He wasn't. His breathing was perfectly even. Only the faint curve of his lips betrayed any reaction at all, like he'd done nothing more strenuous than sample the wine. His smile widened. Then he cupped my cheek and patted it.
“Good girl,” he murmured. “Stay right here.”
Then he rose, adjusting his tunic, and stalked toward Lysander.
My lips were swollen. My face was on fire. Between my thighs, I wasaching. I reached for my goblet with trembling fingers, took a large gulp of wine,and choked.
The chair beside me scraped back, and the Thalir king settled in with a casual grace.
Up close, Soren was even more striking. Sun-kissed bronze skin. Copper hair that fell in sleek waves. Scales. Barely visible, tracing delicate patterns along his cheekbones, down his neck, disappearing beneath his robes. He was beautiful in a way that felt dangerous. The kind of face that mortals followed into deep water.
“Tell me, Aelie,” he said, his tone measured. “What do you think of my palace?”
“It’s lovely. Like the walls are breathing.”
He nodded stiffly. “An accurate observation. They weren’t carved from stone like your fortresses. We shape our home with runes and weave the coral.” Soren gestured to the glowing veins. “It expands as needed.”
“How does water stay out?”
“Current manipulation. You’ve been with Kairos how long?”
“A few weeks.”
“And he brings you to a gathering no human has been permitted to witness, dressed in the hide of a very rare animal.” He paused. “That suggests extreme sentiment or strategic value. Kairos doesn’t strike me as sentimental.”
“With respect, Your Majesty, I’m not sure anyone here is.”
He didn’t smile. “Correct.”
He’s the strangest fae I’ve ever met.
Silence stretched between us, his unblinking stare never wavering.
“You were afraid at the platform. When you had to jump into the water.”
My stomach tightened. “I was nervous.”
“You were terrified. Heart rate elevated. Shallow breathing.”
“You’re very observant, Your Majesty.”
He tilted his head. “You’re uncomfortable being analyzed. Most people are. They find it invasive.”
“Because it is.”
“True. But discomfort often reveals more than comfort. You told Kairos you were a bad swimmer.” He frowned. “Yet he brought you to an underwater realm. Why would he bring his human somewhere she’s inherently vulnerable?”
“Maybe he knew I’d be safe.”
“You’re completely at his mercy here. So either you trust him absolutely, or you need him enough that the risk is worthwhile. Which is it?”
I licked my lips. “I don’t know what you mean, Your Majesty.”
“Vaeris arrived yesterday morning,” Soren said, shifting topics with unsettling ease. “Early. Three hours before the scheduled time. That’s unusual.”
“Hm.”
Soren’s eyes gleamed. “You’re afraid of him. Interesting.”
