Page 53 of The Coveted
The castle halls had never felt warmer and more inviting, the sound of laughter and smell of perfume floating through the air. The lights were dimmed, the moon still bright and high in the sky. I watched moonlit shadows dance around us like spirits. If I wasn’t holding on to Sebastian’s arm, I surely would’ve floated away.
“This night feels different,” Sebastian mused, his voice loud and bold now that he was sufficiently elixir-tipsy. “Every night since you arrived has felt different,” he said, side-eyeing me with a look full of curiosity. “More… powerful.”
I shrugged lightly, trying hard to remember why I couldn’t give up all my control—why I couldn’t answer him withbecause I am powerful, damnit!“I’m just like anyone else,” I giggled, and Sebastian laughed with me. Soon I forgot why we were even laughing in the first place. The laughter filled up all the space inside of me.
“The King danced with you,” he said suddenly, and it sounded more like a question than a statement. “That’s not something he ever does.”
“Oh?” I frowned. I didn’t want to think about Lucius. “I don’t know why,” I mumbled, my thoughts swirling and dancing just out of reach.
Sebastian was silent for the next few yards, and soon we were ducking through a doorway into an enticing darkness. Without thinking, I raised my free hand and conjured a glowing orb of light so we could see.
“Whoa,” Sebastian said, dropping my arm and glancing over at me. The light reflected in his eyes and brightened the mysterious, narrow hallway. “Thanks,” he laughed, and he led me to a tall, stone door.
I extinguished the orb as the door lurched open, and my heart thumped in my chest as I took in the sea of bodies beyond. The sound of more laughter, whispers, moans, and conversation tickled my ears. The energy was so potent, so intense, that I wouldn’t have been able to shut it out if I wanted to. I was barely aware of the door swinging shut behind us as Sebastian led me down a set of stairs into a lavish cavern. Dimly lit chandeliers glowed as they hovered near the ceiling above, and the best I could compare the space to was something out of a film, like a cross between a speakeasy and a brothel. Witches were dressed in various states of high fashion to lingerie to full nudity, some standing and chatting over glasses of elixir while others danced, and still others collapsed onto either various furniture or the carpet in a tangle of limbs and sex.
I didn’t know if I could widen my eyes further if I tried. I watched a woman in a bright red dress and mask in the shape of a fox push a man clad in leather briefs up against a column. Her hand was firm against his throat as she scratched her long fingernails down his chest, leaving trails of pink against his light skin.
“Oh,” was all I could say, actually grateful to have Sebastian clutching my waist for once. Otherwise, I might’ve turned and run from the sensory overload. Soon my shock was overcome with the feeling of magickal drunkenness, and I nearly felt faint at the sheer intensity of just one taste of this collective energy bubble. It was like a dome of bright erotic red, gold, and pink hues, and I felt the tide of the sublime erotic in every nerve ending of my being.
He spun me around to face him, placing a single finger on my lips. “Shhh. Don’t be afraid,” he said with a soft, dimpled smile.
“Hey, you owe me a taste,” a voice rung out from behind me.Christine.
I moved away from Sebastian as she approached with Jasmine, Taryn, and a man I recognized as an off-duty guard. The only one not wearing an ornate mask, he narrowed his brown eyes at me for a moment before shrugging. He leaned into Jasmine, who wore a lacy black robe, a green corset with garters, matching panties, and sheer stockings. Christine wore a shimmering silver set that resembled her dress from the ball, with a sheer skirt that I honestly didn’t see the point in. Taryn wore a sleeveless black leather minidress and a feathery black mask, and my heart skipped a beat as I struggled through the haze to remember our fight from earlier. It looked like she was done avoiding me, at least.
“Fine,” Jasmine groaned. “We made a bet on whether or not you’d show,” she slurred to me in explanation, her eyes sultry. She stepped away from the guard and handed an outstretched arm to Christine.
Christine lit up with triumph, grasping her forearm and closing her eyes. Her features relaxed for a moment as she channeled some of Jasmine’s power. This was the first time I’d ever seen energy sharing completed consensually. The taste of bliss radiating from Christine made my mouth water.
“If you really want a high,” the dark-haired guard started, looking to me.
Don’t, I forced into his mind, keenly aware of what his next words would be. It was just as Daelon warned.Silence.
I felt a spark of power leave me before I could stop it, breathing life into my command. Suddenly the guard paled, his mouth frozen in place as his eyes grew wide. Nathaniel must’ve told others about how my power felt when he syphoned it without my consent, and now this guard wanted a taste. I bristled, keeping him locked in a forced silence.
“Harry? You all right?” Jasmine asked him, pulling her arm back to her side. “Too much elixir?” she giggled.
Christine quirked a brow, laughing along with her.
Taryn immediately found my eyes, her lips forming a thin line.What are you doing?she hissed telepathically.
The room was just too intoxicating, too much… I couldn’t help but use my magick. It wanted to be used. Itneededto be. And the guard was going to blow my cover, probably against his own King’s wishes. But, even still, I couldn’t help but notice how this small act of power made me feel. Lucius was right. I was tired of keeping it bottled up. I was tired of letting everyone walk all over me, knowing full wellIwas the one with the upper hand. I met the guard’s eyes, and the lights above flickered. His once confident demeanor had shifted to pitiful as he silently begged me to release him.
“What—” Sebastian started, just as I released my hold over the guard.
He sputtered, massaging his jaw. The girls shot him a confused look, but he immediately turned on his heel and stalked away before they could pry.
“What in Aradia wasthatall about?” Sebastian finished.
Christine waved a hand. “Who knows. The guards are strange anyway,” she stressed to Jasmine, who pouted a little as she watched him disappear into a room to our right. “Let’s go find a better room. This one’s for thecommoners.”
Jasmine cackled, and Taryn stayed silent, still eyeing me. Sebastian just seemed happy to be along for the ride, offering me his arm once more. Christine snapped her fingers at a pair of men in suits who were sipping elixir, and as I turned, I recognized them as the men they picked up after the ball. They both gave me a once-over before following us.
“See? Jealous,” Sebastian purred.
My sheer skirt billowed out behind me as our little group meandered through the sea of witches, and I had to focus extra hard on even remembering my own name. Just like at the ball, an enchantment took hold of all of my senses, whispering promises of an ultimate release… through the sharp taste of melted crisp apples, the feeling of lips grazing bare skin, and the ebb and flow of raw power… and I was lost in the haze, drowning in connection that felt at once animalistic and divine. The floating lights were mesmerizing, casting a kaleidoscope of multicolored shapes all around us. Soon we were in a new room, full of billowing curtains, cushioned seating, and nude witches reaching for each other in a delicate choreography of desire. The lighting was pink and soft, and I caught a glimpse of two naked female forms locked in an embrace behind one of the translucent fabric enclosures. I was barely aware of Sebastian’s chuckle as he pulled me along, forcing me to peel my eyes away.
“I knew it wouldn’t take you long to acclimate,” he whispered, and his words felt both faraway and very close all at once. “You just have to learn to let go.”
