“I’m sorry.” Layla spoke, her heart expanding as she felt compelled to take his hand.
Glancing down at their clasped hands, Vindaris gave a wry smile. “Come on. We’re almost there, the Royal Ballroom is just one turn further and we don’t want to be late.”
“Sure.”
Vindaris set Layla’s hand to his arm again, escorting her to the dome’s floor and through a gilded coral arch. They came to an ante-chamber guarded by six Sirens in armor who pounded their tridents on the floor in announcement, though there were no doors here. Moving through a second arch, they were admitted into another sea-view dome, this one created entirely of white pearls, pink corals, and ornate gold filaments. Vast columns had been grown up from the floor in white and pink, gold and shimmering rainbows, enormous chandeliers branching across the upper part of the dome and sprouting from every column. The floor was nothing but pearls curling in cascading patterns like a sea beneath their feet, rivulets of living water making the whole hall feel alive. Over by the hundred-person banquet table, a Siren chamber ensemble played haunting music – increasing the sensation that everything in the hall danced.
It was incredible, and Layla stared even as Vindaris escorted her into the hundred or so people already mingling at the small family-oriented party. At a glance, Layla saw the Royal siblings were already present, but not Reginald or the King yet. Sweeping forward in a gold silk gown with her dark blue eyes shining, Leni took up Layla’s hands and pecked her cheeks in a familiar manner.
“Reginald tells me we have something to discuss concerning my work with Fury. He’ll help you find me tomorrow so we can talk about it.” She whispered at Layla’s cheek before she pulled away with a knowing gaze.
But Leni said no more as Atlantos stepped forward, taking up Layla’s hand and bowing low over it. Dressed in a smart white suit jacket with a black shirt, Atlantos was elegantly modern with a black silk tie and pocket square, a pearl and diamond pin piercing his tie. He wore black square-framed glasses tonight, and Layla blinked, realizing his eye color was different from before, almost a slate blue-grey rather then charcoal-dark. He’d been wearing contacts earlier and that startled her, realizing Dragons could have bad vision.
Raising his eyes until their piercing depths devoured her, Atlantos gave her hand a gentle kiss. “Layla Price. Good to have you among us tonight.”
“Atlantos.” She spoke, feeling slightly rattled by the way he’d approached her. Atlantos had been pleasant but evaluating earlier, almost challenging, but something was different tonight. Now he seemed darkly sexy, as if he was trying to woo her, and Layla felt a smooth flow in her thoughts as he stared at her with his true eyes behind his square-framed glasses. Layla suddenly recalled that Atlantos was over two thousand years old, and she blinked, feeling his deep pleasure easing through her. She knew she was getting rolled by his mesmeric power, but it was so strong and subtle she was unable to stop it.
“Leave off, buddy.” She breathed in warning. “Or get your ass kicked for your trouble.”
“As you like.” Atlantos spoke, and Layla felt that deep roar in her mind ease. But it left her feeling rattled as Atlantos gave a subtly sexy smile and beckoned to the strong, surly-hot Typhos beside him. Reginald’s middle brother didn’t say anything as he came to kiss Layla’s hand, but his pale blue eyes were fiercely scalding. Seizing her almost roughly, he kissed her fingers with a snarl in his manner – and a forceful wave of power that slammed into Layla so hard it made her rock. The viciously sexy Typhos was a tsunami of blistering eros; he was a volcano’s eruption in the deeps. As Layla gasped at his furious wave of magic roaring through her, she felt Leni step to her side and wrap an arm around her waist – Leni’s cool touch sluicing that hot wave firmly back.
“Typhos. That’s unfair, using your anger and sex to roll Layla.”
“All is fair in lust and war.” Typhos spoke with a darkly hot growl, pinning Layla with his vivid blue eyes now – burning rather than arctic. “She was plain today upon the runway. She is stunning now here in the deeps, and I want her.”
Layla blinked, taken aback by Typhos’ manner tonight as she clung to Leni. Unlike earlier, Typhos was a rageful presence of sex and lust and slaying now; and it raised Layla’s drakaina high in her veins for a scandalously hard, hot fuck. A roll of bourbon-orange scent cascaded from Layla’s body as her Dragon roiled inside her, and all around she heard Sirens gasp, feeling it. Her eyelashes fluttered from whatever Typhos was still doing to her despite Leni’s touch – and Layla’s body arched as she felt her Bind-power roar out in a way it hadn’t for months.
Surging through the room and tasting everyone there.
Sirens all around her cried out. Layla heard growls; she felt the Royal Sirens in the room called to her ferocious sexual power like a rip-tide. Typhos became inundated as it dug talons into him, trying to see if he was a potential mate, and he cussed, shuddering. She felt it lick Atlantos in a deep wave and he shivered, though his slate-grey eyes lit as he swayed forward, eager. Leni was like a rock in the Bind’s path, unaffected though she held Layla up from collapsing, Vindaris similarly unfazed upon her other side.
But as Layla’s power hit someone else in the room, she felt all her eros suddenly devoured – as a strong, dominant mate pulled her lust deep into his body through their Bind. Cherishing and calming her power at the same time, he strode into the gathering. Opening her eyes, Layla fixed upon that commanding presence, sheltering her like a port in the storm.
Reginald.
CHAPTER 8 – THRONE
Layla couldn’t even speak as the Siren guards slammed their tridents into the floor, announcing Reginald’s arrival to the party. Even if she hadn’t looked, she would have known who it was, as a surge of oceanic power flowed through her Bind. Regal as a king, her Royal Siren was utter perfection as he entered the hall. Dressed in modern attire again tonight, Reginald was stunningly elegant in a cream vest and trousers with gold pinstripes that echoed the colors of Layla’s dress, his glorious golden hair pulled half-back to show his beautifully cutting features.
His eyes pierced Layla the moment he entered, and she caught her breath, suddenly drowning in his tides. Reginald had accented his outfit tonight with a striking dark crimson pocket square and tie – the exact same color as the Paris Hotel’s insignia. The effect was not lost on Layla; nor his siblings as Atlantos lifted his eyebrows and Vindaris whistled softly. Essentially, Reginald was wearingonlythe Hotel’s colors tonight rather than the pearl-grey of his clan, though his pearl talisman flashed around his left wrist as he entered, his Siren-ring on his right index finger.
As he neared, Reginald lifted one golden eyebrow, devouring Layla with his incredible gaze – ice-blue, sea-grey, and gold all at once. The sound of the ocean rushed in her ears, pulling her to come to him; and Layla did, flowing toward him as Reginald closed the distance. She was swept into his arms as the crowd parted for them like a receding tide – gazing up at his incredible face as he stared down at her with a gloriously pleased smile on his lips.
Reaching up, Reginald smoothed one of her curls, admiring everything about her tonight just as much as she did him. Though he didn’t take liberties, that one touch was far more than a kiss. His light brush of fingertips over her shoulder and collarbones sent shivers of pleasure rioting through her. Mesmerized, she could do nothing as he gathered her close in her slinky cocktail dress, setting his impossibly soft lips to her cheek.
“Ummo and all the gods, you are beautiful.” He murmured, soft as the ocean. “Thank you for wearing the blush dress. It’s perfect.”
“You’re welcome.” Layla breathed, drowning in the feel of him. She could have stayed there all night, cuddled close and breathing each other in, when a frown suddenly knit Reginald’s brows. Pulling back, he gazed into Layla’s eyes, still frowning. She watched him inhale near her with his lips parted, as if scenting her magic.
Or scenting who else’s magic was all over her tonight. Layla’s power still held a touch of scorch from rebuffing the advances of Atlantos and Typhos earlier; but even she could smell the deepwater stillness of Atlantos’ power now as it lingered around her, and the smelted-iron scent of Typhos’. Scowling, Reginald’s gaze slid to the group. But as Atlantos cleared his throat uncomfortably and sipped his drink, Typhos just glowering and crossing his arms as he lifted a challenging eyebrow at Reginald, Reginald’s confusion cleared.
“Father is playing games again, I see.” He chuckled, haughty but also hard. Setting Layla’s hand to his arm, he gave her a conspiratorial glance, cruel dominance glittering in his eyes. “Let’s see if we can’t teach my brothers and father some manners. Come, my beloved. Let your Partner navigate these turbulent waters.”
As Layla turned on Reginald’s arm, she suddenly felt relief. All afternoon since he’d left her, she’d been full of tension. But she felt that tension evaporate as she realized Reginald’s cutting nature and brisk command were exactly what she needed tonight. As he gave a dark smile, ready to dominate everyone else’s bad manners to smithereens, Layla surrendered. If the evening with his family was going to be a shitshow, at least Reginald was there.
No one could shame people into behaving like her Royal Siren.
Stepping forward, Reginald maneuvered Layla back toward his siblings. The youngest Durant received deep bows throughout the hall, even at this family gathering. Reginald said not a word, only gave a few elegant nods, impeccable in his austerity. But as he led Layla back into the mess she had just left, Reginald tucked his arm behind his back and bowed so low to Layla his chin nearly scraped his knees. It stopped the party all around as Sirens stared. Whispers started as the chamber ensemble’s music faltered. Through it all, Reginald held his bow. He was showing his family that he wasn’t just Layla’s Partner, but that he was also her lesser.
