I could see his mouth moving, saying something to the king, and in turn, Hael tensed even more, but I was too far away to make out the words.
I turned away from them, needing to do something other than just stand here stupidly. I made my way to the opposite side of the room, toward the octet, figuring not as many people could hold conversations over the music.
I was wrong.
Five more initiates tried to approach me by the time I finished my second drink.
I looked back up at the dais—something I’d been doing all night. The only difference now was that Hael wasn’t there. Instantly my heart rate skyrocketed. Shit. I lost him. Maybe I shouldn’t be drinking. If he left to go back to MonClem without me finding anything else about him, I’d still have to sneak there.
“Hey,” a deep voice sounded behind me. I turned just in time to find a dragon rider about to reach out and touch my arm.
My transparency flickered at the same time the male was dragged backward. He cursed, bones snapping in his shoulder.
The rider whirled. “What the fuc—” His voice fizzled out as he lowered his head. “Arrik. I didn’t know it was you.”
Hael didn’t look at him, instead his eyes were focused on mine, and I realized I was still transparent.
Breathe. One. Two. Three. Four. Exhale.
My body slowly regained its color as my Token wavered out. At least I was finding it easier to come out of my transparency even if I still couldn’t control going into it.
“Don’t bother her again,” Hael ordered. “And tell everyone else.”
It wasn’t until the rider ran off, cupping his shoulder, that Hael asked, “Are you alright?”
I blinked. “I… I should be asking you that.” I kept seeing his back, kept seeing the spiked whip covered in his blood as bones cracked…
“I’m fine.”
I searched his eyes, and if he was still in pain, he was doing a good job of masking it.
“No, you aren’t. I saw your back…” My voice stuttered. “No one would be fine after?—”
“Elion always sends a Token mender to heal most of it. I’m fine, Nollie.”
“Did you know that was going to happen?” I asked because it’d been bothering me all day. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“You should go back to your room.”
“What? Why?” I shook my head, taken aback. I thought after last night he was going to stop trying to convince me to leave.
“Because the riders are…” he paused, trying to think over a word, then shifted. “The ceremony changes them and the end of the Vargothi gives them… urges. It’s not safe for you to be here tonight.”
“Not safe,” I repeated more to myself. “Why?”
“I had to watch seventeen of my men try to drunkenly hit on you, do you really need me to explain why?” His voice was hard, his temper short, but my own breath left me. He counted, which meant he’d been watching me too.
I looked around the room. “I don’t see you telling anyone else to leave?”
“Everyone else isn’t being approached by nearly half the men in this room,” he said, his eyes skimming over my dress.
My stomach fluttered at his words, at the way he was staring at me, at the fact that he even noticed. “Why do you even care?”
“It’spainfulto watch.”
My eyes narrowed. “Painful? I’m not even saying yes to anyone.” I scanned the room again and at least half of the initiates were talking to someone, some full on groping each other, yet I was thepainfulone to watch?
“No one else has a panic attack from being touched.”
