Page 7 of Dance of Stars and Ashes

Soon, their drinks arrived. They were similar to those Zarya remembered from the first peri anada—bright and colorful and served in intricate crystal vessels. Hers was vibrant green and flavored with an intriguing mix of rosemary, mint, and passionfruit.

Yasen sat to Amrita’s left, and after a few minutes, a male fairy approached him and offered a dance. Yasen didn’t bother to check or even look their way before standing up and disappearing into the crowd. Zarya wondered where Rabin had gotten to as she scanned the room, acknowledging the nauseous drop in her stomach at the idea of him finding a fairy to enjoy in one of those curtained rooms.

She hated the relief that uncoiled in her stomach when she spotted him leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and one foot pressed against it as he glared at the crowd. A traitorous part of her ego hoped he’d look her way, but he kept his gaze firmly elsewhere.

She sighed, not really sure what she was expecting or even what she really wanted.

No, that wasn’t true. She did know.

What she wanted was the same man she’d met in that dream forest. The one who’d looked at her with awe and wonder and not like he wanted to carve out her heart and slice up her organs for dinner.

She really didn’t want to be in this place full of ripe bodies and the smoky scent of sex when her thoughts about him mirrored exactly what was going on behind those curtains.

“Are you having fun?” Zarya asked Amrita, pushing thoughts of Rabin from her mind.

Amrita nodded and grinned, her earlier nervousness having diminished considerably. “I’m having more fun than I’ve ever had in my entire life. This place is… intense.”

Zarya smiled. “Good. I thought Yasen would take us somewhere a little more restrained.”

Amrita nodded absently, her gaze clinging to the dance floor, clearly not paying attention to what Zarya was saying. She noticed Amrita was particularly intrigued by a pair of fairies—a male and female—both with lilac skin and bright pink hair—dancing with their scantily clad bodies pressed together.

“Which one catches your eye?” Zarya asked, leaning over and giving Amrita a sly look.

Amrita tipped her head and squinted as though she were trying to find a better angle to assess the scene. Her tongue poked against her cheek before she wrinkled her nose.

“Honestly? Both of them. I mean, I don’t even know what I really like, do I? And they’re both so beautiful. Is that too much?”

Zarya laughed. “No. Not if that’s what you want.”

The pair must have sensed their attention because they looked over before approaching, walking hand in hand.

“Care to dance?” the male asked Amrita. His bright hair curled against his carved shoulders, and his snug pink shorts barely contained the prominent bulge at his hips.

“We’ll take good care of you,” cooed the female. Long hair fell to her waist, the luscious tresses sort of covering her breasts, her tiny translucent skirt concealing almost nothing.

Amrita looked to Zarya as if asking for permission.

“Go on,” Zarya said. “This is what you’re here for. It’s your night.”

Amrita sucked in a deep breath and flipped her hair over her shoulders, perhaps in an attempt to assemble her courage. As she stood, the fairy pair each grabbed her by a hand, dragging her to the dance floor, where they pressed themselves up against her back and her front. The male’s hand clamped around her hips, directing her into their seductive dance. Amrita’s smile was as wide as the sea, and Zarya was feeling much better about Yasen’s unconventional choice.

She’d wanted Amrita to dip a toe into the pool of desire, not go tripping off the deep end, but the princess was acclimatizing remarkably well.

“Zarya?” came a voice, and she looked over to find a male fairy with green skin and emerald hair giving her an expectant look. She knew that face.

“Amandeep!” she exclaimed, remembering him from their dance at the previous peri anada.

“I thought that was you,” he said. “Mind if I join you?” He gestured to the bench, and she patted the spot next to her.

“Of course not.” She slid over as he sat down and slung a muscled arm over the back of the seat.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m good. Do you work here, too?”

He nodded. “I like to cycle between a few places. Keeps things more interesting. Some nights, I’m just in the mood for… less,” he said. “But this place pays much better than most.”

He gave her a tight smile, but she could sense the underlying bitterness in that statement.