This dance… would it be their new pattern? At one time, they had watched each other, yet now she could barely stand to look at him for longer than the space of a singular breath.
"I will leave you now, Prince Sorren." Opulus gave a bow, one arm crossed over his chest as he did so. "Your rooms are prepared, and your animals are here. They’ve been taken care of."
"Thank you… Opulus," Graves rasped.
Wind swirled through the trees, skittering over the water and blowing Luella’s hair.
The Fallen warrior nodded, then his wings shot out as he took to the skies.
With the retreat of the Fallen, she felt like she could take a true breath. Not alone, but with these five males—she was coming to realize she found more comfort in their presence than she did the strangers that had surrounded them since first venturing into the Isles.
Vale touched her back, silently urging her onward.
They walked up the steps, Graves the last to follow.
The air was thick and heavy, and she wished to shrug off her cloak to be free. The tips of the tall trees swayed in the gusts, the bridges connecting them groaning above.
She was so distracted by the trees and green beauty, speaking of life, that she missed the sight that greeted them:
A small palace, fit for a prince…
The white stone was expertly crafted to blend seamlessly with its surroundings, incorporating polished tree bark. A large archway opened into a foyer, the stone floors echoing their footsteps. It should’ve made the place seem hollow and empty, but it somehow did the exact opposite. It was a living, breathingstructure, with nature as much a part of it as the arches, pillars, and woven, tan lounges scattered around artfully. Vines curled around the railings and crawled over the floor, seeping inside to touch everything. The sound of waves splashed softly, echoing off the high stone ceilings that curved above.
An open space, no doors, just curtains, billowing in the breeze. As the white gauzy material swished, Luella saw what was hidden behind them.
Rooms.
Beds, low to the ground, veiled in mesh curtains, reminding her of the ocean-scented blankets during her solitude. Would these smell of the ocean, too?
She hadn’t realized, but she had been slowly spinning in a circle, taking it all in, while the others watched.
Her cheeks warmed as she came to a stop, staring at them all. It was an effort not to look at Graves—the winged liar who owned this place.
Az’s amber eyes were as wide as hers felt. The Queen hadn’t known him. Had her demon ever been here before?
Luella doubted it.
"What now?" she asked, her soft voice mingling with the waves and air.
Vale’s throat worked with a swallow, his golden hair tousled about his regal face as sunlight cut through the clouds, shining in strips over the white stone floor. "We’ve all endured a long journey. Now, your only duty is to rest, Princess Luella. The rest is yet to come."
32
EVERY PART OF YOU
AZ
After Vale ordered them all to rest, they had each found their rooms. But not before Vale had whispered into their minds through the link,Do not leave her alone. She needs to be grounded, and we must ensure this storm does not break.
As Lu had wandered, a hand brushing the smooth curve of the walls, they had taken a moment to inwardly discuss who would be with her first. And it had been Az who had won.
She needed him, needed to feel safe, and they all knew she felt the safest in his presence. A fact that made Az swell with pride, and grow resentful of them all—for shoving her away until she felt isolated.
The rooms were open, only a curtain separating them from the circular expanse where the lounge area was. A bed set on a stone platform, plush white blankets draped over the side and falling to the floor, while a curtain wrapped around it, hanging from the ceiling in swaths of mesh. The bed faced a large arched doorway, flanked by two swirling pillars, open entirely to the outside—trees with large trunks, lush grass, ripe and soft, the fronds swaying in the wind.
Az had gone from room to room, specifically choosing this one when he saw it was the only one without a clear line of sight to the sea.
She’d stood wearily in the center of the room, and at Az’s low, murmured words,Do you want to bathe, angel?Lu had agreed softly.
