Page 11 of A Dance of Water

And even more enticing, if his increase in stalking her was anything to go by. He had sat in this room for hours, just watching her breathe. Followed her about the castle without her knowing, pleased just from watching her steps, the way her hair rustled and fell into her eyes as she bent over a book, her lips puffing as she blew a sharp breath upward to get the strands out of her eyes—and those eyes. The blue was resplendent. Captivatingly novel.

The rain battered against the glass, mirroring the emotions roiling inside him. The weather had been odd lately, and he would be remiss to say he didn’t have an inkling as to why.

Graves knew he should leave, should call for the maids like he said he would, but…

The silk sheet in a heap on the floor beckoned. And who was he to ignore such an enticing call?

Silent as a whisper, he stalked forward and bent, lifting the sheet and balling it up in his gloved hands.

He held it up to his face.

Gods, she smelled delectable.

That godsdamned call, her scent, perfectly curated for him. At least, now he knew it was not only he who was in pain because of it.

He saw her as he hovered over her in bed, saw how her hands gripped against the mattress—an act he was familiar with. It took everything in him not to draw the Princess to him whenever he could, bundle her up on his lap, and crawl over her body. He had seen the faintest trace of her wetness glistening on her fingertips. Seen what she had done between her thighs.

Graves found himself suddenly jealous of Bastian. With his Mind magic, the vampire could steal into her head and see what sort of dreams could cause such a reaction, while Graves would only be left wondering.

Inhaling deeply, he ran his nose over the scent of her on the sheets, all while the rain beat down.

"Graves?" she called softly from inside the bathing chambers.

He lowered the sheet from his face, flicking his eyes over to the still-closed door. He swallowed. "Yes?"

"Are Ina and Osa on their way?"

The rustling behind the door grew still. He imagined her to be unclothed, naked, and waiting in the darkness.

He smiled, taking the sheet and wrapping it around itself until it formed a tight little ball, which he stuffed inside his cloak.

"They’re coming," Graves replied, equally as breathless as the Princess was, while that secretive, roguish smile still played upon his scarred lips. He walked toward the bathing chambers and rapped the back of his knuckles against the frame, pressing the side of his head to the door as his keen ears strained to hear what she was doing. "Have them dress you in blue today," he called through the door. His eyes flicked to the storm. Fat droplets plinked off the balcony and stuck to the glass. The clouds were swiftly moving and growing dark. "It will match the rain."

4

WINTER STORMS

LUELLA

The doors to the dining room loomed before Luella.

She ran a hand over the skirts of her gown—blue, just as Graves had told her to wear.

Ina and Osa had swept into her rooms shortly after Graves had left. She had heard him, his pacing, the shuffling of his feet across the floor, and the occasional sighs that fell from his lips. And then, nothing. He had left her there alone to stew in what it was he had done.

The space between her thighs was damp, even now.

Luella had rested her back against the wall in the bathing chambers, standing there in nothing but her panties as she let the cool air rush against her skin, the sound of the rain beating down against the castle walls in time with the thud of her heart.

She could still feel Graves’s gloves on her skin, could still see him holding the sheet against his face, could still feel that tingle of awareness between her thighs and slickness on her fingertips.

So, she wore a blue gown today. Blue like the rain. Blue like her mood. Blue like the sky, when it wasn’t covered with clouds.

She had left the chocolates at her bedside and hadn’t touched them; though, she knew Bastian would ask. He always did. And she always deflected. She had gotten good at that in the week it had been since she had awoken.

He wanted her forgiveness, but she just wanted to be left alone…

The doors were not held open by the guards this morning,so she took a moment to collect herself, hands resting against the wood as she steeled herself for what was waiting for her on the other side.

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