King Cambriel glanced at me, his jaw tight, and then he locked his gaze on Lydia again. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” His voice boomed over the party, and the guests inside went quiet as they turned to look. “Do you think I can’t detect a threat? Or that I can’t look after myself? I am Cambriel, heir of the fallen Seraphim Beelzebub. As the rightful heir to the throne, I am protected by the gods themselves. Obviously, I don’t need rumors spread by lunatics like Nama to keep me safe. I thought you were above gossip, Lydia. Not like the other females?”
He stalked inside once more, smoothing out his suit jacket.
Wow, that was harsh. Lydia stared after him for a moment, then turned to look at me. She gripped her cocktail glass, and the wind raked at her dark hair. The king had just humiliated her, and she looked like she was about to take out all that rage on me. Her eyes went dark as night, and fire blazed from her fingertips, melting her glass. Molten glass pooled at her feet, and my stomach dropped.
“You’re ruining everything,” she rasped. “I am meant to be queen in the City of Thorns, and you’re burning down my plans. Did you hear how he just spoke to me?”
From across the balcony, she lunged for me, and my heart leapt. But before she could reach me, Orion shot out of the shadows and grabbed Lydia by the arm, halting her attack.
Fury contorted her features, and she pivoted to face him. “And where the fuck did you come from, Orion? Who are you, really? You’ve never managed to explain to anyone why you’re here.”
A muscle clenched in his jaw. “I don’t need to explain why I’m here. In fact, I’m not allowed to. That’s what the Trial is for. I passed, and that means the gods want me here. You wouldn’t doubt their judgment, would you?”
“Of course not,” she conceded.
“Just like Mortana survived the Trial. You know the king doesn’t allow blasphemy. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to make him angrier.”
She shot me one last furious look, then turned and hurried back into the penthouse.
I exhaled slowly. It had felt like the king was about to confess his weakness to me, and I wondered if I’d get another opportunity. After this point, Lydia and Nama would make it their mission to uncover the truth about me.
How long until they simply figured it out?
Orion stepped closer to me, his eyes still black as jet. He leaned down to my ear, and heat from his body warmed me. Whenever he was near, I could feel his power rushing over my skin, a wave of sensual magic. He brushed my hair back from my ear, then whispered, “I had to stop him. He looked like he could have hurt you.”
I’m not sure where the impulse came from—if it was from me or all part of the act—but I found myself reaching up and touching his chest. As I did, I heard a sharp intake of breath.
“He nearly confessed the truth,” I whispered. “First, he said Lucifer protects him as the king…”
“That’s a lie,” he whispered. “He uses some form of magic to make himself invulnerable.”
I stepped back a little to look into Orion’s eyes, wanting to know more. Why was he so obsessed with this? And what did it have to do with Mortana?
But even if the king was easy to manipulate, Orion was not. He wouldn’t tell me easily. I pressed myself against him and whispered, “I was close. He’s incredibly jealous of you, and I think he was on the verge of telling me how I could leave claw marks on him—”
Orion let out a low growl, then shifted until our foreheads touched. He cupped his hand around the back of my neck. “Did you tell him the truth? That I was the first man you’d ever seen who could truly satisfy you in the way you need?”
My heart was racing faster, my chest flushing. “Did I say that?”
His hooded expression made my breath catch. “Let’s make him more jealous, shall we?” He lightly traced a finger over my jaw. “You were close to finding the truth. Maybe we can push him over the edge. I aim to show the king exactly how much you want me.”
Was this really just about getting information from the king, or was Orion trying to prove something?
He took me by the hand and led me back into the party. The lights were dimmer inside now, flickering like candles and reflecting off the pool. All eyes were on me as we walked inside—the succubus harlot. I tried to ignore the feeling of being self-conscious as everyone gaped.
Near one of the walls, Orion took a seat in a leather chair, then pulled me into his lap. Only his shocking beauty was able to make me forget the uncomfortable feeling of being stared at. Orion’s gaze slid over the room—probably making sure the king was watching—and he stroked his hand down my spine. Hot, sensual magic followed the trail of his touch.