd made plans to go out with Aramis and Orion tonight, as it was Mitsi's last night in the Dawn Court.

She and Lysander would leave tomorrow and it would be another three weeks before Eira and Orion returned at the next Exchange. Mitsi was already dreading how much she'd miss her friends. At least she would have Lysander though, and perhaps Mina and Micah would be willing to spend more time with her.

Mitsi hummed quietly and smoothed her skirt from her lap. She was wearing her favorite blue dress again. Hopefully it would be nice enough for the dancing hall Aramis said he was taking them to. She'd only gone to a few such halls in the Winter Court, so she had a vague idea of what to expect, but then again, the Dawn Court was very different from home.

A knock sounded at the door which connected her room to Eira's. Mitsi pushed herself off the bench just as it opened. She joined Eira in the bedroom and spun, letting her friend see her dress. "Is this nice enough or do I need to wear something fancier?"

"I think that will be fine," Eira replied. "I've always thought that dress is very pretty. And even if you're underdressed, so am I." Mitsi grinned as Eira spun too. Her auburn braid fell across her shoulder when she stopped. "What do you think?"

Eira had donned a dress also. It was made of a sapphire blue material that perfectly matched her eyes. The wide skirt hung just to her knees, allowing her a full range of movement. It had no embellishments other than some leafy silver embroidery around the neckline, sleeves, and hem.

"I think you look very pretty," Mitsi replied. "But there's no wing slats. Won't you need those if we're flying to the dance hall?"

Eira shook her head and glanced over her shoulder. "No wings for me tonight. Aramis said he'd carry us to the hall using his shadows and I'd rather my wings not get in the way of all the dancers. Orion is clumsy enough with his own."

"Oh, are you planning to dance with him?" Mitsi teased.

Eira rolled her eyes. "Of course, and I'm sure you will too."

"I wouldn't want to impose." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and laughed when Eira rolled her eyes again with a disgusted huff.

"Maybe I should see if Lysander is free tonight. I'm sure he'd love to join us," Eira retorted. Mitsi couldn't hide her blush and it was her friend's turn to snicker. Eira draped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her towards the door. "Come on. Let's not keep Orion and Aramis waiting."

Mitsi let the female lead her out of the bedroom and down the hall. They made their way down several flights of stairs and presently came to the landing where Orion and Aramis waited. The two males broke off their conversation at the sight of them. Orion's warm brown gaze lingered solely on Eira and a smile tugged at his lips. Mitsi poked Eira's side with an elbow, but the female ignored her.

"Ready?" Aramis asked.

They both nodded and kept ahold of each other as Aramis took Orion's shoulder. He touched Eira's arm next and shadows engulfed them. Mitsi closed her eyes and didn't open them until she felt a prompting nudge from Eira. She was greeted by a cozy looking building with stained glass windows illuminated from within.