Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (chrome ebook reader .txt) 📗

shot his brother a withering look that causedBrokk’s eyebrows to rise. “What’s gotten into you, killer?”

Cole watched as Elexiandra’s shouldersslumped, and she slid her hand into Malakai’s. The vamp grinned ashe led her onto the floor. When he went to grasp her other hand,she jerked it back, but Malakai grabbed it and placed it againsthis chest.

Cole’s teeth ground together; Malakai foughtin Cole’s army, but he’d never liked the arrogant vamp who took fartoo much joy in tormenting and killing others. It was what they allhad to do to survive the war, but Malakai was one of thoseimmortals who smiled the entire time they slaughtered others.

Malakai was dark and twisted, and Coledisliked him anywhere near Elexiandra. Resisting the inexplicableurge to go out there and beat Malakai into a bloody pulp, Colefocused on Brokk.

“What is it?” Cole asked.

Brokk continued to stare questionably at himas he took a step back. “How are you enjoying the party?”

“As much as you.”

Brokk smiled grimly. “Then you’re having thetime of your life.”

Cole chuckled. “Absolutely.”

Brokk clasped his shoulder and squeezed it.Neither of them wanted this, their father knew that, and if it hadbeen up to Cole, this party never would have happened, but itwasn’t up to him.

If they were going to keep up the pretense ofbeing on the Lord’s side and being thrilled about their victory inthe war, then a celebratory ball was a necessity. And they were allgoing to have to grin and bear it.

“Enjoy, brother,” Brokk murmured beforeslipping into the crowd.

As he walked, some of the women reached outfor him, and Brokk stopped to speak with them before moving on.Cole turned his attention back to the dance floor as the musicianscontinued to weave their magic upon the crowd.

He spotted Elexiandra amid the crush ofbodies. Whereas everyone else was smiling while they danced withtheir partners, she remained rigid, and the look on her face saidshe’d rather be anywhere but here.

He was shocked to find himself wanting tointervene, but he had no idea why. What did he care if she wasuncomfortable? He’d never considered the feelings of anyone outsideof his family before. And as a dark fae, he’d only ever had twouses for women… fucking and feeding.

Yet when Elexiandra’s gaze darted to thedoorway, something inside him stirred at her unease, and herealized it was the lycan making its presence known again. Hecontemplated this strange development as Malakai grasped the handElexiandra had rested on his shoulder and spun her around.

Whereas most women laughed when theirpartners did such a thing, Elexiandra glanced anxiously around whenhe pulled her close again. Malakai said something to her, and whenshe shook her head, he gripped her chin and lifted her head, so shehad to look at him.

She tried to jerk her chin free, but Malakairefused to release her. And then she winced.

Before Cole had considered intervening, hefound himself striding through the dancers toward them. The actionsurprised him, but not enough to make him stop shoving his waythrough the crowd.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sawimmortals turning toward him and the smiles on some of the women’sfaces, but he didn’t acknowledge them. He didn’t give a shit ifthey considered him rude; he couldn’t stop. He had to get toher.

In the corner, the bow fell away from thecello, and the flute fell silent. Elexiandra said something andtried to turn her face away, but Malakai kept hold of her chin.They were still fifty feet away from him, and he was about to startruthlessly shoving his guests out of the way when the woman whowalked onto the dais with her appeared at her side.

Sahira, he recalled Sindri announcingthe woman’s name, and then another memory tugged at the edges ofhis mind. He recalled Del talking about someone named Sahira. Ittook him a couple of seconds before he remembered the woman was hishalf sister.

She was half witch and half vampire, whichhad to be the rarest combination of immortals in all the realms. Hewasn’t sure how such a thing happened, given how much the witchesdespised the vampires.

Cole couldn’t hear the words they exchangedbefore Malakai released Elexiandra. She took a few steps backbefore turning and vanishing into the crowd with Sahira.

• • •

A gasp caught in Lexi’s throat when she stepped outof the hallway and into a room made of glass on all four sides. Fora minute, she couldn’t breathe as her head fell back to take in theglass ceiling almost fifty feet over her head.

The gold beams running across the ceilingheld the glass in place. In each corner of the room was a gold treetrunk and, carved to look like tree branches, the beams stretchedoverhead.

Hundreds of brown vines with hand-sized,green leaves covered at least half of the glass walls, but none ofthe vines touched the ceiling. They left it open to the two moonsbeyond the glass.

Flowers the size of her head clung to thosevines. Their multicolored blooms lifted their petals to themoonlight spilling through the glass ceiling. They basked in therays shining down on them.

She’d never seen flowers with colors like theones in here. There were reds in shades she couldn’t begin todescribe, pinks that weren’t quite pink and might be some colorshe’d never heard of, and yellows and oranges so vibrant theyrivaled the sun. With their large petals and stigma in the middle,they reminded her of hibiscus, except they were larger and moreluminous.

She doubted she was supposed to be here, butshe couldn’t get her feet to turn away. This was the best thingshe’d seen all night, and she wasn’t ready to leave it.

She had no idea where she was in the castleor what this room was. She’d told Sahira she was returning to theroom assigned to them, but she must have gotten turned aroundsomewhere.

Her aunt wanted to come with her, but Lexiinsisted she stay and have a good time. It was so rare Sahira evergot to do anything like this, and unlike Lexi, she was enjoyingherself.

Lexi glanced behind her; she could still hearthe music, but she didn’t see anyone. She should go, but she didn’tmove. Drawn to the flowers and excited to get a closer look atthem, she descended the