Page 89 of Ocean of Silver

She was leaning into the Prince, whispering something in his ear. They talked in hushed tones back and forth, sharing what looked like a rushed conversation.

Tezya noticed me first. He sat up straighter in his chair as I approached. I didn’t miss the fact that he pulled Scottie closer to his chest in the process. “Prince Noren.”

Scottie whipped her head around, and her beautiful sapphire eyes widened in surprise. The dress she was in was perfect for her, at least in color. It matched her eyes so perfectly, making them all I could focus on. Tezya’s hand repositioned on her hip, tightening as it gripped her. The damn authority and possessiveness in the gesture had me picturing daggers cutting into his jagged scar across his face until he bled out.

“Prince Xandrin,” I replied, using their family name. I didn’t nod my head in recognition. I didn’t even bother to look at him as I kept my gaze locked on Scottie instead.

“Call me Tezya. Advenians only refer to my brother by that title.”

I ignored him, my eyes still focusing solely on my ex-wife. “Scotlind, you look well.” And I was surprised by it. Her skin changed colors. It was darker, more bronzed as if she had spent time out in the sun, and her freckles were more prominent over her nose. Despite being in the hands of the enemy for the past couple of months, she looked healthy. Her bones weren’t jutting out at odd angles. Her eyes weren’t sunken into her head. She wasn’t starved and on the brink of death anymore, but I didn’t let that delude me into thinking they were treating her well. Maybe the sick bastard could only stand to be with her if she looked good.

She swallowed. Tezya’s hand began the rhythmic strokes again over her hip. I caught a glimpse of a cut on his palm. Why the hell was she not answering me?

“Congratulations are in order,” the Luxian Prince said as he leaned back into his seat. Scotlind sank deeper into his chest from the movement. Her blue eyes met mine before she quickly diverted. What was going on? Why wouldn’t she look at me?

“Mind if I have this dance?” I asked.

Tezya’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I mind. She’s staying with me.”

I reached for her anyway and pulled her off his lap. “I wasn’t asking you.” I could tell the Luxian Prince wanted to fight. It took everything in him to bite his tongue and hold back. If he reacted, it would cause a scene, and he was on the Dark’s soil now.

“Sie, this isn’t a good idea,” Scotlind whispered, speaking for the first time. But I didn’t care. To hell with good ideas. It never worked in my favor before, and I was done with having her slip out of my grasp. She glanced around the room, her eyes locking with some ginger-haired male before I dragged her onto the dance floor and ignored the Advenians who watched us.

The Luxian Princess crossed her arms as she came to stand behind Tezya. Her dress was made entirely of diamonds, making it impossible not to notice her as she moved. Another female, with half her hair black and the other half dyed green, flanked his other side. She wore a deep emerald dress that matched her sleek strands. The material was silky and fitted around her slender but tall figure. And she was tall, really damn tall, probably the same height as me with the heels she was wearing. I ignored both of their pointed glares and turned my attention back to Scottie, leaving the Fire Prince and his posse behind.

“Are you okay?” I asked her when we finally made it onto the dance floor. Shefinallylooked up at me, and I swore I lost my breath.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Done what?” I asked as I twirled her before closing the gap between us. A few other couples were on the dance floor, swaying to the soft music, but most spectated from their tables.

“Taken me from him. You can’t make a scene, Sie. We aren’t supposed to be together tonight.”

“Would you rather be back on his lap then? Dangling yourself like his fucking whore for everyone to see?”

She bristled. “I am stuck in this position because of you, in case you forgot, and this isn’t Tez’s fault.”

“Tez?” I spat, disgusted by the nickname, disgusted by the fact that she actually seemed to like him. “What? Are you friends with the enemy now?”

“He isn’t a bad person, Sie.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, what she was saying. “Isn’t a bad person? He’s the fucking Fire Prince. He murdered thousands of Advenians. Did you forget that small detail? And not to mention, he’s the son of the Lux King. They’re all bad.”

She bit her lip as her gaze flew to the Lux Prince, still lounging in his chair. His legs were spread wide as he leaned back in the seat, like his lap was a fucking open invitation, waiting for her to sit on again. His gaze tracked our every movement, his eyes never leaving Scotlind’s. I wanted to punch that smirk off his face when he realized Scotlind had turned to look back at him.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered as she dropped my hand. “Sie, we can’t be seen together.”

She left me alone on the dance floor, forcing me to watch as she walked back to the youngest Luxian Prince and perched herself back on his fucking lap.

THIRTY-SEVEN

SCOTLIND

Tezya wrappedhis arms around me as soon as I sat back down on his lap, and despite the situation we were in, I immediately felt safe. Athler was close by, watching our every move. I didn’t want to repeat what happened last time. I was terrified that the Lux King’s second would mess with his pheromones again, and if he did, Tezya would be punished after this.

We were instructed to do the same thing—to make Sie jealous as hell—and that if we didn’t have our hands all over each other, Athler would see to it that we did.

Tezya winced as I repositioned myself on his thigh. “Sorry,” I gasped, jumping off of him, forgetting that his leg hadn’t properly healed yet.

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