Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 165618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 828(@200wpm)___ 662(@250wpm)___ 552(@300wpm)
I saw the Celestial Palace on the Sceptred Isle all lit up and felt the sense of pride I always felt as a Night’s Fallian when I spied its ostentatious beauty.
I also saw the dragons on the guard posts, sitting at attention, scanning for a threat (and I was no shifter, but I felt pride at that too).
And as we hovered, I saw the defense bots patrolling.
There were a fair number of them.
We’d be safe.
Tanyn would endure.
(So would Laura.)
I would have fun.
And then we’d be home.
After we landed, when Tanyn alighted the LuxeCraft, I saw the blinding light of flashes and heard the cacophony of cambeings and reporters clamoring for his attention.
I’d seen this happen.
But it had never happened to me.
I also saw Tanyn’s hand in the open door, offered to help me out of the craft.
I stared at his beautiful hand.
A hand that had held mine.
A hand that had soothed over my skin.
A hand that had sifted through my hair.
A hand that had claimed my cunt.
This was it.
This was going to be my life.
I scooched over the seat, placed my hand in Tanyn’s, and his strong fingers curved warm and reassuring around mine.
Yes.
This was it.
This was going to be my life.
He helped me get out, and if I thought the flashes were blinding before and the cacophony was a clamor, I was wrong.
I could barely see, and the din was hurting even my demon ears.
Tanyn tucked me tight to his side, and back straight, stride steady, he guided me up the purple carpet.
I was his.
I was representing him.
I was representing not only Sky’s Edge, but Night’s Fall.
And to my shock, but also thrill, I found I was incredibly proud I had the opportunity to do all of that.
Thus, I turned my head this way and that and smiled. I gave out little waves. I ignored the questions hurled at us.
And then we were inside, having been pulled to the side by a member of the palace staff. Due to Tanyn’s status, we were lingering because we also got to jump the queue of the reception line.
As the staff member went about holding up the line to slide Tanyn and I in, Tanyn drew me closer, angled down and whispered in my ear, “All right?”
When he pulled away, I gave him a beaming smile.
Because seriously.
That was a rush.
“I’m mega.”
His eyes moved over my face. They darkened.
He murmured, “Perfect.”
And then he drew us forward because the staff member was beckoning.
I was hanging back, all by myself for a moment, sipping my cocktail, a concoction Laura told me was called “Love Is in The Air.” It was made of gin, lemon juice, grenadine, egg white, sugar and garnished with a toothpick of fresh raspberries. The end of the toothpick had a proud dragon’s head and a butterfly, the party’s theme, which, from the minute Laura told us about it, I’d wholeheartedly approved.
Much better than hearts and flowers.
I was doing this watching Laura, wearing a stunning lavender Celestina gown that had a bustier bodice, one shoulder a grand floof of flowers, the other shoulder bare, and the skirt a kind of ethereal, delicate chainmail (yes, that was what it looked like).
She was working the room like a queen.
I was so proud of her.
I was so happy for her.
Aleksei approached her, his expression demonstrating both of those emotions.
And I was so thrilled her mate was such a good male.
He put his hand to her back, made some comment to the beings she was with, then guided her away.
No, I didn’t have to worry.
Lex had this.
I turned my attention to Bain and Aleece, who were giving each other a wide berth.
I had no idea what was happening there, except it was a version of what was always happening between them, just that there was more space.
Perhaps they were guarding against anyone guessing the truth about them.
What I did know was, they’d come out to her family, because, all night, King Fillion, Queen Calisa, and even Timothee had been watching them both. The king seemed okay with it. The queen, not so much (she probably had some other alliance in her head for Aleece). Tim did not look happy.
Then again, Bain had never had a lot of patience for Timothee and his antics, and probably especially thought he was a dick for escorting Bain’s sister, and Aleksei’s ex, to a ball in this very palace on what was, then, Laura and Aleksei’s first official event together.
That said, nobody really did have patience with Timothee.
Onward, I found Gayle.
Surprisingly, Cormac wasn’t dogging her every step.
He was standing in a corner (yes, brooding) and watching her every step.
She, too, was in a Lancet creation. Strapless, with a sky-high slit and grand swirls and falls of silk that resembled liquid copper.
She looked like a female who could bring down kingdoms.
She looked like a queen.