Page 33 of The Witch Queen

A large open-air courtyard built into a flattened plateau on the side of the mountain hosts the ball tonight. Like everything in Thayaria, lush overgrown plants creep up the walls and across the floor, while giant planters with night-blooming flowers are scattered across the space. Lights hang across the dance floor, and beyond is a picturesque view of the twinkling city below. Dark green and crimson banners mix with gold ones to represent the two kingdoms. The effect is breathtaking, and I find myself in awe of this kingdom that I once knew nothing about.

It’s early winter, so the air is biting, but fire pits dot the courtyard to help cut the worst of the cold. The smell of burning wood and the aroma of the food makes my stomach growl. Silene has acquired a large fur wrap she drapes across her shoulders that Fionn looks envious of. Velmara has a much warmer climate, so my friends must be freezing. Somehow, I barely feel the cold. I nod toward a roaring fire pit with chairs scattered around it and we make our way there to warm up.

Thayarian nobles and courtiers slowly trickle into the courtyard, unaffected by the cold. When they notice us, they give swift and shallow bows before moving away. Music filters our way from a group of musicians while servants walk around with glasses of bubbling liquid and delicate hors d’oeuvres. The menu is another blend of Thayarian and Velmaran cuisine. Fionn suggested the small fried pastry that can be found at every street food cart in the Floating Market. Velmaran courtiers would never condescend to eating what is a staple of commoner food, but the Thayarians don’t know that. They love it, judging by the empty trays.

A herald bangs his staff three times, and everyone quiets. “Her Majesty, Queen Laurel Elestren of Thayaria,” he proclaims. Fae and humans alike dip into deep bows and curtsies as the doors open. Fionn and Silene give me a nod, indicating they’re ready to slip out during the dance between the Queen and me. As soon as they back into a corner, I concentrate on the dim light surrounding them. Pulling aether to me, once again taken aback at how much power I can draw up here in Thayaria, I will the light to render them invisible.

My focus is tested when Laurel enters the courtyard. Breath catching, I can’t pretend it’s because I’m nervous for Silene, Fionn, and the breakout that will happen floors below. She wears a deep crimson velvet dress the color of the thayar flower. The sleeves are long, but her perfect breasts are once again on display with a deeply cut neckline. The dress hugs her curves, emphasizing the way her hips sway as she walks, while the color of the dress brings out the reddish hue of her hair. It hangs around her in soft waves, and the desire to run my fingers through it is all-consuming. She doesn’t wear the dark makeup I’ve come to associate with her, and I find I prefer her this way. When she reaches me, I take her hand for the dance, giving her one of my signature disarming smiles. I think I notice her cheeks flush, and it stirs something low in my stomach.

“Ready to dazzle them, witchling?” I ask in a low and suggestive tone. Her eyes heat, and another grin breaks out across my face, this one genuine.

“Have you seen this dress? I’ve already dazzled them. It’s your turn, princeling.” A deep and genuine laugh erupts from me at the confident and cocky comment.

“The dress is indeed something to marvel at,” I say with a flirty wink, my meaning very clear. Rather than blushing or shying away from the compliment, she gives me a wide smile, and I can’t keep my hands off her for another second. I wrap my arm around her waist and have to stifle a growl when I feel warm, bare skin meet my hand. The dress is backless. I splay my hand low across her exposed back, and her breath catches, igniting a fire in my blood. “I’m perfectly capable of dazzling, you know. I’m sure you learnedthatwhen you asked about me,” I say with a dry smirk to hide my reaction to touching her bare skin. She rolls her eyes.

“I didn’taskabout you. I gathered intel about a political emissary being sent to spy on me. There’s a difference,” she snaps, but with none of her usual iciness.

“Sure you did. And that political intel just so happened to talk about my thriving sex life. Standard procedure, I’m sure.”

“Hm, I don’t remember reports of a sex life,” she quips back, barely missing a beat. “Just your tendency to flirt with anything that moves. It gives desperate, if you ask me.” Once again, I can’t stop the chuckle at the perfect barbs she lands.

“I’ll admit that I’m more judicious about who I take to my bed than the rumors may suggest. If I slept with every person who wanted to get in The Shining Prince’s bed, I’d have a never-ending line of return paramours, desperate for myskillsonce more.”

She rolls her eyes, but I don’t miss the way her eyes darken with lust for a brief moment before she darts them away from my gaze. The music begins, a traditional Thayarian waltz, and our verbal sparring takes a momentary ceasefire. I whisk her into the dance, pulling her closer with each turn while keeping my focus on Fionn and Silene moving a few floors below. When I spin her away from me, I’m rewarded with a full view of the back of the dress. My mouth goes dry at the way the fabric dips low just above her ass, accentuating the thick swell of her hips, and all thoughts of Fionn and Silene leave my head. I pull her back aggressively and her breasts push up against my chest. Her lilac and mint scent wafts over me, and I can’t stop myself from taking a deep inhale as I pull her even closer. She lets out a small gasp, and a wave of pure male satisfaction washes over me.

We spin and sway a few more times before I remember thatIam supposed to be seducing her, not the other way around. It takes immense control to ease her body away from mine to a more proper distance, though I force myself to do it.

“What do you think, witchling? Is my dancing up to your standards?” The words come out husky and low.

“It’s passable,” she teases, her own voice somewhat breathless. “Though I think I can give them even more of a show. Wouldn’t want anyone to wonder where Fionn and Silene have gone.” An airy mist wraps around our bodies, swirling as we spin. She looks up at me, and I meet those wicked green eyes with my own challenging gaze.

“That’s all you’ve got? I can do better.” I concentrate on the light emanating from the fire pits. It takes immense focus to keep the magic wrapped around Fionn and Silene as they move while pouring aether into the light from the nearest fire pit. I wouldn’t have been able to do it in Velmara, but at the nexus of so many leylines, my magic is stronger. Twinkling orbs of light appear around us as we twirl, lighting up the mist. We must be glowing in the darkness, glittering with mist and fairy-like orbs dancing around us.

“Impressive party trick,” she says with a wink that matches my own. I pull her closer, deeply impacted by the flirty way she turns my move against me. “And the magic around Fionn and Silene? Is it still up?” she asks, voice low.

I give her a look of mock hurt. “You wound me, Your Majesty. It hasn’t slipped once.”

“In that case, watch and learn, princeling.” There’s a mischievous glint in her eye that causes me to press her against me again. The mist around us turns to light, falling like sparkling raindrops in the night sky. In the distance, bright explosions of light erupt across the Thayarian landscape. Then misty rays dance in ribbons around us. A tendril brushes my arm, leaving a dewy drop behind. My eyes widen in surprise. She’s combined the two conduits; a skill I didn’t even know was possible.

The music crescendos, and I spin her away from me in the glowing orb that surrounds us, then pull her back before dipping her deeply on the final note. Her chest heaves, and I have a full view of the length of her body, breasts flattening with the position. An image of her laying on her back in bed, naked, flashes across my mind, and I nearly lose my control over the magic concealing Fionn and Silene. I pull her up to me quickly, determined to wipe the image from my mind. But then her intoxicating scent hits me again, and I sigh involuntarily, catching myself rubbing soothing circles on the small of her back. She doesn’t comment on it, but her eyes meet mine with a heated look.

“Well…” she says, voice flustered and cheeks tinged with a rosy pink. I make a low noise in the back of my throat involuntarily, and I’m about to ask her to dance again when polite clapping breaks whatever spell has been cast over the two of us. I’m reminded that there are others—many others—surrounding us, and that my mission is to get information out of her through seduction. I need to leave her wanting more. I turn to Laurel, then bow deeply, before raising her hand to my lips. I brush the top of it with the lightest kiss, never taking my eyes from hers, and I swear she shivers at my touch. She gives me her own nod, the small gesture full of meaning, and we turn back to the crowd with matching plastered-on smiles.

“I’m honored to formally welcome His Royal Highness, Prince Hawthorne Vicant, Crown Prince of Velmara,” she says to the crowd. “While I know this ball is coming a bit late…” Laughter breaks out across the crowd as Laurel gives them a sheepish look that says she knows it should have been sooner, “I hope tonight is the first diplomatic event of many in the history of Thayaria and Velmara. Please welcome the Prince this evening.”

With that, she leaves my side and walks to join a group of her advisors. A female I recognize as Aria from the Council of Advisors walks up to me, and I put on the mask of a charming prince once again.

“Would you like to dance, Aria? Queen Laurel spoke so highly of your dance skills.” She blushes, and I give her a dazzling grin.

“Yes, Your Highness,” she murmurs. I wrap her up in my arms and sweep us into a quick foxtrot.

Across the dance floor, the too-handsome Captain of the Royal Guard, Carex, leads Laurel to dance, his hand wrapped around hers. A pang of what I think might be jealousy shoots through me. I’ve never cared whether females I’m pursuing were interested in others, never cared if another touched them. But something about seeing Laurel with the Captain puts me on edge.

I dance with Aria, then with several other females whose names I don’t remember. My attention stays equally divided between Laurel and keeping Fionn and Silene hidden. Laurel floats across the floor gracefully, never turning down a request for a dance. After a second coupling with the Captain, something rears up inside of me. Before I know what I’m doing, I’ve stalked over to her and requested another dance, my plan to leave her wanting more entirely forgotten.

The music has slowed to a tempo that allows me to keep her close. Worry in her eyes, she asks, “Is something wrong, Prince Hawthorne? This is earlier than we expected to need to aerstep them back.”

“I just needed an excuse to get away from all the female courtiers fawning over me. It’s exhausting. And please, call me Hawthorne.” She rolls her eyes.

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