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Then the room erupted in applause and Arianna was on her feet joining them. She swiped at a stray tear and smiled at Rion. Her mate smiled back, eyes bright with life and love and joy.
Arianna leaned in. “I’ve never heard anything so beautiful,” she said over the roars of whistles and applause.
Rion’s breath caressed the shell of her ear. “Neither have I.”
Ellie plopped back into her seat and sighed in contentment. “Good food, good music. I might just have to stay in Ruadhán for a century or two.”
Arianna laughed. A century. A mere drop in time for them. It was five times the life she’d already lived and it was only the beginning. She glanced back at Rion and the smile on his face.
A beautiful, rich beginning.
Chapter Eighteen
Arianna
After the female’s spectacular performance, the musicians returned to playing a far more upbeat tune. Arianna’s feet throbbed. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but when Ellie dragged her out onto the dance floor, she couldn’t tell her little sister no.
Talon and Rion remained at the table, watching the pair despite being invited. She saw Talon’s smile when Ellie twirled, and the girls danced and spun across the floor laughing until their stomachs ached.
Others joined, drinks feeding a frenzy of joy and excitement, but Ellie remained at her side, keeping those who wanted to draw too close at bay. When they reached for her, Ellie took their arm instead, spun with them around the dance floor, then quickly returned to her sister. The gathered crowd eventually took the hint and settled to clapping for the females instead.
She’d missed this. This carefree joy that came so easily to her sister. Emotion swelled through Arianna even as they kept spinning. She was a stranger in a strange place and yet Ellie made it feel like home.
After a few more songs, Arianna pulled Talon out onto the floor with an apologetic smile. He understood enough when she longingly gazed toward Rion. Or maybe it was the bags beneath her eyes. She craved a soft bed and quiet after the long journey.
Talon took Ellie’s arm and they danced and danced and danced, weaving through the crowd of strangers without missing a step.
Arianna laced her fingers through Rion’s hand and her mate smiled at her, though she couldn’t discern his emotions even with the bond. They were jumbled, an explosion of colors all at once that were impossible to pick apart.
She glanced around the room once and just as the regent had promised, a servant stepped forward.
He bowed and gestured toward a door rather than raising his voice above the music.
Arianna watched her sister spin into Kirian’s arms, a wide smile covering her face. Talon smiled too before bowing to a petite female and taking her hand. Arianna followed the servant with Rion at her side.
The nimble male opened a side door and as soon as it closed, the sounds of music and laughter faded to a distant hum.
The halls were quiet and dark, lit only by a few lanterns hanging on the walls and the moonlight filtering through the tall floor-to-ceiling windows. They were open, allowing the cool night breeze to billow the sheer cream colored curtains.
The trio walked in silence, Rion’s hand clutching hers as she observed the artwork in the dark. She kept to the hall’s center to avoid accidentally knocking over the fine vases perched on the edges of tables.
The male turned and gestured them up a carpeted staircase. His footsteps were near silent as he ascended. The wooden railings were so smooth and intricately carved and she watched Rion’s fingertips graze over the patterns as if he could memorize them in the dark.
Her throat went dry and his head whirled toward her when her scent changed. A dark gleam in his gaze told her she wasn’t sleeping tonight no matter how much she needed it.
The male’s footsteps, to his credit, didn’t falter, though he seemed to move at a faster pace now.
They turned down another long hall, but this one only had two doors, one to her right and the other further down to her left. A double set of glass doors also stood at the end of the hall and likely led to a balcony. The servant faced the one on the right, bowed his head, and held out a key.
“I hope you find it to your liking. Someone will be here tomorrow to escort you to breakfast.”
“Thank you,” Arianna said, taking the key from his gloved hand.
The male bowed again and scurried away. Arianna thought she’d glimpsed a blush on his cheeks.
She placed the key in the lock, but a gentle tug from Rion had her stepping back. He opened the door first, his magic spilling from inside his blue jacket. He’d discarded the priest’s robes at dinner.
Arianna counted the seconds then Rion’s shoulders relaxed and they stepped inside.
