Page 10 of The Sorcerer of Shadowholde

“Are you ready to dance?”

CHAPTER 5

Vita

THE HIGH CONSUL WAS a lovely dancer.

As the musicians started their next song, he lifted his arm and led Vita through an elegant waltz. She had never danced formally, though it was easy enough to follow his lead as he spun her through the intricate steps.

Her crimson dress flared out like the petals of a rose, the music showering them in its melody. The scent of flowers wafted past her face as they swirled around, completely in sync.

She caught the eye of Amulius more than once, who had a furious glare aimed towards her. Vita tried to push away the thoughts of his likely retaliation, exhilarated by the fact she was dancing with the High Consul!

Verian wouldneverbelieve this.

They moved as one, even with her lack of experience, and she felt as if she were in one of her fairy stories. Those ruby eyes stole all the breath from her lungs as he studied her.

“Are you from Shadowholde?” he asked, deftly leading them through the steps.

“No, but I’ve lived here since I was a child.”

He released her waist and whirled her away from him before pulling her back into his embrace. Her breath caught once more as he gazed at her, a look of hunger in his eyes.

“Did you deliver your offerings to Aona today? One must be dutiful to our holyvirginGoddess.”

A strange emphasis on the wordvirgin, almost accusatory, though there was a glint of laughter in his voice, like he could peer right into her head and see all the memories of her past sexual encounters.

“Of course I did.”

Only priestesses of Aona were required to remain virgins, though many would scorn Vita for the things she’d done as an unwed woman.

“I knew you were a good girl,” he said, that smirk never leaving his face as they swirled about the dance floor.

The words jolted her, thegood girlhaving the effect she’d thought it would if uttered by someone other than Amulius, tension coiling in her stomach, her head swimming. The High Consul spun her again, pulling her back flush with his chest and running his icy hands up her body. A seed of pleasure rooted in her core, sending tendrils of electricity through her lower half and bringing a hot flush to her face.

As he spun her back around to face him, the intensity in his eyes was shocking. “And you work for Praetor Amulius?”

Vita stammered a response, trying to answer the simple question despite her head whirling from the insinuations and the dance. “I-I do. For the past five years.”

He hummed, an unreadable expression on his face. His hand had returned to her waist, the tight grip sending bolts of desire through her body.

Oh, no.

Vita’s power welled as she swirled about the dance floor with the High Consul. She tried to breathe, to close the door to the surge that she sensed was coming.

Not now.

“Does he treat you well?”

The question caught her off guard as she gritted her teeth, trying to focus on containing the swells of power.

“Y-Yes, he does.”

Suddenly, the High Consul pulled her close, his face mere inches from hers and both hands now clasping her waist.

“Do not lie to me. Does he treat you well?”

Vita gulped at the proximity and the power that was threatening to overtake her. How had he known she was lying?

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