AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Spotting my father as he enters the throne room, I push my thoughts onto him.“You need to fix the boundary. Alter it somehow. Alice is planning to go after Finn and if she does, we’ll be trapped inside. If we change it now and use someone else besides the three of us, she won’t be able to leave, and we’ll still be able to let the lord’s armies in when they arrive.”
He pauses, turning to search the crowd for me, and catches my eye. Slowly he nods his head, looking at Alice as if to question what I’ll do, then spins on his heels and leaves the same way he came.
“Okay, all done.” I clap my hands against my thighs and push up from the seat. “Now, have you ever been to The Enchanted Wyrm?”
She shakes her head no, looking up at me with glossy blue eyes. Something about that look has my heart singing and makes me never want to look away. It’s as if she’s fallen for me all over, and I’m not sure what to make of it. It must be something to do with the spell, but fuck… I wish she always looked at me like that.
33
Alice
He wasn’t kidding. This paint shit is really…life-altering.I should be shaking in my boots as we stroll through the main part of town. Kai figured out my plan and normally he’d be furious, but instead, he comforted me. He understood.
I’m still absorbing that, even as people walk by half-naked and painted in various designs. Some swirl-like, others more similar to the lines Kai drew over me. Couples hold hands and skip down the cobblestone past others who are literally banging it out in the street. This is madness, yet I couldn’t have a care in the world.
Is this how he feels? Is the stoic, relaxing sensation coming from him through the bond?
If so, then he’s got lifemade.I’ve never felt this free… Usually, there’s something to stress about or think twice about. It’s peaceful and I’m slightly jealous.
“It’s right through here,” Kai says, looping his arm around my waist and guiding me toward two large curved doors. It looks like a hobbit house on steroids, with crooked, knobby boards, and circular windows. The grassy roof. He pulls one of the doors open and music spills out from the open void.
It’s festive and upbeat. The sound of people stomping and cheering draws me inside.
The interior looks like it’s been carved out of a massive sliver of a tree trunk, with solid wooden walls, and a whimsical bar made out of woven branches. A balcony overlooks a recessed area on the story below where people dance and twirl ribbons around a maypole, erected in the center and reaching up toward the open ceiling. The moons’ light shines down as the three crescents align. Women and men spin around each other, weaving the fabric around the pole. All of them are painted in the same colors as Kai and me.
A centaur works the bar, tossing a towel over his shoulder as he serves drink after drink, and the crowd is filled with creatures of all kinds. Dwarves, reptilian people, witches, and warlocks… Shifters and some that look half ram and half human. It’s a melting pot of cultures and all of them are participating in the festival.
“Lust!” Someone yells, scurrying toward a blonde man at one of the pedestal tables. “You’ve outdone yourself tonight, my man!” The green-skinned man pats him on the back.
Kai pulls me to the right, dragging me down a long hallway. Circular doors line either side, but he beelines for the archway at the end, which turns into a spiraling staircase that jets out onto the dance floor. People applaud as the weaving comes to a stop and the maypole is complete.
The music changes as people pair off.
“So, tell me. Have you learned how to dance yet?”
I snort, widening my eyes at him. “No. My life has been filled with learning how to keep my head attached to my shoulders. Not learning how to waltz.”
“Maybe it’s time you took a lesson from me then,” he says, hugging me from behind and kissing the hollow behind my ear. A thrill shoots through me as liquid fire pours into my core. He chuckles low in my ear. “You’re turned on by the strangest things.”
“Excuse me?”
His chuckles turn into an all-out hum of laughter as he squeezes me tighter against him. “I’m just stating the facts. Who knew hugging you made you hot? Maybe I should’ve talked you into doing this spell sooner. I quite enjoy knowing I can make your pulse quicken just by gently stroking my knuckles over your skin.” He does the action while he speaks, ghosting his touch down my side. “It’s entertaining, to say the least.”
His hand travels up my stomach, causing my muscles to clench as he nears, moving higher until his fingers wrap around my throat. “Dance with me. I’ll teach you.” He lets go, moving in front of me and holding out a hand. With a deep breath, I take it and let him drag me onto the dance floor.
Kai loops an arm behind my back and threads his fingers through mine. “It’s easy. Just follow my lead.” He steps forward and I match it backward, mimicking his movements. “Just like that.” The warmth of his cheek presses against mine.
Dark amber eyes watch me as I let him guide us across the dance floor, spinning in whimsical circles through the crowd. “You’re such a beautiful woman, Alice… but your mind is incredible. It keeps me on my toes. I’m incredibly lucky to call you mine.” My chest swells as he bends to kiss my forehead, not missing a beat.
Each time my feet fumble, he lifts me ever so slightly off the ground until I catch the rhythm again. Kai is born for this—the formal dances, the ceremonies, for playing the part of king. The people love him, even though he’s strong and unyielding. They’ll watch him punish one of their own who stepped out of line within the kingdom, then look at him with awe. They trust him to do what’s best for his people. Hell, I’d argue that they trust him more than Lucifer.
Even with the people’s overwhelming support, he’d have to win over the court to become king, unless Lucifer dies. Seeing as he’s immortal, Hell would freeze over first. Still, even the court values him, but they still view him as someone learning the ropes, and that ideology has only grown since he announced me as his soon-to-be wife.
It’s no secret I’m not the kingdom’s favorite, certainly not the courts. They’re terrified of me. The people have been since I, for lack of a better word, blew up the market when some douche lizard man tried to hurt me. And the court? They’ve never liked the idea of my existence. Had I been a true nephilim like Kai, sure they’d be fine with it. However, it seems to be a growing trend, both in Hell and on Earth, that witches get the brunt of the stick. They’re scared of what I can do without my spellbinding, and even after proving myself in battle, they’re still no more on my side than they were months ago.
Marrying me is hurting his chances, and if he truly is hell-bent on contesting the court, then he’ll need all the support he can get. It takes me a moment to realize we’ve stopped dancing. The rest of the crowd has continued twirling around and around, but we’ve stopped dead center.
My eyes close as I sigh.The fucking bond…
