Page 53 of Blood Feast

Lio watched Cassia dance.Her hair flew, and his braid twirled with her for all to see. She clapped her hands above her head, swaying her lithe body, now in red festival robes to show that she was no longer his Whiteblood.

She was Firstgrace Komnena.

The ceremony had begun in the Ritual hall, but the celebration had overflowed through the once-empty rooms of the house and out here into the wild gardens. The traditional chants had ended, and the new dances had begun. Their friends, drunk on wine or blood, danced around them while Nodora and her fellow musicians pushed their lutes and drums to the limit.

Lio lifted Cassia, and she threw her head back as they spun. Their Craving coiled tighter with each turn.

How long will the celebration last?she asked.

Until the last guest goes home.

She let out a laugh, bouncing away from him.And when will that be?

He chased her through the steps of the dance.A house full of Hesperines during polar night, celebrating a once-in-an-eternal-lifetime event? They’ll be here for nights on end.

She let him catch her under a cloud of spell lights.How long before the guests of honor can slip away for their avowal night?

He pulled her back against him, moving with her body pressed to his.It’s tradition for us to try to sneak off under veils. If we’re caught, everyone throws roses at us and chasesus all the way to our residence. After that, we can come and go whenever we like.

She let out a peal of laughter.It’s a good thing my Grace is such a powerful mind mage. I dare say we can escape without detection.

He spun her around and lifted her so she could feel his heart pounding against hers.Shall we try now?

She whispered in his ear, her tongue darting out to tease his earring. “Yes. Your firstgrace is hungry.”

The low rasp of her voice made his magic rise. He channeled all of it into a veil spell and pulled them deep into the shadows between the festival lights. They raced through the gardens with the music pounding after them. Their tower came into sight, and they darted along the final path.

A cloud of roses burst out of nowhere, and Cassia let out a shriek of surprise. Fat, soft blooms rained down on their heads

Lio almost didn’t recognize the jovial laughter coming from the shadows. But he could think of only one mage who could defeat his veils.

“Uncle?” he sputtered.

Uncle Argyros emerged from his own concealments, his shoulders shaking with laughter, and flicked a rose at Lio’s nose. Silvertongue’s voice carried through the gardens. “Here they are!”

Hoofbeats sounded on the path behind them, and they turned to see the Blood Errant astride their war horses with saddlebags full of roses. Now breathless with their own laughter, Lio and Cassia fled, with Orthros’s great warriors in pursuit, hurling flowers. The rest of their friends and family lined the path, enjoying the entire spectacle.

They made it to the steps of the tower. Lio snatched Cassia up in his arms and levitated the rest of the way. Applause chasedthem through the doors, which shut behind them to block out the final flurry of rose petals.

Cassia pulled his mouth to hers, kissing him in between her hiccuping laughter. Turning, he lifted her against the door, deepened their kiss. She raked her fingers through his hair, then gentled, caressing her braid. She let out a sigh.

He pulled his mouth back. “Do you still want the full ceremony? Including an avowal night in our very ceremonious bed where I Gifted you?”

She snatched a couple more kisses from his mouth, then nodded. “Oh, yes, we must do everything the official way first. We can feast against the door when we sneak off the next time.”

“Mmm.” He would take her up on that later, for certain. For now, he took them up to their bedchamber with one step, urging her toward the bed.

She halted him with her hands on his chest. “Wait. I have one more surprise for you.”

She pushed him playfully away, and he staggered back, grinning. He came up against a pillar, and her roses slid affectionately about his shoulders.

“When we were in the Empire…” She lifted her hands to her collar and began to open her pretty festival robe. “…I visited a very secret tent in the Sun Market where they sell nothing but underlinens.”

His fangs lengthened as he watched her. Bit by bit, she slowly revealed not her bare skin, but more silk. At last she pushed the robe off to fall at her feet in a pool of crimson.

She stood before him in an ephemeral creation of the sheerest white silk. Fastened at her bare shoulders with moonstones, the delicate garment wrapped around her figure and fluttered down to her ankles. Through the gossamer-thin fabric, he could see every line of her body. He wanted to devour every inch of her,from the flagrant impressions of her nipples, to the belly freckles peeking at him, to the dark invitation below.

A blush darkened her cheeks. “That’s the second time you’ve given me that look tonight.”

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