Page 31 of Dragons Of Shadow and Sea

"Here." I stand beside the deep pool. Its containing wall rises to my waist, hitting Ember at mid-chest. Saying a silent prayer in my head, I dip my fingertips into the water.

Swirling, brilliant blue light floods my senses. The magic seeps into me through my very pores.

Ember beholds me with wonder in her eyes. "Your tattoos..."

"The ink is infused with these waters." I glance down at my arm. The swirling designs glow and dance, rippling with power. "Go ahead," I encourage her.

She hesitates, then allows her fingertips to graze the surface of the water.

Her eyes go wide, her irises shimmering with the magic flowing into her from the pool. She darts her gaze to mine, and the bonds of our connection flow wilder and deeper, infused with the mystical energy of this place.

I touch her hand beneath the surface of the pool, intertwining our fingers, and my breath goes shallow. My flesh burns with need for her, even as the waters lap at my wrist. She gulps in a rough breath, her full breasts heaving. I swear I can scent the heat of her desire in the air.

"This," I tell her. "These Sacred Pools are why we relocated our kingdom here. Its magic is the beating heart of our city. It strengthens our spells, intensifies our dragons' powers. It maintains the veil."

"I understand."

She does.

For long moments that seem to go on and on, we stand there, separate but one, our hands clasped but our bodies held apart. I long to finally bridge the gap and claim her mouth, body and soul as my own.

But I can't. Not yet. Not here.

But I suddenly know exactly when--and where--I will.

Chapter

Seven

EMBER

After we leave the sacred pools, Malik whisks me off to a tiny kitchen in the basement of a chic restaurant. At a table for two, he feeds me Water Kingdom delicacies I haven't tasted in a decade. I smile, his fingertips lingering against my lips. Beneath the table, our feet entwine.

My body is a live wire. The connection between us hums with irresistible energy. After the heavy topics we discussed in the caverns beneath the city, we retreat to lighter fare. To my surprise, the quiet, serious prince has a funny side. It's so comfortable being with him, now that we've both let down our guards.

I can't believe that we only met yesterday; that last night, I thought he was my enemy. That before that, I never dreamed he could even exist.

When we finish, he pulls out my chair for me. I take his hand, and he leads me out into the open air. We walk to the edge of the city and down a narrow path.

At its end, we emerge from the trees onto a secluded stretch of perfect, pristine beach.

"Malik," I breathe.

He smiles, smug as ever, but it's become so endearing. "Did I not tell you that my kingdom was magnificent?"

"Only about a hundred times."

We take off our shoes and step out onto clean, soft, white sand. It slips between my toes, and I revel in the sensation.

"I haven't been to a beach since I was a kid," I admit.

"A travesty." He shakes his head. "I cannot imagine living far from the ocean."

"Spoken like a true Water Dragon."

His lack of a reply is basically agreement.

The low roar of the ocean and the distant squawking of seagulls soothes something in my soul. As the sun begins to set on the horizon, the sky turns a riot of oranges and purples and pinks. It's reflected on the water, and my breath catches at the sheer beauty that eclipses the landscape.

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