Rhennic laughed. Bundling her into his arms, he kissed her deeply before pulling back with a rumbling growl. “Don’t worry, I do want time alone with you, though. Soon.”
“Okay.” Layla spoke breathlessly, rolled by his brightness and loving every inch of his massive body pressed to hers. But with a laugh, Rhennic pulled away as they heard the patter of Reginald leaving the shower, and soon he had leapt from the bed to take his turn. Watching his great ass and back saunter away, Layla almost missed the casual, sweet kiss Rhennic stopped for from Reginald as they passed each other in the doorway. With a towel around his waist, Reginald came to Layla on the bed and they shared a kiss also.
“How are you, really?” Layla asked, watching him as he smoothed his hand over hers.
“Good. I feel ready for this now. Steadier.” Reginald spoke with a quirk of his lips. “Strangely enough, I think what we did just now steadied Fury also. I can feel him out there… smoothed in a way I’ve never felt from him before.”
“I can feel it, too.” Layla spoke. Reaching back down along that ephemeral cord that Bound her to Fury, she felt him laying upon his back in the hall of ice columns, staring at the ceiling. His flows were quiet all around the island, and Fury moved only the tips of his fingers at the ceiling, braiding a gentle flow of endless water through the ice-columns in complex Celtic sigils. He became aware of her, and Layla saw those haunting eyes focus on her as his lips fell open with a soft exhalation. Not silver or blue anymore, his eyes were a combination of both now – darkly midnight blue with luminous flecks of silver in them, like a night full of stars.
Layla.She felt him breathe to the empty hall.What have you done to me?
Across the distance, Layla felt Fury’s vast quietude as the Siren was soothed inside the man from what they’d done; how all their magics had become one in that marvelous sexcapade. Layla didn’t know how long the effect might last – she dared to hope – but Fury was a powerful creature and his Siren-drake a reckless phenomenon she’d have to deal with later.
Just not tonight.
“We can hope.” Reginald smiled as he watched her, something amazed in his eyes now as he stroked her hand. Layla came back to the moment, her vision of Fury swirling out as she watched her golden mate. “I’ve never felt Fury this calm, Layla. Neither his Siren nor himself. If somehow by the Bind we can smooth his passionate power into something useful, it gives me great joy to think what might happen. Fury is beloved to me. My twin is one of the most important people in my life, though I never talk about him. It hurt too much, trying to face it, what he had become since our mother’s death. But now… perhaps pulling him into the Bind was the one thing that could save him from himself.”
“I hope so.” Layla spoke, watching her beautiful golden Siren.
“I do, too.” Reginald spoke quietly. Smoothing his hand over Layla’s one last time, he turned to his discarded Victorian-modern suit on the floor and began putting everything back on. Layla had no time to ogle him, because Rhennic was out of the shower and it was now her turn. Pushing up from the bed, she felt the mood change in the room as they all began preparing for the party again – and now they were late. Her shower was nearly as fast as Rhennic’s, just a quick sluice of water in the most important places, before she was back out again and toweled off, walking naked to the closet to put on her gown.
But both drakes watched her as she crossed the room nude. As Layla heard a growl rumble from Rhennic with a blitz of heat, she felt an answering oceanic flow from Reginald. They were both looking at her now as they finished donning their menswear.
Watching her as if she was the last woman alive.
Layla could barely take her eyes off them either, as she slid her gown on quickly and began combing out her curls with a finishing creme and setting them with her mother Mimi’s diamond hairpins. Reginald was resplendent in his pearl-champagne Victorian ensemble, complete with stunning dark russet riding boots. Rhennic was elegantly modern in a slim midnight-blue three-piece suit, pinstriped with royal purple the same color as his eyes. His tie and pocket square were a deep royal plum, the outfit accentuated by a gold pocket watch and chain, glossy gold cufflinks, and a gold tie-bar the same color as Reginald’s hair.
A knock came at the doors as Layla began her makeup, and she heard more than saw Vindaris enter and exclaim his delight that they were nearly ready. Setting three medium-sized silk boxes on the table and opening them, Vindaris unveiled three gilded demi-masques set with pearls and diamonds to match Layla’s gown and Reginald’s jacket. As Vindaris laid them out, Layla saw the masques had fiercely serrated Siren-fins and scales for the men, a more feminine one for her.
“Your Beltane masques.” Vindaris spoke briskly. “It was all I could do on such short notice, but at least you’ll all appear as a matched trio. Everything gets shed by the end of Beltane, anyhow, so it won’t really matter.” He chuckled deviantly, before breezing on. “Presentations are in fifteen minutes in the Hall of Blessings. Reginald, are you ready for your welcome speech?”
“I am.” As Reginald answered, Layla realized Vindaris was Reginald’s co-organizer for the event, and wondered if it was usually Vindaris’ party. Though Reginald had set all the details, Layla had no doubt who had been in his ear, telling him how things went. She saw Reginald’s deeply grateful smile for his brother as Vindaris poured a bottle of champagne and handed it around.
“To new beginnings.” Reginald spoke as they all clinked glasses.
“And to a night that fulfills all our hearts,” Rhennic added. “Bel teine, the night of Bright Fire, is a night of sexuality, sensuality, passion, and joy. A night where we may come together as one and conceive a new world.”
“A world worth celebrating,” Layla added. “A world Bound by love.”
“Hear, hear!” Vindaris added with a bright smile and a chuckle. “Don’t lovers say it best.”
With that, they all clinked, and it was not lost on Layla that Vindaris’ gaze went knowingly to Reginald and Rhennic as they all drank.
But Vindaris didn’t say anything, and after him putting the last finishing touches on Layla’s makeup and hair, they were finally ready. Lowering her demi-masque over her eyes so Reginald could tie it on behind her, Layla had thought it would be hard to see through, but the fabric around the eye-holes was so sheer that her peripheral vision was marred not at all, the weight of the masque like a breeze upon her skin. Reginald had already donned his masque and Rhennic also, sexily slaying in their matching masques like a pair of vicious Sirens coiled up from the deeps.
Last for Layla was Reginald’s bridal pearls, settled around her neck, wrist, and in her ears by Reginald’s gentle touch.
Extending his hand, Reginald waited for Layla. As she came to him, Rhennic stepped in behind them, his hand extended to subtly touch Layla’s bare back through the drape in her gown. Rhennic let Reginald lead the way as they stepped from Layla’s rooms and took the waterfall escalator down, Vindaris trailing them as they moved through the palace’s halls of coral and living water. The sun was setting behind the vaulted columns as they came to the location of the royal party. Layla had thought they’d be celebrating Beltane in the Throne Hall tonight, but instead, she found they had arrived at one of the massive underwater halls that led out to the harbor as Reginald escorted her in through the towering purple coral and pearl archways.
And into her first Beltane Bacchanalia.
Stunningly beautiful, the hall was constructed of incredible white and purple corals Layla had seen nowhere else on the island, everything flowing with rivers of gold and sea-grey pearls shining through the branches. Living water flowed up massive columns, twisting around the white and purple corals studded with green anemones, red urchins, and colorful fish. The vaulted space was a ballroom, with seven tiers marching up the dome’s sides where revelry continued, accessed by water-founts and corkscrewing staircases of water. Massive braziers of pearl, abalone, and gold were lit around the hall, providing a twisting, sea-like white fire. At the far end of the dome, the floor gave way to a low wall with the harbor’s water beyond, the most ornate sea-access Layla had seen yet. She realized the hall was probably only reserved for the most formal events.
After which, Sirens could slip off to continue their revelry beneath the sea.
As they entered, a herald in pale blue livery cried out their names and titles in a rush of power that flowed to every corner of the vast hall. As every eye turned to them, Layla stood tall, proud to be on the arms of her Royal Golden Siren and Royal Storm Dragon tonight. Whispers moved around them in the packed hall like a susurrating sea. Power swamped Layla, every Siren there masqued but without a talisman for Beltane – a night famed for getting as out-of-control as possible in the Twilight Realm. Waves of pleasure, waves of devouring, and sexual destruction flooded her, from Royal Sirens staring as she entered the hall with her Bound men. But with a gentle tide, Reginald turned them all away, her Royal Siren only raising his power through their Bind to push back the most cunning or destructive of the night.
Leaving the rest.
