Page 82 of A Dance of Water

He had been wrong.

Vale would never let her out of his sight again. There were five of them, perhaps that would do some good… to share the burden of her.

"Tell me, where did you hear the name Caliban?" Vale demanded.

She flinched away from his stare, burrowing deeper into the demon’s side.

The King scoffed.

What can he offer that we cannot?the dragon inquired.

Ignoring Luella’s curious looks as he waged an inner battle with his beast, Vale replied,Honesty, integrity. Love.

The dragon huffed, tail twitching.

After a moment, Bastian finally announced, "A dream."

Tharen arched a brow. "A dream?" The mage did not sound convinced.

Bastian nodded. "It… makes sense to me." He shifted to sit nearer to her, holding both of her hands in his own.

Vale caught the infinitesimal shakes of her body, the way she tensed, then relaxed, as Bastian held her.

The vampire was too cold for her, didn’t he realize that?

Get him away. I can warm her up.

She’s not ready for the kind of warmth you crave,Vale snapped.

Pale skin, roving hands, and needy sounds…

Gods, Vale wanted desperately. His cock ached for her. While his heart froze at the thought of ever giving her more than she already had—his soul and destiny.

"How does it make sense?" The King stopped by the edge of her bed, the canopy tickling against the backs of his hands as he peered down at Luella.

"I’ve felt her while she dreamed… The entire thing was odd." Bastian stared, transfixed at their entwined hands as he spoke to them all. "I went into her mind while she was asleep, and what I saw"—he shuddered—"it reminded me of when her magic was trying to awaken. But worse. There was nothing but darkness. It was as though she wasn’t even alive."

Vale watched as Luella tapped a small finger against Bastian’s arm. The silver of his earrings glinted in the firelight, illuminating the delicate lines of his side profile with warmth as he held her gaze.

Weak. The vampire was utterly gone for her. Adoration etched into the lines of his face.

Mine, the dragon roared.

Not ours, Vale calmly replied.She does not hold any desire for us.

Maybe not you, but she is interested in me.

And that was what Vale was concerned about.

There was one highlight to the Tenebrae’s attack—there would have to be a pause on the Winter Solstice celebrations.

"Why are you just now letting us know this?" Tharen seethed. The mage ran a hand through his hair, tousling the braids woven throughout. Vale caught the way his hands shook slightly.

Luella’s hands tangled in the edges of Bastian’s sleeves.

Fuck, Vale hated not knowing what she was thinking.

"I thought it to be nothing of consequence. I was wrong." Bastian’s expression grew solemn. It was a look Vale had rarely seen on the vampire.

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