Leric…pouted, tugging on my hand a bit. “One dance.” His head tilted to them. “They’re not all having sex, some are dancing.” He pulled me a step with him. “And I like this music.”
That, I hadn’t known about him, and I actually liked the music, too, but…”I don’t know.” I glared a bit. “You had…friendly…hands last night.”
“I’ll behave, I promise,” he murmured, and I could have sworn…he gave me a very honest expression. “I only want to dance with you.”
I didn’t trust him…but a few others were starting to stare behind his back, even though I wasn’t sure how they had that much attention span, since they were currently…busy. “Fine. One dance.” I let him lead me to the edges of the crowd, my Lajaks finally getting their acts together and spreading out, except for Elder Farrar and Elder Merrick who stayed close, keeping themselves between the crowd and us.
And…I danced with Leric.
And…actually had fun while doing so.
He was an excellent dancer while he twirled me, and brought me in close. It also helped that he truly did behave himself, only placing his hands on my hips, arms, or back, and I noticed we…moved…like one. As we had on the battlefield, our actions fluid and easy, symmetrical. In the heat of battle, it was just something we had…done. But here in the ballroom, it became apparent, truly obvious, that we were paired. Matched perfectly for our jobs.
And, all that aside, when my back was to his chest, his arm wrapped around my waist, my gaze flicked to Cain’s. And held for long moments, staring at complex navy blue…until he glanced away under hooded lids…eyes back on his work, making sure no one came near me.
As the song ended, I smiled softly to Leric. “One dance granted, my One.”
His own smile was small. “Yes.” He kissed the top of my hand. “I really do love to dance.” We moved to our seats…and I noticed his eyes flicking about the room from our heightened positions, my Lajaks flanking me. “Thank you, my Chosen.”
I watched him closely while pretending not to. “You’re welcome.”
His gaze roamed methodically, from one side of the room to the other, squinting at first from his lazy positioning as he peered to the far end of the room, his eyes slowly widening to normal the closer his perusal got.
He paused. Left side of the room. Stayed there, his shoulders tightening the barest bit.
My lips thinned, and I instantly turned my head to the right, and closed my eyes…and floated in the cosmos…and took a star away from my barrier in the wall.
Instantly, I saw behind my closed lids what he did.
Heard his thoughts.
Felt what he was feeling.
Jealousy.
He was inflamed with jealousy, barely keeping it together.
And what I saw was a beautiful Mystical woman with curly blonde hair, dancing seductively with two men, all still dressed, but the men’s hands…Leric zoned in on one hand that landed on the woman’s shapely ass…oh…he was furious.
And hurt, his chest aching with constricting fire.
But he understood, because he had put this into place.
Their separation…one of many they’d had in their hundred years of being together, sometimes exclusive, sometimes not, sometimes just taking a breather when it got to be too much, all because of the possibility of his reality…but this separation was different.
Because of his Chosen, his reality, needing to give it a shot with her, his other half…the woman who was supposed to make him whole…but didn’t compare to the woman he loved.
It was Lissa.
I quickly put the star back into place, my breathing accelerated…blinding possessiveness tearing through me. I placed a shaky hand over my face, trying to fight down the bond jealousy that made me want to rip her to shreds, use her body as fertilizer. This wasn’t me. It wasn’t me wanting to kill her, it was the magic. I had met her before, and had only been annoyed and irritated, not murderous.
Body trembling the barest bit, I tilted my head, hooding my glowing gaze, watching Leric’s lazy attention quickly alter when Lissa glanced to us. He didn’t look her away again, only holding my hand a bit tighter, not noticeable if I hadn’t known, so I watched her. I scrutinized her covertly for three more songs, her gaze always swinging up to us, then dipping quickly, as if she belatedly realized she was staring, her expression…quietly tortured.
I tried breathing through the bond magic, and it helped…somewhat…but I was holding myself back, my other grip on the chairs cushion brutal, as my blood simmered, trying to hang on to my sanity, what I knew was right.
During the fourth song, I saw her slip from the room, her shoulders thrown back after covertly glancing at us one last time…and I knew what I had to do, but I needed to be careful, less I killed her. Leaning over the side of my chair, I spoke evenly, my brows pinched, “Leric, I think I’m going to head back to the room. I’m not feeling a hundred percent.” He instantly started to rise, and I saw he appeared relieved, the slightest unhunching of his shoulders, but I held his hand steadfast, keeping him seated. “It wouldn’t be gracious for us both to leave. You should probably stay for a little while longer.”
He sighed, but eventually nodded…after glancing to the left, and seeing Lissa was gone. “Alright.” He squeezed my hand. “But if you start feeling too poorly, let me know.”
