Page 182 of A Thief Among Fae

I turn to head back to the windows and bump into Desmond’s chest.

He quietly laughs, takes one step back, and extends his hand to me. “Will you do me the honor of a dance?”

A snort escapes me before I can stop it. He raises his brow.

“You want to dance. By choice.” I stare at him. “I think I’ll call your bluff.”

“A bluff would imply this is a game,” he says, his hand still waiting. “You told me that you were done with them.”

I fist my skirts and force my breathing to steady. It’s not a guild scheme or fae deceit. It’s not a marriage proposal or an ultimatum. It’s just an invitation to a waltz. I suddenly feel foolish.

“No more games. No more lies,” I tell him. It feels like a vow.

Chapter 54

When I take Desmond’s hand, his touch jolts through me. His familiar calluses slide against my palms, an anchor in this sea of tittering nobles and swarming guards. My heart flutters as if I’m leaning over a cliff.

“You don’t need to be nervous,” he says, even though there’s no way he should know with the bond gone. He walks me to the outer ring of dancers. “I’ll lead.” His other hand rests on my back, steady and comforting.

“That won’t stop me from stepping on your toes.” I mirror the other couples. Then I do my best to memorize the slow box step. “People will know I don’t belong here.”

“They won’t. Trust me,” he says with so much sincerity that it startles me. He pulls me a step closer, and I’m too aware of the lack of space between us. My breath catches as I gaze up at him. His hazel eyes used to be so cold and calculating. Now they’re blazing with heat behind the mask. They lure me in, trapping me with a desire stronger than any magic.

I want to dance with him. I want to feel his warmth, to dare to step closer until his firm chest presses against mine. Earlier today, I feared I’d never see him again. Now, all I want to do is prove to myself that he’s alive, to feel every hard plane of his body underneath my hands.

Swallowing, I force the thought to quiet. We haven’t escaped yet, and I can’t afford to lose my focus, even if he’s gazing at me like I’m all that exists in the world.

“What do I need to do?” I ask him. I pretend I don’t notice how his thumb rubs slow circles into my hand, sending currents of content through me.

“Loosen your limbs. Stay light on your feet. It’s not so different from combat. The moves are only more repetitive.”

I stumble, and he tightens his grip on me so I don’t fall into him. A couple nearby snickers. I fight the urge to snap the heels off her shoes with my magic. I can’t risk drawing attention to us.

I sigh. “I feel a hundred pairs of eyes on me.”

“Don’t look at them. Look at me.” He lets go of me long enough to lift my chin, and his touch lingers, trailing down the sensitive path of my neck to the hollow of my collarbone. My skin lights on fire in the wake of his gentle caress. I shiver. He smiles, having noticed it. “Maybe if I’m lucky, you won’t slap me by the end.”

I laugh as I remember that remark I made at Norwynhald. “It’s a shame I never followed through on that threat,” I tease, not meaning a word of it. “What did I call you, again? Incorrigible?”

“Intolerable,” Desmond answers. “How could I forget such glowing praise? Or our first dance?”

My face flushes. I had never considered that jig in Grimulf Square to be our first dance because I had never considered there might be another. Now, my feelings are nothing short of desire, ignited by the thin space between our bodies and the nearness of his lips. I wish we were alone.

“You’re not intolerable anymore.” I smile, warmth fluttering within me.

I spend the first four rotations fumbling over my feet, but he’s patient as I search for the rhythm. When he spins me, I see Finnian with his hand extended to Min, but Desmond spins me back around before I see if she takes it.

A grimacing guard weaves past us, reminding me that we’re still in danger.

“I forgot to ask earlier. What happened to Olin’s arrow?” I whisper.

“The guards left it in Auri’s quiver. They didn’t know what it was. It’s hidden within her dress by Nog’s magic.”

“What will you do with it now?” I swallow thickly with guilt. “I ruined your plan.” I’m still selfishly glad that I didn’t lose Desmond, but the cost was losing his deal with Eldon. Now the treaty is broken, and the gods only know how many horrific battles will come.

Desmond frowns as he glances at the balcony. “I wouldn’t say the plan has failed yet.”

“You don’t seriously mean. . .” Dread flares within me. I dig my fingernails into him so he’ll look at me again. The heat that was pooling in my body cools like ice crackling over water. “We just broke you out,” I hiss. “You will not do something as reckless and idiotic as attempting to go through with it again!”