Change of Darkness (The Change Series Book 3) by Jacinta Jade (best new books to read txt) 📕

She looked back up at the light-haired female and gave the servant a small, assessing smile. ‘I could arrange to have one brought up here for you, if it would … ease … the troubles of your mind.’

Trelar paled, then rapidly said, ‘No, my lady, that will not be necessary, I assure you.’ Then she added with another curtsy, ‘I am happy to serve and consider myself privileged to be attending you.’

Siraay nodded, satisfied at the female’s grovelling and that her threat had been understood. ‘Now you can leave me. I will call for you if needed.’

Trelar didn’t hesitate but moved quickly to the doors, opening one and slipping through without a word, the door closing behind her.

Siraay watched the female’s departure, then shook her head, amused. It was only a matter of time, she could see, until Trelar would try to ‘free’ her. She pushed the matter to the back of her mind. She would deal with it when it occurred, but presently, she had more important matters to consider.

Such as what to wear when she joined Chezran for the evening meal later on.

She walked over to the section of the wall where her wardrobe was still on display and began thumbing through the garments. One in particular drew her eye due to its colour, and she pulled it out to examine it more closely.

She smiled. Perfect.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

MUCH LATER, the rays of the setting orange sun were spilling across Siraay’s room when she pulled open the double doors to the space and stepped into the corridor where a different pair of guards came to attention. Again, both were female.

‘Take me to Lord Chezran,’ Siraay commanded.

The guards nodded once and moved off from their posts by the door, leading Siraay down the hallway towards the grand staircase she had climbed earlier that day. As she descended the stairs behind her escorts, Siraay let her hand glide over the polished stone that formed the bannister, the length of the dress she wore requiring her to take extra care as she moved.

When they reached the landing at the bottom, Siraay half expected the pair of guards to lead her back to the large landing where Chezran had showed her the canvasses. Instead, her escorts turned right at the landing, leading her along a new hallway towards a large pair of doors set into a long wall at the far end. There, they paused before the doors, grabbed the handles, and pushed.

Warmth, light, and a myriad of sounds crashed like a wave over Siraay, all growing stronger as the doors opened wider ahead of her before suddenly quieting down as numerous heads swivelled to look in her direction. One long, gleaming black table occupied the centre of the room, almost stretching its length, and Siraay quickly counted the eleven places set there, eight of them filled. Nearly all the persons who filled those places were attired in neat dark jackets and pants, although Siraay saw one female wearing a long, flowing black dress. Simple clothes, but the fine tailoring was obvious.

Within the room itself, the glint of rare metals and gems set within the tableware, plates, and dishes, and the large and brilliant canvasses adorning the walls, only added to the feeling of wealth and power that permeated the gathering.

And upon her entrance and the sudden silence, at the head of the far end of the table, the Lord of Xarcon stood.

‘May I present to you, Lady Siraay.’

Chairs scraped softly against the stone floor as everyone in attendance followed suit and stood, dipping their heads respectfully in Siraay’s direction.

Interestingly, Siraay noted that not one but three of the figures present were females, their faces inscrutable, although Siraay did think she saw a glimmer of dislike flash across one face.

Chezran left his seat and went to stand by an empty one to the left of his own place. ‘Come, my lady,’ he said, gesturing to the chair.

Lifting her chin, Siraay began the walk down the length of the room towards Chezran. She could see his eyes widen slightly in appreciation as she drew nearer, and the slightest of smiles on his face told her everything she needed to know about her appearance.

The dress she had selected was made out of a red material that looked like glittering scales. It had a high neckpiece that wrapped around her entire throat—over which lay her new accessory—but which left her shoulders, collarbone, arms, and back bare, her skin contrasting beautifully against the ruby colour of the gown.

From her throat, the neckpiece extended downwards over Siraay’s chest to form a V shape that joined to the main part of the garment at her sternum.

From there, the dress rose in a sweetheart neckline across her breasts. The torso of the dress curved in tight to her waist and down over her hips and upper thighs before dropping away to a straight front, which had just enough of a slit at the bottom that her matching red heeled boots could be seen.

At the back, the dress flowed into a train, the scales giving way to a softer material that whispered along the stone floor behind Siraay as she walked.

The scales of the dress had been arranged such that the collar and neckline, and the detailing on the bodice, were all darker than the rest of the dress, drawing the eye. It was a dress of seduction, but also one that commanded attention, and Siraay had chosen it purposefully for the evening, knowing that Chezran would be introducing her to those who helped him command his army.

And she had chosen her makeup just as carefully, powdering her face until it, too, was flawless, before applying a shade of red powder that was just slightly darker than her dress to the upper lids of her eyes, right up to her eyebrows and around to the inner ridge of her nose. Then she had lined the inner waterline of her lower lids in white before applying a darkening liquid to the lashes