Page 30 of Legacy of the Heirs
The Keres queen inclined forward until their heads almost touched.
“She was acting strange,” Nyzaia whispered. “I cannot place it, but she keeps disappearing. Farid followed her yesterday in Khami, and she crossed into Garridon.”
“Perhaps she was scouting ahead.” Elisara reached forward to rest a hand on Nyzaia’s arm, who recoiled as her sleeve rode upward. Elisara seized her wrist.
“Did she do this to you?” Elisara gasped, running her finger over the burn marks on her wrist. Nyzaia pushed back from Elisara.
“No, it was not her. It was an accident,” she mumbled, and Elisara suppressed the urge to reach for her friend again.
“My queen, could I speak with you?”
Elisara turned to the deep voice behind her and peered up at one of Nyzaia’s guards. Farid. Despite Elisara’s protests, Nyzaia rose, and soon, the pair were in deep conversation. Elisara scanned the room again, looking for Soren and Sadira. Sadira now stood conversing with Larelle and Lord Alvan, though Soren was nowhere to be seen.
Elisara avoided Kazaar’s eye yet sensed him watching. A smirk appeared in her mind. He knew she was avoiding him. Continuing to do so, Elisara focused on her friends and smiled as Helena and Vigor dragged Talia up from her chair, forcing her to dance to the high-tempo string melodies. Vlad caught Elisara’s eye and nodded to her from the other side of the room. She raised her empty goblet to him.
“You should join them.”
Elisara rolled her eyes, and the music changed, replaced by a slower ballad. Vigor pulled Helena into the dance, and Talia left the floor to allow the couple a moment together.
“And who would I dance with?”she asked. Kazaar raised an eyebrow from across the hall, eliciting yet another eye-roll from Elisara.
“You know, you could have any man in this room.”
“Perhaps I will have any man then.”She smirked and pulled at her neckline to expose more chest. The gold admonishments glinted beneath the candlelight as the flames grew brighter. Elisaratossed her head back to loosen her curls, mesmerised by the stars through the glass and the silver glow of the moon that matched the mark on her collarbone. Kazaar’s image obscured the sky as he came into view, peering down at her. His hands gripped the top of the chair as Elisara met his eyes, her head still tilted. As his finger grazed her back through the spindles of the chair, the light in his eyes changed to a glowing white, and the shadows returned.
Elisara pushed up from her chair and strode towards the dancing couples, knowing he followed close behind. She scanned the room for a partner, someone to distract from his presence.
“Are you looking for someone?” he whispered in her ear.
“So, hedoesknow how to use his voice.”
“I’ll agree to use my voice more often if you agree to use yours,” he said, his breath tickling her ear.
“I am using my voice now, am I not?” She ignored the pull to lean back into him.
“I like to imagine you using your voice to say other things.” His fingers brushed the inside of her palm, and Elisara pulled away at the sparks lighting between them. She glanced around to check no one had seen.
“And what kind of things are those?” she asked, and he chuckled behind her.
“Look inside my mind and find out.” Elisara cleared her throat, doing everything in her power not to seek his thoughts.
“You are preventing me from finding someone to dance with,” she hissed.
“What kind of man are you looking for? Perhaps I can help. After all, I agreed to do anything to prove myself to you.” Elisara scoffed and faced him, holding a finger up as she recounted a list of qualities.
“A talented dancer, tall, and handsome.”
“I recall proving myself to be a good dancer.”
“That’s not what I—” Elisara squeaked as Kazaar grabbed her hand and spun her onto the ballroom floor. When she twirled backinto him, he locked her in a dance hold.
“I do not recall accepting your hand to dance,” she said.
“I do not see you declining, either.” He smirked, and Elisara looked away, focusing on the steps and allowing the music to guide their movements. The slow melody steered them around the floor in soft patterns, and the pair swayed delicately in time with the string instruments.
“So, you do not think I am handsome?” he asked.
“Of course not,” she said, tight-lipped. She focused on the candles as he guided her around the floor, ignoring the sensations of his hand against her back and her stomach against his abdomen.
