Page 85 of One Last Promise
Chapter Twenty seven
We had been dancingfor hours and were in need of refreshment.Nyx had danced over to us a few times, as had Mrak.Many Noxlin simply bowed their heads to their prince and eyed me suspiciously.
I was definitely getting the hang of some of the dances, although some were much more complicated than others.It was all about arm movements and moving around each other’s body in time to the music.There was a lot of physical contact that made me crave Darce even more.A gentle touch of hands before pulling away, or him holding me around the waist while we spun around.Some dances even included him lifting me off the ground.It made me giggle each time he lifted me, and I stretched my arms into the air, trying to touch the fireflies above us.I don’t think I’d ever felt so carefree, and when I looked around at all the Noxlin, I could see they felt the same way.This wasn’t a dance in the way of a ritual like back in Dallethas.Here, they did it forenjoyment.Fortheirpleasure.
“I can’t keep you to myself much longer.My friends are all glaring at me.”Darce tilted his head towards a small gathering of Noxlin that included Nyx and Mrak.“If anything gets uncomfortable, squeeze my hand and I’ll shadow us away in seconds.”
“I’ve already spent the afternoon with Nyx and survived.”
“You haven’t seen her drunk yet,” Darce snorted as we made our way over to his friends.
Even with all the dark eyes watching me, I pushed my fear away.No matter what happened, Darce would keep me safe.
****
THE WINE WAS FLOWINGand I was laughing so much my insides ached.Nyx and Mrak were telling stories of a much younger, less confident Darce.
Nadine, who looked like she might be a priestess, almost choked on her wine as Nyx told us about anaked, sleepwalking Darce.The only way I could describe Nadine’s appearance was wild and tortured.Her wiry, black twisted hair and porcelain skin made her jet black eyes stand out.She looked like she might have been to hell and back.
The two other females in our group were watching me very carefully.Lisha and Nisha appeared to be twins.They had some differences in appearances, though.Lisha was fair-skinned with long hair, while Nisha was darker with curly hair.Both had hair that was dark red with highlights of white, yellow, and orange, and eyes the colour of cooling lava.Their hair reminded me of something, and I suddenly realised who they were.Darce has mentioned them once before.The fire twins.
“Have you all stopped trying to embarrass me in front of Lora?”Darce shook his head, looking between everyone.“I’ll have you know, your stories won’t make her think any less of me.”
“What about all the times I’ve beaten your ass?”Mrak snorted, nudging him.
“Are you saying you beat Darce’s ass onmanyoccasions?”I laughed.
“What Mrak’s trying to say is that he could beat my ass when I wasn’tfullygrown.He is six hundred years older than me,” Darce quipped, lazily stroking my arm with his fingers.
“I seem to remember beating you in training a few centuries ago,” Mrak huffed, downing the ale in his goblet.
“Are you talking about the day Darce was so hung over he could barely stand?”Nyx chimed in, rolling her eyes.“Mrak, hestillalmost beat you.”We all laughed out loud, watching Mrak stand up.
“I know he’s ourprince, but do you all have to be on his sideeverytime?”Mrak huffed.“He’s already an arrogant motherfucker.”
“Aww, are you feeling inferior, Mrak?”Nadine teased, laughing into her goblet.
“There isnothinginferior about me, Nadine.You’ve sucked my cock enough times to know that.”I choked a little on my drink at how candid they were.Darce soothed my shock by touching my leg under the table.Noxlin simply spoke what they were thinking.
“It doesn’t quite fill my mouth, though, does it?”Nadine smirked back at him.
“Whore,” Mrak sniggered, but I knew he didn’t mean it as an insult.“Does anyone need their goblets filled?”
“There’s an offer I can’t refuse.”Nadine fluttered her eyelashes at him.“Come on, Nyx.I need more wine anyway.”The two females followed Mrak, leaving Darce and me alone with the fire twins.
“You get used to the whore that is Mrak.Everything is a sexual innuendo with him,” Darce whispered into my ear, pulling my hand to his lips to kiss my knuckles.“You held your own really well with all of them.”
“I’ve spent so much time with you that none of that really phased me.”
“She’s not what we pictured, Darce,” Nisha said, moving closer to me so she could take my hand in hers.“Such a pure soul,” she gasped, looking at her sister.“Can you feel that?”Lisha nodded, giving me a small smile.“The power you hold inside you is stifling.How do you bear it?”Why did it feel as if they could see straight through my disguise?
“D...Do you know what I am?”My voice didn’t sound like my own.
“Of course we do.You don’t have to fear us.We mean you no harm.Weallhave a part to play in bringing peace to Afterlight.It seems you and ourprincemight have the largest parts to play, though.”Her eyes flicked to pure white as she looked up towards the night sky.Watching Uri so often, it didn’t phase me.I knew what was happening.She was reading the future.
“Nisha can see the future, among other things,” her sister, Lisha, commented, moving to sit by Darce.When she pulled a dull light into her hands, my eyes widened.Wait, was she harnessinglightpower?“I have my own talents...unbelievable magic power, that is neither light nor dark.”
