Page 29 of A Dance of Water

"Why?" Bastian asked.

She hummed, eyes closed. "You won’t be there."

His mouth worked as he swallowed. Fuck, how could he ignore the temptation she just served up to him on a platter of mellifluous words and strawberry-tinged air?

Azgorath looked up at Bastian, his head still held against her neck, inhaling her drowsy scent. "Don’t," the demon warned.

Bastian smiled, even though he wanted to steal her away to his room and tuck her in between his dark, silken sheets and let her creamy berry scent coat every bit of his space. The vampire gathered her up into his arms, standing as he headed for the door.

Azgorath’s angered, warning growl followed him as he left the library, and Bastian called out over his shoulder, careful of the sleeping fae in his arms, "I’m taking her to her room. Tosleep."

And the demon followed him the whole way, watching asBastian tucked her into her sheets and pulled the canopy around her bed to ward off the dim light filtering in through the glass doors leading to her balcony, leaving her to sleep alone, with the door clicking shut softly behind them both.

11

VIOLENT NEED

VALE

Vale tapped a finger against the tabletop. "They should be here by now."

Tharen rolled his eyes. "They’re coming. I don’t think you have to worry about Bastian trying to kill the beast. If anyone ever could, it would be me. Just for the fun of it."

"Enough, Tharen." Vale stared the Prima down, and his finger continued its restless tapping.

Bastian and Azgorath should have been here by now. It was not like the Advisor to be late for a meeting, especially one in his advisory room.

Vale, Tharen, and Graves all sat around the dark oak table. The King, with anxious energy unfurling low in his gut as his dragon paced and his mind whirred, snapping back constantly to a certain white-haired heirus no matter how hard he tried to get his thoughts off of her.

The Prima, with violence simmering just under his skin, twiddled a dagger in his palm, running his finger up the serrated edge as his icy blue eyes kept being drawn to the doors, waiting for the vampire and demon to arrive.

And the Knight, with silent contemplation and heavy glances—the male was withdrawn, and he gripped the stone of his amulet in deep thought, scar on his lips tugging with the beginnings of a frown.

Vale knew Graves was growing unhealthily obsessed with their Vincire, and the King worried what it would mean for him…

"I do not think that is what you have to be worried about," Graves said without inflection.

Vale arched a golden brow. He knew what the male was getting at, but he decided to humor him. "Tell me, what do you think it is we have to be worried about?"

Tharen snorted a harsh, uncouth laugh.

"What is it that’s making them take so long with her?" Graves scrubbed a hand over his jaw, irritated, even if his voice was monotone.

"I doubt they’d fuck her at the same time," Tharen taunted. "Bastian would certainly try, but the demon’s too kind for his own good. He wouldn’t want tooverwhelmher."

His dragon seethed at the insinuations. Sweat-slicked skin and the slide of bodies. Hands on her that were not his own.

Go to her,his dragon urged.

Stop,Vale replied.Give me time. You will be able to publicly claim her in less than three days when it is time for the Choosing Ceremony.

Not soon enough.The dragon’s claws clacked across the bars of Vale’s ribcage, testing their strength.

Cease. You’re testing my nerves,Vale warned.

A huffing laugh was the only reply, echoing throughout the inside of his body like his thundering heart. Like the song of the call.

A vision of white hair and blue eyes assaulted him every time he closed his eyes.

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