Page 15 of A Dance of Water (Moon Song #2)

Her eyes drifted to the furthest corners, deep and shadowed and holding what she knew were many a secret and one harrowing escape.

Az seemed to know what she was thinking because he, too, glanced at the dark, towering shelves; the beginnings appeared inconsequential, just like the multitude of shelves, but that one collection was the start of a maze of green moss and fluttering sprite wings, dark corners and breezy scents of salt and pine.

Bastian pressed a palm to her lower back. "Go on, pet. I’m right behind you." He forced her to walk forward, and Az’s amber eyes flicked down to where the vampire touched her, his lip curling back from his teeth.

She stopped right before the demon. Swallowing, she peered up at him. He towered over her, larger than her and Bastian both. He could kill her easily.

Reaching up, Luella placed a trembling hand against his chest, and Az watched her with a bated breath, waiting for what she would do.

It was not so long ago that she wished the iron bars were not in their way so she could touch him freely. But now that they were uncaged, she wanted to run away from him and that tug in her chest, the feelings welling up and threatening to drown her.

The laces on his shirt were done without care, and her fingers rose, hooking on the neckline and tugging it down just enough to reveal the tanned skin of his chest. His pectorals were large with muscles, but that was not what she stared at.

The small red circle of his blood vow to her stood out on his dusky skin, and she was relieved to find it had not been a dream.

She pulled her hand away.

A tiny tendril of touch against her mind. Bastian whispered from behind her, "It was real."

Her teeth ground. Get out of my head, she screamed in her mind, hoping he could hear.

He chuckled at her back, but she felt his magic as it snaked out of her head .

Az watched her with rapturous intent. He seemed to want to speak but did not—merely continued to watch her and the vampire at her back with a jealous fascination.

"That was not my only gift, pet." Bastian left her and walked to one of the alcoves tucked in the wall, a small and darkly lit area with many cushions piled high with blankets.

A tiny table was perched precariously on the edge of one of the larger cushions, holding a few cups and a steaming metal pot.

She stayed rooted in her spot, held captive by amber eyes and a large frame blocking her way.

"Lu," Az mumbled.

She sniffed and turned away at the sound of his voice, louder and less strained without the heavy presence of the dark and dull dungeons.

Walking to the alcove where Bastian was, she tried to ignore the scorching heat of Az’s eyes as they did not stray from her back.

The vampire was perched on the edge of one of the cushions, stirring the inside of the metal pot with a long, thin spoon. Steam wafted from within, and she peered over the top of it, staring down into a large swirl of dark brown liquid.

"What is it?" Her voice was thin and tinged with a heavy sadness. She tried to distract herself with the sugary scent wafting from the pot, but she looked up and met Az’s eyes—he was still standing where she had left him—and found that she could not focus.

"Hot chocolate," Bastian replied. He set the spoon down, and it clattered against the side of the pot with a soft clang. Placing a palm against her waist, he tugged her to sit. She fell with the barest hint of protest; she was used to being bodily handled by now.

Bastian settled back against the cushions, reclining with ease as he gripped one of her legs and threw it over his waist. She yelped, righting her skirts into something more decent.

A growl permeated the quiet air of the library.

Az stomped forward, fingers curling against his thigh as he stopped right before the entrance to the little alcove, blocking out the faint light from within the main part of the library.

She stared up at him, and his eyes fell to where her leg was indecently splayed over Bastian’s lap, his hand curling on her waist, and the way her breaths became short and shallow under the pressing weight of both of their attentions.

Her pale skin took on the slightest pink glow.

"Hot… chocolate?" she asked, infusing her voice with false interest. Anything to distract herself from the demon.

Bastian hummed a playful affirmative. "Chocolate bark melted over a fire and mixed with cream.

" He waved a hand over the tendrils of sweet-smelling smoke, making it flutter right toward her.

"It makes for a delectable treat." He looked up at Az.

"Sit, beast. There’s room for you. I know how to share. Sometimes."

Az growled lowly but sat. His back was ramrod straight, and his thigh was just out of her reach, not quite brushing her hip.

She swallowed thickly.

The sound of liquid pouring into a cup diverted her attention. She turned to Bastian, who was tipping the metal pot over a teacup. It clinked softly as he set it down on a small plate and used the long spoon to give it a few stirs before pressing it into her palms.

"Careful, it’s hot. You don’t want to burn yourself." Bastian eyed Az, where he was doing everything in his power not to touch her.

The teacup was hot, and she balanced it on her outstretched leg so she would not burn her palms.

"Ah, ah," Bastian teased. He tipped her chin up. "What do we say?"

Her lower lip jutted out. "T-thank you." It was a routine she knew well. The vampire was ever one for manners, disparate with most of his companions…

Reddened eyes burned into her skin, and he pulled away, repeated the same thing with another cup, and handed it off to Az with a small grin before finally pouring a cup of the melted chocolate and cream for himself.

It was quiet in the alcove, save for the steady drip of water in the library’s pools and the constant fall of the rain.

Luella had the urge to make inane conversations about the weather.

She bit back a giggle and brought the rim of the teacup up to her lips, hissing when the hot liquid nearly scorched her mouth.

She held it away from her face, coughing as her tongue burned.

Bastian chuckled. "I did warn you. "

Warm, large fingers gripped her wrist.

Luella looked to Az at her side. The demon had moved slightly closer, and he held her wrist delicately. Gently, he took the teacup from her and brought it up to his mouth, lips pursing as he blew small puffs of cold air over the steaming liquid to cool it for her.

She floundered, lips parting then snapping shut. She wouldn’t thank him.

The steady drizzle of the rain grew heavier.

Az brought the teacup up to his mouth and took a sip, amber eyes holding her captive and forcing her to still as he hummed with satisfaction, deeming it a good enough temperature for her as he pressed it back into her hands.

All without speaking.

Thunder shook the castle walls.

Luella brought the teacup to her lips. No longer was it the melted chocolate and cream she had gotten a taste of from her first sip, but now it held the faintest traces of even more heady and potent sugary chocolate.

Her lips wrapped around the rim, and she sighed at the rush of flavor.

Not too hot. Not too cold. With underlying notes of Az.

A soft sound of pleasure fell from her lips.

Az grew stiff beside her, and Bastian spluttered around his own sip of hot chocolate.

But they still did not break that careful silence.

Az, she knew, was most likely too fearful to speak lest he say the wrong thing.

But Bastian… Was the vampire not speaking to uphold her wish to be a mere buffer between her and the demon?

Whatever the reason was, she was so, so grateful to him in that moment.

For staying silent, for the steady pressure of his palm against her waist, and the scent of bergamot that baked into her skin, mingling with rich chocolate and sugar on her other side.

She was grateful for their silence and the sweet liquid on her tongue.

However, Luella could not stop herself from noticing the distance between her and Az, both in body and emotion. He was realms away, even though his thigh now brushed hers where he had moved slightly toward her.

The rain grew thicker. Heavier. Turning to small pebbles of ice as it fell from the thick mass of white clouds.

She was so wrapped up in them and their scents and missing Az that she did not catch the charged look Bastian and Az shared. Gritted jaws and clenched teeth and glances above.

Bastian’s fingers continued to stroke over the side of her waist, and Az pressed even closer to her side. Her eyelids grew heavy, and the teacup teetered from her limp fingers.

Luella’s ill nights of rest finally got the best of her, and she found herself nodding off, nestled within a library and coated in the scents of them, chocolate still lingering on her lips.