Page 102 of A Dance of Water (Moon Song #2)

LOVE AND ITS FOOLISH TENDENCIES

VALE

W hen the moon fell, the dragon shifted.

Onyx scales rippled in the dim light of the cavern as the beast shrank. Skin replaced his scaled armor, but the fire within remained.

And the King of Serpentis knelt, nude, on the stone floor of the caves of the Temples of Aedis, one knee bent as his head bowed, golden hair hanging around his face.

His fist was braced on the ground to keep himself upright, chest heaving as droplets of sweat trickled down his spine, dotting his golden tanned skin.

A battle.

It had been a battle to gain control of his dragon.

And Vale had nearly lost.

For the first time in centuries, his dragon did not want to let him win—the beast had something to fight for.

And that was more terrifying than anything.

Vale felt the dragon simmering, just under the surface of his skin, talons scraping against his ribs, smoke filling his lungs, forced from his nose and mouth.

Tendrils of grey filled the room, and Vale raised his head, still kneeling on the ground.

His green eyes fell to Luella, where she sagged against the stone pillar at her back.

The King rose .

His steps were sure, smoke drifting from his mouth with each breath.

Mine, the dragon grumbled.

Let me ? —

Have her.

He stumbled, holding a fist against his mouth and squeezing his eyes shut.

No! Vale hissed. Stay back.

The dragon prowled, searching for weak spots. Let me out. Claim her.

He had to reason with the beast, it was the only way to get him to stop. But a part of Vale desired to give in—wanted desperately to let his dragon take control, whisk her away to his den, and keep her locked away from anyone and everything.

He had to be rational.

Still frozen, battling inside his mind, he steeled himself with a strength he did not currently feel.

If you shift and take her, she will be protected for some time , Vale thought, but what happens with the Tenebrae finds her? Finds us? Even we cannot win against him. Would you risk her safety just so you can be selfish?

The dragon scoffed, but remained silent. Listening.

Let me keep her safe. And you keep her safe, as well. A lump formed in Vale’s throat, but he persevered. Together, she will be the most protected being in all the realms. But it has to be together.

The dragon was silent, until finally: Ours.

Vale knew the dragon was imagining more than just the two of them as her protectors. His lip curled.

"Ours," Vale spat aloud, the word filling the cavern with a low hiss.

And the dragon pulled back, talons leaving the bars of his cage as he grew content. For now.

Vale released a shuddering breath.

He walked toward Luella. The heat on his skin sizzled away the coarse ropes with merely a touch.

It fell to ash on the stone floors. Without the rope keeping her upright, she immediately crumpled to the ground.

But he caught her before she could. Heat tempered by her nearness, the dragon was soothed, careful not to burn her.

With this, at least, they had a common goal.

His dragon had been a problem since his youth. Vale used to give in to him, angry and juvenile. It was only as he matured that he started to rebel, too godsdamned tired of feeling like a puppet, led by the whims and instincts of his inner beast.

It took only a small, fragile female to wrest control.

He bundled her against his naked chest, cradling her like a babe, with her head falling in the crook of his neck. She sighed against him, as if even in sleep, she knew her Vincire was near. Her soft breaths made him shudder. His dragon mimicked her cadence with smoky exhales.

Fuck. This was worse than he thought. He should’ve known, from the moment his dragon spoke inside her mind. He had imprinted on her, leaving Vale with no choice but to keep her safe.

He tightened his arms around her. She was light, like a feather.

Luella did not stir on their walk back to the stone room that the Temple Mothers granted her.

When he finally arrived in the dimly lit, grey-hued room, he released a deep breath.

It was not warm here, but it was small and dark and safe.

Warm her, hissed the dragon.

Vale was assaulted with flashes of desire—ways he could keep her warm…

His body burned with heat; his cock ached as he held her, hard and desperate, as he imagined throwing her down on the bed and fitting his body atop her soft, pliable flesh.

Moving over her and inside her amid the amber glow, watching the way the candlelight cast playful shadows on her pale, moon-touched skin.

He groaned, the sound filled with a hiss.

Yes, yes , the dragon chanted.

Mine.

Vale shook the thoughts away, moving to the bed and carefully laying her down.

White hair fanned around her, and the simple shift barely brushed her upper thighs, revealing her beautiful, unmarked legs.

Tharen’s amulet was askew on her chest, the delicate chain tangled around itself.

Gritting his jaw, he cast a glance at the scant candles in the room, wishing for the safety of darkness but knowing he could not blow them out—the flames were not allowed to be extinguished in the Temples.

He lowered himself to the bed, draping the thin sheet over his lower half. Her face was pinched, even in sleep, with a small furrow between her brows. She looked uncomfortable, and his dragon hated it—or was it Vale who detested her in any form of discomfort?

"Don’t do it," Vale warned himself, voice low. "Let her sleep. Keep your distance."

But he lost.

Careful not to wake her, he lifted her gently, just enough to free the sheets from where she had been lying on them, and settled her back down, closer to him, with the sheets tucked around her to keep her warm. Her chilled body pressed against him, like holding a crystal glass in his arms.

Warm. Help her. The dragon flicked his tail, actions growing bolder the longer Vale did not move.

He shook from the effort of containing the beast, smoke filling his lungs and escaping him.

Take her. Keep her safe.

Ours.

Protect.

Luella shivered next to him, shifting in her sleep to press her chilled nose against his bare arm, seeking warmth.

"Godsdamn it all to the Below," Vale hissed.

And he wrapped his arms around her entirely, tugging her against his chest. She let out a soft sigh of contentment, the tiny crease between her brows smoothing out.

His dragon rumbled low in his chest, misplaced pleasure filling him at the notion of the rumbling vibrations doing something to soothe her.

But the tension in his limbs eased, and for the first time since she had shown up on the steps of his castle, bound and bloodied and so, so enticing, Vale slept soundly with her in his arms.

He was the first to awaken.

Luella was still in his arms.

Inside the mountain, there were no windows, but he sensed it must be late afternoon.

He must leave her. The Temple Mothers were loyal to the gods, first and foremost. Though unable to speak, they could still impart what transpired here upon those who would not handle the information with care.

He couldn’t risk anything getting out about him treating Luella differently.

So he would have to leave. And soon.

She would be prepared for the next part of the Solstice traditions, then led to the altar where he would be waiting for her.

But what she did not know was that the Prima would also be there.

They had been trying to find a way to circumvent his bargain with her—Vale thought the string would have helped, but it seemed like no matter the mage’s proximity to her, if she was aroused, she would land on his lap.

His dragon rumbled with covetousness. But the beast was strangely quiet after hours of rest, subdued by her.

What no one but the five of them knew, Vale would not force her to lie with him.

He ran a hand over the crown of her hair, tangling his fingers in the soft, silky strands. Behind her closed lids, her eyes moved as she dreamed. Gods, she was resplendent.

The Princess of Luna slumbered in Vale’s arms. He would have to tell her.

When they returned to the castle and the Solstice celebrations were complete, he planned on sending Tharen and Graves to search for Merath and Emarelia again.

The wily Ignis fae had disappeared after they had cornered her in Medius.

Vale knew she most likely ran to her lover…

but that only made it easier for them to track down Tharen’s predecessor for answers.

A touch against his chest made him look down.

Luella’s tiny hands spanned out over his pectorals, the pads of her fingers brushing the contours of his muscles.

The tip of her nose was pressed against his skin, her mouth slightly parted, blowing air on him with every breath.

He grew acutely aware of her small body nestled against him, the way he ached for her .

He held her slumbering body with possessiveness, trying to ignore how desperately he wanted to wake her with his mouth between her thighs. Rouse her from sleep with a slow, soft gasp of pleasure forced from her lips. He licked his lips, tasting ash on his tongue.

Her lashes tickled his chest as she stirred, sighing softly. She tensed against him, growing aware of whom she slept next to.

Luella pulled away, and Vale tightened his arm around her, forcing her head at an odd angle as she peered up at him with sleepy eyes.

"Vale?" she mumbled, voice husky with sleep. Her palms spanned out on his chest, not to bring him closer, but to push him away.

His dragon prowled beneath his skin, satisfaction rolling off him at the sight of her in his arms. A million thoughts flickered behind her blue eyes, shimmering like the universe—like stardust, like wonder itself. She was an open book, unable to hide her thoughts and feelings from him.

Vale read it all, waiting to see what would win out.

Her pink lips parted. "You… spoke in my mind."

Pretty , the dragon purred. Taste her.