Page 45 of Of Storm and Emerald
He made a point to arrive before her, and since her brother was already seated at the table, it was easy to discern which seat was designated for her. So, to make it even more interesting, he chose the empty seat next to hers.
Daemon’s mere presence was a large topic of conversation prior to the start of the meeting, and he’d received a few interesting glances from the members of the council. However, the look from Ser Aeron was one of pure distrust. His eyes narrowed as soon as Daemon stepped foot into the chamber, and when they locked eyes for a moment, it was as if the words“I’m watching you”had been forced into his mind.
The commander had seen them together away from everyone else at court. He’d seen the way that Daemon looked at Auraelia.
He knew the exact moment she walked into the room. His body had become acutely attuned to hers since the night they met and his magic writhed beneath his skin when she was near. He heard her mumbled acknowledgements to the other members of the council as she made her way across the chambers, but he felt it the moment her eyes landed on him.
When Queen Adelina glanced behind him to acknowledge her, Daemon took that as his cue to turn her way. Her breath caught the moment their eyes locked together, and it was as if the world slowed. A beautiful flush colored her cheeks radiated down her chest, and his cock stiffened at the memory of seeing how far down the color went. She was frozen in time with him, and it wasn’t until Piper nudged her back into motion that the spell was broken.
A sense of satisfaction washed over him at knowing that he had the same effect on her as she did on him.
Throughout the entire meeting, she was bound and determined to ignore his presence. She avoided his gaze while he stole glances when no one was looking, but he felt her eyes every time she would turn his way, no matter how brief. The icing on the cake was when he mentioned the chocolate croissant they’d shared, and she looked like she just wanted to sink into her chair and disappear.
Daemon knew he was in trouble. Knew that he shouldn’t have started something that he was quite sure would ruin one or both of them. But they were both consenting adults, and goddess be damned, he wanted her, and she clearly wanted him too.
When she finally emerged from her mother’s suite, he pushed his shadows out until they encircled her. Reaching through them, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him as she let out a surprised yelp. When she was flush against his chest, looking up at him with a bewildered expression on her face, he smiled.
“Hello again, my star,” he whispered, then crashed his lips to hers.
He felt the moment she let go and let herself get lost in his embrace, sinking into his hold as she snaked her hands up his chest to twine her fingers into his hair. He growled, the sound emanating from deep within his throat.
Suddenly, she was pulling back.
“Daemon.” His name was a breathy exhale on her lips. “Someone could see us.”
When she moved to look around and step away, Daemon tightened his arm around her waist and used his free hand to tilt her face back to his.
“My star, all that anyone would see is a shadow in the corner. If they looked close enough, they might see a shimmer of magic, but they would never get close enough to do that. I’ve got you. I promise.”
Auraelia’s eyes reflected so many emotions back into his that it was hard for him to discern them all. But the one that stood out the most in that moment was longing.
His original plan had been to whisk them away to one of their rooms. He had even strongly considered the garden, where they could repeat their first night together–only this time he wouldn’t let her run from him–and then they could spend the rest of the night wrapped in each other in the comfort of a bed. But now? Now, he wanted to show her another facet of his magic.
He turned her around, pulling her back to his chest, before leaning down to whisper into her ear, “Close your eyes, Auraelia.”
She stiffened slightly before relaxing back into his embrace. When he could feel the last bit of tension ease away, he took a deep breath, letting his magic bleed out of him and into the shadows. What had once been ribbons of darkness twining around them, similar to a pot of ink being poured into a basin of water, was now so much more.
“Open your eyes.”
Auraelia’s breath caught. “Daemon, this is–” She shook her head, seemingly unable to find the words to process what she was seeing.
All around them was a sky that one would only see during the darkest part of the night. Clouds of purple, orange, and white spiraled around one another creating kaleidoscopes of colors. Specks of white that resembled stars twinkled all around them, like an artist flicked paint from the bristles of his brush, creating constellations and groupings you wouldn’t see under normal circumstances.
It was the sky that Daemon only saw when he was out on the water. It was this sky that he was most at home under, and it was this sky that Auraelia reminded him of.
Daemon pulled her closer and peppered kisses up her neck, stopping right behind her ear. “This was once my favorite sight in the whole of Ixora. The stars were so bright, and I would get lost in their swirls for hours.”
“Why is it now past tense?” she asked, tilting her head to the side, giving him better access.
Daemon chuckled and turned her back around so that he could look her in the eyes. He cupped her face in his hands, and gently stroked her cheek, “Because you,my star, in the short amount of time I have known you, have somehow managed to outshine them all.”
Her eyes softened at his words, but she didn’t say anything.
“I’ve told you once, and I’ll gladly tell you again. I’m drawn to you and have been since I saw you walk into that ballroom two days ago. I don’t know why, I couldn’t explain it if I tried, but I think you feel it too. Or at least I hope you do.”
Daemon removed his hands from her face and leaned down until their noses brushed.
“Daemon–” She paused and reached one of her hands up to stroke the side of his face. He leaned into her touch, waiting for whatever truth she would tell. If there was one thing that he was absolutely certain of with Auraelia, it was that she wouldn’t skirt around the truth. She had been candid from the moment they met.
