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“The only discourse between us, Princess, will be about the Darkage.”
“As you feel my negative emotions, I can feel your lust for me from your chakra. It is a feeling I return. I am not frightened if you desire to take me roughly, I will not break.”
His rough chuckle slid into her, stirring deep longing for something hotter. Darkness shifted into his eyes, and the savageness of what released from his chakra made her stumble.
“You did that deliberately.” She slowed her pace as she saw the castle entrance ahead. “Do you wish to scare me away from you?”
She swallowed as his body was suddenly pressed intimately against her. Saieke tilted her head and met the flatness of his gaze unflinchingly.
“Not to scare you Princess…..but you step fearlessly where you should tread with caution.” The rough timbre of his voice had her wetting her lips.
“Will we be lovers?” she whispered against his mouth as she tilted her face upwards to rest her lips against his.
With a muttered curse, he lifted her and moved. Darkness blanketed Saieke’s mind, petrifying her for precious seconds. The darkness uncloaked from her, revealing her chambers.
She gaped at him.
“Rest, Princess. Enjoy the feast and entertainment planned for your honor.”
She sighed as he vanished. She untied the strings of her caftan, letting the soft material slither off her skin. She flashed to the bath chambers and sank into the heat of the water. Her power flowed, stirring and foaming the water as she raised it above her like a fall. She luxuriated in her element, and she mused on how to get Drac into more serious bed play. She would enjoy the feast and entertainment that had been prepared for her, and plan another way to seduce him…without losing her heart.
***
The next two days passed in a blur of revelry, deep discussions and meetings with the king and high lords of his western quadrant, with no alone time with the man dominating all her evocative dreams. She had met several courtiers who had greeted her with hostility, but the welcome she received from the ladies buffered the sting and fear. She had been given tours of their great library housing their history by Lachlan, where she had been allowed to read selected scrolls, and Saieke had immersed herself in learning how they had evolved as a society over the centuries. She’d felt a stab of sorrow for Gidon. What she read showed a kingdom thrilled with war and bloodletting.
The tours she received of the villages in the provinces had been thought provoking. She had not expected what she had seen. Children ran and shrieked as they romped, people erected stalls selling their wares, and food peddlers advertised their food. The level of revelry and noise had created a buzz in her head, and her steps had faltered as she gawked.
Several torches and bonfires illuminated the town, throwing its elegance and beauty into stark relief. Its appearance had been like that of any other village in her kingdom—cobbled stone pathways, massive town houses made from harsh grey stones, some designed with graceful arches and doorways. Trees rose so prominently as if they would touch the sky that she could not see, and the flowers… the strangest shapes, with vibrant colours of gold, purple, silver and their scents were beyond exotic. Women indulgently looked on their young, and men walked with their families as their protector.
The sense of normalcy had driven home how deeply Darkans were misrepresented.
Drac had been with her everywhere she travelled, a shadow silently protecting her. Whenever she had felt fear or discomfort, he would suddenly be there to brush his lips fleetingly against hers. She ha
d the most irritating ability to lose all apprehension when he appeared. He would always find ways to subtly touch and reassure her that he was there in the dark, but he would do nothing more.
It frustrated Saieke.
He was by her side until she retired to her chambers, and then he would shiktre away after brushing his lips across her lips and neck. He always vanished before she could reach for him to do more. Several times she noticed that when she laughed, a smile curved his lips. She tried to engage him in banter using all the wits and vivacity she possessed, only to receive clipped answers. She only had a day left in the Darkage, and he had made no move to bed her, nor had she received another opportunity to try and seduce him; although there were times his chakra revealed his lust and desire.
Saieke frowned and held herself still while her lady in waiting finished wrapping her hair in a tight coil around her head. Today, she had dressed in a black caftan threaded with gold; she thought it reflected her mood.
“My lord,” the servant murmured.
Drac had Shiktred to her room, his customary way of retrieving her in the mornings. Saieke flashed from the room with him shadowing her heels. “Where do we head to today, my lord?” she asked with pique evident in her tone.
“To the courtyard.”
Saieke lifted her brow. “Who am I to meet?”
Neither Lachlan nor the king had indicated what awaited her this day. She had retired from last night’s dinner exhausted from the day’s outings. The great doors were flung opened, and she stepped through and faltered. “Drac,” she breathed his name in sheer astonishment.
She took two tentative steps out into the courtyard and beheld its beauty. Hundreds of great torches lit the rolling grounds far and wide to illustrate its majesty. It was lighted for miles, but the dark was still hovering at the periphery waiting to consume the light. The courtyard looked like a wild and beautiful jungle. Trees rose to enormous heights with vines and flowers strewn across the yard, fountains rose in several places with massive sculptures of great winged beasts with vines and flowers adorning them. The hulking stone sculptures frozen in midflight and fights were truly breathtaking.
She flashed to stand beside Drac. “You did this?”
“I thought you would enjoy seeing the castle. I know the dark can be overwhelming.”
“Thank you.” She tipped and pressed a soft kiss at the corner of his lips.
