Tied With a Bow

in Nathaniel’s terrible memory. What else had happened to him that she hadn’t seen? Had it been horrible enough for him to renounce God? Had he fallen or become damned? She shuddered. His intention had been so pure. If his will had been broken, it hadn’t been his fault. God could have shown him a little fucking mercy. She lurched from the sofa, feeling ill. She swallowed hard. “I’m gonna be sick. Bathroom?” She slapped a hand over her mouth.
    Alissa guided her to the bathroom, and then in a surreal turn of events, the most beautiful woman in the world who never had so much as a speck of dirt on her clothes held Kate’s hair back while she retched so violently it tore sobs from her.
    Alissa’s fingers soothed the back of Kate’s neck. “It’ll be all right. After the doctor sees you, you can take a hot shower and lie down.”
    Kate shook her head and banged Nathaniel’s—no, Gadreel’s—ring on the cold tile, hard enough to bruise her finger. She took a deep breath and said, “Absolutely not.” She exhaled, wincing at the rough condition of her throat. “I’ve been looking forward to this holiday party all year. I’m not going to sleep through the damn thing.” Besides, if Nathaniel wants to see me later, he may not be willing to enter the Etherlin, but he could come to the Clarity Hotel in the Sliver. She’d mentioned the name of the hotel to him on the drive to the Etherlin.
    Alissa’s crystalline blue eyes seemed to peer into her soul. “You hardly seem ready for a party.”
    Kate narrowed her eyes. “Pulitzer Prize–winners don’t let little things like concussions put them off their schedules.”
    Alissa smiled. “You don’t need to prove how tough you are, Kate.”
    “I don’t need to, but I like to.”
    Alissa’s smile widened. “And your determination to go to the party has nothing to do with the fact that Nathaniel expects to find you there?”
    “Of course not,” Kate said, but the corners of her mouth curved up guiltily. “You didn’t meet him. He’s somewhat—I don’t know. Sublime.”
    “Some men have impossibly strong charisma,” Alissa said wistfully.
    Kate inclined her head. “Speaking from experience?”
    Alissa blinked and shuttered her expression. “No, but I’m a great observer of human behavior, you know. It helps me be a better muse.”
    “Well, you’re certainly an amazing muse,” Kate said, fighting her investigative reporter’s instinct to dig. As friendly as Alissa was, she was also an enigma. She’d dated Grant for years, but theirs didn’t seem to be a particularly passionate relationship. That they’d never gotten married, or even engaged, caused some speculation, but Alissa had never been caught in an affair with anyone else or even seemed interested in anyone. It was odd, given how often men pursued her.
    “How are things between you and Grant?”
    Again, Alissa’s expression became carefully neutral. “Grant’s a wonderful man. I’m lucky to have him in my life.”
    Kate burned with curiosity. Was Alissa’s relationship a sham?
    “Are you sure you’re up to going tonight?” Alissa asked.
    “Yes, I feel all right now.” The aftereffects of that brutal memory have passed. Another stab of compassion rocked her body. Nathaniel had been through so much. And now Kate felt like she’d been through some of it with him. Deep wounds. The trauma, both physical and emotional, had been almost unbearable. She shuddered. Where was Nathaniel now? She regretted not going with him. The raw emotional connection they had was something she’d never experienced with anyone else. She shivered, missing his warmth. She needed to see him, to be sure he was all right.
    “Did you bring your dress with you? The party people will be here soon.”
    “Party people?”
    “The people who get me ready for important events.” Alissa rolled her eyes. “I think I could be trusted to manage on my own, but the Etherlin Council likes us to be picture perfect at our own parties. And at everyone else’s,” Alissa added with a wink. “If you don’t feel like doing your own hair and makeup, you can just sit next to me. They style everything in their paths, like a swarm of compact-carrying locusts.”
    “Since I don’t get the spa treatment every day, I don’t think I’d mind. Do you think they would be annoyed at having another woman to make up?”
    Alissa shook her head. “They’re artists, and nothing tempts an artist like a fresh