Page 84 of Prince of Storms
“Then you’re going to tell her how you feel, right?”
“She knows I care about her,” I ground out.
“Tor. Look at me, Tor, not the doors.”
I turned my head halfway.
“Good enough,” he muttered, shaking his head in frustration. “Tor. You need totellher how you feel. Completely. No thinking she knows, so you don’t have to say it. You have totell her in your own words. If you don’t do that, you’ll lose her. She needs to hear you say it.”
“Say that I have feelings for her?” I asked, looking at him dead on.
“That you love her, you brain-dead madman!” Ty hissed. “Listen, if you don’t tell her, then she’ll—”
“She’ll what?” I asked.
“She’s here.”
My head snapped to the entrance fast enough to make tendons creak and pop. The doors swung open with ease as Mia stepped into the room.
She looked stunning. I stared, unable to believe my eyes.
Every other woman at the ball was wearing a dress full of vibrant color. The men wore black or navy-blue suits.
The only one wearing white, however, had just entered the room. Heads stopped and stared as a rustle made its way through the room, everyone noting the newest arrival.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, taking her in, from the slightly poofy skirt and the incredible embroidery of swooping patterns that mimicked dragons in flight to the barest hint of visible crystal heels to match the dress, all the way up to her cinched bust, crusted in diamond gemstones. Her neck was bare save a simple necklace upon which sat a brilliant sapphire, the single piece of color she wore.
Her hair had been swept up into a fancy updo that looped and swooped around itself in an intricate pattern emphasizing the curve of her jaw and the tug of her smile. I noted distantly that a tiara had been worked into the design, its gems glittering in the overhead light.
“God-King,” I murmured. “She’s beautiful.”
Ty snorted. “Don’t tellmethat. I have two working eyes. I can see that. Go tellherwhat you think.”
Mia looked around the room until her eyes landed on me. A hint of color filled her cheeks as she looked down demurely for a moment before locking eyes with me once more.
“You know what to do?” I asked Ty out of the corner of my mouth.
“Everything is in place,” he assured me. “Now, put your legs to use.”
I did just that, striding across the ballroom floor. Couples parted around me as I moved. I barely noticed the flow of people as a path opened up between Mia and me. My attention was focused on her and solely on her. She saw me coming and stood up a little straighter, her lower lip curling slightly under her teeth.
My heart thundered in my chest. What should I say? What could I say? I didn’t want to mess it up now that she was actually there. It might be my only chance to prove to her that it was worth a shot. ThatIwas worth it. If I said the wrong thing or made her scared, I might never see her again. The pressure built and built until it constricted around my chest as I came to a halt in front of her, squeezing the air from my lungs until I couldn’t speak.
Mia stared up at me, her eyes as beautiful and brown as the day I’d met her. I knew she longed for color in them, but they had so muchpersonality. I couldn’t imagine her any other way, nor would I want it.
A jolt struck me in the back.
I staggered a half-step forward before turning to look over my shoulder. Ty had already turned away, but he gave me a half-wave as he did, confirming my suspicion that he’d hit me with a tiny blast of lightning.
“Jerk,” I muttered under my breath.
“What was that?”
“Ah, nothing,” I said, swinging back around to smile at Mia. “You look … unbelievable tonight. I’m trying to find the words to give to this, and I’m coming up short. It’s just stunning. Absolutely stunning.”
She blushed. “I’m glad you like it.”
I don’t like it. I love it. Just like I love you.
