A Valley of Darkness (A Shade of Vampire #52)(31)

“I understand,” I replied, and felt her relax in my arms. “I only asked because I noticed a few of the Imen we’ve come across seemed to have been under the influence of a Mara.”

“You mean, from the families we spoke to?”

“Yes.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Rewa said, “with what they’ve been through… But enough about that. Tell me more about you. Do you have a lady waiting for you back on Calliope?”

She smiled, and I completely blanked, not expecting her to be so blunt.

“I… No, I don’t,” I said. “How are you so eager to be around me, Rewa, when everyone else in this city looks at me with fear?”

“Fear?” She looked confused, then glanced around and noticed the minor distance that the other dancers kept from us, along with their wary expressions aimed at me.

“I am a fire dragon, after all.” I shrugged. “It’s only natural for a Mara to be fearful of me. It’s not that I blame them. But you, you seem fearless.”

She laughed lightly, then pulled herself closer to me, soft and fragranced against my body. She did know how to stir a man; I had to give her credit for that. But my heart wasn’t in it.

“I do admit… I have a soft spot for you,” she purred in my ear. “There’s something about you that fascinates me, Blaze, and I’m determined to find out what makes you tick…”

Oh, wow…

That was surprisingly straightforward and not what I’d expected her to say. Then Caia’s words came to mind.

Rewa has such a massive soft spot for you that we can see it from space…

“Thank you, Rewa, I… I’m flattered.” I smiled gently, allowing her to wrap her arms around my neck as we continued dancing.

I saw Caia in the arms of a male Exiled Mara. He was leading her across the dancefloor, one hand on her hip and his face too close to hers. She was giggling at whatever he was saying. He made her dip, then spun her around.

I really couldn’t help but dislike the sight of her dancing with someone else.

“I do hope you feel the same way,” Rewa said.

I looked down at her and noticed the lust in her green eyes. I wanted to let her down easy, but Caia had a point. As long as she was into me and I entertained her crush, she’d be more open if I had more delicate questions to ask, pertaining to the investigation.

It seemed a little cruel toward her, but I figured a broken heart would be easier to fix than losing another family member to those daemon creatures. In the grand scheme of things, although it felt bad, I knew I had to string her along for just a bit.

“It’s a little too early to talk about feelings, Rewa,” I replied slowly, trying my best to both meet my mission objectives and not toy with her heart too much. “You are a beautiful Mara, and I admit, I am not indifferent to your presence… But I think we should take it easy. Enjoy the—”

“The chase?” She grinned, making me chuckle.

“Yeah, the chase.”

She rested her head on my shoulder, further softening in my arms, as if she was pleased with my response. I breathed a sigh of relief, then searched for Caia through the dancing crowd. Her waltz partner was busy pushing her gently into another dip, and I felt my mood turn sourer.





Avril





(Daughter of Lucas & Marion)





After Hansa kicked us onto the dancefloor, I had no choice but to get comfortable in Heron’s arms again as we swayed to the music. “You really aren’t a bad dancer,” I muttered, gazing into his deep jade eyes.

I felt like jelly against his firm body and broad frame, and I didn’t really feel like putting any distance between us, despite my promise to keep him deeply rooted in the friendzone. I couldn’t help but relish the many delightful sensations provided by his proximity, though I was going to chastise myself later about it.

“What made you assume I’d be a bad dancer, to begin with? I thought I’d already debunked that myth.” He smirked.

“I figured your foot-in-mouth syndrome applied to your dance moves, too,” I shot back with a grin.

He spun me around, fast enough to steal my breath, then pushed me into a dip, pulled me back, and tightened his arms around my waist. “I must say, it gives me tremendous satisfaction to prove you wrong,” he said, his voice lower than usual and sending tingling sensations down my spine.

“Yeah, well… don’t get used to it.”

“Oh no, I plan on celebrating every time I make you eat your words. It turns me on,” Heron quipped, making me laugh.

Neither of us realized how close we were getting to each other, until the tips of our noses touched, and his eyes darkened as they settled on mine. His breath brushed gently against my lips, and I didn’t know what to do. I was putty in his hands, but I didn’t want him to see that. Heron had a habit of using whatever I gave him against me, though he never seemed to mean any harm by it. I didn’t want to let go, either. After the events of tonight, after the half-truths we’d managed to get out of Arrah, having him around me made everything look a little brighter, despite the many unknowns still lurking around us.

He tightened his hold on me, almost cutting off my air supply. I felt his body heat seeping through the layers of silk between us, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it was about him that made all the females quiver in his presence. Even the Maras dancing with their partners around us couldn’t take their eyes off Heron. I’d seen the lustful glances. I recognized the yearning in their eyes.