Page 40 of Violet Legacy

She stood next to him, her curves imprinted on his body and mind. Dante wanted everyone to disappear. He reached out and brushed an errant curl off her shoulder. Rieka’s eyes widened in response. He could feel the stares of the other Atlanteans as they watched him and Rieka. The murmurs grew louder as they recognized Rieka’s name and her role in identifying the statue of Vandana as a forgery.

He may have miscalculated the extent of the anger she would receive from some of the other members of the Houses. But there was no denying that Rieka was with him. No one would dare attack Rieka when she was under his protection. It would be considered a challenge to House Mneseus. Dante may not be the heir, but his bloodline alone placed him in a position of power. “Do I scare you?”

Rieka chewed her lower lip as her eyes widened, darkening with desire.

He wanted to drag her into a secluded corner and hear what his name sounded like on her lips when he tasted her.

“No,” Rieka said as she moved closer; her arm brushed against his.

“Cousin Dante.”

The intruder’s voice broke the spell Rieka had somehow entangled him in. He stared at her for a moment longer before he turned. “Chaucer.”

Dante had forgotten his younger cousin had been invited. It was not unexpected. Chaucer carried the Delacroix name and was the only other male born to their bloodline. He was also a notable scholar in his field.

“Rieka?” Chaucer sounded surprised and slightly confused. “I almost didn’t recognize you in a dress at a social function.”

“Chay,” Rieka laughed. “I’m not that bad.”

“Five years we worked together, and you never attended a single work event.” Chaucer turned to Dante, his eyes narrowed. “Not that you attended any of them, either.”

No. He had much preferred to send Talik as his delegate. Chaucer and Rieka’s conversation was light and friendly, but something was not quite right.

“I never had the right incentive,” Rieka said as she briefly glanced at Dante. “Nothing like being invited to a party that only happens once every five hundred years.”

Chaucer stared off in the distance before he turned back to Rieka. “I thought hybrids could not attend.”

Dante couldn’t sense any malice in his tone, but that could just mean that Chaucer had gotten better at masking his emotions. “Anhur has opened the invitations to a wider audience,” Dante responded. “His consort is human.”

Chaucer nodded. A flash of surprise crossed the younger Atlantean’s face, but it only lasted for a second. It was not a look he recognized.

Dante tilted his head toward Rieka. She appeared perfectly relaxed, except for the tight grip on the champagne flute. He placed his hand on her lower back. Rieka leaned into his touch. The move was subtle, but it sent a small thrill through him. “Excuse us, Chaucer.” Dante turned to Rieka. “I promised to show you the Atlantean treasure.”

Chapter 24

Chaywasdifferent.

Rieka couldn’t pinpoint it, but he was hiding something. Or maybe it was all the unwanted stares she was receiving from the other guests, and she was projecting it onto him. Despite the luxury of the ball, the walls were closing in around her, and her every move was being scrutinized,

It was partly because she was Dante’s guest. And partly because she was an outsider who didn’t belong in this world. Everyone knew it.

The rage and lust that had washed over her earlier in the day was back a hundredfold. She didn’t know where it came from. The emotions continued to build on each other until she was suffocating from it and desperately trying to anchor herself to the present. The ‘noise’ was softer next to Dante, as if he could act like a buffer. She cast a glance at him.

Dante appeared unfazed, like he belonged at the gala, but then this was his world. Not hers. She wanted to get as far away as possible. She tensed as they entered the crowd.

Atlanteans moved out of their way. Rieka hadn’t worked out if it was respect for Dante or not wanting to be in her presence. Dante placed his hand protectively on her lower back as he guided them toward the exhibit. A subtle touch, but one that was unlikely to go unnoticed by the other guests.

When she entered the ball, she had caught sight of Dante and just stopped walking and stared until Talik not so gently moved her.

Dressed completely in black, Dante looked like a Greek statue come to life. The neon green of his eyes glittered like cold jewels in the bright light. “Is it too much?”

Yes. But she wouldn’t say it out loud. “No. It’s just a lot to take in,” Rieka answered. The pinch of the bracelet was getting worse. She glanced down. Nothing out of the ordinary. She must be imagining things.

Dante stared at her as if he didn’t believe her. But he did not force her to discuss the matter. Good. She didn’t know what her response would be in a public arena.

They stopped in front of a large glass cabinet, the panes extended from ceiling to floor. Dante stood behind her, towering over her. His body warmth surrounded her as his sheer presence drowned out everyone else. The light caught his silver cufflinks. The only color he wore. He was one of the few guests who had not draped himself in jewels and evidence of his wealth. She had noticed the way the men and women looked at him—lust tinged with fear or envy at his position. Even by Atlantean standards, he stood out. An underlying tinge of power permeated Dante’s every move. At first, she’d thought it was a clever ploy to intimidate her and other humans, but she now realized it was a part of who he was. His civility was only a veneer, but not something he attempted to hide behind.

She dragged her gaze away from Dante. All thoughts of Chay and the other guests disappeared as she peered at the artifacts through the glass. Beautiful masterpieces, some were even from the collection she had been admiring the day before. The pieces had all been placed on black cloth to emphasize their beauty and uniqueness. It was clear they had been selected for their aesthetic qualities, and not for the role they played in Atlantean history, but even she was impressed by them.

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