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Rush admired the flashes of color that caught the dim lighting. “Glass.” He shrugged. They wore them, sculpted to look like dragon scales, around their eyes, across their brows, along their cheekbones. Different shades, a variety of intricate designs. All of them to worship the King of Sin.
Aura chewed her bottom lip as she watched the people brush their hands seductively along one another’s flesh. It wasn’t disgust that shone in her gaze but curiosity. Rush could practically hear her thinking. He’d purposely left her free of the glass so he could decorate her himself.
“Your Majesty,” Vikram, the lord of Uleis—a territory in Moonstone—greeted as he approached the dais from the left. He was an older man with thinning hair and a scraggly beard, the only one in the room besides Aura without any glass. Why thefuckdid Astor invite him? “My nephew and chosen heir was invited to join you tonight.”
“And?” Rush drawled, watching a young redheaded male run his tongue up a woman’s swanlike neck instead.
“You haven’t been formally introduced yet, so I’m here to make introductions. Then, I’ll leave you to your amusements,” he said with a knowing chuckle.
Rush sighed. “Fine. Where is the welp?”
The lord turned and waved a man with dark brown hair, close in age to Rush, forward. Dark blue scales decorated his tanned brow and flared out across his temples. He bowed, his white tunic standing out against his gray trousers. “Your Majesty.”
“This is Dzmitry, future Lord of Uleis,” Vikram said.
Dzmitry straightened his spine and peered first at Rush, then at Aura. Expected, of course. She was new, she stood at the king’s side, and she was alluring. But his gazelingered. He raked her up and down, spending extra attention to the swell of her breasts.
Rush glowered at him. “Do you like my kitten, Dzmitry?”
The man jerked, his gaze lowering to the ground. “Forgive me, Majesty.”
“She is quite fetching,” the lord admitted. “Might we ask her name?”
“You may not.” Rush skimmed the back of his fingers over Aura’s hip. The heat of her body soaked into his skin.
“You look familiar, my lady,” Dzmitry blurted.
Rush lifted a brow. Could this young man recognize Aura? Uleis was a Moonstone town that bordered Starnight, and Pax’s soldiers were likely nosing about. Adragonhad made off with their future princess, after all. It was only a matter of time before they petitioned to enter Moonstone to search for Aura.
“I hear that often,” she said in a flat voice. Her gaze drifted to Rush and she put on a smile.
“Go,” Rush growled at the two men. They gave each other a knowing look before backing away from the dais. Vikram headed toward the door almost immediately while Dzmitry cast another longing glance at Aura over his shoulder. Rush’s dragon snarled inside him, his fire coursing through his veins.
“Did I give you permission to speak?” he asked, his voice a low hum as he shifted forward in his seat.
“Do Ineedpermission?” Aura hissed.
“You need my permission for everything, kitten.” His fingers circled her wrist and he drew her in front of him. After motioning to a servant who stood along the wall, Rush sat forward and turned Aura to face him.
“Rush,” she breathed, shifting nervously.
His vision wavered for a flicker of a moment, zeroing in on her with his dragon’s sharp eyesight before he shoved the beast back down. “Kneel, kitten.”
“What? I’m not—”
“It isn’tthat.” His lips tilted up at the edges. “Now do as you’re toldandkneel.” He took her second wrist and she went down on her knees.
A table appeared beside the throne, the servant placing a small golden chest upon it before fleeing.
“You can ask for things nicely,” Aura mumbled, eyeing the table.
Rush grabbed the chignon at the base of her neck and tilted her face up toward him. “If you insist on sassing me all night, I can lock you back up in your room.”
Her jaw clenched, her eyes not wavering from his. “Fuck you.”
“Now, now.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Is this what you call behaving?”
Dzmitry was speaking to a group of men and women in the far back of the room, their eyes darting over to Rush and Aura, then away again. A surge of protectiveness raced through his veins. If the bastard truly had recognized Aura, Rush would have to act before word spread. He lifted a piece of hair that framed her face and tried to imagine what he might be forced to do to protect her.
