Page 148 of A Dance of Water

She weakly struggled. "I s-said let me go."

"You’re not yourself right now. Let him hold you," Bastian implored.

Az’s thick fingers gripped her cheek softly as he turned her head up to him.

He was right, oh, how she knew he was right. But the well grew.

And grew.

Her breaths turned labored.

The hands on her body worked to still her.

She felt a feverish desire togo—chase after the welling tempest inside her and see where it would lead.

The fragile parts of her shattered under the battering power inside her. Shefeltvines as they shot out of the ground—large tangles interspersed with blooming white roses. As if she weresensing through the vines, she felt thorns splinter the green skin. Wicked points searched until they found what they were looking for.

The vines shot forward, curling tightly around Tharen’s legs. She knew, even if she couldn’t truly see.

The thorns cut into the mage’s legs and thighs, wrapping around him like a vise. Blood welled and streamed down his arms from the shallow cuts.

Triumph made her smile faintly. Shesawthe crimson rivulets as they fell,feltthe vines being fed by the iron tang of Tharen’s lifeforce. Watered by blood.

"Are you scared of me?" she asked quietly as she turned her head into Az’s chest. Her words were muffled, but she knew they heard her.

The males around her stilled at her words.

The vines grew from Tharen’s blood. She felt their anger, but she also felt their curiosity as they curled around his limbs. They eagerly drank up his blood but merely made shallow pricks.

Az grumbled but couldn’t respond.

Luella tilted her chin up as she felt the vines grow.

Her voice was but a whisper as she said, "You should be."

She heard Tharen’s strangled noise of shock, a growled curse, and one yell that cut through the roar in her head:

"Luella.Cease!"

The King’s words made the Binding mark pulse, and all at once, the vines disentangled and fell in lifeless heaps to the ground. A sob bubbled up in her chest—she wept for their death.

"Wait, bring them back," she cried as she bucked against the hands on her.

She reached out for the vines but… nothing.

They were gone.

Exhaustion made her sag, and Az gently rocked her.

She didn’t know what any of this meant. The vines—they came from her. She had felt them like her limbs, an extension of herself. And now, they were gone.

A cold touch against her brow, an echoed whisper: "Sleep, pet."

And Luella fell into dreams.

The lake was pristine in the dimming sunlight.

Luella stood by the water’s edge, bare toes scrunching in the grass as she breathed in deeply. The air was crisp, and the treetops swayed from the gentle breeze.

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