He rolled his eyes at her teasing tone. “And who, exactly, am I collecting?”
“Anyone who has been abandoned,” she answered, her voice soft.
He slid his gaze to hers, navy blue eyes full of a warmth he’d come to know all too well. Which is why he didn’t want to tell her what he already knew. Bram was sniffing around for more than a friendship or a fuck. The fact that the male hadn’t given up after these last months was proof enough. Anyone else would have found a quick fuck not worth the trouble.
And he didn’t know how to let it happen. Because when he claimed something as his, there was no turning back. She was his to guard and protect. It was in his nature as a dragon and in his blood with his lineage. But he knew that soon enough, Bram was going to go around him the same way he’d gone around Tybalt tonight.
The song finished, and he dipped Wren back, her long hair grazing the floor. She laughed, caught off guard, and when he pulled her back up, her hand came to his chest.
“It’s okay to let someone else in,” she whispered.
“I don’t need anyone else. You and Tybalt are plenty,” he muttered.
Wren only hummed, patting his chest a few times before sauntering over to Kailia. Kailia asked her some questions, Wren explaining a few steps and some timing, before Kailia was making her way to where he stood waiting. She worried her bottom lip, and he could see her visibly trembling.
“I can summon Cethin for this,” Razik said, watching her carefully. “If you call for him, he will come.”
She shook her head. “He’s seen enough of my weaknesses,” she murmured, wiping her palms along her dress.
Then she stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and the other into his waiting palm. He gave her a moment before he brought his hand to her waist. Her entire body was tense, arms rigid.
“Lia, you can’t dance when you’re as stiff as a day-old dead animal,” he said flatly.
“Why would you compare it to that?” she asked, eyes on her feet.
“Because it was a metaphor you’d understand without question, yet you asked a question anyway.”
She looked up, gauging his facial expression, before she rolled her eyes. “Stop speaking and let me concentrate.”
He nodded to the madam, and they started to move. Attempting to guide her as best he could, her eyes never left their feet.
It was terrible.
He was fairly certain he’d never seen a youngling as awful as she was at this. For as gracefully as she moved when stalking people and prey, her steps were forced and clumsy here.
“Lia, you have to relax,” Razik said when they had to start over for the fifth time in three minutes.
“I’m trying. I just…” She stepped back, yanking out the leather band from the end of her braid and shaking out the plait. Her agitation was clear as she moved, ashes fluttering to the floor around her. Lifting her head, she met his gaze, and her eyes voiced the question he was thinking.
How in the realms was she going to dance with others if she couldn’t even do so with him? A male she spent most of her days with? A male she clearly trusted to some extent?
“Let’s try again,” he said, motioning her back to him.
“Maybe I should watch you and Wren again,” she said, taking a step back.
“That’s not the issue, and you know it.”
“That is not the way to teach her this,” came a dark voice, cool and icy.
They all turned, Wren and the madam clamoring to their feet at finding Cethin in the doorway of the studio. How he’d known they were here, Razik didn’t know, but pissed off didn’t even begin to describe the king.
Darkness writhed around him, silver eyes glowing. They’d be a lot brighter if it weren’t for the inky swirls in them. His boots echoed on the polished floor as he strode across it, stopping a few feet away from them.
Kailia was watching him, and Razik wasn’t sure if she was about to go to him or stab him. He was never sure what she was about to do, and that was half the problem. He wasn’t sureshewas entirely sure she knew what she was going to do all the time. It made it entirely too difficult to get a feel for her.
“Your Majesty,” Razik said, working to keep the drawl out of his tone. Since the three of them weren’t alone, he bowed his head and went through the expected formalities.
“Cethin, what are you doing here?” Kailia asked, looking up at him with a puzzled expression.
