Unexpected Sting Viola Grace (smart ebook reader txt) 📖

in, but they haveto wait. That is how our family does it.”

“Really? Neat. I am Maven, bythe way.”

Stinger shook her hand and feltthe waves of power. “Oh, you are one of the sources. Hi. I amStinger. Stiila.” She sighed. “Everybody calls me Stinger.”

“Nice to meet you, Stinger. So, what kind of dancing? I don’t get outmuch.”

Stinger explained, “There iskaraoke, folk dance, techno, wind song, light dances, anything wecan think of to let off some of the energy that the bride andgrooms are putting out. We are here to disperse it for the night.These three pack quite the charge.”

Maven chuckled. “I am familiarwith the sensation of the overload. My two are over there with thatgroup of nervous-looking men.”

“What happens when you gettogether?”

“Olmin eats it. Well, he storesit. I make it, Argo processes it, andOlmin is the battery waiting to discharge, so to speak.”

“Oh. You are part of thattriad. I have been out of town for a while. So then that is Krysand Kelnen. He is able to come out if he wants.”

An angry sound made Stinger andhalf the guests turn to look as Orvis was heaved onto Stovos’sshoulder. The dark elves laughed uproariously, and the triad on thedance floor first frowned in concern and then started laughing. Themages, witches, and warlocks were alittle confused. The shadow faerie didn’t care. Neither of the folkinvolved was theirs.

The triad grinned,bowed, and touched friends and family ontheir way out. Stinger high-fived Tynan and kissed Nessa on thecheek before bowing to Hector. He inclined his head in return.

The three left the party, one ofthe cousins spoke to the DJ, and the women took to the floor.

* * * *

Arthur sat with other officers of thecompany and watched the female mages, witches, and sources start to dance on the polished wood.Stinger was with them; she was moving tothe beat but also helping the other ladies find their rhythm. Someof the women had thrown their hands up and were writhing along tothe music.

She was smiling as she helpedeveryone get involved, andthen, something odd happened. The floorbegan to glow, and Stinger and her motherlooked at each other, nodded, and lookedaround the sea of male faces.

A man next to him said, “Standup.”

“What?”

The man had bronze skin and along black braid. He was wearing a standard black suit and a slightsmile. The man got to his feet. “Stand up. You will see.”

The stranger walked forward tothe edge of the crowd, and Leetha stoppedin front of him. He offered her his hand,and she scowled but took it. The word behave was easy toread.

Arthur shrugged and got up,walking through the crowd, watching Stinger on her search. Shelooked at him and spoke with her hand on his chest. “How much powercan you hold?”

“Whatever I need to.”

She nodded. “Good; this is going to hurt a bit.”

“Me or you?”

“Both.”

“What would you like me todo?”

“Can you dance?”

“Occasionally.”

“Will you be willing to act as astripper pole?”

He grinned. “Definitely.”

“Good. You are about to becomethe focal point for the lust of twenty-five women.”

The music began the earlystrains, and she faced him as the Spanishguitar and tango started up. He could see the cleavage at the topof her soft neckline, and she lifted herhead, and to his shock, her eyes wentsolid black as she started to dance. She touched him lightly as themusic and dance went on. She slid, spun, clapped,whirled, and stomped.

When she wrapped her arm aroundhis waist and walked slowly around him, he extended his arm tocatch her, and they started to movetogether. Her body was tense in his grip,and her shallow breathing was a sign of pain. The glow that wascoming up from the ground under them was dissipating, and her breathing continued to get rougher as thedance continued as he spun her, dipped her, and finally, she slidaround his leg with her head leaning against his thigh at the endof the song.

There was a lot ofapplause, and he helped her to her feet.She staggered out of the tent and bent over, exhaling a column ofvapour that swirled and then lifted into the air.

She coughed, and he went to her, lifting her up and cupping hercheek. “Give it to me.”

He kissed her, and the rush of power from her nearly knocked himto his knees.

* * * *

She watched her mother choose a partnerfor the dance and looked at the familiar face. She didn’t knowwhere to place him from, but her mother obviously knew him becauseshe chewed him out as she hauled him onto the dance floor.

Stinger looked over theofferings, and something familiar came tothe edge. She pressed a hand to his chest to gauge his containmentcapability. “How much power can you hold?”

“Whatever I need to.” It was acalm boast, but he had plenty of spacefor it.

She nodded. “Good; this is going to hurt a bit.”

He frowned. “Me or you?”

She was honest and said,“Both.”

Arthur smiled slightly. “Whatwould you like me to do?”

“Can you dance?” It would be somuch easier if he couldn’t. She would have more room to work withhim.

“Occasionally.”

She arched her brows. “Will yoube willing to act as a stripper pole?”

He grinned. “Definitely.”

“Good. You are about to becomethe focal point for the lust of twenty-five women.” It was closerto fifty and a horny fertility fae, but she didn’t want to spookhim. She could field half of it.

The music started, and she and her mother started to bleed off thepower with every movement, every step, shimmy, and twist. Stinger’s dance was moremartial, and her mother’s was moreseductive, but that is where they differed. They were the same inintensity, drawing the countering power from the men, and thingswere going well until halfway through the song when Orvis’s lusthit them hard. That was a lot of pent-up longing that snappedloose.

She was panting and tense ashell as they finished the dance. Her mother finished it in thestranger’s arms, and she finished it onthe floor wrapped around Arthur’s thigh. He helped herup, and she left the dance floor to tryand expel some of the power in a controlled manner.

She felt the first bleed ofpower, but it was only a