“Oh.” I glanced down at myself, suddenly self-conscious. “Is it too much? I know it’s rather tight, but I can more or less breathe in it. I’m not sure the others she brought will fit any better than this one.”
“It—you—look amazing.” His eyes locked on mine. “I just need a moment to remember how to form coherent sentences.”
Heat rushed through me that had nothing to do with weather magic. “That’s very kind of you to say.”
“I’m not being kind. I’m being honest.” He cleared his throat and stiffened his shoulders. “Are you ready for the tour?”
“Absolutely.” I moved toward him, trying not to tug up the neckline. “I’m eager to see more of your home. The architecture is fascinating from what I’ve observed so far.”
He offered his arm, and I slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow. His warmth seeped through the fabric of his tunic, and I noticed again how much heat dragon shifters radiated.
“Would you like me to cool you down?” I asked.
He blinked at me for a moment. “I’m sorry. Cool me down?”
“You seem very hot.”
“I, err, yes. I’m rather warm.” He yanked on the tunic collar.
“Would you like to change first then? Perhaps a lighter tunic would be better.”
“I don’t believe that will make a difference.”
“Alright, then.” I flicked my finger, lowering the temperature around him.
“My suite and offices occupy this entire level, so we’ll work our way down,” he said, guiding me toward the door. “The palace has ten levels, including those with private family chambers and the restricted vault areas. Plus the towers, though they’re rarely used.”
“Ten levels?” I tried to imagine the scope of such a structure. “All carved into the mountain?”
“Most of it. Some sections are natural cave formations that we’ve enhanced and connected.” He led me out into the corridor, which was even more impressive now withdaylight streaming through strategically placed openings in the rock. “My ancestors discovered this mountain over a thousand years ago and recognized its potential.”
We walked through halls that seemed designed to inspire awe. The polished black stone walls reflected light from the embedded gemstones, making me feel like we were walking through a starfield. Every surface showed evidence of meticulous craftsmanship, from the precision of the cuts to the smoothness of the stone, to the perfect symmetry of the archways.
Six of the levels contained suites for family and guests, though many were not occupied at this time. The two lowest levels contained vaults and storage. Food, wine, ale, and whatever else dragons might hoard.
“You must need a lot of staff to keep this place clean,” I said, and he nodded.
“And at the base of the stairs, on the fourth level,” he said, steering me toward the enormous grand staircase spiraling up from the lowest floor all the way to the top. “is the main gathering hall. This is where we’ll host most of the Summit events. We rotate hosting with the six other clans. This year, it’s our turn.”
“And Demi and Niles would’ve managed the entire event if we hadn’t married?”
“Yes. But I’ll help as much as time allows.”
“I’m curious to see what it entails.” I was sure I’d feel better about the whole thing after speaking with Demi this afternoon. It couldn’t be that complicated, right?
We descended the staircase with railings of twisted copper that had been polished until they gleamed. At the bottom, he led me down a long hall that ended at big double doors carved with dragon heads. He opened the one on the right, revealing a space that stole my breath.
The hall was enormous, easily large enough to hold several hundred dragons in their shifted forms. The ceiling soared many stories overhead, and was supported by natural stone columns with carved depictions of dragons. More gemstones provided illumination, but here they were larger, some the size of my head, casting pools of colored light across the polished floor.
“This is incredible,” I whispered, turning in a slow circle. “The acoustics must be amazing with these natural stone formations.”
“They are. Its primary purpose is for balls, like the one we’ll hold on the opening night of the Summit, but we host musical presentations here occasionally.” Pride came through in Raoul’s voice. “The ceiling crystals resonate with sound, creating harmonics that—” He stopped, looking sheepish. “Sorry. I’m boring you with architectural details.”
“You’re not boring me at all.” I moved closer to one of the columns, studying the carvings. “I love learning about how spaces are designed. There’s a relationship between structure and function that’s similar to weather systems. Everything serves a purpose while creating something beautiful.”
His expression softened. “I’ve never heard it described that way.”
“Well, it’s true. Look at this column.” I traced the carved images with one finger. “It’s load-bearing, yes, but someone took the time to make it art as well. That’s the same principle as how thunderstorms are both destructive and necessary for the ecosystem. Function and beauty intertwined.”
