Chapter 210: Beneath a Jealous Sky
Chapter 210: Beneath a Jealous Sky
Elyn’s POV
The shadows unraveled around us.
One moment, the ballroom had been roaring in hushed outrage behind us. The next, the cold night air brushed against my cheeks as the shadows dissolved into nothing, leaving Zorathys and me standing alone on the balcony.
Well. Almost alone.
The shadows never truly left.
They lingered faintly at the edges of the marble floor, as if reluctant to retreat too far from us. The instant they fully thinned, one of them rose again and extended toward me.
A glass appeared in its grasp.
I blinked in shock.
"It’s water," Zorathys told me.
"Oh." I nodded, then took the glass from the shadow. "Thank you."
The shadow bowed... at least I think it did.
I drank without hesitation. The coolness soothed my throat, washing away the lingering warmth from the dance and the sharp dryness from holding my breath too long.
Zorathys stood beside me.
"You were very quick to escape," I said softly after lowering the glass, keeping my tone light.
He turned his head toward me slowly.
"I had to," he replied.
His voice carried no apology.
I arched a brow. "Oh?"
"Did you not notice?" he asked, ruby eyes narrowing slightly. "The line that had begun to gather?"
"Yes," I admitted, almost chuckling at the way he spoke as if the line were a nuisance—which, to Zorathys, it probably was.
He exhaled faintly, irritation threading through the sound.
"I do not understand," he continued coolly, "who gave those nobles the audacity to believe they could approach you."
A laugh slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
"They were going to approach both of us."
"No," he corrected immediately.
His shadows stirred faintly at his feet.
"They intended to speak to you."
I blinked at him, still amused. "Zorathys, it is customary. Those who have not introduced themselves are allowed to—"
"It is not customary," he interrupted smoothly, "for them to think they have the right to speak to you. They are but lowly demons."
I softened my expression and nudged his arm lightly with my elbow.
"Maintain," I told him, suppressing another smile.
His gaze flickered down at me, unimpressed.
"My control is intact," he said calmly.
"Barely."
His shadows rose silently behind me and plucked the empty glass from my hand before I could offer it back.
It vanished into the dark.
I turned away from him and stepped closer to the balcony railing.
The night stretched endlessly before us. This was the first time I was seeing the night sky of the demon realm.
The under-realm sky shimmered in deep hues of indigo and violet, streaked with drifting embers that floated lazily like distant stars.
It was breathtaking. I rested my hands against the cool marble railing and tilted my head back slightly.
"The sky is beautiful," I said quietly.
"It is," Zorathys agreed.
I smiled faintly.
Then he added, almost lazily, "Though I have seen more beautiful things than the sky."
My heart stuttered.
I turned toward him immediately.
His gaze was already on me.
My throat went dry.
"I’m not asking you about... other things," I said quickly, clearing my throat. "I was talking about the sky."
"I know."
His shadows rose again, one of them reaching toward my face. I froze instinctively, but it only brushed lightly against a stray strand of hair that had slipped loose. It tucked the strand gently behind my ear.
My pulse jumped, but I noticed Zorathys’ eyes did not leave mine.
"You are more beautiful than the sky," he said evenly. "You should know that."
I could pretend he did not just say that. I could pretend he was speaking to someone else—but I did not.
My traitorous pulse and even my heart did a little somersault at his words.
Come on, Elyn, you’ve read this in books before. It isn’t something special, I told myself, but even then, I could not help what I was feeling.
I swallowed.
The balcony suddenly felt much smaller.
The space between us felt fragile, and he was extremely close to me.
If he leaned forward just a little more—
My thoughts began racing.
What would I do if he kissed me?
Would I pull away?
Should I?
Did I even want to?
My brain felt like it was spinning in a thousand directions at once.
He was the king—the same lazy, terrifying king who gave me a headache and too much work because he always avoided doing it himself.
My pulse quickened.
Would I hate it if he kissed me?
I searched myself for the answer and found... nothing negative, because the truth was, I wouldn’t hate it—not even a little bit.
In fact—
My heart beat louder.
I would not mind.
The distance between us felt charged now, heavy and expectant.
His eyes dropped briefly to my lips, and my pulse increased again.
The air suddenly felt warm despite the night chill.
He leaned closer. Just enough that I could feel the shift in space.
My fingers tightened slightly against the railing.
Okay, Elyn, I told myself. This is it. He’s going to kiss you.
I closed my eyes as he leaned closer and puckered my lips ever so slightly.
And yes—I waited.
The seconds stretched. I could feel his presence. I waited for the brush of lips against mine.
For the first spark.
For the confirmation of everything unspoken between us.
But it did not come.
Instead, a sound cut through the quiet night air.
A low, breathy noise filled with pleasure.
"Yes, baby—oh, fuck, yes!" the woman moaned.
The voice sounded familiar.
I immediately peeled my eyes open and noticed Zorathys had turned, a frown on his face.
I wondered if that frown was meant for me or for the person moaning on the balcony right now.
His shadows immediately covered us just as the moans grew louder, along with a grunt.
"You don’t want others to hear you, right? You have to bring your voice down," a male voice said.
My eyes widened once more because I knew exactly who that voice belonged to.