Page 112 of Damned and Broken Gods
He was dressed in a yellow tunic and dark pants. Not done up to go to the ball but formal regardless.
I swallowed the lump in my throat because he should be with us tonight. He and Priti. But only the bonded were invited.
I smiled up at him. “We’d love that.”
“Well, that saves me legs a trip,” Blue said. “Come on, anchors, we best get back to the nest.”
Ida, Dharma’s hound, picked herself up off the floor and gave Blue a look.
He rolled his eyes. “I wasnotgoing to hitch a ride, but if ya offerin’…”
Percy, Remi’s raven, cawed and flew to perch on Blue’s head.
“Get off, ya fecker!” Blue waved him off good-naturedly.
Trixie, Sylvie’s butterfly, fluttered toward the door, as if to say,enough of this crap, and Bina’s anchor, a white python named Garu, slid off the bed and toward the door.
Blue paused to scamper up my lehenga and onto my shoulder to whisper, “Make sure you dance. I left a special song just for you.”
“How will I know it’s for me?”
He looked a little confused then said, “I dunno. I think…I think you’ll just know.”
He dropped a whiskery kiss on my cheek and hopped down onto Ida’s back. “Laters, chickadee.”
The anchors left, and the sun began to set.
It was time for the ball.
Gentle music driftedout through the high marble arch. Blushing stone veined with gold, this entrance was the most opulent thing I’d seen here in Prashikshan.
All the demigods were lined up, ready to step through and onto the wide marble staircase beyond. I’d gotten a quick peek before we’d been ushered back. The room below was huge and filled with people. There was a stage at the back where three men played instruments. I’d hoped to catch a glimpse of Araz, but he was nowhere to be seen. I did see Chandra, though, standing close to the stage with a few other Asura. Dressed in black and gold, his powerful frame standing a head above most others, he made an impressive figure.
He’d looked up briefly, and our gazes had locked, his flaring before I was pulled away by Umbra.
And now we were walking toward the arch, one by one, like some creepy procession of glittery dolls. Joe was ahead of me, and he looked back with a wink before walking through.
Umbra held up her hand to make me wait.
Music played, the same melody that had played for everyone who’d gone before, and finally it was my turn. I stepped forward to the same old song, which was frankly starting to sound like background noise at this point, and swept through the arch, pausing at the top of the stairs. My gaze snagged briefly on Chandra. His eyes glowed like blue flame, and I was momentarily enraptured before movement below drew my attention to the male who had my heart.
Araz waited for me, clad in black and gold, the fabric hugging his chest and shoulders to accentuate his powerful physique. His hair was pulled back from his beautiful face, and his eyes…oh, his eyes, ringed in kohl, gleamed like topaz gems on fire.
My stomach flipped.
Hard.
Flames flickered in Araz’s eyes, and heat flared in my chest.
“Leela, move,” Umbra hissed.
I started down the stairs, one foot in front of the other, heart in my throat, stomach in delicious knots as I got closer. And finally, I was a step above him.
He held out his hand, and I slipped my palm into his, inhaling his sweet cranberry scent as he drew me near.
He led me onto the dance floor where Joe, Dharma, and Remi already swayed in their drohis’ arms. Araz pulled me into his, his grip gentle but firm, his body radiating the kind of heat I wanted to melt into. He smiled softly, gaze tracking over my face.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
