Doing my best not to recoil as Gwala continued to finger my skin, I searched the surface of the pool. The water was captivating. It looked as if I could only slide beneath it, all my aches and pains would vanish.
“Why do you avert your eyes from me with such stubbornness, warlock?”
I wasn’t able to read his tone, if he was curious or if my avoidance made him angry. I found his eyes, careful to not let my gaze move down his body.
He stepped back, motioning over the length of himself. “Is it my appearance that offends you so?”
I held his gaze a moment longer, then looked away.
“Or my form, perchance?”
This time a hint of offense was in his voice.
“No, Your Majesty. It is only that…” I brought my gaze to his and refused to let myself look away, no matter how much I wanted to. “I know that appearances are not reality, but you look like a young human male. It feels wrong to be able to see your body.” I hesitated, trying to read his reaction. I could not. “I am sure you are beautiful, and I mean no disrespect. Just the opposite, in fact.”
His brow furrowed. “I am quite certain your lover is male.”
“Yes. Schwint is male.”
Again he motioned toward his body, this time pausing below his waist. “As am I. I would think you would enjoy seeing my form.”
Anger flashed through me again, at the insinuation. Stupidly, I stepped forward. What was I hoping to do? Punch him? The motion sent bolts of pain shooting from the back of my skull down the length of my body. A cry escaped my throat and I tottered, doing my best to stay upright.
Unconcerned with my pain, Gwala waited until I’d steadied myself once more. “Would you feel more comfortable if I were clothed in a different manner?”
Now the anger was at myself. What the fuck did it matter what the damned vampire king was wearing? I wasn’t attracted to him or any other such body. Of all the stupid things to worry about when everything else was dangling over a precipice. “You are fine, Your Majesty. What is it you require from me?” I let out a slow breath. I felt moments away from passing out once more. Despite my weakness, I realized how my words sounded. I figured it would take a lot less disrespect than that to have Gwala take away any mercy he had shown to those I love. I looked into his dark eyes and forced my genuine gratitude to show through as much as I could. “Thank you for saving Schwint’s life and my own.”
He took a step forward. “You know I have not been a teenage boy in well over five thousand years. If it is morality or protocol you worry over, I assure you, there is no other creature under the sun with which you would be less able to breach such a taboo.”
Even searching his expression I couldn’t tell if he was baiting me or if he was placing some sexual expectation upon me that I hadn’t been aware he desired. “I was not trying to be offensive to you, Your Majesty. I apologize if I have acted wrongly.”
How I hated having to grovel at the feet of the monster who’d destroyed my family.
Gwala stretched out his arm toward me once more but stopped before he touched my face. The silver glinted within the nearly transparent sleeve less than six inches from me.
“Change it.”
I waited for him to continue, but he did not. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty?”
“Change the material to something that would appease your puritanical sensibilities.”
“There is no need for that, King Gwala. I apologize, truly.”
“Change it!” His voice echoed around the spherical room, once again causing the world to spin in front of my eyes.
When I was certain I was neither going to vomit nor fall over, I reached out and took hold of the hem of his sleeve between my thumb and index finger.
He cocked an eyebrow at me.
I closed my eyes for a second, then opened them again. The material hadn’t altered in the slightest.
A flare of panic rose in my chest as I suddenly realized why Gwala wanted me to change the fabric. It had nothing to do with my awkwardness at being in the same room with a nearly naked teenage body and everything to do with testing my ability. I did my best to not consider what might happen to my sisters and Schwint if I failed.
I closed my eyes once more, whispering an invocation to the elements that I hadn’t needed to use since before I’d been a teen myself.
Once again I opened my eyes. The fabric might have been a little more substantial, but not much, if any. This shouldn’t have taken any more concentration than breathing. Altering my clothes had been as commonplace as Caitlin varying her hair color. I tried once more.
“I can’t. I’m sorry.”
