Slowly, the people took each others hands, and once more the room filled with moving bodies all around them.
Draven’s brows were raised when she turned back to him. She heard a growl emit from his throat as he wrapped his arms full around her waist and bent his head. “I love when you talk like that,” he muttered into her hair.
She smiled and nudged his nose. “Wait until tonight,” she whispered.
And so they danced. They danced until it was only they and the Blackhands left in the room.
And when they retired for the evening, her body surrendered to a restless ache that she swore made her heart pump faster, her body more sensitive to his touch. A night different from other nights, one where they allowed their love to live in their bodies together, not simply a lust-filled passion, but more.
Because she couldn’t stop kissing him. She couldn’t stop touching him. Her sitting on his lap on the lounger as he caressed her body, moving to the bed and to every surface. As long as she was touching him, she was free. His skin felt of a radiant heat on hers she couldn’t explain. It was an overwhelming feeling she never wanted to be rid of, a race of her heart that made her feel alive. An out of body alive that she had to remind herself was real more than once.
This was the home she’d been missing her entire life.
Wherever he was.
And she swore it was the happiest day she would ever know.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
AYDRA AND DRAVEN met with the staff early before the sun so that they could instruct them on how to set up the room for the meeting that afternoon.
It was the largest gathering of minds Magnice had ever seen.
The four royals of Magnice. The Venari King and his Second. The Nitesh and her army commander. Nadir and Lovi Piathos. The seven Blackhand Elders. The Bedrani Council. And finally, every Dreamer Noble and company commander of the Dreamer army.
A table set for thirty-four was not an easy feat.
Aydra and Draven were the only ones who knew where to sit everyone so that a war did not break out over the last roasted turkey leg.
They helped the servants create a great rectangle with the tables. Ten persons each on the longest sides, seven on the other two. She made a point to have the Blackhand Elders on one side, opposite the Nitesh and Honest.
But when she sat her own chair beside Draven’s facing opposite where Rhaif was to be sat, Draven raised his brows.
“I thought we were keen on not starting a war,” he said.
Her lips pressed together, and she fought a smile. “I like to look my enemies in the eye when bringing them to their knees.”
A low growl emitted from his throat. “It is entirely too early in the day for you to be speaking like that.”
She almost laughed, and she continued instructing the servants where to put chairs. “My sister will be beside me, Dorian beside Rhaif on the opposite side with the Council surrounding on both sides. We’ll have the Nobles on either side of my sister and Balandria.”
“You’re giving Balandria a spot at the table?” he asked.
“She’s your next King,” Aydra confirmed. “She deserves it.”
A sleepy Dorian strode into the room then, apparently unaware that they were prepping the room for the meeting. He stopped mid-yawn and frowned around him.
“What’s happening…” he managed.
“Good morning, brother,” Aydra said, giving his hair a fluff. One sniff of him and her nose curled. “Disgusting, Dorian. You smell of sex. Who did you get into trouble with last night?”
He smiled sleepily at her, eyelids halfway over his great blue eyes. “My secrets,” he told her. He wrapped his robe tighter around him and looked around the room again. “What are you two doing?”
“Making sure no wars are started tonight,” Draven replied as he continued to set plates on the tables.
“Why not?” Dorian asked with a yawn. “I thought a great war was what we were preparing for,” he replied.
“That’s a different war,” Aydra argued. “One that we need to have everyone on the same page for.”
