Chapter 31 Devora
Devora
It was working. I’d gotten Scarven to notice me. Now…all I had to do was keep him intrigued. Show him I could be his next project.
I ignored the heads that swiveled in our direction as Scarven led me to the dance floor.
It took all my energy just to keep my knees from giving out.
I knew he’d be able to hear my racing heart, but I hoped it could be played off as innocent nerves.
He probably liked that sort of thing—fear and admiration went hand in hand.
I swallowed and took a breath as he pulled me closer, one hand splayed possessively across my lower back. He smiled, a hint of his fangs digging into his lower lip, his black eyes glittering.
The motion reminded me so much of Nox, and yet…not. Nox was mostly playful. Charming with a hint of danger. No matter how fearsome his dragon form was, no matter how much we despised each other in the beginning, I never truly felt unsafe with him.
Kane Scarven may have had similar mannerisms—the smirk, the sharp teeth, the gleaming eyes. But there was no part of me that felt safe in his presence.
“So, Miss Nyte,” he said as we moved across the dance floor to a slow melody. “Not a lady, as you’ve insisted. And yet you’re traveling with Mysthelm’s nobility?”
“I’m part of the ship’s crew,” I lied. “We’re traveling with the regent families through the provinces.”
“A crewmember,” he said with a chuckle. “Not what I would have expected. And what is your role on the ship?”
“I’m one of the cooks.”
“Ah, I see. Selena Nyte, mysterious cook of the galley. Is the rest of your crew here this evening?”
“Some of them,” I said, my gaze roaming the crowd. “We were given the night off. Many chose the taverns or brothels in town.”
“But not you,” he murmured. “What brought you into my home?”
“Call it curiosity.” I met his eyes. “Or perhaps I just like your food.”
He hummed. “A lamb wandering straight into the lion’s den.”
I laughed softly. “I think you’ll find I’m not a lady or a lamb, my lord.”
His head cocked. Those eyes pierced straight through me, but I refused to squirm. “No, I suppose not,” he said. He extended his arm, and I spun out in time to the music, then landed back in his arms. Both of his hands were on my waist now, and I forced myself to slide mine around his neck.
His voice was close to my ear. “You wear your beauty like an innocent mask, but I see something more. Something lurking beneath.”
Fates, did he already suspect something? My pulse pounded, but I gave him a smirk. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“You know you are. But you also know how to play the game. You knew exactly how to get my attention.” He lowered his head so his nose brushed the tip of my ear, sending an unwelcome shiver down my spine. “Tell me, Miss Nyte, now that you have it…what is it that you want?”
His voice hissed through me, sliding down my spine. I couldn’t tell if he was suspicious, or if this was his way of “playing the game.” Or both. I just had to play along.
“You’re a powerful man, Lord Scarven.” I squeezed his hand that rested on my waist. “Surely I’m not the first person who’s been drawn to that power.”
“So that’s what this is for.” He spun me again, and this time I landed with my back to his chest. “What my power can do for you.”
I licked my lips. “No. What we can do for each other.”
“Let me guess. You need something. Money, perhaps. Or protection. That’s often why people come to me.”
I raised an eyebrow, even though I knew he couldn’t see my face. “Protection? You don’t strike me as someone who’s safe, my lord.”
“So is that what you want?” he countered. “Safety?”
My brow furrowed slightly. I had never thought about it. I supposed my own safety hadn’t always been at the top of my priority list. I was always focused on answers, on getting what I needed to survive.
“No,” I said. “I…I want to live. And that doesn’t always mean safety.”
He twisted me in his grasp so I faced him once more. His answering smile was slow and full of dark promises. It felt like I had passed some sort of test.
“Then perhaps we can do something for each other.” He leaned in closer, lips grazing my temple. I suppressed a shudder when he whispered, “I’m hosting another gathering tomorrow night. Something more…intimate.”
The song ended, and he backed away, looking down at me with a gleam in his eyes. “You’ll come, yes?”
I swallowed. “Is that an invitation or a request?”
He slowly reached for my hand. “I won’t offer it a second time, Miss Nyte. You’ll be there.” He placed a kiss on my knuckles, his thumb rubbing across my skin before he released me. “Eleven o’clock. I’ll tell the guards to expect you.”
Triumph glowed in my chest, and I nodded as he melted into the crowd.
I wanted to sigh in relief, but I knew I was still being watched.
Knew he’d be listening, waiting for anything he didn’t like.
I wouldn’t even let myself find Nox among the guests, as much as I wanted to.
He represented safety. A tether to my real reason for being here.
An anchor to keep me from getting swept up in the heady lust of this music and wine.
I spent the next hour mingling with guests and dancing with strangers, being sure to catch Scarven’s eye once as another man twirled me across the dance floor. It was all a game to him. The thrill of the chase, the power play, the back-and-forth.
This was just the beginning. A successful beginning. I was the bait, and he’d taken his first bite, exactly as we’d planned.
But it would take a lot more to reel him in completely. And while I knew what the end goal was, I also knew the inevitable would come.
Because the bait always bleeds first.