Page 118 of I Summon the Sea

What…? Oh, my gods.I open my mouth, though I wouldn’t know what to say even if I could, as the darakin spreads and flaps his wings.

Some of the guests scream—you’d have thought they’d be used to the idea of a darakin among them by now, but it seems a few fae hadn’t realized Remi wasn’t just a theater prop?—as he takes flight.

“I knew you could do it,” Jai rumbles softly, and a smile tugs at my mouth.

I tip my head back to watch Remi soar over the gathering, the underside of his body and wings gleaming silver, reflecting the lights and fires.

Remi talked to me. Inside my head. I have no magic, so does that meanhedoes? Is that enough?

“Is everything okay?” Jai is watching me, eyes narrowed. Then his gaze clears. “Did Remi talk to you?”

I give a slow nod.

“Excellent. He has been talking my ear off for days.” Jai ignores my shocked look, instead tugging me closer to him, mouth tilting in a devastating grin. “Now it’s just the two of us.”

And about two hundred fae and humans, but who’s counting?

“You will be fine,” he whispers. “I’ll lead.”

That wasn’t exactly my only worry.

He sweeps me into the throng of fae dancers without hesitation, then pulls me against him, placing one hand on my waist, gripping my hand with the other. He’s still grinning, a little crooked, that faint dimple showing, and damn, it’s wistful and sweet and so sexy I can’t tear my gaze away.

As he leads me into the turn, he says, “I thought to shut reality out tonight. To dance with the most beautiful girl in the palace. To forget myself. Lose myself in you.”

His words echo my earlier thoughts. Though, the part about him finding me beautiful makes my toes curl inside my shoes.

And he’s so handsome I could lose myself, too, but the pain in my feet, which has been progressively getting worse throughout the three days in the palace, suddenly turns excruciating. It’s as if dancing makes it worse, and a breathless gasp leaves my lips.

I wince as he pulls me into a turn and stumble, then dig my heels in.

He slows down. “You don’t want to dance anymore? Let’s stop. I hate this music.”

Liar, I think, but another smile teases at my mouth. I step to the side as a couple whirls by and grimace, my legs almost going out from under me. I hope he doesn’t notice.

But he produces a low growl, not unlike Remi’s, as he pulls me out of the way of another dancing couple.

His hands grip my arms, and his dark brows bunch together as he gazes down at me. “You’re limping. What happened?”

I shake my head. So much for him not noticing.

“Did someone hurt you?” he snarls. “Who do I have to punch? Was it Neere?”

That same warmth that filled me when he stood up for me against Neere and her friends returns. The thought of him punching her makes my mouth twitch.

That dangerous warmth seeps into me, making me aware of all that cold in me, the cold I need to make it through these trials and do what I must.

I can’t take such comfort from him; I can’t rely on him. Will he even enter the second trial? Why would he? This is indeed our last evening together.

“There is a bench.” He tugs on my hands, scattering my thoughts. “Let’s go sit. Who cares about dancing anyway?”

I don’t want to sit with him. I can’t be around him. It’s dangerous for my soul, tugging back and forth between wanting him and hating him, trying to understand him, and worrying about him.

I pull my hand away, and after a long moment, he releases me.

Stealing one last glance at that impossibly handsome face, the dark eyes, the dark designs on his cheekbones, I turn to go.

“Rae. Wait.” He follows me through the dance floor, through the crowd. “Just wait.”

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