Page 115 of A Dance of Water

Not yet,Bastian said.I’ll let you do that.

A cold finger traced over the silken blindfold—a gift from the vampire before her. Breaking the tension in the room, Bastian said aloud, "I see my gift was used for a different purpose than I intended."

"What did you intend?" she asked, searching for where she imagined his face to be.

Warm lips pressed against her cheek, and she shivered, feeling the vampire’s breath on her flushed skin. In front of them all, Bastian pressed his mouth to hers, bestowing upon her a soft, sensual kiss.

Bastian pulled away, and Az growled behind her.

Her breaths were shallow, and the threads roared like the rain outside.

"You’ll see, pet. Perhaps it’ll be fun to have you sightless for a time."

The words were filled with levity. His flirty, mirthful tone eased the panic in her lungs.

Luella knew she was in trouble.

"Sleep now," Vale ordered. "We will awaken at dawn and journey to start your training."

At the prospect of being let out of doors, in the open air, she breathed a sigh of relief. It had been too long since she felt the wind on her cheeks and grass under her feet.

Curious, she couldn’t help but ask, "Why not here?"

Tharen passed by and grabbed her roughly, pulling her to him as he breathed her in. "In case you accidentally destroy the castle."

39

FEEL

LUELLA

Luella felt hands on her, massaging her shoulders. She let out a weak moan at the feel, the tension leaving her body under what she assumed were Ina’s deft hands.

Her silken robe tickled her thighs as she crossed her legs. The air smelled of lavender, permeating her room with a lazy softness. She heard the distant ripple of water in her bathing chambers. Perhaps her mind made it sound louder than it was, but all she could focus on was the sound of the water, the memory of being held underneath it.

When Luella had awoken at the crack of dawn after a fitful rest, Osa had tried to force her into the bath. After Luella’s panicked breaths and near-fainting, the fire-tempered maid had relented, instead using a damp cloth on her skin, cursing all the while. The maid had not asked any questions about her panic, nor had she said a word of the white, silken blindfold stuck to her face.

Without sight, Luella felt like she was stuck in some dream—or nightmare. Everything was happening around her.

"Take this off," Osa demanded, fingers tugging Luella to stand as she reached for the sash of her robe. She untied it with ease, and the robe fell open. Luella grabbed it quickly, keeping it closed with heated cheeks. Somehow, the idea of being nude was worse without sight. "The King instructed I dress you in something comfortable and flexible."

A bundle of clothes was pressed into Luella’s hands. She shivered, holding them close to her chest.

She heard a sigh, then felt hesitant hands on her back—Ina’s touch, guiding her. Luella stumbled, a hand before her to keep herself from running into a wall.

Something knocked against the wall; it sounded like the light rapping of a fist. She cocked her head.

"Ina?" Luella called.

The maid softly patted her shoulder and then left.

Luella missed the gentle rapport she had built with the reticent maid, using their hands to communicate. Now, neither one of them could talk to each other—Ina, without speech, and Luella, without sight… What a pair.

The air was still. Her ears strained, but she heard nothing save a soft clatter as Osa cleaned, she assumed.

Hoping that Ina had directed her to the changing partition at the corner of her room, Luella let the robe pool to the floor. She shook out the clothes, feeling them with her hands. Thick and stretchy. She felt laces and a thick corset. Too many pieces.

"I need help," she called out.

---