Page 75 of A Lie so Pretty and Poisonous

“I mean, we are at a ball, and people are dancing.” I gestured to the dancers.

“If Gabriel even sees this interaction,” Darragh scanned the crowd, “he is bound to burn the castle down. He is territorial when he has his sights set on something…or someone.” He stared intently at me.

I lifted my chin. “Good thing I’m an adult who gets to make my own decisions, and I’m not a territory to be conquered.”

I pulled his hand into mine, the rough calluses gliding over my soft palm. Darragh looked at our joined hands and back into my eyes. A tenderness gleamed in them, and he blew out a breath.

We both looked around at the crowd. King Torrish was engaged in conversation with a noble, and the Queen had disappeared from the dais, undoubtedly retired for the evening.

The corners of his mouth turned up slowly. “This is going to cause quite a stir. Gabriel is going to be pissed.”

“We don’t have to if you’re worried,” I said earnestly. I started to pull my hand from his, but he held it tighter.

Darragh stepped closer to me and wordlessly took my waist. Even through the fabric, my skin tingled where his fingers were positioned on me. I raised my hand to his arm. The invisible pull thrummed. He leaned down and rumbled, “Rebellious little thing, aren’t you? I like it.”

Before I could think twice, we moved, twirling into the crowd of dancing seraphs. I noticed nothing but his eyes sparkling in front of me and the defiant upturn of his mouth. I was sure seraphs were staring. I was positive this was a bad idea, but I didn’t have it in me to care. I would not allow everyone’s unwarranted disdain for him to dissuade me from hiding our…our…whatever this was.

He spun me slowly, a laugh escaping both of us. I couldn’t contain my smile. “Fancy moves, Captain.”

“I’ve been known to be light on my feet.” He winked at me.

As Darragh turned me outward again, I collided with a chest of blue and gold. Arms wrapped around me, pulling me in firmly. Possessively.

Gabriel.

If looks could kill, Darragh would have been sent to the underworld one hundred times over.

Fuck.

I pulled my widest smile. “Gabriel! I’m so glad you’re back. Can we go get another drink?”

Gabriel’s eyes flicked to me and back to Darragh. I didn’t dare look at him, and I hoped he had the good sense not to show any outward concern. An innocent dance between friends. The less care we both showed, the less likely it was for Gabriel to blow up. Hopefully.

“In a moment, darling,” he growled and moved to step around me, his glare never leaving Darragh.

Before he could move more than a foot, I pressed a hand to his chest and blurted out, “Gabriel, can we talk more about us? About what you wanted me to think about?”

His attention snapped to me, and he lifted his brows. “Yeah? I would love that, Aurora.” The fiery rage in his eyes softened.

“Maybe out of here? It is so warm, and I need a drink and some air.” I faked fanning my face.

He tightly smiled. “Of course.”

Gabriel walked us toward the ballroom door. I chanced a glance behind me at Darragh. Face stoic and talking to a guard, but when he looked back at me, he only smirked and walked back into the crowd, disappearing into the throngs of seraph debauchery as I disappeared out into a still and silent hallway.

Sometimes I made spontaneous decisions that I thought were a good idea at the time, and then quickly realized they were a mistake. This was one of them.

Gabriel led me by the hand down several hallways, far away from the party. The noise of it faded until it was nothing more than a low buzz. I thought he was going to lead me to his office, but instead, we went in the opposite direction through another hall of stained glass. We stopped in front of a lovely window depicting a shooting star streaking across the sky with snow-capped mountains in the distance. Gabriel tilted his head, his eyes burrowing into mine. “Did you want to talk to me about staying, or are you still trying to distract me from your disobedience and dancing with the one seraph I hate the most in this world?”

Well, shit.

“Gabriel,” I sighed. “I do want to talk to you more about Cora and me staying here in Tironaill, but I need you to understand that I don’t share your feelings toward Darragh. I invited him to dance while I waited for you. He saved my life in the city, protected me from burns in the sparring room, and got me to a healer last night after the explosion gave me a concussion.” I was careful not to outright blame him for putting my life in danger. “I owed him at least a dance.”

He pulled his brow together. “You owe him nothing. He was doing what he was tasked to do. Protect you.”

I placed a hand on his chest. “He did. But kindness and understanding, regardless of how someone is born or their station, are how I navigate my life.” Gabriel opened his mouth to retort. “Now,” I cut him off, “as for us remaining here in Tironaill, I need to ask more questions before I can give you a firm answer.”

Gabriel wrapped his hand around the one I held to his chest. “What would you like to know?”