“We need a moment!” he announced.
More cheering followed. Someone even whistled.
“What are you doing?” she hissed under her breath as he carried her away from the platform.
“Getting you away from the crowd,” he said simply.
He moved quickly toward one of the side exits, weaving through guests who parted for them with amused smiles.
“And where do you think you’re taking me?” she demanded.
He glanced down at her. The fire was back in her eyes now, annoyed, alive, and not overwhelmed. Good. He liked her this way much better.
“Where else?” he said easily.
She squinted at him. “Maldenis?—”
“To the honeymoon suite,” he finished.
Liora groaned softly and dropped her head back against his shoulder. “Oh gods,” she muttered. Then after a beat, she added dryly, “Fine. I’ll allow it.”
Maldenis chuckled.
A moment later, she relaxed in his arms, settling against him as he pushed open the large doors and away from the celebration behind them.
The moment the doors closed behind them, the roar of the party dulled to a distant hum. The music still throbbed faintly through the stone walls, but it was nothing like the overwhelming noise of the hall. The corridor beyond was quiet, lit by soft golden lamps set into the carved walls.
She relaxed a little more; the tension that had been locked in her shoulders all evening slowly eased, and she shifted in his arms until she was more comfortably settled against him.
When he reached the large carved doors at the end of the hall, he pushed them open with his shoulder.
Their suite was enormous, though that wasn’t surprising. The elders never did anything halfway. A wide sitting area opened before them, with low couches, soft rugs, and tall windows that looked out over the dark desert landscape beyond the city. Lanterns glowed softly around the room, and a long balcony door stood open just enough to let the cool night air drift inside.
He nudged the door closed behind them. Only then did he pause.
She shifted again, pressing her face briefly against his shoulder. “Just for a moment,” she murmured.
He adjusted his hold slightly so she was more comfortable. He didn’t mind. The quiet after the chaos felt…good. For the first time all evening, there were no elders watching them, no cameras flashing, no crowd pressing in around them.
She sighed softly, snuggling a little closer as if she could finally let the exhaustion of the night catch up to her.
For a little while, they could just exist and breathe. Just the two of them.
The quiet stretched comfortably around them, broken only by the faint music filtering up from the celebration and the soft desert breeze drifting through the balcony doors.
“It’s harder,” she said quietly.
He glanced down at her. “What is?”
“Locking down my power.” She drew in a slow breath. “When there are a lot of people around, especially when they’re touching me.” Her fingers curled lightly into the front of his shirt. “It’s like…noise. Too many thoughts, too many impressions. Everyone feels so loud.”
He tightened his arms around her without thinking. The way he’d been doing on the stage. Only now there was no one watching.
“That sounds exhausting.”
“It is,” she admitted. “Usually, I can manage it. But tonight…” She shook her head slightly against his shoulder. “Everything was happening all at once. The ceremony, the gifts, the crowd. It was just too much.”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
