Page 53 of Heavenly Bodies

Elara’s lip quirked. ‘So anyway, tempers grew. She told me that I was a spoilt little brat and let the darkness rip.’ She shook her head. ‘We had to host the entire ball by candlelight in the middle of the day. I think it actually made it more magickal, though.’

Enzo’s eyes twinkled. ‘Sofia deserves a commendation for her bravery, dealing with you all these years.’

‘I still don’t know what’s happened to her,’ Elara replied quietly. ‘It’s worse not knowing—whether she’s alive or dead; whether she got out that day.’

Enzo squeezed her waist. ‘We’ll find out.’

She looked at him. ‘We?’

He huffed out a laugh. ‘Like it or not, we seem to be in this together now.’

A comfortable silence hung in the air as Elara smiled, revelling in the heat radiating from Enzo’s hands as she closed her eyes. She was so drained, she barely noticed as she drifted and fell into limbo. But with Enzo’s light upon her she seemed to stay there. She could still feel the pressure of Enzo’s hands on her in the real world, though her dreamer’s mind had begun to conjure another scenario. Enzo’s hands were still on her stomach, but with a thought, she willed himto move them. His heated stare burned into her as he obliged, tracing teasing patterns over the thin material that stretched over her stomach.

‘Like that?’ he murmured, and she hummed a contented sigh. The circles his hand made grew bigger, sweeping lower. She met his gaze.

‘Tell me what you want, princess,’ he said softly.

She felt a shift, and her eyes flew open; the dreamscape shattered.

Enzo’s gaze was fire as a slow smile curled on his lips. ‘Having a nice dream?’

Her cheeks flooded with heat. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘The shadows within you are growing thinner the more you use them, princess. Which means I can see the emotions swirling in you more clearly. And right now they are red hot with desire.’ His smile widened even more. ‘I wonder who it was you were dreaming about.’

‘Now why would a clever man like you want to taunt a woman at the height of her power? Perhaps a death wish is on you.’

‘There are many things I wish from you.’

‘If you’re quite finished trying to get under my skin, you can go now. Thank you for…this.’ She gestured to his hands, still on her. She had never wanted to slap the smirk off someone’s face more.

He stood up. ‘I’m glad you’re feeling better.’

‘More and more the further away you get.’ She smiled sweetly.

‘If you feel better tomorrow, I’ll meet you for training as usual.’

She nodded, avoiding his eyes as she settled back under her sheets.

He turned from the door. ‘Rest.’ That stupid, taunting smile hadn’t left his face. ‘Oh, and Elara?’

She looked at him from behind her pillow.

‘That little dream you just had? Only a shade of what I could do with you.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Enzo once again assumed his position of begrudging teacher. Over the next few days, they fell into an easy routine of training, followed by lunch, which, true to Enzo’s remark in the markets, always seemed to put Elara in better spirits. In the afternoon, she helped Kalinda in the gardens, or Merissa in the kitchens. Sometimes Isra would stop by to see Enzo, and she’d drop by the kitchen to gobble down a fresh cake or pastry with Elara and Merissa on her way out.

Her latest morning session was giving her a chance to display her improvements with her shadows. She could manipulate them with just a thought now, though they still lacked substance. Testing herself again, she threw one in the form of a shadow wraith at Enzo.

Light whizzed past and whipped her arm.

‘Ow!’ She shook off the smarting pain.

Enzo tutted at the red welt forming on it. ‘You’ll get a lot worse than that from Ariete if you don’t put your shield up.’

She adjusted her shadows, packing in the darkness until it was a wicked, absorbing force.

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