The notes drew to a close, and I spun Dasha, releasing her the instant the last faded. A smattering of applause filled the air for the musicians. They picked up a new tune, and Iprepared to excuse myself—until Dasha’s claws wrapped around my arm and prevented me from moving.
“Vaeron,” she chided, louder than necessary. “You don’t want a second dance?”
I ground my teeth and faced her again. Something that looked a lot like fear flashed in her eyes.
Good.
But I couldn’t lose my self-control now. So I offered her a grin—cold, cruel, calculating—and purred, “Absolutely.”
This song, a much slower, intimate number, forced our bodies closer. I spun her toward the edge of the dance floor so when it ended I could make my escape. And so I could check on my mate.
Yet when the Seers came into view, she was notably absent.
Panic squeezed my ribs. Where was she? I tapped into my magic, noting that she wasn’t far. In fact, she was closer than she had been previously.
“What are you looking for? Or rather, who?” Dasha griped, her nails sinking into my skin. My focus returned to her, and my mouth opened, prepared to admonish her, when a whisper of silver caught my attention.
Sylaira was on the dance floor.
In the arms of Herr Elyriane.
And his hand?
Was far too low on her backside for my liking.
And her expression?
Terror.
Pain scorched down our bond like a jolt of lightning straight to my soul. Her lips moved, and even though I couldn’t hear her words at this distance, I read exactly what she said. “You’re hurting me.”
And Isnapped.
White power surged from the core of my being.
All the air in the room dragged into my lungs.
Dasha’s eyes widened.
The Command detonated from my mouth before I could smother it.
“STOP.”
The pressure wave swept over every single Angel in the ballroom, freezing them all in place. Glass shattered to the ground. People teetered over, having been caught off balance. Dasha joined them as I tossed her aside.
Silence slammed into the ballroom, thick and absolute.
My vision tunneled. There was onlyher.
Stadiel was on his feet in an instant. “What is the meaning of this?” The ruler of the Angel Realm was the lone person unaffected by my power.
But I ignored him. In seconds, I was on top of Herr Elyriane and peeling my magic off Sylaira and him. She wasted no time in scampering away, the hitch in her breath only serving to further my rage.
My betrothed’s father yanked on his own power a second before my fist flew into his face. But I was faster, and my knuckles collided with his nose. Blood sprayed, only fueling the fury lashing me like a windstorm. I cocked my arm to do it again, but Zarethiel twisted his hands at the last moment, forcing me to slam into a shield of alabaster. But a feral side of me had taken over and was not letting go.
Light lashed out and bound his wrists. With a mighty yank, I brought him to the floor. Stadiel shouted my name, everyone else still in the throes of my Goddess-given power.
My lips curled back from my teeth as I knelt and got in Zarethiel’s face.
