"No!" Dorian spits more forcefully, his clenched fists shaking at his sides.
My shaky legs carry me the few feet to Stavros, my eyes trained on Dorian's murderous expression. His jaw ticks violently. Time seems to cease as I approach, holding my hand out to receive Stavros's deal. I know I shouldn't do this but I'm tired of people making decisions for me. I'm sick of feeling helpless.
As soon as my skin grazes his, a sizzling current rips through me, emitting its charge through my fingertips. Stavros inhales sharply and recoils from my touch as if it's on fire. I take his unease as my chance to drive my point home. I lean forward, close enough to feel the warmth of his body and the sweetness of his alluring scent, placing my palms on the armrests of his chair.
"Isn't this what you wanted?" I sneer, my searing gaze penetrating his once composed face. "For me to embrace what I am? To be the goddess I was intended to be?" I move in a fraction more. I want him to feel the heat of my vengeful words. "I am nobody's pet, Stavros. You are not my king and I will never take orders from you. It would be wise for you to remember that."
I stand up straight and smooth my dress over my hips. "I'll do what you ask of me and after you fulfill your end of the bargain, we are done. You won't ever threaten my loved ones again and you will stay the hell out of my life."
I look to Dorian and try to give him a smile that he struggles to return. Soon I won't be more than a passing memory to him. He'll be able to move on, find happiness in his new life with Aurora. And maybe one day, when the ache of loving and losing finally ceases, I'll be able to do the same.
After one last satisfied glare at Stavros, I turn on my heel and exit the vast living area and don't stop until I am pressing the elevator call button. Niko is next to me in the next instant, pressing his lips to my cheek without caution. I look up to him and beam, trembling yet proud of myself for standing up to his father. If only he and Dorian could do the same.
"You amaze me, baby girl," he murmurs, giving me a wink.
I let out the breath I had been holding and lean against his shoulder, suddenly feeling drained. Luckily the elevator makes it to the top floor with a ding and the doors slide open. Niko ushers me in with a hand at the small of my back then drapes an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to his chest protectively. His hand strokes my shoulder gently and I feel the binds of fear and anxiety leave my body. Just as the doors slide closed, Dorian's panic-stricken face comes into view yards away. But it's too late. I'm already gone.
You wouldn't know there had been a nearly hostile showdown just upstairs by the looks of the vibrant gathering in the ballroom. The band is remarkably good and plays everything from big band swing music to Top 40s favorites. I spot Miguel at the bar across the room, contently watching Jared and Morgan cut a rug. They look so happy and carefree, there's no way I could bring myself to disrupt their good time. I gaze at them admiringly. I'm not sure how many more times I can see them like this.
"Dance with me?" Niko asks, offering his hand. I roll my eyes playfully and take it, letting him lead me to the crowded dance floor, out of my friends' line of vision. Dozens of ice blue eyes focus on us the moment he wraps his arms around me.
"Looks like we have an audience," I note as Niko sways me from side to side. Of course, he's an excellent dancer.
He smirks and nuzzles closer to me, yet keeps his hands above my hips. "They're just curious. Screw ‘em. I'm sure they are more interested in me and all my fuck ups than you."
I give him a question-laced frown. "What makes you say that?"
"Black sheep, baby girl," he shrugs. "Surprisingly, Dorian's transgressions pale in comparison to mine. But when you've been alive for centuries, you get bored. And you get desperate."
"Desperate for what?"
Again he shrugs, pulling me a bit closer. I know he's doing it solely for the comfort. "Death. Life. Love. We're all looking for something."
I give into his intense, saddened blue eyes, my affections for this absurdly handsome Warlock causing me to press for more. What hidden pain lies behind his playful fa?ade? "What are you looking for, Niko?"
He smiles coyly and just shakes his head. We continue to dance for the remainder of the song in companionable silence. I can't even begin to deny the magnetic charge between us. I feel safe in his arms, though I know I can only have that sense of security for just a moment longer.
A slower ballad begins and I lay my head on Niko's shoulder, forgetting where I am and letting his intoxicating scent surround me.
"I always wondered," he whispers into my hair, "what it would have been like if it had been me who came for you, and not my brother."
I lift my head and gauge his torn expression. "What do you mean?"
"Would I have been able to go through with it?" He looks away, taking a moment to formulate his thoughts. When his blue eyes meet mine, they look a bit glazed. "Could you have loved me like you love Dorian? If you had met me first?"
My cheeks heat at the question, and my own undefined fondness for him. "Of course," I smile. "What's there not to love?"
He gives me his famous dazzling white smile. "That's what I keep saying!"
I laugh and settle my head back on his shoulder, closing my eyes and letting the music combined with his contact soothe me. It feels so nice, so familiar. Like a small remembrance of something I once had.
"Are you angry at me for asking Stavros to break the link and the curse?" I ask quietly.
Niko takes a beat to think and I feel him shake his head. "No. I'm not angry."
"I don't want to be loved out of obligation. I don't want him to be cursed with me forever."
"I understand. But that's not a curse. That's a privilege," he says giving me a little squeeze before letting out a huff of air. "I hate having to say goodbye to you."
I quickly pull my head up and frown. "Goodbye?"
Niko nods and tries to smile but it doesn't meet his eyes. "We're all going back. For the wedding. Your birthday is soon and you'll no longer need us."
"You're leaving me?" I ask with a cracking voice, sounding needier than I intended.
Niko places his warm lips on my forehead. "We'll see each other again, baby girl. I won't forget about you. It's impossible to." He brushes my cheek with the back of his hand and I lean into his touch, all thoughts of Dorian and Jared forgotten. My heart is now breaking for someone else. For the Warlock I had grown to care for deeply.
"Promise me you'll visit." Tears sting my eyes. For some reason, I feel like this will be our last encounter.
Niko smiles and gives me a wink. "I promise. But you have to promise me something." He takes in my narrowed, suspicious eyes. "It's nothing bad! Or naughty. Just promise me you'll have an open mind. Promise me you'll listen."
"What are you talking about?"
Niko answers my question by unraveling his arms from my waist and turning me to the side. Dorian is mere feet away, weaving his way through the crowd. My breath catches at the sight of him. I could never get used to seeing his face. He stops before us with a contented grin on his face, as if he had been looking for me all night. As if I am the very air he needs to breathe.
"May I cut in?" he asks in his seductively smooth voice. I scowl at Niko who raises his hands and shrugs with mock innocence. Of course, he planned this.
With a deep breath, I gently place my hand in Dorian's, my breath instantly hitching at the contact. With his eyes trained on mine, as always, he pulls my body into his, holding me close as if he's afraid I'll run. I can't be entirely sure that I won't.
I feel Niko and the rest of the world slip away from us the moment I wrap my hands around his neck. Just the feel of the small patch of exposed skin between his collar and his hairline under my fingertips brings back a flood of memories. Dorian kissing me … holding me … telling me he loves me … gazing down at me as he eases himself inside me, both of us gasping with the pleasurable intrusion. I've tried to stifle these memories for months yet I know they will never die. Just like my insane love for him.
"What are you doing, Dorian?" I sigh into his shoulder. His scent instantly fills my senses and I feel almost intoxicated. I close my eyes and take it all in, wishing his exotic freshness could wash over me permanently.
I feel his lips in my hair. "Dancing with the most beautiful woman here."
"Won't your fiancé mind?" I don't even try to mask the snarky tone in my voice.
"I don't know and I don't care. She won't bother you. She knows if she even comes near you, she'll be out on her ass. Besides, she'd rather keep up the charade than admit to the world that I'm not in love with her."
"You seem to want the same," I whisper.
Dorian pulls away to look me in the eye. He looks … sad. Defeated. "You know what I want. But you told me I couldn't have it. That I couldn't have you. I'm trying, Gabriella. I'm trying to let you go so you can live."
My heart clenches at the sight of his pain. "I'm trying too. That's why we have to break the link, Dorian. Once your father reverses the curse, you won't have to-"
"Gabriella, I love you unconditionally. No curse, no link, nothing else could influence or take that away. One day you will see that. I'll prove it to you."