Page 30 of A Dance of Water (Moon Song #2)

CRY FOR ME

AZ

A z sat by Luella’s side, waiting for her to awaken.

He peered out the windows into the snowy evening. Almost time for the second night of Winter Solstice to begin. This time, he would be by her side.

Every moment without her was torture.

He ran a finger over the lines on his wrist, hidden by his sleeves. But he knew they were there.

He deserved it for hurting her, lying to her. He tried to keep away, but it only made the cuts hurt worse.

Next time, Az would give her the blade.

Slowly, she woke up from her slumber. The bridge of her cute nose wrinkled, and her borrowed blanket slipped off a shoulder, revealing the skin of her chest, the grisly sight of the Binding mark.

Luella blinked her eyes open, staring up at him from where she was still lying down. Couldn’t be a comfortable position, curled on an armchair like she was. The King was too prideful to give up his bed for her for a second night, so she was damned to sleep in the sitting room.

Az’s hand hovered before her, afraid to touch lest he stain her with his ungodsly self.

"Az?" she murmured sleepily.

"I’m here, Lu." His reply was just as soft. Anything to quell the fear he could see rise in those big, blue eyes of hers. "I’m right here," he repeated. "Not going anywhere."

Lying there, she looked small. Desperate for him. For his touch. And who was he to deny her anything?

Az finally touched her.

They both let out a soft sigh, and she melted back into the chair, head tipping to the side as her lids fluttered.

Those long lashes of hers fanned out against her pale cheeks.

No longer did she have freckles, no longer did she have an underlying healthy flush to her skin—but she was still just as beautiful. Still just as his .

"What time is it?" Luella mumbled.

"Evening. Almost time to get ready for the Solstice."

She tried to sit up, her face screwing up with a grimace.

Az braced his hand against her shoulder, the other cupping her waist as he gently lifted her to sit up.

Her eyes were wide like she didn’t want to believe she had slept a whole day away and that it was already the next evening, but as she reached up and fingered the edges of the mark on her chest, resignation clouded her somnolent face.

"Okay," she whispered. "I can get through this."

So strong, his angel.

She reached for his hands and held them.

Gods, her hands were so cold. Like ice.

"I need you by my side, Az. I cannot do this alone."

"Always. Forgive me for not being there yesterday. I needed…" He didn’t know what he needed.

Her chin dipped. Was she trying to hide her tears from him? He lifted her face to his. Just as he thought.

Her blue eyes were watery pools, dripping with crystalline tears, spilling over her lashline and falling down her pale cheeks. Slowly, to give her time to pull away—to give her a choice —he moved his face down to hers. His breath rustled her sleep-rumpled hair.

She neither moved away from him nor blinked. And neither did he.

They were both too enthralled by each other to dare miss a moment of this stolen piece of softness.

Az licked her tears away, his tongue poking out and gently swiping the wetness from her skin. She shuddered against him. Her tears were salty on his tongue. Precious.

He licked away every last one, and when another threatened to spill, he brushed his thumb over her lids, forcing them to finally fall closed. He pressed soft kisses against her closed lids.

As Az pulled away, her befuddled eyes peered up at him.

"No more tears," he whispered. Dazedly, she nodded her acquiescence.

He took her small, cold hand and pressed it over the skin of his chest, holding it there.

"I will always keep you safe, in blood I vowed. Even if that means lying, even if that means you hate me. You’re safe.

You can hate me as long as you want. I will bear it if it means you live.

If it means I can see you smile"—he traced the shape of her lips with the tip of his finger—"and smell your sweet scent…

" Az breathed in deeply, relishing in the whiffs of strawberries and rich cream.

The call between them was a living thing. He wanted to give in, to stop running like the others had been.

On the heels of his admission, he saw fresh tears well up, and he softly admonished her.

She sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I will forgive you, Az. Give me time, but my forgiveness, it will be yours."

A breath he had no idea he had been holding left him. Weightless, he could only smile, feeling his cheeks turn soft and nothing like the fearsome demon he should appear as.

"On one condition," she amended. His lungs seized. "Never, ever hurt yourself again." Her head fell against his chest as she gripped his shirt. "You are too valuable. Please. Promise me you won’t do it again."

Az pressed a soft kiss to her crown. Her hair tickled his chin, and he breathed her in. "I promise."

Her shoulders shook with a quiet sob.

He lifted her from where she was curled into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her, cherishing her. "No more tears, Lu. We’ve cried enough for each other."

She gave a wet laugh, and he preened at the sound. It was a start.

As the demon held his Vincire, he could only hope she could find it in her soft heart to forgive him one more time.

Luella was too wrapped up in him that she never noticed how he said lying in the present tense, for Az was still lying to her, for her own good, of course, but another lie, all the same.

He just hoped that when it came time to go to the Temples of Aedis, she would be grateful they had all agreed to lie to her, once more.