I pulled his fingers back and held them between us; they glistened in the candlelight as I dripped down them. Opening my mouth, I placed them on my tongue and sucked every last drop off. He gripped his other hand into a fist and slammed it above my head. ‘Fuck Skylar, what are you doing to me,’ he seethed in lust-filled agony. I was toying with him and he knew it. He bent his head down and rested it on my shoulder as he breathed through the pain of wanting me but not being able to have me fully. His porcelain neck called to me, and I sunk my teeth intohis flesh, biting him lightly enough that I couldn’t hurt him, but hard enough to send a thrill right through his body. He moaned into me and I felt his body cave into mine slightly. As I pulled back, my red lipstick left a mark on his pristine white collar, marking him as mine. I smirked.
A knock at the door broke us from our lust filled game of cat and mouse. It was Viv telling us to hurry; the ball would be starting soon, and people were congregating in the great hall. As I pulled away from Visarous, it dawned on me that I wanted to be wanted. I didn’t want him; I just enjoyed being chased. For most of my life, no one had wanted me for who I am; I was always wanted for what I could do for the people around me. Even my mother didn’t have anything to do with me. I could not form healthy relationships with those around me; I was incapable of love. Perhaps if I indulged in Visarous, it would be the closest thing I could ever experience to those emotions. However, that was not something I truly wanted. It struck a deep, primal fear within me.
Love. It was a weakness. Loving those around me is what left me shattered by them or by those who tried to hurt them. That is why I was cold and cruel and kept my distance from those around me. I knew what Sienna said I needed, but I wasn’t ready. Compartmentalising and showing no one the entirety of who I am felt safe. Each of my friends and advisors, knew only one aspect of who I was—the person I was willing to show them. I did not have it in me to love and lose again. There was barely anything left holding this mangled heart together; one more break and it would likely kill me.
I took one last look at myself and plastered a mask of cold indifference on my face. Visarous’s eyes shuttered at how easy it was for me to push away the moment between us as if it meant nothing—when, to him, it had meant everything. Leaving the room, I walked towards the ball, with Viv and Visarous falling into step behind me. We all had a role to play now that we werebeing watched. I had to project strength this evening as I stepped into this den of wolves.
When we approached the arched doorways of the great hall, I saw Jade standing outside, the new Queen of Voldina. She was slight in stature, with black hair and luminous green eyes, the same colour as her sister Raleigh. As she laid eyes on me, I could see the intimidation she felt as she took in my presence.
‘Queen Jade,’ I said, inclining my head. ‘The world is a lot less bright without your sister in it. I know you and your people do not believe in spirit casting, but we will be honouring Raleigh at the Ascension of the Souls in the coming month. We would be honoured if you and your people joined us in paying tribute to your sister.’
A single tear streaked down her face. She wiped it away quickly as Viv and Visarous politely turned away. It was unbecoming of a ruler to display such emotions in front of others, but I could see it in her eyes; she was grateful. I was likely the only person here who would acknowledge her sister's death. Jade was a prisoner in her own lands while King Sebastian operated everything through proxies from his throne. Most of the people here tonight were allies of Morgad, so she would find no friends and no one who thought her sister’s death was a loss to this world within her own lands.
‘Thank you,’ she breathed. ‘I… I would be honoured to attend. Please, if you have any time tomorrow, I would love it if you could share some stories about my sister. Everyone around me has all but forgotten her and acts as though she never existed. I…I miss her. Please,’ she pleaded, almost desperate.
I nodded and said, ‘Of course, now go. They’re calling your name.’
The large wooden doors opened before us as a squire announced her title and name to introduce her to the hall filled with guests. She disappeared down the steps as Viv and Visarous began their descent not long after. They would not be summoned because they were not of royal blood or title.
Then it was my turn to step into the ballroom.
Nine
Stepping through the doors, I paused on the balcony, looking over the great hall. It looked majestic. Rows of chandeliers ran down the length of the hall. The herringbone pattern of the oak wood floors peeked through the hordes of suits and gowns as their bodies twirled and touched. The furthest edge of the hall opened onto a balcony covered in twinkling lights almost as bright as the star-filled sky. But the yellow lights cast a warmth that was missing on such a cold night.
Without realising it, I had been gripping the white marble bannister, looking out at the beauty of the imposing room before me. Then I heard my name. ‘Queen Skylar Azdaja of the realm of Maureia,’ bellowed across the hall.
One by one, the heads of all those who had been in quiet conversation or dancing turned to meet my gaze. Some took a half step back at the mere sight of me. I was pure power standing at the top of that staircase. I stood on the cusp of a shift, allowing the black smoke seeping from my feet to create the illusion that I was being carried by a black cloud. Half the men in the room dropped open their mouths, and the women gawked, unable to comprehend my ethereal yet terrifying grace. Gone was the scrawny and scrappy girl of the past. What stoodbefore them was a queen. A queen who knew her power lay both in the fear she held over others and in her beauty and femininity, as much as it did in her darkness and blades.
I took each step gliding my fingers down the bannister, head raised high as the smoke spilled down the steps. The room had not resumed their conversations, still staring at me as I descended the steps. My red heels echoing in the silence. As I approached the bottom step, Visarous was there with his arm extended, waiting for me. I placed a hand on his arm and slowly pushed it down. I had to make this walk alone. This was the first time these people had seen me as a queen; they would not do so while seeing me rely on one of my subjects for support. I had all the strength I needed.
The crowd parted as I moved deeper into the room, and slowly the whispers began. They were all curious about my eyes—why they were suddenly blue. I could have shifted them to brown, but that brown eyed girl was no longer me. They needed to see me and fear me so that they would think twice about their actions against me and my people. The whispers faded behind the crescendo of the music. I found myself in the center of the dance floor. Lejla stood before me in a long black velvet gown that made her look even taller than she already was, her long orange hair cascading down to her hips. She smiled in a way that showcased her canines in a most sinister manner.
She stepped toward me, placing a kiss on each cheek. ‘Power becomes you, Skylar. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so… alive.’ Lejla had been Demir’s girlfriend during our early years at the Academy. For a time, there was speculation that they would wed, given that she was the second heir to the Cazina throne, the land that bordered on the other side of Morgad. I couldn’t stand her, she was evil incarnate which made sense given her people were descended from wolves. Unlike my people, the ability to shift had completely evaporated from their bloodlines. Lejla, however, still took every chance she could get to remind those around her of what lurked beneath her skin, smiling the most vicious of smiles to ensure those canines were on full display. During the later years at the Academy, it became a trophy of sorts to have her teeth marking the boys’ necks in the morning.Repulsive.
‘I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you, Lejla, but to be quite honest, just the sight of you makes me nauseated.’ Walking past her without looking back, I took in the stares of everyone—the men and their hungry eyes, the women and their jealous sneers. All of it evidence of how far I have come. Not one of them looked at me with pity in their eyes; the pure disgust had been muted, manifesting only in brief flickers. Taking a glass of wine from a server as they passed me, I downed the whole thing in seconds. Raising it as if to toast, I let it slip through my fingers, allowing it to shatter on the ground. Everyone around me either gasped or scattered as I laughed, pushing through the crowd and stalking towards the balcony without looking back.
The air on the balcony burned my lungs with its iciness. It won’t be long until the storm hit now. Inhaling deeply, I savoured the smell of damp in the air. The gardens were illuminated by twinkling lights that wrapped themselves around every manner of plant life. It barely looked like a garden at all, but rather a sea of light. It was breathtaking. There weren’t many times that I took pause to appreciate anything in my life outside of a particularly beautiful blood spatter pattern or expertly crafted blade.
‘You sure do know how to make an entrance, Sky. Always have to find a way to piss people off,’ a voice trilled from the corner of the balcony, laughing. Emory stood before me, the King of Neretva. He had deep ebony skin and silver eyes, along with a god-blessed physique. The land of rivers and lakes that borders Voldina, Emory was a Water Whisperer and an old friend, up until he became decidedly neutral after marrying Celeste, Queen of Suncela, a land that was primarily desert and barren. She had rich amber skin from years spent in the sand dunes and golden hair that matched the blinding sun that herpeople worshipped. Suncela had longstanding ties to Cazina and Morgad. They married to form an alliance, as the people of Suncela needed the help of the Water Whisperers during a drought that lasted over thirteen years and left her people starving. Although it was initially a partnership, their relationship quickly blossomed into one of love and respect. As a result, they took neither side in my conflict with Morgad and, out of respect for each other, decided to step away from the fray.
‘I am not at fault for how people react; besides, Lejla deserves far worse things than some benign backhanded comment in front of her peers. Anyway, where is Celeste?’ I had not seen her in the hall as I walked through and it was only Emory who was here on the balcony.
‘She’s at home, resting,’ he said with a glint in his eyes.
‘Resting? Resting from what? The Celeste I know would never miss an excuse to dress up and party. I can picture her now, barefoot and dancing.’ He rolled his eyes as a smile pulled at the edge of his lips.
‘She’s on bed rest,’ he explained slowly, waiting for the realisation to hit me.
‘She’s pregnant?! You’re having a child? I can’t believe it. Oh gods, poor kid,’ I ribbed. Looking through the balcony windows, I checked to make sure no one was watching before I embraced Emory in a hug. ‘I am truly happy for you both.’
‘No one knows. Your discretion would be appreciated,’ he said. Before we could continue on with the conversation, the door to the balcony opened and Visarous stepped out.
‘Emory, it’s good to see you,’ Visarous said, nodding in acknowledgement. ‘Queen Skylar, Prince Demir and Everett have arrived. Might I suggest we head back inside?’
Emory smiled with understanding as I bid him farewell, returning back inside the hall.
‘My Queen, might I have this dance?’ Visarous asked as we made our way back through the crowd towards the center of the hall.
