Page 46 of Up In Flames
I looked at Aranren with a calculating eye.
“You are so lovely today,” I said and slid my hand on Ara's thigh.
Aranren jumped, then looked at me in shock.
I widened my eyes at him, as if I were putting on a performance for Death. I was, but I was also seducing Ara. I knew he wanted me. Death had confessed it for him, and I hadalso seen real desire in Ara's eyes on several occasions. Yes, he wanted me.
And our ruse was the perfect excuse to exploit that.
Nodding slightly at me, Ara set his hand over mine and said, “Thank you.”
I leaned closer to whisper, “I can't wait to be alone with you again.”
He shivered, and I smiled to myself as I straightened. When I withdrew my hand, he lifted his to caress me. And just like that, I added another layer to our game.
I spent the rest of our meal eating lasciviously. I licked gravy from my fingers, slowly closed my lips around sausages, and moaned over everything. By the time we had finished breakfast, Ara was boasting an impressive hard-on that his silk robes couldn't hide. What was even better was the delight I felt from Death. Both of them were falling prey to my brilliance.
Damn, that was an incredible feeling.
“Do you dance?” I asked Aranren.
“Dance?” He frowned and looked around the hall. “I haven't in, well, centuries.”
“Do you think you can get some of these minions of yours to play something?”
“I'll handle that,” Death said smugly.
A sweet melody began to play, lilting upon the air. The perfect tune for a romantic dance. I stood up and held my hand out to Aranren. Yes, it was early for dancing, but what did that matter when you had all the time in the world?
Aranren stared at my hand, something shifting in his expression, then took it and stood up. But he let go immediately to remove a layer of robes. Beneath them, he wore something tighter and shorter, more the length of a tunic, with loose pants. My gaze traveled down his body slowly, and I smiled as I drew it up again. He smiled back as he held out his hand to me.
Hand-in-hand, we went to an open space before the table. But once there, Aranren hesitated.
“It's all right,” I said and took the lead.
His expression relaxed as I led us around the space. Soon, his body followed suit, his grip loosening on my shoulders. He began to smile, then it widened.
“I've forgotten how fun this is,” Aranren said.
He was taller than me, so I had to stretch to reach his ear, but I did, so that I could whisper into it, “You're doing very well.”
Ara licked his lips, setting them to shining. I suddenly wanted to kiss him. But I held back. Better to draw this out. If I wanted him to fall in love with me, I had to create some longing inside him. Of course, if I wanted to draw him into a binding, I'd have to fall in love in return.
I watched Aranren. His beauty was enhanced by his joy. So lovely. He was the most beautiful man I'd ever met. A twinge of discomfort slid through me when I thought of how little joy he had in his life. He'd been alone for so long. Just him and Death and the Corrupted. Did they haunt him? He didn't want to hurt anyone. It seemed to hurt him. So seeing the Corrupted every day must be awful.
We danced and danced, Death providing the music. But we still had my training to get to and couldn't waste the day entirely. So, I slowed us to a stop.
Then I bowed, “Thank you for the dance, Ara.”
“My pleasure, Ember.” His expression slid back into something I was beginning to recognize as his Corrupter mask. “I assume you're ready to begin reading.”
“I am. But there's always tonight. We can dance more after dinner if you wish.”
“I think I do wish for that.” Ara brushed his fingertips over my cheek. “And maybe tonight, I'll lead.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
I absorbed page after page of Death's spellbook, finding many of the things he had taught me within. Not spells, but things about Death. Such as the way it was a part of everything, even immortals. How it was integral to life. There was even that thing about learning Death's music in there—how listening to the magic would show me its secrets. I began to wonder if Death was truly separate from his magic. If so, could I master the Death Magic and use it against him?
