Page 18 of A Dance of Water

VALE

Vale watched for Luella’s reaction, waiting for her to explode. They all had been. It was a matter of time before that rage and consuming power burst inside her. It was too much for the strongest and most well-trained of beings, let alone a weak heirus fae like her.

He just hoped she was in a safe space when that power did bubble over the surface.

She jerked her head from his grasp, hissing, "N-no!"

Such bite. Her words were seething, and her lip curled over her teeth, yet the King remained utterly entranced by her. She had an air of sweetness, no matter what she did or said. It was in the line of her shoulders, curving forward slightly; in the unending blue of her eyes, big and wide and begging; the fumbling of her hands before her, awkward and speaking of her nervousness even if she tried to shove it down, shove it away, and pretend she was something she was not.

Vale had not lied in the rose gardens…

There was a strength to being soft and kind. He wished she would embrace it instead of running from it.

His eyes tracked her in the dimly lit room, and his fingers flexed against his thigh without her touch.

Get her back,his dragon seethed, pacing inside him.Need her.

Vale pinched the bridge of his nose, spitting back a sharp,Leave me be to deal with her. You canhave her soon.

His dragon went back to his tempestuous pacing and hissing, claws ticking along the bars of Vale’s ribs as he rattled and shook against his cage, trying to find a weak spot. But Vale had him under a firm lock and key. His dragon would not be getting the best of him any longer. Not since the days of his youth had he been so weak as to let his beast control him.

If anyone can make you weak, it would be her,the dragon gave one last hissing taunt.

Vale repeated a firm,Soon, then went back to ignoring him.

Itwouldbe soon. Vale wasn’t lying. His beast would get his claws on the Princess far too soon for any of their liking. The Solstice loomed, and the truth of it gnawed at his insides and made him feel strangely remorseful toward her. More lies.

"Luella." Vale infused a calm he did not feel into his tone. "Azgorath is a demon, and like all demons, he has a rash tendency for violence. To make matters worse, helikesyou." Vale thought the demon did much more thanlikeher.

"Why are you telling me this?" she said, pacing quick little steps over the floor. Every shift of her step and hitch of her breath made the short hem of her gown flutter about her oiled thighs, and her chest pressed against the thin, silky fabric.

He swallowed thickly. Fuck, he was in so, so much trouble.

The dragon huffed a laugh, and smoke wafted from Vale’s nostrils, filling the lavender-scented room with the crackle of embers.

"He’s grown violent and destructive. He nearly killed a guard two nights ago because he overheard the male speak about the newest captive of the King and how pretty she was." Vale tracked her as she stopped near her bed, the fluttering white of the canopy tickling against the skin of her arms. Gods, he wanted to wrap her up in silken sheets and carry her off somewhere safe and dark and warm, bury himself between her oiled thighs.

Three sharp lightning bolts streaked from the sky, and Vale waited for her reply. The storm was becoming a problem. The Princess was sharp—he was surprised she had not put the pieces together yet.

"I’m sure your guards are not good males," she finally responded.

He resisted the urge to wrap his hands around her neck andsqueeze acquiescence from those pretty pink lips—and that was a veryTharenthing to think.

Vale needed a good fight. He could forget a fuck. Wasn’t sure if he could lie with anyone with the Vincire call pulling him to her, making him think of only her.

She curled her fists in the white of the canopy, watching him behind swaths of silk and sheer moonlit glances.

A look of angered resignation.

So, Vale said the only other thing he could think of to get her agreement.

"He’s been hurting himself."

The edges of the canopy fell from her fingers.

"He rends sharp pieces of rock from the walls and cuts lines into his skin. Bastian tried to talk some sense into him, but he says it is his penance." Vale stepped forward. She did not move back, so he saw it as a good sign. "For hurting you…"

Luella’s eyes fell closed, and he lamented the brief moment he could not see those beautiful pools of stormy blue.

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