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I almost startle when Aiden speaks, “He needs to learn his place.”
My eyes stay locked on Prince Draven. “And what’s that?”
Aiden’s lips ever so gently kiss the top of my head. When I chance a quick glance up, his eyes look like they are trying to burn a hole into the Dark Prince. “That you were never his.”
Bile threatens to burn its way up my throat at the feel of his lips on me and the words that spew from his mouth. Dragging my gaze back to the prince who is making my heart beat irregularly, I keep my shoulders pulled back and breathe slowly through my nose.
Any trace of the smirk on Prince Draven’s face has vanished. Hard lines sharpen over his features from the bright rays of the sun, but his shadows seem to darken the air around him. A dark cloud on the verge of a dangerous storm.
“Come.” Aiden’s fingers press slightly into my side to nudge me in his direction. “Let us join the celebration.”
Prince Draven’s gaze falls down to where Aiden has his hand placed on me, causing his nostrils to flare. He then snaps those beautiful blues to the side of Aiden’s head, narrowing them as something dark seems to pass through his targeted gaze.
I don’t pause to get a good read on what that might be as I indulge Aiden, letting him take my hand to guide me into the middle of the ship and dance to a few rounds of songs. We move gracefully with the wind. By the fourth song, a guard interrupts and tells Aiden his father would like to speak with him.
“I’ll be back as soon as we’re done speaking.” A light smile dances over his face. “I suggest you go grab a drink and hydrate because I plan to dance with you until the sun goes down.”
My head rears back as my brows come together. “Why all the dancing? Surely it would be more important for you to mingle with the people and other royals of the courts?”
He steps into my space, leaning down until his lips feather against the shell of my ear. “The last ball, I only got one dance with you, and it wasn’t enough. I won’t make that mistake again and plan to make up for that tenfold.” He brings his head back to look down into my lifeless eyes, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “And there is nothing I want more than to simply enjoy the music and have you in my arms for as long as I can for everyone to see.”
“Careful, you’re sounding a little possessive.”
A telling smirk tips his lips. “Maybe I am, but I won’t lose you again.”
I hold his gaze, leaning into him until our noses almost touch, his pupils dilating with my nearness. “You can’t lose something you never had.”
He jerks back as if I slapped him, which probably would have hurt him less than the words I pierced his chest with. But I don’t want him to think my heart is warming for him. I give him a tight smile to try and bandage the wound my words caused.
“Come find me when you’re done speaking with your father.” I reach out and give his arm a gentle squeeze before walking towards the back end of the ship, needing to put some space between me and the chaos of festivities.
I lose track of time as I stand at the stern of the ship. The waves crash against the wooden boards, causing the ship to sway back and forth to the rhythm of the sea. The kernel of warmth in my chest has lingered longer than that night I fought Prince Draven in the woods. A small piece of my sanity persists alongside that spark of light, feeling a little more like myself again, even with the darkness still thriving in my veins.
My elbows rest on top of the ledge of the ship as I hold my palms out before me, staring at my fingertips. I reach deep within my core for that small fragment of light that’s been trapped and beg for it. Calling it to me with every bit of desperation I feel from losing it.
A tingle spreads through my fingers, heating them until a zap of light pulses from each one. It looks like white stars firing against the night sky. It’s a sign of hope.
But just as quickly, it’s gone. I can feel the well of my light settled deep within me, but it feels like it hides at the bottom of a cliff. Knowing it’s there but just out of reach.
A flash of yellow catches my attention in my peripheral, but when I look out to the sea, there is nothing. My gaze scans the waves lapping before me and down along one side of the ship, but still, nothing. It must have been a trick of the sunlight.
“Figured I’d find you away from the crowd,” a sultry feminine voice skates over my skin, and I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. Her white hair shines brightly under the sun and her eyes sparkle like two violet gems. Mauve, the sensual Seer, looking like a siren with legs.
“And I figured you would forever stay secluded away in your mountaintop in the Court of Amihan.”
She smiles at that as she takes in my appearance, her gaze locking in on the distorted skin around my neck. “You’re right. I would have preferred to keep my distance from such an overwhelming celebration.” She briefly looks back to the herds of people still spinning to the music. “But then, I had a vision you would be here, looking absolutely deadly since the last time we spoke.”
“That should have been your sign to stay away.” The coal of my eyes is wanting to dull the vibrant hue of hers. “I will feel nothing if I kill you.”
She dips her head with a low, velvety laugh that hums in her chest. “I don’t doubt that. I can feel the God of Darkness’s power crawling through your veins. But I took my chance because I have a part to play.”
My heart sinks to my stomach as I stare at her without blinking. “You know my father?”
She stares out to the sea as if she’s searching for something she will never find. “Father,” she says softly under her breath. “That explains the level of power I felt in you before, even though it was leashed. But now, the open strength of your power is…immense.” She slides her eyes to me before squinting up to the sky. “And to answer your question, I met him once, but it wasn’t pleasant.”
She breathes in the warm, salty air as if she hasn’t felt it in years. And maybe she hasn’t, since she lives in the mountains and her skin looks as if it’s never been touched by the sun.
“He took the love of my life, Ragon, from me, threatening to devour his soul if I fought him.” Her eyes close with a pinched face. “If his soul is destroyed in that way, he wouldn’t pass on to the afterlife and be in peace.”
