Page 78 of The Crimson Princess
“Prove it.” I offer him my back and walk to the table.
Of course, he’s beside me in an instant, and already a server is standing before us with a tray in hand, offering cocktails. I accept a glass of mera, our version of a sparkling wine, that really doesn’t taste that different from the human version, while Bellar declines. When the server steps away, Toren is standing across from us, and I can barely breathe.
He’s dressed in his royal uniform of black with a red Bloodstone emblem on the shoulder of his jacket, the collar up, those radiant blue eyes fixed on me. “Princess Satima.” He inclines his chin. “You look as stunning as a Bloodstone sunrise that lingers to tease us with its beauty.”
My cheeks heat with the compliment no doubt meant to remind me of the sunrises we shared while Bellar is not pleased. “That is highly inappropriate.”
Toren’s gaze shifts to the druid prince, ice in the depths of his stare. “I suppose to a druid prince barely out of diapers and unable to keep up it might seem so.”
I almost choke on a sip of my mera, and Toren isn’t done, “I assume you’re here to celebrate the Challenge,” he adds. “Now that the druids are evidently friendly with the gales, I wonder when the book will decide you, too, should volunteer your youth for slaughter.”
“Maybe the book will choose the vampires to compete. Then what?”
Toren’s lips quirk. “I’d take the spot of every one of my vampires before I’d let them compete. I am not afraid. I’m sure you’d do the same, Prince Bellar.”
Bellar’s energy is that of a trapped animal and I almost feel sorry for him. He is no match for the king of vampires. Toren motions to my glass. “Is there anything but mera to drink, princess?”
The suggestion in his tone is that it’s me he wants to drink and my nipples pucker with an image of us in the shower, his teeth sinking into my neck. I swallow the cotton in my throat and manage a formal reply. “I do apologize, King Toren. I do believe there is only mera on the menu tonight.”
“Yousureabout that?”
It’s in that moment that Bellar’s father appears beside the prince. King Darus is a towering figure, with scorching red hair said to be linked to his magical connection to the red stones in the northern end of Druid City. There are stories told about how those stones can gut an unwelcome visitor. My mother always believed them to be fear mongering by Darus himself. With the king and the prince side by side it’s easy to see that the king would easily outshine the prince’s male beauty if not for the horrendous scar etched and raised on his left cheek.
“What are you doing here, Toren?” Darus snaps.
“I see your attitude hasn’t improved any more than that fuckery on your face, Darus,” Toren replies, lifting my glass I’ve sat on the table and downing it. “How long can you play in those stonesof yours and not fix that? And I won’t bother to answer your question. You know why I’m here. We all know why I’m here.”
“You’re such a dick, Toren,” Darus grinds out, as if he isn’t about to try and kill Toren.
“I might be a dick,” Toren drawls, “but I don’t have that fuckery on my face.”
“That can be fixed,” he assures him.
Toren leans an elbow on the table, a smile tugging the corners of his lips, all nonchalant and unaffected. “You can try.”
At this point, I fear they will come to blows here and now. I hold up my hands. “Tonight is about honoring our contestants in the Challenge and nothing else. If you were invited, you’re to honor them. That means mingle with them and their families, not fight amongst yourselves.” I wave my hands in frustration. “I’m going to the ladies’ room and when I get back, I hope all of you are somewhere else behaving like the royalty you are.”
I don’t give any of them time to say a word to me. I step around the table and walk in the direction of the ladies’ room. Once I’m in the hallway outside the arena, I cut right and I walk past the common area bathroom, and head to a more private location.
I need a moment. A long moment at that.
Once I’m inside the pitch-black bathroom that is closed to the public I lex the lights on and lean against the wall. Waiting. I know he’ll come, and sure enough, Toren appears in front of me.
“Miss me, princess?”
“What are you doing? What was that out there? And why haven’t you been answering me?” At this point I have a hold of his lapels. “I thought something happened to you.”
“The war has already begun. I’m just making sure he fights like the bitch he is, angry and irrational. He’s far too easy to rile to be called king of anything. As for not communicating with you, were you worried about me?” He sounds pleased.
I am not.“Damn it, Toren.” He kisses me, all hot with demand, and I have no idea why Ineedthis kiss. Why I need him with everypore of my existence, but when he parts our mouths, I’m literally panting.
“Ruhn’s men attacked again. I had to go home, but I’m here now.”
“Is everyone okay?”
“Yes. And we captured some of the rebels. They talked. We have a list of the traitors among us and Gideon’s dealing with him. I’ll have to go back tonight though. I need to know this is under control.”
“I’ll go with you.”
