Page 38 of Blood of Dragons
Nadia lay on the bed, perched on her elbow, the fire casting her in a beautiful light. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
I looked at her naked body on the bed but didn’t see her face. I saw a brunette with green eyes that were on fire. I saw fair skin with a couple freckles. I saw lips that ached for my kiss. I turned away and removed my cape. “Did I call for you?”
“No. But it’s been a while?—”
“If I don’t call for you, then don’t come. Leave.” I undressed as I moved through my chambers, ready to shower and wash the smoke from my hair. I didn’t check to see if she got dressed andleft. I stepped into the shower and forgot about her the second the warm water hit my skin.
6
CALISTA
We walked through the market together, an hour before dusk, seeing what the different merchants had to offer. The elves regarded Commander Luxe with warmth, their eyes showing their affection and loyalty, but once they looked at me, that brightness dimmed. They chose to only speak to him and treat me as if I weren’t there, at least until Commander Luxe made a formal introduction.
“This is one of our restaurants.” He gestured to the right, tables placed directly under the sky, while the others were under a wooden roof to protect them from the rain. “I have my coffee here in the morning. They also have wine here in the evenings.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” The last thing I wanted to do was go out to eat by myself when everyone seemed suspicious of my presence.
“Would you like to see the library?”
“You have a library?” I asked in surprise. “I have books in my room, but only a few are in my preferred language.”
“Then let me show you. Grab a couple books that you want, but I also recommend that you start to learn the language. The elves will respect you for it, and it’ll make your integration much easier.”
“You’re right.” It felt like a daunting task to master a language I hadn’t known existed until days ago, but I had nothing else to do with my time until Inferno returned…if he returned at all.
We rose up the stone steps and entered a large building, the ceilings thirty feet high. Unlike the royal chambers, the windows weren’t open to the outside but blocked with glass, probably to preserve the books inside.
There were several large tables at the forefront, and then in the rear were all the bookshelves that extended toward the ceiling.
“There’re a lot of books…”
“Yes. Most of them are historical accounts of our history. Some contain poetry, recipes, paintings, and some are just for entertainment.” He took the lead and walked me down the aisle, showing me all the different options.
“Wow, this is my new favorite place.”
“You’re a reader?”
“I would say so.”
“What do you like to read?”
“I enjoy everything, but romance is my favorite.”
He turned his head to look at me, his stare focused on my face. “You’re receptive to love, then.”
“Everyone is receptive to love.”
“I disagree.” He moved down the aisle until he found what he searched for. “Sometimes people love once, and it’s so passionate that it burns and they fear the flames for the rest of their lives.”
“Are you speaking from experience?”
He pulled a book off the shelf and extended it to me. “No. I’ve been receptive for a while…”
“I’m surprised you haven’t found it. All the elves are so beautiful.”
“Love is deeper than the flesh,” he said. “A kind of beauty that takes time to unearth. I’ve been mining for the perfect gem…but still haven’t found it.”
I took the book, our fingertips touching briefly.