Page 272 of A Dance of Water

A soft rustle of feathers filled the room.

Luella pulled away from the demon, staring at Graves, who stood silently by the cracked open window. Dimming sunlight shone behind him, illuminating the utter black of his ensemble. His silken shirt was black, with a dark corset that should have made him appear less deadly, but it didn’t. His hood was pushed back, fixed to his shirt. No cowl, and Luella found her eyes ensnared by his lips.

Lips that quirked into a secretive smile, tugging on the scar. "For you," the raven shifter said simply. In his gloved hands, he held a gorgeous, silver pair of heeled shoes, encrusted with jewels that shimmered like moonlight.

"For me?" Luella’s brow furrowed. She leaned heavily into Az. "How can you expect me to… walk in those?"

He stalked forward silently. She only just noticed he was without his wings. "Where are your wings?" Her own fluttered softly behind her, making her gasp from the twinges in her body.

"How can those help her?" Tharen interjected from her side.

Graves reached forward with a gloved hand, brushing his fingersover the feathers stuck to the ends of her mask. His eyes darkened, like staring into the abyss of the lightless ocean. "Balancing on your tiptoes helps your body pivot forward to accommodate for your shift in balance."

"H-how do you know that?" she inquired.

Graves knelt before her, making her gasp as the rough fabric of his gloves brushed against her bare ankle under her gown. Another secret smile was her only answer. He held up the hem of her white, feathered gown and carefully lifted her foot. She stumbled, and Az and Tharen both tightened their hold on her.

Kneeling before her like this made her feel like someone worthy to be treated so reverently.

Graves gently fit her foot into the shoe. Even through his gloves, his touch burned. The threads sang, electricity flowing through her veins. Once both of her feet were in the heeled shoes, he stood, hands trailing up under her gown, scorching against her calves, before the fabric of her dress bunched around her upper thighs dangerously. His hands left her, and the feathered fabric fell back to her ankles.

The raven shifter stepped away from her, waiting. "Now walk." His voice was rough as stone.

It was awkward. She had not worn such shoes before. But one step showed how right he was. The heels forced her to balance forward, onto her tiptoes. It helped take the strain off her back. She still felt like a strong gust of wind would blow her over, but it was a start.

"Good," Graves rasped, eyes stalling on the white feathers of her wings. "Time to enter the den of snakes." He reached up and touched his amulet, and in a whirl of black feathers, the raven flew away.

Venturing to the ballroom was a painful process. The icy blue banners fluttered as she walked, Az and Tharen holding her elbows.

As they stopped outside the large double doors, revelrous sounds flowed from within.

She peered up at Az. He and the mage both had donned their masks before they had left her room—the demon with a silvery white mask, and the mage wore one of plain black that covered his eyes, blue swirls like snow etched into the edges.

"Lu, you don’t have to?—"

"Yes," Tharen cut Az off, anticipating what he would have said, "she does have to go."

Luella touched Az’s fingers on her elbow. "It’s alright." She swallowed. "You cannot protect me forever."

Az placed his palm over his bare chest, covering the small red circle of his vow. "But I vowed to you. Always. You are everything, angel. And I will honor my vow, even if it takes my life."

She didn’twantthat. She wanted him to live, and wanted to live with him.

Just as Tharen placed his hand on the door to push it open, she felt a presence in her mind:

Remember your rules, pet. Do not leave our side. Do not let anyone touch you.

Bastian brushed invisible fingertips throughout her brain, making the back of her neck prickle with awareness.

You’re ours.

As if Tharen were aware of Bastian’s last warnings, the mage leaned down over her, icy eyes freezing her from behind his dark mask. "Don’t look at anyone who isn’t us in the eye. Tonight, they only want one thing."

She knew, but she asked anyway. "What?"

The mage’s breath was hot against her cheeks, and her wings fluttered with the softest of sighs.

"You."

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