Page 25 of A Dance of Water

He saw her first.

Az stood, taking a few steps forward before he stalled.

Luella could do nothing but stare at him.

The demon wore a simple dark shirt and pants. His horns curved from his head, his dark brown hair unruly as always. Her eyes fell to his feet, bare. A soft, hazed smile graced her lips. No manacles or chains held him captive, but there was the faintest of red marks on his wrists. Her throat grew tight with emotion. Would it ever heal?

The library was quiet, the trickle of water in the pools a slow and steadydrip, drip, dripthat echoed in tune with her heart. She hadn’t been here since she escaped.

Her eyes drifted to the furthest corners, deep and shadowed and holding what she knew were many a secret and one harrowing escape. Az seemed to know what she was thinking because he, too, glanced at the dark, towering shelves; the beginnings appeared inconsequential, just like the multitude of shelves, but that one collection was the start of a maze of green moss and fluttering sprite wings, dark corners and breezy scents of salt and pine.

Bastian pressed a palm to her lower back. "Go on, pet. I’m right behind you." He forced her to walk forward, and Az’s amber eyes flicked down to where the vampire touched her, his lip curling back from his teeth.

She stopped right before the demon. Swallowing, she peered up at him. He towered over her, larger than her and Bastian both. He could kill her easily.

Reaching up, Luella placed a trembling hand against his chest, and Az watched her with a bated breath, waiting for what she would do.

It was not so long ago that she wished the iron bars were not in their way so she could touch him freely. But now that they were uncaged, she wanted to run away from him and that tug in her chest, the feelings welling up and threatening to drown her.

The laces on his shirt were done without care, and her fingers rose, hooking on the neckline and tugging it down just enough to reveal the tanned skin of his chest. His pectorals were large with muscles, but that was not what she stared at. The small red circle of his blood vow to her stood out on his dusky skin, and she was relieved to find it had not been a dream.

She pulled her hand away.

A tiny tendril of touch against her mind. Bastian whispered from behind her, "It was real."

Her teeth ground.Get out of my head,she screamed in her mind, hoping he could hear.

He chuckled at her back, but she felt his magic as it snaked out of her head.

Az watched her with rapturous intent. He seemed to want to speak but did not—merely continued to watch her and the vampire at her back with a jealous fascination.

"That was not my only gift, pet." Bastian left her and walked to one of the alcoves tucked in the wall, a small and darkly lit area with many cushions piled high with blankets. A tiny table was perched precariously on the edge of one of the larger cushions, holding a few cups and a steaming metal pot.

She stayed rooted in her spot, held captive by amber eyes and a large frame blocking her way.

"Lu," Az mumbled.

She sniffed and turned away at the sound of his voice, louder and less strained without the heavy presence of the dark and dull dungeons.

Walking to the alcove where Bastian was, she tried to ignore the scorching heat of Az’s eyes as they did not stray from her back.

The vampire was perched on the edge of one of the cushions, stirring the inside of the metal pot with a long, thin spoon. Steam wafted from within, and she peered over the top of it, staring down into a large swirl of dark brown liquid.

"What is it?" Her voice was thin and tinged with a heavy sadness. She tried to distract herself with the sugary scent wafting from the pot, but she looked up and met Az’s eyes—he was still standing where she had left him—and found that she could not focus.

"Hot chocolate," Bastian replied. He set the spoon down, and it clattered against the side of the pot with a soft clang. Placing a palm against her waist, he tugged her to sit. She fell with the barest hint of protest; she was used to being bodily handled by now.

Bastian settled back against the cushions, reclining with ease as he gripped one of her legs and threw it over his waist. She yelped, righting her skirts into something more decent.

A growl permeated the quiet air of the library. Az stomped forward, fingers curling against his thigh as he stopped right before the entrance to the little alcove, blocking out the faint light from within the main part of the library. She stared up at him, and his eyes fell to where her leg was indecently splayed over Bastian’s lap, his hand curling on her waist, and the way her breaths becameshort and shallow under the pressing weight of both of their attentions.

Her pale skin took on the slightest pink glow.

"Hot… chocolate?" she asked, infusing her voice with false interest. Anything to distract herself from the demon.

Bastian hummed a playful affirmative. "Chocolate bark melted over a fire and mixed with cream." He waved a hand over the tendrils of sweet-smelling smoke, making it flutter right toward her. "It makes for a delectable treat." He looked up at Az. "Sit, beast. There’s room for you. I know how to share. Sometimes."

Az growled lowly but sat. His back was ramrod straight, and his thigh was just out of her reach, not quite brushing her hip.

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