10. Luna
CHAPTER TEN
LUNA
"Dance with me."
As his hand closed on mine, the other touching my waist lightly, it was clearly not a request. I permitted him to draw me closer, my instincts warring with the role I had to play.
Why does he make my heart race? This might make bedding him easier, or infinitely more dangerous?
The warm, calloused hand on mine sent a jolt of electricity up my arm, as he led me onto the dance floor. As the music swelled around us and we moved, I sensed others watching and speculating. Many of them, unlike Benedetto, knew who I was.
Let them watch. For now, I had to focus on the man before me, the husband I had to beguile. The dance had begun, and I could not afford a single misstep.
Rumor had it my husband was a wary man, preferring the chase to a woman who was openly interested.
He drew me close as we spun across the floor, his hand burning against the small of my back. The heat of his body, the power coiled in his muscles as he held me created an intoxicating and infuriating aura that drew me in, despite me knowing better.
"You dance well," he said, his breath tickling my ear. "But you’re stiff. Relax and stop fighting me to lead."
I bristled internally at the amusement in his tone. Following his lead in the steps of the dance, I glanced up at him through my lashes. "Perhaps you should lead with more…authority, my lord. A firm hand might be needed."
Not for nothing had I listened to others flirting at functions I attended as Vala’s proxy. For some reason, that comment seemed to work very well on men.
His grip tightened, pulling me flush against him. "Is that so?" His gaze raked over me, lingering on the curve of my lips, the challenge in my eyes. "I’ve been told I have an excellent hand on the reins."
He’s taking the bait. I gave him a knowing smile, one I’d practiced in the mirror after watching another woman use it successfully. "Perhaps someday we can ride together. I’d love a demonstration."
He chuckled, a dark, rich sound. "Indeed. And I do so love to teach."
We moved together, our bodies perfectly attuned. It was like what I imagined flying would be like, thrilling with a pinch of danger.
Our eyes locked. His were a very dark brown, and the heat in his glance scalded me. It was a battle of wills to match his stare, a silent duel where I kept my expression steady and a little cool. Despite my best intentions, I wanted to lose myself in the moment, in him.
His hands tightened on my waist, keeping me close, and another frisson of heat ran through me. Focus. Remember why you're here . Even if there’s no love between us, this time he wants me.
It was hard, so hard, to keep my expression distant and amused with his body pressed against mine, with him staring at me like he could see straight into my soul. I wanted to lose myself in him, to forget everything but the feel of his skin on mine.
No. I couldn't afford to yield to the moment. Not now. Not ever. People I loved depended on me.
"You're quite forward, aren't you?" With a light and airy laugh, I traced a finger through the air, along his jawline, close enough I could feel the warmth his skin radiated. "Pulling a lady in so close, in front of all these people. As if I’ve granted you any right."
His lips quirked with a flash of amusement. "And will you give me that right, little vixen?"
On my terms . "Perhaps. If you play the game well."
"The game?" He spun me out and back in, my heavy silk skirts swirling around my legs.
"The game of power," I said. "Of control. Of knowing when to push..." I leaned in, my lips a hairsbreadth from his, "...and when to hold back."
His pupils dilated, desire warring with wariness in his gaze. "And which is this? A push or a pull?"
I smiled, slow and enigmatic. "That depends."
Will you step into my trap, husband?
The music flowed into a crescendo, the final notes hanging in the air. We each took a step back and he bowed, keeping his eyes on mine as he would an opponent at a duel.
This was it. The moment of truth.
I unfurled my fan, waving it gently so the breeze touched my throat and breast. His eyes followed the movement and lingered in an almost physical caress.
"Thank you for the dance. It was enjoyable."
He caught my free hand, his fingers tightening around mine. "The pleasure was all mine, my lady," he said, his eyes glittering with promise. "I hope to have the chance to...game with you further."
A roguish grin flitted on his face as he tugged me off the dance floor.
"Where are we going?" I asked playfully as he guided me away from the crowded ballroom, through the servant entrance hidden by a curtain and up a flight of stairs.
"Somewhere quieter." His eyes sparkled with heated mischief.
The first door up the second floor opened on an opulent library filled with row upon row of scrolls and books. The heavy scent of leather and parchment hung in the air, seasoned with the faint after scent of wax from the burned down stubs of candles. The shutters were half open, and moonlight spilled through a large window overlooking the garden.
The music from below wafted through the window as well, turning to another sprightly dance.
Benedetto shut the door behind us and latched it before facing me. "Now we're alone. Shall we dispense with the pleasantries?"
I took a step closer to him, my pulse racing. "What will replace them?"
The look he gave me made heat flood my body. I knew I should keep my wits about me, but being near him clouded my thoughts. I had to remember how coldly he’d taken me and then ignored me afterwards.
Benedetto cupped my face, pulling me close. Our lips met in a fierce, heated kiss.
After a moment’s startlement when his lips parted, I copied him, the intensity of the moment driving away thought. My fingers tangled in his hair as he pressed me back against the bookshelf. I gasped, as the back of his hand brushed the exposed part of my breasts, teasing the skin just above the neckline.
"You're bold," I whispered, licking my lips. "But you don't know who I am."
He smirked. "Do I need to?"
My hand itched to slap him. While I knew men being faithful to their wives for very long was uncommon, it still annoyed me that he was acting like this with me, a stranger he met minutes before and known for only the length of a dance. I opened my mouth to respond, to reveal my identity just as the other shutter crashed open.
Three masked figures swarmed through the opening, drawing gleaming daggers.
Benedetto reacted instantly, pushing me behind him and drawing his sword in one fluid motion. "Stay behind me," he ordered.
I ignored him and stepped to the side where I could move freely, unfurling my fan. It also split us up as targets. The whisper thin painted silk concealed the razor edge of the fan until too late for those who attacked me.
One closed with me while another rushed Benedetto. The third moved to the heavy bookcase opposite us.
The blade of my opponent gleamed red with heat, charged with the sun’s magic. My own nipped at it without my will, draining it as I parried the cut with my fan. It kept the silk from catching fire, at least. Benedetto flickered and vanished, reappearing by the bookshelf, driving his blade through the robber’s unprotected back.
The maneuver left me alone to deal with two opponents. I skipped back, trying to get more room as the other also closed with me. My heel caught in my skirt, and I staggered, then threw myself flat to avoid the thrust that would have gutted me.
And ruined my dress, never forget that.
I continued the motion with a roll, kicking the shoe off, but taking a nick on my arm from the second opponent.
Benedetto appeared behind that one, his blade slicing through the man’s chest, the point coming too close to me as well. I spun away as the other turned to meet him and took advantage of his distraction to cut his throat from the side, scrambling away to keep the blood from splattering me.
Vala was insistent that killing people not stain expensive garments.
My opponent staggered forward, then collapsed, a wide red stain spreading out around him. I twisted my handkerchief around my cut as Benedetto strode to a thick, leather-bound book the third robber dropped.
He picked it up, his eyes widening slightly. “ The Fall of Ruin . Interesting.”
My chest heaved as I caught my breath and stopped to clean my fan’s edge on the clothing of the nearest fallen.
Who had sent these men? Why? Unease prickled down my spine. This complicated things immensely. I had to be more careful than ever now.
And how would Benedetto react to events?
"What is it?" I asked, tilting my head toward the book.
"A clue," he muttered, tucking the book under his arm. His brow furrowed. "We should leave."
I nodded, my mind racing. Why was that book important? And why had the assassins targeted us specifically? I had a sinking feeling it was connected to my true identity somehow. We had to move fast.
We slipped out of the library, dodging guests who were rushing toward the commotion, their faces a mix of fear and morbid curiosity. Benedetto grabbed my hand, his grip firm as he led me through a hidden servants' passage. The narrow corridor was dimly lit, the air musty.
"You're surprisingly familiar with this house," I remarked, slightly breathless as we hurried along.
He smirked over his shoulder at me. "I've been here before."
Of course he had. Benedetto was rumored to know every nook and cranny in Kalion and Legnali. "What just happened?"
"I assume they were after the book," he replied, speculative eyes on me. “I owe you for prompting me to seek that room out; otherwise I would have had to hunt them down later. Follow me.”
But why? What secrets did those pages hold? And why did Benedetto want it? Frustration burned in my chest. I hated being in the dark, hated not having all the pieces to the puzzle.
My pulse raced as we ran down the dimly lit hallway, the muted sounds of the ongoing ball fading behind us. Benedetto moved with a coiled tension. I could feel the barely restrained emotions emanating from him, the set of his shoulders broadcasting frustration or anger.
We passed through a servant's door, down a flight of stairs, another door, and emerged into a quiet side garden, near the wall enclosing the mansion. The cool night air was a welcome relief. I paused to catch my breath, my heart still pounding from the adrenaline of the fight.
It wasn’t my first, but normally I tried hard not to be in physical confrontations and then the attendant cleanup.
Benedetto turned to face me, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. “Now, sweet vixen, I believe we need to finish our introductions. I don’t believe I caught your name.”
"I thought you said you didn’t need it, Benedetto?" I stated, my voice tinged with a hint of mockery.
He took my wrist, his grip almost painful. A storm brewed behind his darkened gaze. "I do. You're not like the others. Who are you?"
I laughed softly, tugging at my trapped hand. He didn't let go. My chin at a challenging angle, I lifted my other hand to my face and grasped the edge of my silver filigree mask. It caught the bright moonlight as I lowered it, revealing my face fully to him.
Benedetto paused, examining my face as I lowered the mask. His eyes widened after a moment, disbelief and confusion warring across his face.
"You recognize me. How flattering," I said lightly, trying to calm the thumping of my heart.
"Lunetta?" Benedetto's voice was strangled, barely above a whisper. His expression shifted rapidly from shock to disbelief, then to something harder for me to read.
“Indeed, husband.”
He looked me up and down, as if seeing me for the first time. "What in the name of all the dead gods are you doing here?" he muttered. He shook his head as if to clear it. "You don't look like a frightened little mouse, more like the fox that chases the mouse."
"How flattering," I said coolly. "I've changed, Benedetto. It has been years. Why shouldn’t I attend entertainments?"
Let him be intrigued. He needs to see that I'm not the girl he discarded so easily. I'm not someone he can dismiss anymore. And I need to parlay that to get him into bed as soon as I could, before he ran off on another one of his never-ending quests.
His shock melted into simmering rage, his jaw clenching tight. "You deceived me," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "What are you up to? Are you another one of my mother’s pawns?"
Since Legnali was populated by his mother’s pawns- her fingers were in every pie- I ignored his second question.
I lifted my chin, unflinching. "Deceive you? Is it my concern that you didn’t bother to look closely? You saw what you wanted to see. A pretty face. An amusing distraction."
Stepping closer, I closed the distance between us. Placing his hand that still gripped mine against his chest, I felt the rapid thud of his heartbeat through the dark leather and velvet he wore.
"You didn't know me then, Benedetto," I whispered. "And you don't know me now. But you will."
His fingers tightened, the pressure bruising, but I didn't flinch. "What are you playing at, Lunetta?" he demanded, his voice rough. "Why this charade?"
I gave him a slow, self-assured smile, one I’d learned from his mother. "It wasn't a charade, Benedetto. It was a lesson. One you clearly needed. Now, ask me why I've done this."
He snorted derisively. "Why are you here?"
Taking a deep breath, I met his eyes. "I want stability for my sister and Sofia. I'll help you with your quest, but I need you to step up and take responsibility. Acknowledge me as your wife, with all the rights that entails. Lie with me. Get me with an heir, so your family continues. I’ll learn to run the household when your father dies, but I need a child to cement my position."
Benedetto stared at me for a long moment, then finally released his vise-like grip on my hand. "You're good with a knife."
A fan, actually. I shrugged nonchalantly, confused by the non sequitur. "I've had a lot of practice."
He frowned, clearly grappling with something. "I have a brother," he said abruptly. "Francesco. I'm trying to find a way to undo what was done to him. He and his children should inherit, not me."
My brow furrowed in confusion. "But... Lady Vala told me he died years ago."
Benedetto's expression turned stony. "She lied. And she’s been training you, molding you in her image."
"Perhaps, but that doesn’t change the fact that I need a child to ensure your family's protection. My sister depends on me." I persisted. “I’ve been told your father might cast us out if you die without an heir.”
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Have you met my father?"
I couldn't help but laugh softly. His father was a kindly man, but weak. "Yes. He'd do it if Lady Vala told him to. Her price for my family's safety is a child from you."
Benedetto stepped closer, his fierce gaze boring into me. "Then we make an agreement. So long as you want nothing else from me, I'll fuck you. But you mean nothing to me and never will."
I curved my lips in something that could be called a smile, if the viewer were generous. "Those are my feelings as well, husband."
His brow raised, and he tilted my chin up. I stepped away from him, glancing down at my elaborate ball gown, hem torn and stained with blood spots.
Sighing, I brushed the skirt. "I need a change of clothes. We can enter through an upper window at the d'Alvarez house. The guards never watch it closely. And then we can each meet the other’s terms."
A flicker of respect glinted in his eyes as he nodded. "Lead the way.