Chapter Seventeen
T he night is dark, but the moon hangs full and low in the sky, lighting our path. The stars above twinkle in time with the drumming in the distance and the bay beyond shimmers with a reflection of the moon and stars above. We leave our boots propped next to a tree to mark our entrance back into the woods and move down the sand toward the rhythmic drumming. I adjust my dragon mask one last time as the salty smell of the sea makes me giddy with anticipation as we move toward a huge bonfire.
The celebration is in full swing with people whirling and gyrating around the massive fire pit. Several drummers and a woman with a flute sit on the outskirts of the firelight, keeping a fast beat. Their music is magic, weaving its spell over all the people here. It’s clear they’ve been playing for some time this evening as their faces glisten with sweat even on such a chilly night, but they don’t appear to tire.
Tables are piled with small treats, breads, and fruits. Huge casks sit at the end of the tables, where people freely refill their mugs. Blankets are placed just out of reach of the gentle rolling of the waves and, judging by the shadows moving around, many people have retreated toward these darker, more intimate spots. The salty, cool night scent mixes pleasantly with the smell of charring logs from the fire.
I send a side glance toward Gryphon to watch how he takes it all in. His eyes are as large as ripened tomatoes. The fire dances in his eyes and a slow, small smile plays on one side of his lips. Both of us are too entranced to use words.
We soundlessly move closer to the growing music of drums and flutes that wind their notes around us and pull us closer to those dancing around the flames. The rhythm of the drums begins to hold my hips in thrall and my body quickly becomes one with the surrounding music. I wink at Gryphon and disappear deeper into the middle of the crowd.
I can feel the deep boom, techa, tech, boom, techa, tech of the drums from my toes all the way up through my fingertips, which sway back and forth above my head. The beat fills me and my hips swirl in wide motions. The smoke from the fire fills my lungs with warmth and wraps around me as I twirl. I dance like the dragon my mask claims me to be, strong and fluid. My feet match each strike of the drums and are soon lost to the rhythms around me.
Dancing like this is not something I’ve ever done, but the way the music fills me and moves my body is intoxicating. My tunic feels tight and restrictive against my heaving chest as my breathing becomes quicker and deeper. My body feels strong and right, and for once, it feels like my own. I can't drink up the lightness in my heart quick enough.
I open my eyes again to the world surrounding me. The people around me continue to spin closer and then away again. The rich blues, maroons, and creams of the village people run together in a happy swirl. Some villagers—female and male—and some less obvious, dress in bright colors to celebrate the Moon Mother in maiden form, which represents her vitality and bright future. Swirls and sparkles of paint mask those around me as well, which celebrates the Mother within us all. The low, dipping necklines and bare chests shine with sweat and pay homage to the Mother, reminding us all that we are young only once.
The beat picks up and the cool breeze blows my hair out of my face. Suddenly, I find strong hands on my hips, instantly reminding me of the library. I can’t tell if it’s the strong hands or the music, but there’s a pull to the figure behind me. I whirl around, expecting Gryphon. However, this is definitely not Gryphon. Instead, I stare into a strong, male chest. My gaze travels over flexing muscles up and up until my breath catches when his pale, playful eyes slant slightly upward and his mouth slowly curves into an almost smirk. His white wolf mask guards his other features, but those eyes pierce through me, giving him away.
Quickly trying to recover, my mouth opens then closes again as his hands guide my hips to find the music once again. Lost in his mischievous gaze, I match his rhythm.
No words are spoken aloud, our bodies do the talking. Maybe dancing is where language becomes physical because I swear I understand exactly what he’s telling me. His eyes lock on mine. The other dancers and blazing fire I’d been so closely observing moments before are now a sparkling blur around us.
My hands, which until now had been stretched awkwardly halfway above my head, come to rest on his bare chest. As soon as I touch him, my body hums with something. Anticipation? Desire? Recognition? Watching as my fingers slide along his dark, flexing muscles—I’m completely mesmerized. I can feel it in his chest before I hear it as a throaty chuckle rolls out of those now grinning lips.
“Dance with me?” His question rumbles out, asking for my consent.
“Yes.” My voice is breathier than I intend it to be .
His smirk widens into a smile, but he continues dancing while his hands trail down my sides and return to lightly rest on my hips, following my swaying movements with his body pressed close. His thick thighs straddle my own and our movements together have a warmth waking inside, growing and blossoming until parts of me I’ve completely written off are humming anew.
With this new feeling of bravery awakening inside, my hands move from his muscled chest down his flexing abs and back up, resting on his shoulders. I go from looking into his chest to flinging my head back in a spray of curls.
He answers, boldly crashing his lips into my own. My body dissolves against his, and every muscle of his presses into all my softer places. I open to him, pressing myself closer and allowing him to deepen the kiss. His hands on the small of my back pull me closer.
The solidness of him beneath my fingertips, the heavy beat of the drumming, and his fingers pressing into me are all that matter at this moment. I’m consumed by my senses as he moves from my lips to the small of where my ear meets my neck. A place I wasn’t even aware of until now. His trailing kisses go from demanding to softer and then he whispers in my ear, “You’re dancing as if all of this is yours.” His lips, still so close to my ear I can feel his breath against my neck. “You own the night. And it looks good on you, Princess.”
“All of what?” I look around, suddenly self-conscious of how I’m dancing.
“The people, the castle, and the stars themselves.” He gestures wide to encompass everything surrounding us.
“That’s ridiculous. None of this is mine, could ever be mine.” But even as I say the words, I wonder what that would look like. Even growing up royalty, and technically in line for the throne after my siblings, it never occurred to me what that would be like. But suddenly I know, it would look like this, the whole night surrounding us. Pure joy, people coming together, and a hint of whatever feeling this is in my chest. I look back up to reply, but he’s vanished.
“There you are, Roe.” I feel someone grab onto my wrist. Twisting around, my eyes find Gryphon’s bright, blue eyes and wide smile grinning at me. His smile falls as he takes in what has to be a thoroughly confused expression on my face.
“What is it?” Gryphon leads me away from the bonfire to the quieter and cooler surroundings. He peeks around me in search of what has me spooked. I give my head a little shake before looking back up at him.
“I’m fine. I just bumped into someone.” I let my voice trail off, unsure how to answer.
Gryphon gives me a quizzical glance, but leaves it at that. He shrugs and his eyes travel the crowd, trying to get a glimpse of what has made me jumpy. My gaze travels over the crowd as well, but there’s no sign of the tall, dark, and handsome male who was in my arms just moments ago.
Still trying to find Thaddeus somewhere in the crowd, I ask, “Where’d you wander off to?” I still wasn’t sure what just happened. Or what exactly he had meant by that. And what was that pull? That silent humming I sensed once again when his skin was beneath my touch?
“I was catching up with a friend.” He does his Gryphon-shrug, leaving me to wonder who he ran into to make him smile so wide and I wonder if Licia might’ve made it down as well. He turns his attention back to me, smiling widely at my disheveled state before taking my hand as we trail into the darkness.