She swallowed, and he went over every part of the handprint again.
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple.“I am sorry you had pain.”
“It’s par for the course.”
“It shouldn’t be.You need to put security into your plans.”
She sighed.“That costs extra.”
He laughed.“You and I are going to go over all of these expenditures and work out plans that don’t put you at risk.I have seen you use mage-level magic at least six times this evening.Do you charge extra for that?”
“No.It’s just something that I do.”
“We are going to discuss it.It’s a topic for discussion.”
She winced.“Fine.For now, I have to get back to the party.”
“Fine.Come with me.”
He set her back on her feet and took her by the hand.He walked slowly with her back to the party.Her mother’s grin was the first thing she saw, and her father’s shock was the second.
She glanced at the gargoyle in the very well-tailored suit.“Oh, boy.”She looked around for something else to focus on.
Her mother smiled.“So, Krys.Who is this?”
“Uh, Mom, Dad, this is Reynal.He’s the chief financial officer for Redbird City, and either Leo or Matthias asked him to help me with pricing my own skills.”
“Oh, sweetie, you do suck at that.”
“I know.”She slumped her shoulders.
Reynal squeezed her hand.“I am pleased to meet both of you and would like to speak if you have a moment, but first, Krys owes me a dance.”
She could feel her eyes looking for an escape.“I do?”
“Yes.You do.The price of my services.”
He walked with her to the dance floor and pulled her into his arms.His wings were in tight, and he kept a hand at the base of her spine with the other lightly holding her hand.He spoke from a distance away while her blood rushed in her ears.He paused.“Krys?”
“Yes?”
“You seem a little stunned.”
“You could say that.”
They moved effortlessly through the other dancers, passed Matthias and a smirking Leo, the bride and groom, Neekil and Hannah, and on the third time around, her mother and father.
The music changed, and she moved to step away from him, but Reynal pulled her in close.“We didn’t get a full song, so the dance starts now.”
The singer was crooning soft and slow, and Krys glared at him.He winked.
More couples swarmed the dance floor, and Krys fought a smirk.
“What was that smile?”
She looked up at him.“It’s the sign of a good party that nothing bursts into a fistfight, and the dance floor is full with almost all the food gone.No waste and a good party.”
He smiled.“I admire all of your logistical skills, but you need to charge for that service.”
