Page 48 of A Dance of Water

Her mouth parted with shock and rage. The air in the room grew frigid, and though the curtains were pulled, she could almost see the heavy fall of thick snow as it coated the land. She tugged her hand harshly from Az’s grip. She needed to not be touched by them, not be clouded by their scents, or distracted by the way sparks zipped throughout her veins.

"What does that mean?" She gritted her teeth.

The King watched her. "You remember. Do not pretend you don’t."

The barest of touches against her mind. Bastian looked away from her when she tried to meet his gaze. Memories filtered in slowly, then all at once. Flashes of ice-coated bodies, shimmering blues, and crystalline flakes. Hot dragon breath on her face. Forced to stand before them all in a slip of white silk.

She remembered it all.

Including the words that made her chest grow tight with anxiety.

An icon to be venerated…

Her pleasure will be a sacrifice.

"I am the Chosen." It was not a question, but they all nodded. "And I will sacrifice…" She could not say it.

The King took pity on her. "Every Solstice, the reigning King of Serpentis must select the Chosen. The Chosen will give her pleasure to allow the lands to flourish for our coldest months. The pleasure is a sacrifice given at the altar in the Temple of Aedis."

"Given to whom?" Her voice shook.

"Me," the King murmured.

Suddenly, the bed she was in seemed far too small.

"No," she managed. "I will not. You cannot f-force me to dothat."

Tharen chuckled smugly. "That’s where the Binding comes in. Even though it is an honor to be the Chosen, it is still tradition for the Binding to take place, forcing the King’s will onto yours. You don’t have a choice."

No choice.The words echoed around her.

Bastian’s presence was the faintest of feelings in her mind, growing soothing and taking those words and sweeping them away before she could be drowned by their waves. Taking the anxiousness inside her and replacing it with the softest of calms.

She could not bring herself to be mad at the vampire for tampering with her thoughts and feelings. Not with such peace flowing through her veins; thoughts of warm hands and fingers gripping her thighs. The tickle of stubble against her skin. The memory of Graves’s lips pressing against her own and the blood vow on her chest—a promise to kiss the very male who had stolen into her mind and manipulated her thoughts into such sickly heat and wanton curiosity.

It was in the absence of fear that she found it in herself to say, "It is not enough for you to take me prisoner, but you must force your marks upon me. Force your will upon mine?"

A sob threatened to spill over her lips, but Bastian brushed it away.

Calm,Bastian said. Ease flowed through her veins like the cool drip of liquid. A lake shimmered just out of reach, and his presence in her mind grew curious.

"You are deplorable, King Vale. You cannot findaffection, so you steal it." Chills raced over her skin, and the ache grew deeper. She needed to rest, to dream it all away.

"What was our deal?" The dragon shifter inquired. "No more titles."

Luella’s chestburned,and her hand quickly pressed over the bandage. "Ah!" Her face scrunched up in pain.

"Say it. Say my name."

"V-Vale," she spat, and the burn cooled.

He—Vale—stood and came to a stop by her head, reaching down to tuck a strand of white hair behind her arched ear. She wanted to lean into his side and wrap her limbs around him and never let him go. Cry and hit and scream and flee—and never see him again. The call in her soul roared, then grew faint like it had had enough, just as she had.

Vale’s green eyes flickered as he stared down at her.

Harsh pings resounded from the glass windows, and six heads looked to where the thick, black curtains were pulled tightly to ward off the light. Silent as air, Graves walked toward them and pulled the curtains back.

It was bright and white outside. The silence of snow no longer blanketed the lands of Serpentis, but harsh sleet rained down from the sky in tune with every weak beat of her anguished heart.

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