56. THE ARROGANT BASTARD #2
“I didn’t mean—” I searched for the right thing to say, instantly frustrated that the slightest misspoken thing was enough to set her off. “I just want you to know you don’t have to be like that around me.”
“Like what?” she bit out.
“Worried. Bitter . . .”
Her expression shifted as if I’d dealt her a physical blow. “You don’t know a thing about me.”
“And I don’t pretend to,” I replied.
She began to withdraw from my grip, but I tightened my hands, if only to keep her close for one more fleeting moment. “But what I do know is that you look beautiful tonight.”
There, I said it.
I flung it into the void between us.
Her body stiffened, but something in her eyes softened—so briefly I almost missed it. But I didn’t have long to delight in it, because the next thing I knew, she was trying to tug free.
“Let me go,” she near-whispered.
“Why?” That single word lit the fire inside her, I could see it. “Tell me why, and I will.”
Her jaw clenched. “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
“But it would be oh-so-delightful if you did.” I couldn’t keep my sarcasm out of the remark.
I’d told her she looked beautiful and she just .
. . shut down. This was exactly the thing I wanted to avoid, and even though I’d tried to go about it as gently as possible, I’d somehow still ended up here, under her icy stare as she pulled away.
“Maybe if you weren’t such an arrogant bastard, I’d be more inclined to accept your compliment.”
Arrogant? I compliment her and she thinks I’m arrogant?
I let go of her hand and waist, letting her stumble backward. For a moment, both of us stood there, staring at each other in silence. I didn’t say another word. Maybe I was the fool for saying anything in the first place.
She finally turned on her heel and disappeared into the throng of dancing couples nearby, leaving me there, looking like an idiot. I balled my hands into fists, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
The same fae female stepped into my line of sight, balancing her tray of ale in front of me.
Whether she’d just witnessed the entire encounter and felt sorry for me, or Niall did, I didn’t care anymore.
I snatched up two mugs and lifted them high in the air in a mocking salute to whoever was watching. Then I set off to find Remic.
I found him a few minutes later, spinning Auren around the field under the multitude of orbs. He was laughing—they both were. And his wings were more relaxed than I’d seen in a long time.
Good. I was glad that he was enjoying himself.
“Not a word,” I said as I stepped up to Niall’s side.
“Damn, the song hasn’t even finished—” He stopped short when I glared at him. “Fine, fine.” He eyed my rather aggressive consumption of ale but kept the rest of his comments to himself.
Silas was with Vanir, surrounded by a whole host of females, all of whom were laughing at something the Dionach said. He was still sipping on ale too, which meant he hadn’t forfeited and lost the game.
Niall held Remic’s mug, so I knew he was still in the game too.
Excellent.
The longer I stood in silence, the longer Nivelle’s words began to eat at me.
Finally, I turned to Niall. “Am I arrogant?”
He nearly spit out his drink as he swung his gaze to me. “Are you seriously asking me that question?”
“Yep.”
“Well, I’d say you’re one of the most arrogant males I know.”
“Fuck, Niall, you know you can lie every now and then to make someone feel better, right?”
“Since when did being arrogant ever bother you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. He was right. So maybe I was arrogant. But I didn’t think I’d been that way around Nivelle. I’d only been giving her what she gave me—attitude and snark.
Perhaps that was where I was at fault.
Then again, I’d just tried an entirely different approach and failed miserably.
“I’m just trying to figure some shit out.”
“Mmm. And how’s that going for you?”
“Fan-fucking-tastic.”
Remic stumbled his way over to us, a contented grin on his face. The thin braid Auren had woven into his hair earlier today was still there, swinging against his cheek.
Auren followed on his heels, smiling all the same. “There you are! Thought we’d lost you.”
Remic glanced around. “Where is Nivelle?”
“Grieving my dancing skills,” I said, not bothering to hide my irritation.
Auren gave me a look. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything, thank you very much. I just—” I stopped myself. This was not the time or place to hash through the complications of the matter. “Why don’t you ask her about it, because I have no idea what her problem is.”
She exchanged an unspoken word with Niall, then turned and stalked off into the crowd.
“You’ll be happy to know I haven’t yet lost the challenge,” Remic said, taking his drink out of Niall’s safekeeping.
“Good,” I said, bashing my mug against his.
Vanir and Silas eventually found their way back over to us, and in the meantime, Auren had conveniently hunted down Nivelle. I’d watched their entire conversation while keeping to the shadowed side of the group, pretending I was listening to the others around me.
Nivelle actually talked with Auren. Not yelled or argued, just talked. She even grinned. It was quick, but I caught it, and it did something to me.
It hurt.
Strangely, the hurt made me even more interested.
The two of them were now several drinks in and twirling like wild animals to the beat of the drums. Whatever they’d discussed before, it must have been enough to change Nivelle’s perspective and get her to loosen up, though she didn’t lose her composure completely.
There was still some rigidity in her motions and a straightness to her spine, but she spun, arms wide, face tilted to the sky.
As she closed her eyes, her mouth opened, and silent words fell from her lips.
I wondered what she was saying. Was it a prayer? A spell? Was she singing? There were no fiddles or lyres to carry a tune to. Only drums, primal and summoning in their rhythm.
She looked like she belonged there, twirling under the cloud-covered night sky, surrounded by pulsing firelight, letting some of her steely exterior crack and fall away.
Beautiful, enchanting, confounding in all her ways, she was unlike anyone I had ever met.
And suddenly, I had no more desire for the drink in my hand.
I didn’t want to drown my senses simply because I was frustrated.
All I wanted to do was watch her and wait for another smile to surface.
So I did.
I watched. I waited. I ignored everything else going on around me. And when the drums faded out, and she stopped spinning, and her eyes immediately found mine in the sea of faces, I felt a part of my soul stir awake.