Page 243 of Blade of the Nightking

As if he knew how I was feeling, Thalassis's arms tightened around me. There was a heat in his gaze now that I couldn't deny, his eyes heavy-lidded, his smile loose and inviting, the Ambrosia leaving him awash in quiet euphoria.

Thalassis was breathtaking. How had I never noticed before?

His skin was a deep, lustrous brown, smooth as velvet, every smile like a bright crescent moon in the dimness. The backs of his fingers skimmed lightly down my arm. A shiver chased his touch and his smile widened.

He drew me even closer, our bodies moving together with the slow, languid rhythm of the dance. He bent his head, his voice brushing softly against my ear.

"You're not like any Eidra I've ever seen."

"No?"

"Not in the slightest." He smelled of salt and musk. "Aedric was right about you. You're as warm-blooded as any human, yet there's a world of power beneath your skin. It's a tantalizing combination. I can see why he's so determined to keep you. An Eidra with a heart... that's not something any of us were prepared for."

"I recall the Full Circle tried for my execution."

"Not I." The words rolled from him in a low, intimate rumble. "But you know your history, yes?"

"Yes." The lie was a small one. I knew enough, but not nearly enough. Thalassis seemed to hear the uncertainty beneath my answer, because I felt his smile broaden against my cheek.

"The Eidrae of old possessed limitless magic and precious little conscience with which to temper it." He guided me through another slow turn. "A disastrous combination. Something had to be done."

The words landed like a stone in my chest. For a heartbeat, I couldn't find the rhythm of the dance. However rationally he framed it, he was still justifying the extermination of my people.

Thalassis moved back just enough to look at me properly. The ease in his expression faded. "I’ve offended you."

"Yes," I admitted softly. "A little."

Regret slid across his features.

"Then allow me to correct myself. I was explaining the Full Circle's reasoning, not defending it." His thumb stroked absently across the small of my back while his heavy gaze traced the lines of my face. "What is that expression you're wearing?"

"I struggle to understand why you've invited us here at all, knowing what I am. Knowing the destructive power that lies in my veins."

"Fascination, perhaps." His smile deepened. "You are uncharted waters."

"Is that it? I'm a curiosity?"

A deep laugh escaped him. "I'll admit there was an ulterior motive."

"Oh?"

He leaned in, catching his lower lip between his teeth. "It's a touch prideful."

My smile answered his before I could stop it. "Tell me."

He held my eyes for a long moment before answering. "I know the Eidrae were drawn to power. I found myself wondering whether you might be drawn to mine."

My lips parted in surprise. Even through the pillowy haze of the Ambrosia, his meaning was unmistakable. He knew exactly what the Eidrae were. He knew I was already bonded to Aedric. And still, he was offering himself as another possibility.

"Don't look at me like that, Elowen." He gave my waist a gentle squeeze. "I mean no offense. Your presence here has simply invited me to dream a little."

I felt it the moment he released it—his magic whispering across my skin. Beneath that whisper lay an ocean. Not merely water, but the sea in all its contradictions—the endless pull of the tides, the crushing weight of unfathomable depths, the promise of calm seas and violent storms alike. It was gentle enough to cradle and powerful enough to drown.

I turned toward him, unable to hide my wonder. For the briefest moment, something cold and calculating passed over his features, as though he'd cast his magic like a hook into still water and knew better than to rush the catch.

"Perhaps one day," he murmured, his voice barely carrying above the music, "I could show you what the Tides have to offer."

Something shifted. Thalassis's gaze lifted over my shoulder, the easy charm slipping just enough to reveal a flash of unease.