Page 242 of Blade of the Nightking

“You will not hold me accountable for whatever happens as a result of this conspiracy. Two against one isn't fair.”

He waggled his eyebrows in delight, his gaze sliding suggestively to Rìan. “And what of two on top of one?”

“That’s enough, Thalassis.” Rìan's voice hardened with warning. “I don’t share my women.”

My pulse skipped at the possessiveness in his tone.

Thalassis only laughed and reached over to clap him heartily on the shoulder. “Loosen up, will you? You're stiff as a board and twice as uptight.” The teasing smile faded, giving way to something gentler. “I understand the shock of losing Solmire, but you're not here to mourn. I won't allow it. Understood?”

“Understood.”

“Good.” He turned back to me and offered his hand. “I do believe I was promised a dance?”

The question wasn't truly meant for me. He was asking Aedric’s permission.

Rìan eased back, hooking one arm over the back of the chaise. “Lady's choice, of course.”

Without another look in his direction, I slipped my hand into Thalassis's, and he pulled me effortlessly to my feet before sweeping me onto the dance floor.

CHAPTER 51

Thalassis’s hand settled lightly at my waist, his movements fluid as water as he spun me round and round. But even with my attention fixed on him, I couldn't escape the persistent weight of Rìan's gaze from across the room.

Thalassis chuckled softly, mistaking my distraction for nerves. “Relax,” he murmured, guiding me through another turn.

“When does the Ambrosia take effect?” I asked, trying—and failing—to sound casual.

He merely smiled.

At first, I noticed only the bioluminescence.

The algae floating through the room and coating the walls seemed to glow brighter, every hue richer and impossibly vivid. I glanced up at the jellyfish floating near the ceiling, mesmerized as one radiant pulse bled effortlessly into the next, the boundaries between them disappearing into a gentle swirl.

The colors were so beautiful they were nearly tangible. I could taste them on my tongue.

Then the music found me.

I could feel it—every note brushing against my skin, every beat of the drums reverberating through my ribcage like a second heartbeat. It surrounded me, moved through me, as corporeal as the dancers caught in its current.

Thalassis spun me away, another pair of hands catching me around the waist.

A male with tattoos covering his scalp and one side of his face smiled as he drew me to him. I stared, entranced, as the intricate patterns seemed to come alive, rising ever so slightly from his skin before settling again like seaweed drifting on water.

He laughed at my obvious fascination before whisking me onward.

A female caught me next, and I found myself transfixed by the cascade of silvery hair spilling down her back like a waterfall. She drew close, her curves pressing against mine, and I melted into the softness of her body. I couldn't help myself. My hands wandered down her bare shoulders and along the smooth length of her arms, drawn by the irresistible silk of her ebony skin.

I twirled into the waiting arms of another dancer, and then another still, until faces blurred together in a kaleidoscope of smiles, beaded hair, bright eyes, and outstretched hands. I drifted from partner to partner without pause, impossibly light, the music carrying me through the room wherever it wished. Every turn peeled another layer of tension from my body, every laugh dissolved another knot of worry, until the turmoil that had clung to me moments earlier seemed to melt into the rhythm, swept away on the tide of flutes and drums.

The next turn carried me straight back into Thalassis's arms as the music changed again. The lively tune dissolved into something slower, deeper, a haunting, hypnotic melody that shifted the mood throughout the room.

At the edges of my vision, bodies drifted into the shadows, mouths finding mouths, limbs intertwining, fingers threading through hair as low moans underscored the music.

Not long ago, I'd stood frozen in the pleasure house, overwhelmed by the unabashed intimacy surrounding me. Now…

Now I understood.

The overwhelming pull toward closeness. Toward touch. Toward connection so complete that the rest of the world simply ceased to exist. I wanted to lose myself inside it, slip beneath its surface. Surrender to the collective, to the warmth and breath and pulse of those around me.