by Sadie Moss
I scowled. “I’m pretty sure I already did that when I blew up part of a balcony.”
The incubus quirked a perfect eyebrow. “I think we can make a better impression on them than that.” He wrapped one strong arm around me, large palm pressing firmly against my back, and grasped my right hand in his left. His dark eyes glinted in the light from the magical chandeliers as his gaze skated down my body. “Or maybe I just can’t resist you in that dress.”
Before I could try to come up with a response for that, he moved.
Without even thinking, I moved with him, stepping back as he stepped forward. We began to glide across the floor, turning and whirling in time to the beat of the song. It was a lot like fighting, I realized. I had no idea what the actual steps of this dance were supposed to be, but I just followed the cues of Akio’s body, responding to the subtle tells that gave away his next movement.
Unbidden, memories of my first encounter with him rose to my mind.
The night I’d tried to kill him.
It was almost impossible to believe I’d really done that, and guilt still roiled my gut when I thought about it. What if Jae hadn’t been there to heal the incubus? Would the stab wound I’d inflicted have killed him? Although the incident was weeks behind us, panic filled me as I imagined what could’ve happened if I’d succeeded in my mission.
Shoving those dark thoughts from my mind, I tightened my grip on Akio’s hand, leaning into him a little closer, his spicy scent filling my nose.
His eyes flashed, and he shot me a burning look. “Remembering our first dance?”
Surprised that his thoughts had mirrored mine so closely, I met his gaze. “I… Is that what you call it?” I swallowed, almost missing a step. “Look, Akio. I’m sorry. I know I said that before, but I—”
“It’s forgiven, kitten.” He brushed aside my apology as he spun me and lowered me into a deep dip. He stared down at me from this new vantage point, light and shadow highlighting his angular features. “I must admit, I think of it often. Your legs wrapped around me, your breath gasping in my ear. The little noises you made as you strained to keep your grip. The feel of your body pressed flush against mine.”
My eyes widened, and breathing suddenly became difficult. Heat flashed through my body as if a blast of magical fire had been let loose in my veins.
Before I could go completely boneless, Akio swept me upright again, guiding me backward across the dance floor in a series of twists and turns. I moved on autopilot as I tried to restrain the urge to climb up his body and play out the actions he’d just described, wrapping my legs around his lean waist and squeezing tight. Only this time, I’d have a much different goal in mind than murder.
Was he fucking with me? Using his incubus charm to drive me insane in front of the gathered crowd? Was that what he’d meant by “stealing the spotlight?”
My mind went blank as I wrestled with my feelings, and I kept pace with Akio’s lead when it became more aggressive. He spun and twirled, pushed and pulled me, and my body moved with his as though we’d done this a thousand times. I didn’t even realize the song was over until he swept me into another low dip, holding the position as applause broke out around us.
I glanced around.
All eyes in the room were on Akio and me.
The dance floor had emptied completely except for the two of us. The gathered government officials clapped for our little show; several of the men stared at me lasciviously, while the women looked with interest between my dance partner and me. My gaze darted to Akio as the incubus slowly pulled me back up to stand in front of him.
The corner of his mouth rose in a slight smile. “You want to speak to the Representatives? Just sit back and wait for them to come to you. You’ve just become the most interesting person in the room, kitten.”
He was right. As soon as we stepped off the dance floor, several women in elaborate dresses with skirts almost as wide as they were tall greeted us, fluttering their hands and speaking over each other.
“My darling, where did you come from?”
“Who is that delightful creature with you?”
“Your hair is so lovely. Who’s your stylist?”
I shot a panicked look at Akio. I wanted to glean information from the Representatives, not get sucked into a discussion of the latest Gifted fashion trends with these women.
“Excuse us, ladies,” he said smoothly, extracting me from their clutches. “But I’m sure Lana is parched from her exertions. I’ll bring her right back. I promise.”
He pulled me away, and I glanced over my shoulder at the women. They reminded me of chickens in their poufy, colorful dresses, whispering and clucking as we walked away.
“Why did you tell them you’d bring me back?” I hissed under my breath. “I don’t want to go back there.”
“Relax, kitten. I lied.”
As we made our way through the crowd toward where we’d left the other three men, another woman stepped into my path. She was the complete opposite of the gaggle who’d just accosted me. Her dress was a simple but elegant gray-blue sheath, the color a perfect complement to her ash blonde hair. She had a thin face and high cheekbones, and the most startling eyes I’d ever seen—light blue irises rimmed with a darker blue, making her gaze almost hypnotic.
She held out a long-fingered hand to me, the gesture smooth and regal. “You must be Beatrice’s granddaughter. I’m Olene Romo. I serve on the council with your grandmother.”
“Representative Romo.” I dipped my head slightly, and Akio did the same.
“You cut a striking figure on the dance floor; I’ve known Beatrice for many years, and I can see the resemblance between the two of you. I must admit, I’ve been hoping for the chance to meet you. Your grandmother told me a bit about the circumstances of your reappearance, and it sounds quite astonishing.”
My muscles tensed. Had Beatrice told her the whole story? She’d promised to allow me to decide whether and how to publicly reveal my previous life as one of the Blighted. Then again, I supposed a twenty-year disappearance was intriguing enough even without the added twist of long-suppressed powers resurfacing.
“Well, I’m not sure how interesting my story is,” I said demurely, “but I’m happy to speak with you. My grandmother was kind enough to give me a place in her world, but I wish I knew more about it.” I gestured to our surroundings, encompassing the entire ballroom.
“She didn’t give you anything you didn’t deserve. You earned a place in this world,” Olene corrected with a smile.
I bit back my sharp response. How had I earned anything? My magic made me powerful, but it didn’t define who I was, and it had nothing to do with my value as a person. But I knew this wasn’t the time to start that argument with one of the Representatives.
“Thank you. Maybe if you’re—”
My words were cut off by a voice that rose above the crowd.
“Filthy fucking Blighted! Who invited you?”
Ice filled my veins, and I looked past Olene toward where my other three men stood. A Gifted man was pacing in front of Corin, shouting in his face while Jae and Fenris tried to get between them.
Pushing past the mage and wolf shifter, the man invaded Corin’s space, angling his head to speak into his ear as he held up a hand. “What do you say, Blighted boy? Want to see what real power looks like?”
Zaps of electricity that resembled little lightning bolts flickered from each of his fingers, intersecting above his palm with a crackling sound.
The man sniffed at the side of Corin’s face loudly, his nostrils flaring. “Nope. Don’t smell any magic in you. All I smell is fear.” He gave a thin, lazy laugh.
Not even bothering to excuse myself from Olene, I forced my way through the crowd, heart hammering in my chest.
By the time I neared them, Jae and Fen had stationed themselves beside Corin, who stood still as a statue, spots of red dotting his cheeks. His jaw clenched rhythmically, and I could feel the anger raging inside him like i
t was my own. Hell, maybe it was my own. My blood was nearly boiling as I raised my voice, cutting across the man’s angry tirade as I barreled toward him.
“Hey!”
He turned just in time to see my palms slam against his chest, striking him with such force that he stumbled back several steps. The man was middle-aged, with a saggy, sullen face and eyelids that hung half closed.
The spark of magic in his hand winked out in his shock, but as soon as he recovered himself, he raised his hand again, reigniting the arc of electricity above his palm. He lunged toward Corin, who flinched involuntarily but didn’t give way.
Red filled my vision, and the sounds of the ballroom faded into a rush of white noise as rage overtook me.
I didn’t think.
I just leapt for the man, shifting into wolf form as I moved. We collided with a crash, my paws slamming into his shoulders and driving him backward. He overturned a small table on the way down, shattering glasses and sending drops of champagne flying as several screams rose up from the crowd. He landed under me, letting out a harsh grunt as his back hit the floor. Seconds later, my teeth were on his throat.
The Gifted man’s rancid breath came in sharp gasps, and his hands scrabbled at my fur.
I didn’t bite down. I wasn’t stupid. But I put just enough pressure on his neck to let him know I could kill him if he tried to attack.
“Lana!” Beatrice walked quickly through the crowd, which parted to let her through. Her eyes were wide, her face stark. “Release him! Representative Constantine, control yourself.”
Representative?
Ah, fuck.
Chapter 9
Warily, I unclamped my jaw from the man’s neck, backing up enough to allow him to stand.
I sent up a silent prayer to all the gods I could think of that I’d be wearing clothes when I shifted back, and then let the magic flow through me. At least one god must have been listening, because I didn’t add to the clusterfuck of this evening by reappearing naked in front of a roomful of Gifted officials.
The dark-haired man scrambled to his feet and clenched his hands into fists, but Beatrice stepped forward, her voice a harsh whisper. “Nicholas! That is my granddaughter. Think about what you’re doing.”
The man, Nicholas Constantine, sneered as his half-lidded gaze darted to her.
“What is this? Is your granddaughter a shifter, Beatrice? I thought she was a mage. I thought she was pure.” He spit the last word in my direction. “And why is she standing up for this filthy Blighted man? For that matter, why is a Blighted man a guest at the palace rather than serving me my drinks?”
“Nicholas.” Beatrice’s voice was low and firm. “You know as well as I do that some of the Blighted are allowed to be here. There were several in attendance at the Grand Ball, and you didn’t object to that.”
“Didn’t I?” The man spun on her, stumbling slightly as he did. Was he drunk? Or maybe he was just a slovenly fucking asshole. “At least those ‘guests’ made an effort to blend in. At least they respected magic and tried to adopt our lifestyle. This man has none. He’s empty!”
Nicholas swung back toward Corin, whose face was a hard mask. Darting forward, I pushed between the two of them, coming nose to nose with Nicholas.
“Empty? I guess it’s better than being full of shit,” I ground out. “And what’s so wrong with being Blighted, anyway? You’re not making the Gifted look all that great right now, I gotta tell you.”
His lip curled. “What would you know about it, girl?”
“Plenty.” I raised my voice, anger making me reckless. “I was raised among the Blighted.”
The room went silent.
Or maybe it had already been that way, and I only noticed it now because Nicholas finally stopped talking.
He stared at me, jaw working like a cow chewing a particularly hefty bit of cud. His drooping eyelids blinked once. Twice. Then he turned slowly to look at my grandmother.
“This is your lineage?” His dark eyes swung back to me, malice glittering in their depths. “Some people should just stay dead.”
Without another word, he shoved past me, spit at Corin, and stalked out of the ballroom.
Whispers broke out among the crowd, and I turned to Corin as he wiped his face with the back of his sleeve.
“Oh my gods. Corin, I’m so sorry!”
“Don’t be.” His tone was dull. “I shouldn’t have come.”
“Are you kidding? He shouldn’t have—!”
Corin grabbed my forearm, cutting me off. He spoke quietly, his voice thick. “Don’t. Right or wrong, it is what it is. I’m just making your job harder by being here. I’ll go.” His face betrayed no expression, but I could feel the emotions raging inside him.
“No, that’s not—”
He pulled away from me before I could finish and walked toward the door, the guests stepping back to give him a wide berth as if he were diseased.
“Beatrice, what is the meaning of this?” Jonas Nocturne pushed his way to the front of the crowd gathered around us, followed closely by Chief Advisor Rain. I suppressed a growl of frustration. Could these people not back off for two godsdamned seconds?
“I’ll go after him. Make sure he’s safe,” Fenris murmured. Akio slipped away with him, and Jae stepped up beside me, taking my hand.
“The meaning of what?” My grandmother turned to Jonas with a tired look. I caught sight of Theron Stearns watching from a farther back in the crowd, but he didn’t join our small group.
The Minister of Justice caught her elbow, dipping his head to speak in a low voice. At least he wasn’t interested in putting on a show like so many of his colleagues were. “This freak show you’ve brought with you tonight. I thought your granddaughter would carry on the Lockwood line. I found her power impressive, and I was eager to see what she would bring to our court. But this… this harem she has built for herself of Touched and Blighted men is disgraceful.”
His gaze flicked to Jae as he spoke, then down to our joined hands. When he looked back at me, his green eyes were cold.
“You don’t know the full circumstances, Jonas,” Beatrice said. Her back was straight and her head held high, but the tall man still towered over her with a dominating presence. “I assure you, there is a reason for their connection.”
Jonas shook his head adamantly, glaring at me. The first few times I’d met him, it’d been easy to see he was a cold, calculating man, but he’d always treated me with careful deference. Apparently, now that he knew there was nothing to be gained by associating with me, that time was past.
“No.” His voice was hard. “I don’t care what reason there is. I won’t have it. Put a stop to this, Beatrice.”
With one last heavy look at her, he moved away, giving no further acknowledgment of Jae or me.
Conversation had slowly resumed around us, although many people still cast furtive glances our way before dipping their heads back down to speak in hushed voices.
Jae, Beatrice, and I stood in a large open space within the crowd, staring at each other in silence for a moment. No more Gifted officials approached us.
“Are all the palace functions this much fun?” I asked hollowly.
Beatrice sighed. “No, sweet girl. Most of them are actually quite pleasant.”
I whirled on her, the frustration that had been building in me since the beginning of this evening bursting forth like scalding steam from a boiling pot.
“You know why they’re pleasant? Because you all pretend that things like this”—I gestured between myself and Jae then to the door where the three other men had disappeared—“don’t happen! You pretend the Blighted aren’t suffering, the Touched aren’t basically living in service to you, and that you aren’t the cause of it all! You keep your world pristine and pretty, but you know what? You’re just covering up how fucking ugly it is.”
Dropping Jae’s hand, I stalked toward the door. I needed to find Corin right now and do something, anything, to make this right. The
mage, at least, would be safe in the ballroom while I was gone. He was worthy.
Gritting my teeth at the thought, I passed through the large arched entryway to the ballroom, scanning the hall in both directions. I didn’t see Corin, Akio, or Fen, so I turned toward the palace entrance. My heels rang sharply against the slick marble floor, and I reached down, fumbling to take them off. Fuck it. I’d already made about the worst impression I possibly could’ve here, and I was well and truly done trying to impress these people. I didn’t even bother carrying my shoes with me, just left them abandoned on the floor as I lifted my skirts and walked faster.
A second set of footsteps echoed in the hall behind me, and I turned, expecting to see Jae. He wouldn’t want me out of his sight for too long, and he was probably as worried about Corin as I was.
It wasn’t Jae though. It was Beatrice.
She strode quickly toward me, looking smaller and older than she had in the ballroom just a few moments earlier.
“Lana, sweet girl, wait!” she called out softly.
I hesitated, tempted to ignore her and keep walking. But the look of sorrow in her shadowed gray eyes stopped me.
“What, Beatrice?”
“My child, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that would happen. But I should have suspected. Nicholas can be…. And if not him, then Victor….”
“Yeah. They’re assholes. Maybe you should have suspected.” I bit the words out, wishing the two men were here so I could unleash my fury on them. As stupid as it had been to start it, I was itching to finish my fight with Nicholas.
My grandmother reached me and took my arm, joining me as I walked down the hall. She didn’t even look twice at my bare feet.
“You have to understand. Your presence is upending everything they believe. The men your magic bonded you to—I’ve chosen to accept them, because I love you, and I see how they are a part of you. But others look at someone like your Corin and see—”
“Filth.” It hurt just to say it.
She closed her eyes for a moment. “Yes. There are many Gifted who still blame the Blighted for the Great Death.”