Page 99 of A Dance of Water (Moon Song #2)

Luella found herself missing Ina’s quiet presence, so different than the haunting presence of these beings.

Warm water was poured over her head, and she spluttered, feeling a sting in her nostrils and a burn in the back of her throat as she swallowed it.

She coughed, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Every time she blinked, she felt hands forcing her under the water, the ache in her lungs, saltwater crusted on her skin…

Her eyes were red and burning from unshed tears—she would not let them see. Tears were too intimate a thing.

After the Temple Mothers deemed Luella clean, no trace of her journey left on her skin, she was silently commanded to stand.

Her hair was wet, hanging heavy around her face and nude body.

The hems of the Temple Mothers’ cloaks dragged against the damp stone floor as they walked closer to her, and Luella realized something was in one of their hands.

Luella shivered. "What is that?"

No response, of course, not even a hint of acknowledgment.

The taller of the two held out a white bundle, the bell-shaped sleeves of her cloak billowing.

Luella’s breaths were loud as she watched. The Temple Mother did not waver, and slowly, Luella took the fabric from her, feeling the coarse material in her hands. A plain, white shift.

The Temple Mothers did not move. Luella stepped back, feeling water under her toes as she turned her body to the side for a modicum of privacy and pulled the shift over her head. The stiff fabric fell to her upper thigh.

She was not offered any underclothes, and she did not dare ask.

She swallowed, mouth dry, as the taller Temple Mother turned to the door, the other stepping to the side and waving a hidden hand in a gesture for Luella to follow.

The flames fixed to the stone walls flickered as they walked down the cavernous corridors inside the mountain.

The Temple Mothers’ steps were like water as they tread across the stone floors, while Luella was acutely aware of her own existence, evident in the harsh sound of her breathing and the quiet slap of her bare feet on the stone.

The hall slanted downward, winding, and she wondered how far, how deep, this Temple went.

Her wet hair brushed her back as she looked around.

It was a maze. She couldn’t run; she would get lost. She was dependent on these beings to see to her safety, and right now, Luella was not confident in them.

She yearned for the others, at least their motives were more clear than these silent overseers of the Temples of Aedis.

The candles grew sparser, the orange flames illuminating the deep cavern. It seemed to stretch on forever.

But finally, they arrived at their destination.

The Temple Mothers turned and bowed their heads, standing on either side of a small doorway carved into rock. Luella’s teeth clacked together from trepidation. What awaited her?

The stone-quiet air wrapped around her as she entered the room.

Smooth walls arched toward a high ceiling. Breeze filtered through, coming from seemingly nowhere and everywhere as it rustled through her wet hair and made her shiver.

"Oh," she breathed, craning her neck and peering up at the endless expanse above.

A heavy door slammed shut, and Luella whipped her head around, hair stinging against her cheeks as she found the doorway sealed.

"No—wait!" She slammed her palms on the stone. "Don’t trap me in here. P-please."

She pressed her ear against the stone, trying to hear if the Temple Mothers were still on the other side. The only sound was her heartbeat reflecting back to her.

She spun back around, eyes falling on the center of the room. A large pillar made entirely of stone loomed.

Her bare feet padded along the floors as she stepped closer, hands shaking as she touched the stone, her fingertips tracing over the symbols carved into it.

She leaned closer, wishing there were more than two measly candles within the room.

Tiny dots and swirling lines scattered around etchings of stars, making them look like they were dancing amidst a galaxy of grey.

"Is that…" She trailed off as she traced the lines.

Swirling, playful stardust, warm in her hand ? —

"Luella."

With a gasp, she turned, heart racing, as she found a cloaked figure standing in the middle of the room. A single, black feather floated to the ground, landing by his boot.

"Graves," she whispered, "what…"

The raven shifter walked closer, tugging his cowl under his chin and revealing the pale scar cut into the side of his face. The sight of him made her knees weak.

Gloved hands held her face, and he tilted her head up to meet his eyes. "I do not have much time," he murmured. "I couldn’t stand the thought of you scared like this."

Her pale hands came up to grip his wrists as he held her. A soft breeze made her tremble, and she curled her body toward him, seeking his warmth.

"Graves, what’s happening. Why am I h-here?"

His thick lashes fluttered. "I shouldn’t be here, but you called to me. I couldn’t ignore it." He leaned down, the hood of his cloak brushing against her temples as his breath whispered over her face. "We all felt it."

"I called to you?" Luella asked softly .

His rough voice rumbled through her. "Our bond. I felt your fear." He pressed his forehead to hers, and her lips parted with a soft sigh at his closeness. "I didn’t want you to face this, feeling alone." His voice was so, so low, just for the two of them.

She breathed in his scent as the shadows of his cloak enveloped her. "Face what?"

He groaned, bringing her face closer to his.

Her neck twinged with a faint ache as he tipped her face up to the perfect angle and pressed his lips to hers.

Even tired and scared, she melted into him.

His stubble scratched against her cheeks.

The slick sound of his lips against hers filled the cavern.

Graves’s teeth dug into her bottom lip as he bit down on her tender flesh, pulling away and making her lip sting as he released her with reluctance. Her lips were slick from his kiss.

"Trust us," he rasped, nose brushing hers.

She shook her head. "How can you expect me to trust you after all you’ve done?"

He pulled away, still holding her face between his hands, the leather of his gloves warm against her skin. "Try."

His lips pressed against her ear as he murmured, "The King will come to you, and you must survive the night while Vale is in his dragon form. To prove you’re worthy to lie with him." He kissed her ear, the closeness making her shudder. "But know this, you’re always worthy, sweetheart."

Survive the night…

Her lips parted, but no words came. Shaky and wide-eyed with fear, she could only stare at Graves.

From above, a loud rumble of thunder shook through the sky. She wondered how the sound was able to permeate through the mountains—weren’t they deep underground?

Graves’s throat worked as he swallowed. "I must leave."

"But… wait." She reached for him as his hands left her, her fingers grazing the air, unable to grasp what he had just revealed.

"He will not hurt you." Graves’s deep blue eyes fell to her body, tracing the stiff hem of her shift, tickling her upper thighs. "Quite the opposite. "

The thunder grew louder.

A gloved hand snaked under the folds of his cloak.

She saw a flash of silver from the chain of his amulet as he held the stone.

Feathers rustled as the raven flew up above.

Those keen eyes bore into hers as he ascended, disappearing into the shadows, out of sight.

The only trace of him, the singular feather left on the stone ground.

Luella touched her tingling lips, eyes falling onto the feather. She felt compelled to take it, so she did, bending as her hands closed around the quill end.

"Where did you go?" she asked, the soft question echoing around her as she stared up at the ceiling.

Her answer came in the form of an ear-splitting rumble of thunder.

The scant flames in the room danced, threatening to blow out from a harsh gust of wind.

That breeze she thought was without origin?—

She had been wrong.

What she assumed was a rounded ceiling, so high above that the shadows in the cavern blended with the night sky, was actually a hole .

There was a hole above her, revealing the dark sky, covered with clouds.

She gasped and huddled near the side of the room, hands over her head as the thunder grew louder.

But the rhythmic pattern revealed the truth.

Not thunder.

"No," Luella breathed, the sound swallowed up by the noise of wingbeats.

From her huddled position near the wall, she nearly missed the stone door opening as a Temple Mother entered, cloak blowing in the powerful wind.

Dangling from the Temple Mother’s hands, a length of rope.

The wingbeats did not grow louder as the dragon waited somewhere above, just out of sight. The Temple Mother stood by the stone pillar in the room, waiting.

And in Luella’s head, the barest whisper resounded, filled with calm urgency: Go. Now .

She found herself standing and walking forward, as if in a daze. The Binding mark on her chest pulsed, but the voice had not sounded entirely like King Vale, but more carnal, possessive, even. Laced with a fiery hiss like water evaporating off molten rocks…

The wingbeats made her hair whip around her.

Be still.

She froze.

The Temple Mother unfurled the rope, placing a hand on her shoulder, and pressed her against the pillar. Luella’s back hit the cold stone, and she trembled, legs desperate to move, but unable to due to the command.

The rope was wrapped around her, the Temple Mother disappearing behind her as she finished tying it off, forcing Luella to gasp as it dug into her waist.

"Wait…" Luella struggled against the rope, terror filling every bit of her as the dragon’s wingbeats grew louder. "Wait!"

Without one glance back, the Temple Mother left, the stone door falling shut behind her, leaving Luella tied to the pillar in the middle of the cavern.