Page 277 of A Dance of Water

The wings at his back stirred at the sight of her before him, untouched and pure. The white angel wings on Luella’s back were small and delicate, like the female herself. Tucked close to her back in a protective stance—a posture he knew all too well.

She looked so ethereal and pure; he could devour her whole.

The white mask on her face only gave credence to her unnatural beauty.

It had been years since Graves had danced. He felt awkward. Unfit for her.

As they danced lazily on the fringes of the crowd, he could only stare at her, robbed of speech.

But she stared, in turn, causing the wings at his back to flutter in awareness.

"They look so real," Luella murmured. Her eyes narrowed, and she raised her small hand. Reaching for him.

Graves pulled back sharply before she could touch him.

Her eyes widened from the sudden movement. "S-sorry," she stuttered.

He exhaled sharply. She didn’t know.

As he took a deep breath, trying to tamp down the sickobsession he had with her, he was assaulted by the pain-tinged, sickly sweet smell of strawberries.

"Fuck," he rasped.

She clutched her hand close to her chest, as if fearful of him. But he grabbed it before she could pull away.

"It’s okay, sweetheart," he soothed.

She didn’t relax in his hold.

Graves was overcome by the force of his desire for her.

He couldn’t handle her touching himthere, not when he was so sensitive.

Graves brought her hand up to his mouth, his lips grazing the inside of her wrist under the safety of his hood.

And for the remainder of their dance, they did not speak again.

What would she do, Graves thought,if she knew?

86

DANCE AMONG WATER

LUELLA

Finally, their stilted dance came to a close.

"I will return you to the King."

Luella felt dazed. Bones weary after their dance.

The raven shifter was… strange.

"What?" Luella asked quietly.

"Let me take you to Vale. I know you’re in pain. We all feel it." The last words were the quietest breath of air.

She stumbled all the way to the King’s throne, where Graves stopped behind her, his hands on her shoulders, keeping her upright.

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