I cast my eyes upward to the full moon hanging heavily in the sky, its silver glow bathing the garden in ethereal light. I may not feel its pull, but I can sense the change in the air, the way its beams warm my skin. Still, it’s not the lust radiating from Solena and Orios. Perhaps as a human, I’m immune. But then my body ignites with shivers when I see him strolling across the garden, owning the shadows and the moonlight as if theywere his adoring subjects. Why, no matter how much the man infuriates me, can I not escape this attraction that I know will be my undoing?
He wears a fitted dark tunic that clings to his broad shoulders and sculpted chest, the neckline partly open, revealing a glimpse of the intricate rune tattoos that trace across his skin. The silver embroidery glimmers in the moonlight, drawing my eye to his muscular frame.
His dark hair falls in tousled waves, framing his strikingly handsome face and accentuating the sharp lines of his jaw. The moment his steel-gray eyes find mine, I can't escape the pull he has on me, no matter how much he pulls me towards him, only to cast me aside in the same motion. The way he moves through the garden, every gesture imbued with a raw sensuality, leaves me breathless, and I feel as if I could melt into the very shadows he commands.
He doesn’t say a word to me, just sits across the table and pours himself a drink. I watch him, his usual brooding expression a little softer, but the flicker in his eyes unsettles me. There’s a tension in his shoulders, something restless in the way his fingers drum against the edge of his glass, the black runes on his chest pulsing like a heartbeat beneath his open shirt.
I drag my gaze away from him, focusing on the feast spread before us—but I feel his eyes burning through me, stripping me bare as they roam over my body.
I grab Solena’s glass of wine; she doesn’t appear to need it, and take a long sip, hoping it’ll dull the unease settling in my bones. The Lover’s Eye is said to stir the deepest desires of the Fae. It brings out their instincts, their needs, their passions. But as I glance across the table at Daed, I can’t help but wonder—if tonight he looks at me with desire, would it be his own? Or would it be the moon’s doing, pushing him toward something he doesn’t truly want?
Solena and Orios part long enough for her to retreat into the castle before returning with a cake, its surface glistening under the moonlight with the delicate sheen of honey. It’s adorned with small, bright berries that seem to glow like embers, and I notice the way Daed’s eyes linger on it for a moment before shifting to me. Solena sets it in the center of the table, her fingers brushing Orios’ as she pulls her hand away, and they exchange a glance that doesn’t even try to disguise their need for each other.
“A cake?” I ask, realizing it’s the first time I’ve spoken since I arrived.
“This is a Lover’s Eye tradition,” Solena says, cutting into the cake with a silver knife. “It stirs the heart.”
I think the moon is managing a good enough job of that on its own.
Her smile is coy as she slices a piece and places it in front of me. I glance at Daed again, but he remains silent, his gaze fixed on the cake as if it holds some secret meaning I’ve yet to uncover. He takes his own slice, but I notice his hesitation, just the briefest flicker of something in his expression.
I pick up my fork, cutting into the cake with a quiet sigh. It’s soft and warm, the taste of honey and berries coating my tongue. For a moment, it’s all I focus on, but soon a strange warmth blooms in my chest, then in my stomach. It’s slow at first, but then the warmth turns into something else, something almost too hot, and I feel my pulse quicken.
Around me, the laughter grows louder. Orios snakes his arms around Solena’s waist, pulling her closer, and she giggles against his lips as they kiss—soft at first, then deeper, the air between them humming with a palpable energy. I glance away, but I can’t shake the feeling spreading through me, the heat that’s suddenly making my skin flush.
“Are you alright, wife?” Daed’s voice cuts through the haze, and I look up at him, trying to mask the way my body feels, toowarm, too heavy. His brow furrows slightly, and for a moment, I wonder if he feels the same.
“I’m fine,” I lie, though the heat is building, and I have to force myself to meet his gaze. His eyes hold something dark, something… hungry. But it’s not like before. This is different, and I realize with a sinking feeling that the cake must be responsible for the shift in me.
The warmth in my chest travels lower, a slow, pulsing throb I can’t control, and when Daed’s fingers brush against mine on the table, it sends a jolt through me. I pull my hand away, trying to steady my breath.
“It’s the berries,” he mutters, eyes narrowing at the plate before him. “They have… properties.”
“What kind of properties?” I ask, already knowing the answer, the heat growing unbearable as I shift in my seat.
He doesn’t answer right away, his jaw tightening before he looks at me again, the hunger in his eyes unmistakable now. “They stir desire. Fae use them… on this night.”
I feel my face flush even more, and when I glance over at Solena and Orios, they’re lost in each other, their laughter softening into whispered words and stolen kisses that leave me feeling even more out of place.
Daed watches me intently, his hand resting on the table, his posture rigid as though he’s fighting the same heat, the same pull. The Lover’s Eye shines above us, and I know the moon’s power, mixed with the berries, is complicating everything. My thoughts whirl in confusion—what is real between us, and what is nothing more than the magic of this night?
Orios and Solena rise from their seats, their movements fluid and effortless as they step into the moonlit garden. The laughter between them fades, replaced by something far more intimate. They twirl together beneath the glow of the Lover’s Eye, their bodies moving in perfect rhythm, every touch soft but chargedwith tension. Solena’s head tilts back as she laughs, her dark hair cascading like water while Orios pulls her close, his hands resting low on her hips, guiding her with a confidence that sends a flush of heat through me all over again. The way they move together is almost mesmerizing—sultry, seductive, as though the night itself is theirs alone.
I tear my eyes away, forcing myself to look anywhere but at them, but the tension in the air wraps around me like a net. Daed’s presence is heavy beside me, and I can feel his gaze lingering, the weight of it pressing against my skin. I risk a glance, and the look in his eyes is unmistakable—dark, intense, filled with a desire that matches the warmth swirling inside me.
“Amara,” he says, his voice low, “dance with me.”
My heart skips a beat. “I…”
Before I can refuse, his hand closes around mine, firm yet gentle, and in one smooth motion, he pulls me to my feet. His touch sends a shock through me, the heat of his palm igniting a fire that burns deeper than the warmth from the berries. The world spins for a moment as I stumble into him, my body instinctively leaning against the solid strength of his chest.
“I don’t know how,” I start to say, my protest weak, but Daed only smiles, that same infuriating half-smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.
“I’ll lead,” he murmurs, his voice like a caress, and before I know it, he’s guiding me forward, his arm slipping around my waist as he pulls me closer, our bodies moving in sync.
His hand rests against the small of my back, while his other hand cradles mine, his fingers wrapping tightly. The heat between us is undeniable, the soft music of the ocean and the moonlit night playing around us as our feet fall into a rhythm I didn’t even know I could follow. My pulse races as we sway together under the Lover’s Eye, the cool breeze minglingwith the heat that radiates from him, the closeness making it impossible to ignore the magnetic pull between us.
I glance up at him, my breath catching as our eyes meet. His gaze is fixed on me, intense, almost predatory, and the throb of desire within me only grows, fueled by the berries, the moon, and the way his body presses against mine. Every part of him is tension, coiled and waiting, as if the dance is holding him back from something more.
