Page 69 of Poisoned Kingdom
I drew her in close, sliding my free hand to her waist, unable to resist a gentle squeeze. Her breath hitched as she rested her hand on my shoulder, and our eyes locked just as the song’s opening chords faded.
We moved in perfect sync, each step drawing us deeper into the rhythm as we stared into each other’s eyes, unable to look away. Roksana danced like she was born to it, and I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. The moment she noticed, however, she looked away.
‘Look at me, Sana,’ I said, lifting her into the air before slowly sliding her down my body, feeling her hands slide over the soft fabric of my shirt. I expected her to ignore me, but when I held her at eye level, she met my gaze.
‘I thought you’d found a way to escape,’ I murmured as I spun her away, then drew her back against me, her spine flush to my chest as we swept into the next movement. ‘Or worse, that someone had taken you against your will.’
I hadn’t intended to admit I’d come chasing after her, but the words slipped from my lips before I could stop them, and something akin to resignation crossed her features.
‘I couldn’t even if I wanted to,’ she said. ‘I’m bound by our oath and a shared enemy. Jagon threatened to expose secrets I couldn’t allow to surface, and I had to prevent that. That was all. Nothing that concerns you or Dagome.’
I barely heard her, distracted by the warmth and alluring scent of her body. Still, Sana’s words carved out a distance I didn’t like.
‘Everything you do concerns me, Viper.’
I lifted her again, maybe a bit too high, as she gasped, her hand flying to the side of my neck. Her touch scorched me, but my heart leapt at the feeling, and I missed a step as I held her close.
A litany of curses burned through my mind as I corrected my position, annoyed at a quiet snigger from the crowd.Focus!I ordered myself as we moved through another turn, but I was lost in her eyes, in the smile that blossomed on her lips, and the quiet chuckle that followed my clumsiness.
I spun her, realising that I was smiling again. Lilac and honey teased my senses, and I was profoundly grateful for the mask that kept me from pressing my lips to the hollow of her neck.
‘Share your worries,’ I heard myself say, my voice lower, harsher, as a darkness rose from the depths of my soul. ‘Let me make them disappear.’
She shook her head, refusing my help, and I bit my tongue as I tried to tether the sudden heat, the anger, that coursed through my veins.
Had Ciesko been right?
When he’d told me his theory about my reaction to Roksana, I’d almost scoffed. My brother Orm was the one afflicted with wild magic. It had never manifested in me. Yet, the arch healer was sure that my cursed heritage had awakened at Sana’s distress in the forest, and that it had saved my life from her poison. As I battled the urge to strangle the person who’d caused her pain, I conceded that he might be right.
The music quickened, approaching its dramatic crescendo, and I spun Roksana so swiftly her long braid loosened, strands unravelling in a golden arc. Time slowed as her hair coiled around my neck like a silken collar, linking us together as the last notes of the song faded into silence.
She laughed, reaching for her unruly braid, the sound light and careless, but I stood motionless.
Was this how it felt to submit to the green fae her friend had mentioned?
My nostrils flared, breathing her in, each inhale eroding my will to release myself from her beautiful snare.
‘Your strength is breathtaking, Wolf.’ She chuckled, fingers working to untangle her braid. ‘I’m glad I didn’t choke you. That would have been yet another transgression to add to my infamous record of crimes against the Crown,’ she teased. She looked up at me then, stepping away as soon as she was free, her voice shifting. ‘I’m sorry. It wasn’t on purpose.’
The defensiveness in her tone snapped me out of my trance, though my heart still lagged. I shook my head, trying not to fixate on the faint blush colouring her cheeks.
‘I know it wasn’t, Sanika,’ I murmured, coughing into my hand to mask the softness in my voice. ‘I promised to only steal one dance, so I’ll leave you to your rest,’ I said, turning on my heel and heading for the exit, leaving my partner looking confused in the middle of the dance floor.
I glanced back and saw Liliana approach her with a questioning look, but Roksana simply shrugged before they both returned to the alcove.
Outside, I inhaled deeply, trying to clear my head. The cool air filled my lungs, the familiar smells of hearth smoke and damp stone calming my racing heart as my feet carried me towards the river.
The streets had quieted, only a few late wanderers slipping home this late at night. I stopped at the waterfront and let the quiet murmur of the waves splashing in the harbour calm my soul while the moon turned my shadow into a hulking monster on the ground.
‘Why did it have to be you?’ I whispered, the words vanishing into the wind as I fought the warmth blossoming in my heart.
No, I’m stronger than this.
I had to be. I couldn’t let this infatuation overshadow my duties as king.
I repeated it like a prayer, but it was all for nothing. Something darker and overpowering had already taken hold, tethering me to the woman who had collared me with her braid.
1.Obraka— a slow and sensual dance relying on physical touch and showcasing the male’s strength to lift their partner.
