Chapter 18
Eighteen
A tlas sat in his suite, his fingers tapping a haphazard rhythm against the glass of honeyfire, his gaze focused on the stage before him.
At some point, a servant had entered with a container full of his favorite popcorn, but he’d left it on the side table, discarded and untouched.
The warm lights of the chandelier dimmed, shrouding the balcony in darkness, and a singular beam of silver light reflected off the gossamer curtains of glamour.
They shimmered as the first chords of music resonated through the Mystic Obscura, and then the magic fell away.
A golden hoop hovered from a dizzying height, and perched along its bottom curve was Everinne.
Atlas’s heart stopped.
Fucking gods, she was beautiful.
Her outfit was as blue as the deepest part of the ocean, the tiny straps on her shoulders hardly looked strong enough to hold the bodice in place.
It cinched her waist, cut incredibly high to reveal her shapely hips, and hundreds of diamonds spilled over her thighs.
Waves of dark hair tumbled down her back with ribbons of sapphire satin twisted throughout.
Thick liner fanned out from the corner of her eyes, giving them a smoky look, and her lips…
damn, those lips. His thoughts were an incoherent mess, and he found himself debating whether he should remain in his suite or toss her over his shoulder and haul her to his bed.
He didn’t think he’d ever seen anything more magnetizing, more spellbinding, until she started to dance.
Everinne spun and twirled on the hoop like a ballerina waltzing on air.
She was fluid and graceful, performing the splits and bending her body with subtle elegance.
Her flexibility left Atlas’s mouth dry, and he swallowed a gulp of honeyfire, wincing as the heat of it stole down the back of his throat.
She hooked her knees onto the hoop and bent backwards, releasing it and stretching out her arms wide as though she was an offering. A gift to the gods.
If she could move like that on a hoop, there was no telling what she was capable of in the bedroom.
His cock thickened at the thought.
Atlas leaned forward, propping his elbows on the balcony’s smooth ledge, slowly swirling his glass of honeyfire.
Dipping back, she gradually dragged one leg off the hoop, lengthening it in front of her. Gasps and murmurs of appreciation echoed through the audience, and when Everinne smiled, her turquoise eyes were on him.
Atlas drained his drink.
The sensual music crescendoed, signaling her act was drawing to a close as she swung, soaring on the hoop as applause ruptured around her. Atlas was fixated, enthralled, when the barest of movements down near the bottom of the stage caught his eye.
Jarek loitered near the bottom of the winding staircase and there was no mistaking the lascivious glint flashing in his eyes.
Atlas stood immediately, abandoning his suite.
Not today, demon summoner.
He would be the one taking Everinne home, not Jarek.
Atlas made his way to the menagerie, moving with speed and ignoring the calls of females who recognized him. He dodged their advances, heading directly toward the main stage, fully aware no one would dare stand in his way. Sometimes, being the imperial prince had its perks.
Heady magic coated the air as the glamour ensconced the stage once more, its ethereal veil concealing Everinne from view.
She emerged a moment later, passing the next performer with a quick smile, and Atlas’s lips twitched with a smug sense of satisfaction when she noticed him waiting for her first.
Jarek didn’t miss the snub of her gaze and tossed a hasty glance over his shoulder to where Atlas stood. His eyes fired with indignation and simmering rage. The demon summoner forced an easy, carefree smile, but it was strained. Tainted with envy.
“Don’t you belong in your suite, Your Imperial Highness?”
Atlas tucked in hands into his pockets as Everinne descended the stairs. “I prefer the view from here.”
“Come on, Everinne. There’s a party downstairs.” Jarek tossed his arm around her shoulders, and Atlas knew it was only a matter of time until he had the demon summoner’s blood on his hands. This time when Jarek grinned, it was a taunting sneer. “Performers only.”
Atlas closed the distance between them in two strides, a silent challenge. “Where she goes, I go.”
Jarek barked out a grating laugh. “What, are you her bodyguard now?”
“Where she goes,” he repeated, the icy promise of death dripping from his tone. “I. Go.”
Everinne’s teeth sank into her bottom lip and she shimmied a bit, sliding out from under Jarek’s hold.
“Actually, Jarek, I promised Prince Atlas we’d explore the menagerie for a while.” She peered up at him, her sultry eyes imploring him to play along with her game. “Ready?”
He offered her his arm and she readily accepted, tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow. Atlas drew her to his side, his brows drawing together as Jarek glowered at them.
There was a pulse of dark power, like the chill of a thousand lost souls.
It was almost imperceptible, the violent shift in the air, but it was just noticeable enough for Atlas to maneuver Everinne behind him.
Jarek’s hands fisted at his sides, the ruby eyes of the skull rings he wore glowing like fire.
The demon summoner snarled, and a low growl rumbled through Atlas’s chest. He bared his teeth in retaliation, arching one brow in a threat, daring Jarek to show the truth of his sinister nature.
“Got something to say, demon summoner?” Atlas taunted.
Jarek rolled his neck, his chest heaving. A vein bulged and throbbed at his temple. “You’ll regret standing in my way.”
Atlas scoffed, the corner of his mouth curling into a sneer. “We’ll see about that.”
He turned around, shuffling Everinne away from Jarek, guiding her through the throng of people milling about the menagerie.
“What was that all about?” she asked, her brows knitting together in a frown.
“I don’t trust him.” Atlas bit off the words, annoyed by her complete disregard for her own safety. She needed to pay more attention, to not be so oblivious to her surroundings.
“You mean you don’t trust me.”
Everinne released his arm and he spun, blocking her from walking away from him.
“Stop twisting my words. Sure, you can handle yourself in most situations.” When she even knew a threat existed. He held up one finger. “But to be perfectly honest, I’d rather not take any chances when it comes to you.”
She rolled her eyes, sliding past him to a display of treats behind a glass case.
The gold tiers were filled with swirled lollipops, bags full of crystal gems which were nothing more than flavored sugar meant to look like diamonds, and an assortment of fizzy bursts.
That particular candy had been his favorite as a child, he loved the way they popped and crackled on his tongue.
He hadn’t had those in years. Everinne’s eyes widened, and she peeked up at him from beneath her long lashes.
“Will you buy me a lollipop?”
“I…” He blinked down at her. “What?”
“A lollipop, Atlas.” She jerked her head towards the display, then spread her arms wide. “This outfit didn’t come with pockets, so I don’t exactly have any notes or coin on me.”
He made the mistake of raking his gaze over her once more, admiring the swell of her breasts and the way strands of diamonds glittered along the high cut of the bodice, barely covering her ass. Hells, she barely had anything on her.
“Sure,” he croaked out, and pulled a gold piece from his coat. He flipped it onto the counter. “One lollipop please. And some fizzy bursts.”
The female behind the glass case handed Everinne a shiny pink lollipop with a smile, and she bounced on her toes, almost as giddy as a fae child on Winter Solstice morning.
“Mm, thank you.” She popped the hard candy in her mouth, sucked on it, and Atlas almost died. Then she pulled it out slowly, her lips gliding over it with ease. “I’ll pay you back.”
Atlas swallowed, cramming the small paper bag of fizzy bursts into his pocket. “Unnecessary.”
Her turquoise eyes snapped to him. “Why are you so angry?”
“I’m not angry.”
She swirled the glassy lollipop over her tongue before pointing it in his direction. “Yeah, you are. Your jaw is clenched, your shoulders are bunched, and there’s a vein on your neck that keeps throbbing like you’re about to combust.”
Everinne sucked the candy back into her mouth.
Fucking gods, if she twirled her tongue around that lollipop one more time—she did, and then licked her cherry red lips.
Atlas shoved his hands through his hair, blowing out a harsh breath. He stood there, barely able to breathe, and fighting with every last shred of his willpower to keep from touching her, while she licked a lollipop. And the only thing he could imagine was his cock in her mouth instead.
“So, now you’re going to ignore me?” Her tongue slid over her lips again. “You know what your problem is, Atlas?”
“What?” he ground out.
“You forgot how to have fun.”
She grabbed his hand and dragged him through the menagerie, tossing her half-finished lollipop into a waste bin, something he found himself grateful for, until she stopped in front of a wooden table lined with daggers.
Most of the hilts were wrapped in leather, and the polished blades were sharpened to a fine point.
Across from the table, the perfect distance for throwing, was a wheel with two binding leather straps attached to the top and bottom.
The wheel itself was scored, littered with dozens of nicks from where the daggers had pierced the surface.
One of the shirtless fae males who always seemed to be loitering about the menagerie strolled over to them.
His gaze landed on Everinne. “Care for a spin?”
“No,” Atlas spat at the same time Everinne let go of his hand and said, “Absolutely.”
He reached for her but she dodged his grasp. “No way in hell, Ever.”