Chapter 12 #2
Who was this man? Why had Xavier never mentioned him?
“Who is he?” I asked, my eyes drifting to Sparrow, who was staring at him just like I was.
“I’d say by looking at him, that he wants to ask you the same thing,” he replied, amused.
“What do you mean?” Instead of answering my question, he simply extended his hand toward me and offered a slight, graceful bow.
“May I have this dance, Gwendolyn?”
For a moment, I hesitated. It wasn’t the brother I had hoped to dance with—at least not my first dance.
But it seemed the one I waited for hadn’t arrived yet, even though a part of me clung to the foolish hope that Xavier would appear any second, sweep in and dance with me.
Why else would he give me such beautiful earrings and a dress?
Why did he kiss me so passionately in the library if he didn’t really care for me?
Sparrow was still waiting, his hand outstretched, his patience unwavering. At the end, it was Xavier who didn’t appear, so why should I wait for him and be all miserable?
I placed my hand gently into his, my heart pounding louder than the orchestra, and allowed him to lead me toward the dance floor.
One dance, I told myself. Just one.
Sparrow grabbed me by the waist and started taking the first step toward me. “I’m pretty sure my brother is absolutely feral that he didn’t pick you up from your room.” Sparrow chuckled with a sly grin, as if he’d read the very thought drifting through my mind.
He spun me gently beneath the glimmering lights, the move effortless, but my thoughts remained heavy. Why hadn’t Xavier come yet? And more importantly… Why couldn’t I stop feeling him, even in his absence?
“May it be my turn now?” A soft voice echoed behind me.
I turned around, hoping it might be Xavier, but there stood someone else.
The man in the golden mask. His presence was magnetic, almost dreamlike, the light from the chandeliers catching the metallic sheen of his mask as if the stars themselves had settled on his face.
Sparrow offered us a knowing smirk before he kissed my hand, giving the man with the golden mask a glare, like he knew exactly what he had in mind. And then with a half-bow he vanished into the crowd. Was he telling Xavier about it or searching for someone else?
I barely noticed that the man had already taken my hand in his until he pressed a kiss on it.
“Well,” he said with a slow, charming smile, “shall we, darling?”
His whole presence was so incredibly intimidating, so similar to Xavier when I first met him.
As he placed his hand in mine in a graceful invitation, he led me to the center of the ballroom and people stopped their dancing, stepping aside for us.
I wasn’t the best dancer, and it didn’t help that all eyes were now on us.
A different kind of music began, almost too powerful for a waltz, the melodic strains weaving through the air, inviting a sort of celebration beneath the shimmer of the stars.
I was thankful that he could dance, as he took the lead perfectly, guiding me effortlessly into the rhythm of the dance.
His movements were elegant and secure, and I bet all eyes were not on us but on him.
As he twirled and glided me across the floor, it felt like the entire world around us faded into shadow.
It was only him and me, lost in the melody and in the moment.
He watched me intently the entire time, his eyes filled with a sort of grace you definitely didn’t meet in the human realm as he moved with me.
Our dance felt like we were having a conversation without any kind of words; each twirl and step had a lingering feel of joy and connection to it. I felt a rush of emotion that came with being near him, so much that it made me feel guilty about Xavier.
As the final notes of the music lingered in the air, the dance concluded with a courteous hand kiss from him again, like a perfect Victorian gentleman my grandmother had once told me about.
And then he left, as abruptly as he’d arrived.
I couldn’t even follow after him, as he vanished through the crowd.
It was as if the dance had only been in my imagination.
Then I thought about kissing Xavier in the library, and suddenly guilt flooded me.
I wasn’t supposed to feel this way about a man I didn’t even know.
Why were emotions so complicated? The strange man’s gaze implied a kind of fascination and connection that I haven’t felt in a very long time.
I felt overwhelmed by emotions—almost tense.
His sudden departure was still itching in my mind.
It raised questions like why did he leave, and why did I feel so enchanted by some stranger’s presence?
Only Xavier had this kind of impression on me, and I wasn’t a girl who fell in love easily.
I guess I should stop thinking about why he had just left after our dance.
Where did he go? And why was I still feeling his touch on me?
“Can I give you something to drink, love?” I turned around, noticing a woman standing in front of me.
I had no idea who she was, but she wore a light, flowy turquoise dress encrusted with pearls and had very pale skin that shimmered like moondust. Her white hair cascaded down her back like waves of silk, decorated with pearls and seashells that matched the light blue of her eyes.
My gaze lowered to the delicate goblet in her hand.
I actually wasn’t very keen on taking drinks from strangers, but the dancing made me very thirsty.
Nevertheless, I hesitated taking the goblet when she said, “Sip, and let the magic fill your soul, my friend.”
The way she said it made her sound trustworthy, her smile truthful, and looking around at the other guests, it seemed they were all drinking this shimmering red liquid.
I sipped at the mysterious drink and tasted some sweetness and a hint of bitterness to it. I began to feel relaxed and almost euphoric, captivated by the magical melody around me. The woman watched my reaction with a smile before she disappeared into the crowd.