Page 36 of Tides of Shadows

That earned me a quiet chuckle. For a moment, the darkness in his eyes eased. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Aidenar. He was watching us from across the dance floor. A glass in his hand and an expression that didn’t quite match his usual self-confidence.

“You look beautiful tonight,” Dricus said at last, his voice intimate.

“I must take care of this gown. It seems to earn a lot of praise”

“Perhaps it’s not the gown at all,” he murmured, turning me so smoothly the fabric rippled like the sea itself.

When we danced, I felt how tense his body was, just like when he rescued me in the forest. As if it were always ready for battle. As if it never rested. My hand lay on his shoulder. I allowed myself to gently touch him with my power. I wanted him to relax, to ease just for a moment. When I did it, Dricus’s eyes looked at me. Shouldn’t I have done that? Had I overstepped something?

“So,” he said quietly, his voice low, “you know how to play with your gift.”

I said nothing.

When he turned me again and drew me close, heat spilled through me in a sudden, treacherous rush. It spread through my limbs, through my chest, through every inch of me until I could scarcely think. I had the immediate urge to tear the clothes from my body and plunge into cold water, anything to escape the blaze beneath my skin.

Dricus noticed my deep breath. Just as swiftly, the warmth vanished, pulled back as if it had never been.

I nearly missed a step, my foot faltering, but his grip tightened and held me upright.

“Forgive me,” he said. “I shouldn’t have.” Regret crossed his face.

The music just ended, he bowed and was gone before I could say anything.

I needed some air after that. My thoughts were wandering around strange places.

I slipped away to the edge of the hall, past the glitter and laughter, craving a moment’s quiet. Near a marble pillar, I overheard a cluster of lords who must have forgotten that even in a crowd, voices carry.

“Cassandra may scoff at myths,” said one, an old man with a face lined like dried parchment, “but she cannot deny that something stirs. Two heirs have already revealed their elemental power. There will be others, hiding, for now.”

“The engravings were clear,” another whispered, with excitement in his tone. “Four figures, four gods of the elements. And around them darkness, devouring it all. The beasts had crimson eyes, spat black blood. The next tablets were shattered, but from what survived… the world ended in Plague. The sun was swallowed by shadow. The demons…” He hesitated. “They were not beasts. They were men.”

A chill crept down my spine.

“The birth of such heirs with powers is no blessing,” a third murmured, draining his cup. “It is a curse. A warning. The Plague spreads. Dark days lie ahead.”

Their words echoed in my skull long after I turned away. If the engravings spoke true, maybe our gifts were not a coincidence.

I was ready to retire when Velena Salvadore appeared before me, surrounded by her simpering ladies like a queen of bees.

“Listen to me, fisher girl,” she hissed, venom coating every word. “If you think to win Lord Cavareth with your eyes and tragic tales, you are gravely mistaken. Go chase some squire and leave him be.”

Her tone was sharp enough to draw blood. I straightened, towering over her.

“As far as I know,” I said softly, “You are not yet wed, and the Young Regent may dance with whomever he pleases. However, Lady Salvadore, if you ever speak to me in such a manner again, I shall take your little golden head and dip it into the courtyard fountain. And I will hold it there until you learn courtesy and respect. Believe me, no Elementar will save you.”

Her maids gasped. I felt the water in her body stir beneath her skin, trembling at my will. Velena’s face went pale. She choked on her own breath and fled down the hall with her flock.

Roderick appeared at my side, trying and failing not to laugh. “Don’t you think that was a touch… excessive, my Lady?”

“She has been needling me for weeks,” I replied coolly. “She should be grateful she didn’t piss herself.”

Roderick broke into helpless laughter, relief sparking in his eyes. I gave him a cold look until he straightened again, clearing his throat.

“That will be enough for tonight,” I said, feeling the tension fade from my limbs. “We’re leaving.”

And so we did, leaving behind gossips and whispers that always bloomed in White City palace.

Chapter