Page 164 of A Dance of Water

What had made Caliban turn from gentle lover to evil entity?Thatwas what Luella was missing. If only her dreams would impart that one piece of knowledge upon her…

Carefully, she touched the warm amulet nestled between her breasts, feeling comforting heat against her palm.

With how closely Luella and Az were entwined, she felt his rumble seep through her like slow thunder.

"Good morning," Az mumbled against the top of her head.

She was lying on her side, her chest close to his. His heavy arm banded over her waist, nestled in the dip of her curves. Hotter than fire, his heat burned her skin, reminding her of licking flames and trembling limbs as fever took her.

"Good morning." Her lips brushed against his bare chest.

A pleased rumble emanated from him. His arms tightened around her, pulling her even closer to him.

Everything felt hazy, as if she were still dreaming. This sweetness, this softness… a feeling only Az could offer.

Chilled air tickled against her exposed arms. Her ears strained; she heard rain pounding as it fell in droves atop the castle.

She sighed.

Her fingers curled against him, and she pulled her legs up, knees bumping into his thighs as she made herself even smaller.

Az’s fingers stroked over her waist. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," she whispered. "Truthfully, Az, I feel… I feel for the first time, like I have purpose."

His scent of melted sugar, warm and slightly bitter, filled her lungs with every shallow breath. She couldn’t get enough of this, of him.

They had been right—her body had been punishing her for neglecting their bond. Now that she was here, wrapped up in him, the pounding in her head had slowed to an occasional throb, and the ache in her limbs was a distant memory.

Sleepily content, just like the threads inside her.

But something deeper roared to life—an interest in power, the way she had used her magic. It called to her. Just as everything else did. The rain beat upon the walls of the castle, and she swore it felt as though it was misting her skin. Lightning crashed, and shefeltelectricity sizzle in the air as it struck a tree, turning the bark into dark ash and leaving scorch marks on the earth.

She was everywhere, in everything.

But for now? She was in Az’s arms.

His voice brought her back to herself: "Where did you go?"

"Somewhere else. Though, not as good as this." She smiled against his chest. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

At the sudden shift in topic, Az’s hand stilled. He kissed her temple. "Because I lo?—"

This time, it was her turn to freeze.

The darkness made her bold. She clutched the amulet in her fist. Softly, she uttered, "You love me?"

Az pressed his face into her hair. "I have loved you since the moment I first knew you were promised to me"—his hand moved from her waist to her cheek, and the tip of his nose brushed hers—"and I was promised to you."

Words were stolen from her. She had never heard anything so sweet. Especially not directed toward her.

She wanted to tell him that sheknew, because she had been there. She had seen it, seen the way his amber eyes had grown alight with joy as the skeletal Fate had held their futures between bony fingers. The timeless pages of theCompendium of Fatesbeing flipped, every turn a new era. And every turn, her future, laid bare for their eyes.

How could she say those three words with so many secrets lingering between them?

Luella swallowed. "I have… something to tell you."

Az shushed her. "If you don’t love me, it’s okay, Lu. You don’t have to lie. I am satisfied with this. It’s more than I ever thought I would get."

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