Chapter 13
T he high domed ceiling outside the massive wooden doors that led to the ballroom within the palace loomed above me. Thousands of tiny crystals glimmered in beautiful hues of purple and blue from where they hung on the chandelier above the vestibule—hundreds of faelights amplifying their shine. I’d never been to this side of the palace, and my mouth hung open in awe as I took it all in. It was simply stunning, with its large sandstone pillars, archways, and imposing windows visible through the open doorway, along with the hundreds of people inside the ballroom I chose to ignore. “Amazing,” I murmured.
“Yes, it is wonderful, isn’t it?” Reneah mused. The bottom of her ruby-red dress hissed against the sandstone as she slowly circled me for the tenth time. She bent to tug on the teal fabric at the bottom of my mermaid-fit dress, ensuring all the creases were smoothed out. Having found satisfaction with her fiddling, she stepped back with a wide smile. “You look absolutely perfect.”
The corners of my lips quirked into a light smile. “Thank you.”
“Okay, I’ll be waiting for you in the corner of the room,” she declared, resting a hand on her hip. “You and your father will have the first dance. And don’t make that face. You’ll be just fine. Myles will introduce you to the crowd. The dance will be over before you know it, and then we can find some fabulous faerie wine, dissect people’s fashion sense, and stare at all the handsome centuries-old Fae males from the corner of the room all night long.”
I breathed in deeply. “Okay. I can do this.”
Reneah’s gaze slid over my shoulder. “Speaking of handsome males, here comes your father.”
I twisted at the waist just in time to see him enter the vestibule. It was a shock to see him in human-style clothing. I realized I’d become accustomed to seeing him in his scales, a sobering thought. He straightened the black satin lapels of his tuxedo jacket—the matching vest peeking from beneath the opulent fabric. The crisp white dress shirt, stark black bowtie, and smooth pant legs lent to his regal look. Flustered but regal. I never had to wonder where my wallflower trait came from. That much was clear.
He looked up from the cufflink he was fussing with and finally noticed me before him. He raised his arms wide. “There’s my girl.” He wrapped me in a careful fatherly hug, his gaze sweeping over my dress as he pulled back. “I didn’t have time to tell you before the ceremony, but you look wonderful, Sher. So much like your mother,” he said with a bittersweet smile. He glanced over my shoulder to where Reneah quietly stood. “You did a fantastic job.”
A scarlet flush crept across Reneah’s fair complexion. “Thank you, Your Highness.” She briefly peered into the ballroom. “Looks like Myles is ready for you all. I’d better get inside.” Her hand reached out, gripping mine with a reassuring squeeze. “Remember to breathe, Ash. Keep your back straight and shoulders back. Posture is everything.” With a final curtsy and a flick of those brown eyes to Dad, Reneah disappeared into the awaiting crowd beyond the open doors of the ballroom.
I blew out a breath and lengthened my spine as I snaked an arm through my father’s awaiting elbow. Myles’ voice carried over the hum of the crowd. “It is my honor to present his royal highness, King Regent Cathan Rosahan Delmar and Princess Asherah Delmar Rosahan.”
The applause of the crowd echoed in the vast space of the ballroom as Dad pulled me forward on unsteady feet. Somehow, through the goddess’s great mercy, I didn’t trip—the sea of people parting before an empty area in the center of the room designated for dancing. A long, dark sliver of wood amongst the lighter floorboards became my sole focus to calm my erratic nerves.
“You’re doing fine, Sher Bear,” Dad whispered between polite nods and waves.
Desperate for any sort of distraction, I asked, “Why did they announce you as Cathan Rosahan Delmar?”
The sea of people continued to murmur their greetings when, at last, they began to dissipate as we reached the open space. “Because in Atlantis, we take the female’s surname, as is tradition.” As we reached the center of the room, he twirled me toward him—his arm coming to the center of my back. “Just place your right hand in mine, and we’ll be done soon enough.”
My nose wrinkled. “I don’t know this dance.”
An amused expression quirked on the side of his mouth as the music from the quartet in the corner of the ballroom began playing a tune I vaguely recognized. “Actually, you do.” I listened intently as he guided us across the dance floor, my steps subconsciously following his lead. “Remember when you were a little girl? We spent the long family days together, just the three of us until the sun dipped below the horizon. You’d be swimming in the pool while I grilled fresh fillets or fat juicy burgers; your mother busy inside making whatever dish she could conjure?”
My brow rose. “Burnt mac & cheese?”
He let out a laugh that traveled through the ballroom despite the music. “Yes, your mother and her cooking. She was so great even the fire alarm cheered her on.”
“Or so the sign in the kitchen told us,” I quipped with a solemn smile. “Goddess, how I miss her.”
“Me too,” he murmured. He continued after collecting himself, “Anyway, I used to dance with you on the pool deck, remember?” He swirled us around again, my legs surprisingly matching every step my father made. My brow furrowed as he continued, “The steps I taught you when you were a faeling are from the traditional Atlantian dance. So, you do know it,” he said, pride radiating in his eyes. The music moved to a crescendo, and he turned me—the flare of my dress fanning out and sparkling against the faelights. He gracefully pulled me into his hold and continued around the room.
The steps came back to me slowly, more confidently. I danced effortlessly past the crowd of onlookers in their beautiful finery of vibrant colors, noting a few surprised faces. I took comfort in the familiarity of something I had no idea meant something to the people I was expected to lead.
A dance doesn’t mean you can lead a queendom, Ash.
My excitement dimmed at the thought.
Within a few more turns, the quartet finished the last strums of the song. I mirrored my father’s movements, bowing to the crowd with shaky legs.
As soon as Dad strolled to the side of the room to greet one of the council members waiting for him on the edge of the dance floor, I escaped through the sea of whispers and luxurious fabrics, floral perfumes, and pointed stares. I let out a sigh of relief when I finally reached Reneah, who awaited me next to a buffet table filled with an assortment of delicious finger foods to nibble on: chunks of cheese in various yellow shades, small slices of white cheese with deep blue veins, rice crackers peppered with sesame seeds, bright green grapes, and savory empanadas. She handed me a plate with a little bit of everything. “You danced beautifully.”
“Thanks,” I replied while an empanada’s rich, meaty flavors assaulted my tongue. I stifled a moan and pointed its tip toward the dance floor. “You’re not going to dance?”
Reneah lifted a petite shoulder. “Maybe. I’d much prefer to analyze dresses from afar, though. I can never get enough of the fashion. We never see enough of it on the Fae.”
I quirked my head. “You truly love the fashion world, huh?”
Her face brightened. “Oh, without a doubt. And what’s not to love? Being able to make people feel beautiful through something that I created? That’s power. Of course, I’m nowhere near Aurelio’s level, but I enjoy make-up and design like him.”
“Does he know this?”
“Of course. He’s the ultimate fashion buddy.”
I popped a luscious green grape in my mouth—its sugary juices flowing down my throat. “You’ve never thought of learning from him? Perhaps doing more of the design work?”
She held up her wrist for my inspection. “I have no mark. No calling. Humans in Atlantis generally follow the lineage of employment their families have been given. Although it’s not frowned upon to seek a different line of work than my ancestors, I’ve always known my place is to serve you and your family. There’s honor in that as well.”
The thought of someone, especially Reneah, who’d been nothing but kind since my arrival in Atlantis, unable to pursue a career that matched her passion, didn’t sit well with me. “As honored as I am for your help, you should ask him. See if he can teach you a few things,” I pushed, placing my now empty appetizer plate on the neighboring table.
Reneah’s brows furrowed. “Ask who? Aurelio?”
“Ask me what?” Aurelio questioned as he approached arm and arm with Myles—a curious gleam sparkling in his kohl-lined amber eyes. Gone were the bangles he’d adorned on his wrists, replaced with long dark sleeves that held tight to his slender arms. A perfectly tailored single-breasted indigo vest sat on a midnight black flare collar dress shirt. His black slim-legged pants lay in a cocoon of a train that flowed from the vest that he donned in one perfect piece of unstitched fabric. The indigo and diamonds of his stiletto heels were a work of art in itself.
“Yes, Princess. I will take all the gawking this evening,” Aurelio teased with a sashay.
“I can’t help it. You look fucking hot.”
He dipped into a bow with a flourish of the hand without a single strand of his perfectly combed dark hair moving out of place.
“He looks absolutely radiant,” Myles said, the pride in his tone matching the gleam in his eyes. It made anyone desperate for an admirer to look at them the way he looked at Aurelio.
“If you keep talking like that, my love, I’ll show you just how radiant I can be.” Aurelio leaned in and placed a slow, chaste kiss on Myles’ lips.
Color bloomed from his neck to his face as he straightened his matching indigo vest and tie with his free hand. There wasn’t a single angle of his jet-black suit that was out of place.
“You both look marvelous,” Reneah complimented.
“Thank you, love,” Aurelio said to her. “Now, are you going to tell me what you were going to ask me? Or do I need to dump the faerie wine down your throat until you divulge?”
I grinned mischievously. “She was going to ask if she can be your design protege.”
Aurelio gasped. “My protege?”
Reneah waved her hand. “No, no. I couldn’t.”
“But you can. I insist,” Aurelio retorted.
“There’s no reason you couldn’t do both, Reneah,” Myles assured her. “I believe it’s important to stay current on the latest fashions, especially with the influx of humans entering the queendom soon. Aurelio will need all the help he can get. And I’m sure the Princess wouldn’t mind.”
“Not at all,” I confirmed.
With the bittersweet defeat written on Reneah’s face, I knew we’d won. She gave a solemn nod. “Very well. I’d be honored to be your protege, Aurelio.” A smirk lifted on her ruby-red lips, and her face brightened. “I can’t wait to work with all the fabrics and colors, and—oh!” She glanced just past Aurelio with a crease forming between her brows. “What in the world is she wearing?”
Aurelio’s eyes drifted toward the entrance where Reneah was gaping—his face morphing into a scowl. “Oh my. She didn’t.”
“She did,” Reneah breathed in mortification.
Aurelio’s elegant masculine hand came to his throat. “But someone should have told her that color is drab on her. Who let her out in that?”
“Her complexion is far too fair for that color.”
“Is she blind?”
“Blind or delusional,” she said, peering up at Aurelio. The both of them burst into laughter. With them both blocking our view, Myles and I shared a look with a shrug, having no idea who they were speaking about.
“Well, now that I have a protege, I’m stealing you away.” He grabbed Reneah’s hand. “Let’s go take a closer inspection.” He peered back at Myles. “You don’t mind, my love, do you?”
Myles smiled warmly. “Not at all, my dear. Go on. We’ll be here.” Within a heartbeat, Aurelio and Reneah disappeared into the crowd. “And you? How are you doing this evening, Asherah?” Myles asked me.
I tilted my head from side to side. “I’m as good as can be. Grateful I didn’t trip over my own feet. That’s a win, right?”
“You did more than just avoid tripping over your feet. You danced wonderfully.” A server clad in a bright white dress shirt, black cummerbund, and pants offered us cups of faerie wine from where he expertly balanced them on his tray. Myles grabbed two, handing one to me. “A toast. To your future, Asherah Delmar. May we take down all of your haters, as the kids say these days,” he said with a wink.
I clinked my glass against his. “To taking down the haters.” I sipped from my glass, the full-bodied wine’s rich, oaky, plum and blackberry tones slipping down my throat, my shoulders dropping a fraction.
We observed the crowd in companionable silence. The couples twirled with such grace across the dance floor, absorbing each beat with every step, moving with practiced fluidity. I couldn’t help but sway to the music, longing to be one of them. Always the educator, Myles pointed out all of the important Atlantians to know, the dances, and what realm they came from. He never wasted any time teaching me, and I felt grateful for his dedication. Appreciated it.
After what must’ve been our second or third cup of faerie wine, Reneah and Aurelio returned to our corner of the room, still analyzing and critiquing. It wasn’t until Dad approached and asked Reneah for a dance that the two stopped fashion-chatting. I bit my lips to hide my laughter at the expression of shock across her face and pushed her forward by the small of the back with my free hand. She seemed to catch herself and took hold of my father’s awaiting hand.
As I watched the two swing around the dance floor, a tingling sensation began in the center of my chest. I could feel him before he broke through the crowd.
And I momentarily lost my breath.
Draevyn was otherworldly, coming to stand before me in all of his beauty. His twilight blue floral fabric suit danced with every crevasse of his massive chest, the gold-rimmed buttons pulling the jacket snug against his tight abdomen, the pants matching. His attire was flawless.
Draevyn looked upon me with those mesmerizing Caribbean green eyes flaring. Hungry. Short, loose tendrils from the half-tied dark brown hair at the back of his head hugged the panes of his face as he scanned me from the tips of my teal-painted toes to the emerald of my headdress. Someone cleared their throat, but our eyes remained locked on each other.
“My love, I think that’s our cue,” Aurelio told Myles from beside us.
“Cue for what?”
“To dance.”
In my periphery, I saw them join the other couples on the dance floor. We continued in our battle of stares until he broke the silence. “Asherah. You rob me of breath,” he said in his rich baritone voice.
My cheeks burned flaming hot. “Well, please breathe. I don’t want to be responsible for you collapsing on the floor.” Draevyn laughed through a smile that had likely brought countless women to their knees, his dimples deepening and causing me to squirm. “So, you’ve come over to protect me during the ball? I’ll have to warn you. I’m a bit of a bore during these things.”
Draevyn moved beside me, his hands casually dipping into his pockets. “I’m off duty this evening. I’m here of my own accord. I wanted to celebrate my Queen receiving her elemental mark.” My heart danced at the words “ my Queen” falling from his lips. Draevyn held out his hand. “So, let’s see it then.”
I blindly stared at the pure ruggedness of his hand for a few seconds before placing my wrist in his warm, awaiting palm. He began tracing the mark with a gentle touch, so at odds with the size of his hand, the size of him. His face held the utmost awe, and my breath hitched. “How remarkable. I don’t think I’ve seen one up close before.” His finger glided around the small circle at the base, causing the hairs on my arm to rise. His hooded gaze drifted to mine. “Are you cold, Asherah?”
“No,” I whispered. My heart palpitated in my chest—the glass of wine nearly dropped from my other hand.
“You’re shivering.”
“M-maybe just a little then.”
“Hhmmm.” The tip of his finger began making a pathway beyond my mark and up my arm. “We should dance then. Perhaps that would warm you up.”
All I could do was nod. Draevyn took the nearly empty glass from my other hand, placed it on the neighboring table, and laced his fingers through mine. He pulled me through the crowd of people—his bulging back muscles visible through his suit jacket before me. A few already in position for the next dance did a double take as we joined them.
Let them.
Our eyes remained held on each other as his arm came around my lower back and pulled me into his tall, muscular form, just enough that our bodies lightly grazed. I didn’t know how it was possible for my face to flush any further, but it did. Draevyn’s intoxicating, woodsy, earthy scent invaded my senses.
“So, how are your studies, my Queen?” he asked, the small quartet playing a slow-tempo waltz.
My eyes fluttered. “My studies?”
There was that dimple again. “Yes, your studies. With Myles.”
I shook my head. “Right. My studies. Uh. They’re doing good. Well, as good as expected, considering I know next to nothing about the people I’m supposed to rule or whatever.”
Draevyn moved us skillfully out of the way of an oncoming couple, my dress fanning out around us. “Do I detect someone feeling sorry for themselves?”
I reared back. “Sorry for myself?”
Draevyn pulled me closer. “Yes, sorry for yourself. Everything here is new to you, Asherah. Cut yourself a little slack.”
We whirled again, weaving around the ballroom, the onlookers following us with interest.
“It’s not so much slack I seek. It’s more the idea of being years behind everyone. I…I just don’t want to fail.”
“Well, from what I understand, you are anything but a failure. You excelled in your studies in marine biology. You’re an amateur surfer and have won a few competitions. Doesn’t sound like someone who is a failure.”
I quirked a brow. “Been checking up on me?”
A shrug. “Maybe a little.” He twirled us deeper into the crowd of dancing couples. “My point is you have the drive and determination to succeed already within you. This is just another thing for you to conquer.” He stopped abruptly in the corner of the dance floor, carefully positioning us out of the way of the other dancers. I paused at the intensity of his demeanor. “You will do this, Asherah. You are meant to be our Queen.”
“I don’t even know how to stay in my Water Fae form. You were there when I spectacularly failed. When I failed you. And I’m so sorry to have upset you.” I shook my head, my gaze dropping to the wooden floor. “I’m so behind.”
The tips of his fingers came under my chin, pulling my head up. “You did not fail me. Did you think I’ve been upset with you all this time?”
“Yes,” I admitted.
Draevyn’s palms brushed over my bare shoulders, my skin pebbling beneath his touch. “I’m not upset with you, Asherah. I’m…not used to training a princess.” He smiled sheepishly. “Most of my trainees are brutes who beg for pain, but I must learn to communicate differently with you.” I opened my mouth to protest that he didn’t need to make exceptions for me, but he placed a finger on my lips. “I know you can handle it.” He let his finger slowly retreat to my shoulder. “But this is a lesson for me to learn. So, you’re actually teaching me.”
My brow quirked. “I am?”
“Yes. You are. And you’re not alone, Asherah. We’re in this together, you and I. The rest of us by your side,” he said sincerely.
I swallowed. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
The song had long ended. People brushed by us as they moved off the dance floor, but we remained where we stood, immovable—observing each other like a newly discovered phenomenon.
“Well, doesn’t this look intimate?”
Our gazes shifted to Melysah, who walked up to us—the pretentious smirk on her face revealing the evil lurking beneath. Her pearl-polished fingertips dug into the palms of her tightly clenched fists. The pale peach gown she wore probably would’ve looked stunning in any other color—a slit rising to the hip of her left leg. I had to wonder if this was who Reneah and Aurelio were speaking of earlier in the night, the contrast so at odds with her pale skin.
Draevyn’s hand drifted down to my palm, his fingers threading through mine. Melysah’s eyes tracked every bit of that movement.
“Councilor Velafyn,” he said, bowing. When my legs began dipping in a curtsy, Draevyn held me firmly up, keeping me in place. His fiery glare locked on Melysah as he rose—the anger imminent with some message I was missing. It was only when Melysah’s lips were pursed and a short curtsy followed that I understood his message loud and clear. I was not to bow to this female. Melysah was to bow to me .
“Your Highness,” she said, managing to sound condescending. “Commander Eliron. It looks like you have become…closely acquainted with your assignment. You’re taking your role as her Guardian very seriously.”
“If by very seriously, you mean that I aim to protect Princess Asherah—the future Queen of Atlantis—at all costs from forces both inside and outside the queendom, then yes, Melysah. I do take this very seriously.”
“I can see that.”
“Was there something you needed, Councilor?” I interjected. “It seems other couples would like to dance, and we’re in the way.”
“No, Princess,” she said, that evil smirk returning to her wicked face. “There’s nothing in particular. Just wanted to say hello.”
My head dipped in a curt nod. “And now you’ve done that. Drae, I’m thirsty. Want to get something to drink?”
“Absolutely,” he said, sliding my hand through the crease in his elbow and giving Melysah his back.
“Oh. And Drae ?” she called from behind us. “I’ll address your proximity issues with General Lumeya tomorrow. We wouldn’t want you falling prey to pretty distractions and causing harm to our queendom.”
I turned back, my lips thinning. “The hell you will. You are not to do anything at all. Am I clear, Councilor ?”
Melysah’s smirk dropped, and her jaw clenched when more than a few of the people around her began whispering.
“Am. I. Clear?”
“Crystal,” Melysah bit out, her cheeks flushing.
“Excellent. Let’s go, Drae.”
Something like surprise flickered across Draevyn’s face as I slid my arm on his. We didn’t wait for her reaction. We pivoted and strolled toward Reneah and Aurelio, who waited for us a few feet away, their eyes wide.
“What the hell was that all about?” Reneah asked.
“Melysah being Melysah,” Draevyn said, seething.
“About what?” Aurelio asked with a scowl.
“Draevyn’s apparent proximity issues to me. And she can go fuck off. I can be friends with whoever I damn well please.”
A smirk emerged on Draevyn’s face. “We’re friends now, are we?”
“Only if you behave,” I teased, giving his arm a comforting squeeze.
“Well, friends ,” Aurelio said, his eyes traveling between us. “How about we take this party elsewhere? It’s becoming too stuffy in here. Myles is held up with Cathan chatting with an elder Fae, and Reneah and I have dissected every possible outfit in the ballroom.”
“I’ll grab the faerie wine,” Reneah said.
“Sounds perfect,” I said.
As we followed Aurelio and Reneah out of the ornate ballroom doors, Draevyn’s breath hit the tip of my ear. “You are deliciously fierce, my Queen.”
And a blush heated my cheeks anew.
“Her dress was peach! Pale peach!” Aurelio wailed in a fit of laughter.
My eyes welled with tears—my abs and cheeks sore from smiling so hard. The faerie wine crept through my veins, making me feel more relaxed than ever since arriving at Atlantis.
“It completely drowned her out. She was the absolute worst,” Reneah chimed in.
“Just like her wretched soul. And I mean that sincerely. I offered to help her once, and she told me my style choices were dreadful, and the goddess must have made a mistake the day she gave me my mark.”
“She didn’t,” I said aghast.
“That witch,” Reneah seethed. She reached out and squeezed his knee from where she sat at his side on the couch across from us. “You don’t listen to her.”
Aurelio patted her hand. “Oh, I know, sweetie. She doesn’t bother me.”
Draevyn’s arm brushed the back of my neck from where it lay across the back of the plush leather couch—the twin to the one Reneah and Aurelio occupied on the other side of the leather ottoman. The warmth of his body close to mine gave me comfort. I could still feel his hand against the small of my back as we walked the short distance to Aurelio and Myles’s quarters in the palace, his eyes tracking every movement around us. When Draevyn left to use the bathroom, I couldn’t fight the burning in my cheeks when Reneah and Aurelio wagged their eyebrows at me. I quickly shot them a look before he returned.
“You’ve come a long way from your assignment as Melysah’s guard, huh, Draevyn?” Aurelio asked.
This was news to me. “You were her guard?”
“Hhmph. Yes. She was my assignment for a time when I was a private. Apparently, she thought I was at her disposal for everything.”
“What do you mean by everything?” Reneah inquired.
He let loose a sigh as he drank a sip of his faerie wine. “At first, she wanted me to fetch her things. Her purse. Her notebook. I’d run all over the place. I’m almost certain that was her intention. But then the requests took a strange turn. She’d ask me to stand in a certain spot, which for me wasn’t a challenge. Standing versus wielding a trident wasn’t a challenge. What set me on edge was the way she periodically looked at me, the casual glances. Finally, a few weeks into the assignment, it all peaked when she asked me to kneel on a pillow beside her desk. It clicked, then. And I outright refused. She was treating me like I was her—”
“Submissive,” Aurelio finished, eyes wide. “Oh, my goddess, Draevyn. It’s almost as if she were grooming you into it.”
“Grooming?” I asked curiously. Draevyn fidgeted slightly. “You mean so that she’s your dominant? A sexual kind of submissive?”
Draevyn shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what she thought she would do with me. And to be clear,” his eyes flashed as they bore into mine, “I have no problem with anyone’s sexual kinks. That’s their prerogative. And I certainly have mine.” Goddess help me. How I wished the couch would swallow me up.
“I immediately told Dax the next day,” he continued. “When one of the other privates, Kane Ruema, caught wind of what happened, he volunteered to be her Guardian. There’s no telling what goes on between the two of them now. Word is he’s happy to be her lap dog, and I’m happy to be—”
“Ash’s?” Reneah cut in.
I clicked my tongue. “Oh, stop! He is not!”
Draevyn bellowed with laughter, making me smile.
“Well, it is undoubtedly an upgrade anyway. Am I right, Draevyn?” Aurelio asked.
My heart skipped when his arm pulled me closer to his side. “Of course it is. I’m highly entertained when this one gets feisty and puts Melysah in her place. Plus, the view is far better.”
I playfully swatted his thigh, my hand stinging with the impact against solid muscle. “You flirt.”
We were interrupted when the front door opened. Myles lumbered into the room, the exhaustion heavy on his face. “Well, this is where you all skipped off to.”
“You look terrible, my love.” Aurelio placed his glass on a wooden tray that rested on top of the ottoman and rushed to Myles, helping him to remove his jacket. “Do you want a nightcap?”
Myles rolled his shoulders. “No, my dear. I’m afraid I’ve had quite enough, and I’m ready for bed.”
“That’s our queue,” Reneah said, getting up and gathering the cups, bottles, and plates around the room.
“Leave it, Reneah. I’ll get it in the morning,” Aurelio said.
“No worries,” she said with a smile. “You were hospitable enough to host us tonight. I’ve got this.”
Draevyn stood from the couch, holding his hand out to me. “I’ll escort you to your quarters.”
I felt light as a feather as he pulled me up with ease, my face coming inches from his chest. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Actually, he does,” Myles said, his eyes traveling between us with scrutiny. “He’s your guard, after all.”
I gave him an apprehensive nod. “Okay, then.”
We said our goodbyes, Myles’s gaze following us until we closed their front door. Silence enveloped us as we stood in the empty hallway alone. I wrapped my arms around my middle and began walking.
“Cold again?” he asked.
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
We didn’t utter a word to each other as he led me to my quarters, the dome’s moonlight filtering through the windows that lined the hallway.
“Do you think Melysah is going to say something to Dax?” I asked, finally breaking the silence.
A smirk lifted his lips. “That would be disobeying a direct order from her Queen. And what could she possibly say anyway?”
I shrugged. “That you and I were…you know…”
“Dancing?” We ascended the stairs that led to my floor, the warmth of his hand on the small of my back causing my breath to hitch. “I can’t get in trouble for dancing with you.”
We reached the corridor just outside my quarters, where Mayana stood guard and nodded in greeting. My heart kicked up a beat as I turned and faced Draevyn. “I guess it’s stupid to get worked up about a dance, huh?”
Draevyn playfully pinched the point of my chin. “Let her think it was more than a dance. Truth be told, I don’t care what she or anyone else in the queendom have to say.” The moonlight cast shadows across his face, but it did nothing to hide the heat in his gaze. “You are my greatest assignment, Asherah. There’s nothing anyone can do, save Dax, to reassign me. I refuse to leave your side.”
My stomach dropped. “Right. An assignment.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “And my friend.”
Feeling incredibly stupid for thinking this was something more, I glanced at Mayana, who now stood on the stairwell landing, observing us quietly. “If Mayana’s here, I’m guessing your shift is during the day?”
“It is.” Draevyn leaned in, his lips grazing my ear and causing my thighs to clench. “But I’d be happy to protect my… friend throughout the evening if she ever needed it,” he whispered. The stubble of his chin grazed my cheek as he pulled back, that ridiculous smirk causing his dimples to appear. He sauntered backward down the corridor with his eyes never leaving mine. “See you tomorrow, my Queen.” He wheeled around and descended the stairs, leaving me in a puddled mess of confusion.