CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE #4
Lord Brandon, the one person who might know this information, conveniently left out of my study guides, was conveniently dancing in the outer circle beside another elderly noblewoman with white-gray hair.
I tried to catch his eye, but there were too many people dancing between us.
He only pulled the woman closer and danced out of sight.
Bastard.
Brennan turned me in his arms and pulled me back in. “I like dancing with you,” he said.
“I like dancing with you, too. You’re good at it.” And he was—not just for a prince. He was actually moving smoothly, keeping the rhythm, having fun with the steps, not fighting to remember them like half the men here.
“You think so?” He grinned. “I do love to dance. Truthfully, I love all forms of art.”
“What’s your favorite?” I asked, genuinely interested.
“Well, dancing is up there. Though much as I enjoy it, I think I prefer to watch others with more skill perform.”
I simply wanted to tell you how grateful I am to have seen you dance tonight.
He’d been more genuine in his compliments upon our first meeting than I’d realized. He wasn’t just flattering me, or appreciative of what I could do, he actually cared about skill.
“And then, I …” He blushed.
“What?” I asked, despite myself. He was going to die at my hands, was hunting me down, and yet I still wanted to know everything about him. “Tell me.”
He twirled me away from him again, then pulled me close, his eyes meeting mine, his spice and musk perfume enclosing me. “I like to draw,” he said.
“You draw?” I asked, more pleased and surprised than I expected myself to be.
It reminded me of my mother. Her art, her drawings. My likeness and Orsete’s in her locket.
And the picture of Samara he’d shared with the soldier. By the Gods—he hadn’t described me to an artist. He was the artist—he’d drawn me from memory—drawn my exact likeness.
Brennan nodded. “And I paint.”
My heart thundered. “Will you show me?”
He shook his head. “Soon. My … skills are not up to the level I wish.”
“I somehow doubt that. Show me anyway?” I asked. “I’d love to see what you’re working on.”
Something light and wonderful began to pour into me. Brennan’s hand tightened on my waist, lowering just slightly. My body warmed, heat pooling low in my belly, and our fingers entwined, his thumb rubbing circles against my skin.
Then the warmth uncoiled, awakened.
I shuddered.
The Azete. I was feeding off of him.
The hooded, heavy desire in his eyes confirmed it all.
“I’ll show you,” he promised. “Soon.”
“I’d like that,” I said, my voice raspy. I was drinking him in, drinking in his energy and lifeforce. Doing everything I swore I wouldn’t. But I couldn't help it.
Fuck. I had to stop.
Suddenly, the song ended, and a round of applause exploded across the ballroom, followed by a few cheers. I used the opportunity to break away, severing our connection as I clapped fiercely for Finlay and Thomas.
And just as quickly, Finlay beat out the song’s opening rhythm on his drum. The music started up again.
“Everyone now,” King Tirian commanded. He waved at the ladies and lords-in-waiting, who had remained standing against the walls, urging them to join in.
They began filing around the dinner tables, as the nobles who’d encircled us unlinked their hands and moved across the dance floor frenetically, searching for someone to partner up.
Brennan grabbed me quickly, pulling me close, and leading me again into the choreography.
His eyes remained hooded, but the chaotic mood of the dance floor prevented him from connecting to me again.
Instead, he was busy keeping up with the other dancers on the floor and protecting me from almost crashing into another couple.
The moment our steps completed, instead of spinning me back into his arms, I was grabbed and yanked into the arms of another man.
The one who’d helped me down the stairs.
I caught Brennan’s eye over my shoulder, only to discover he had a new partner, too, a noblewoman of House Bathiner.
Rowan wasn’t far behind him, dancing with a woman I thought had been sitting with House Lafir. He stumbled, missing a step, his focus not on his partner, but on Finlay, who winked in response.
The section of choreography completed, and just as it was about to start up again, another nobleman took my arm, swinging me in front of him.
I changed partners twice more before I found myself in the center of the dance floor. Only the highest-ranking nobles had congregated there, but suddenly Jaron danced past me, dragging his partner along with him. Cecelia.
All of the other dancers from the tavern who were present had remained on the edge of the floor. But he’d forced her away from them. I turned, suddenly taking control of my partner, moving closer to them.
There was a look of sheer panic and distress on her face.
I released my dance partner at once, barely bothering to apologize as I slid to Jaron’s side.
“Mind if I cut in?’ I asked.
A sly smile slid across his scarred lips. His cold green eyes met mine, and he laughed.
“I knew you wanted to dance with me, Princess.”