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“With a ring-tail?” Oh, she was cruel.
He laughed. “Aye.” His open palm lay between them, inviting. “Ring-tails are famously skilled dancers.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
She had forgone her gloves tonight, so when she slid her palm into his, she felt every callused hill and valley. Just like before, his slender, strong fingers closed around hers with promise, and an answering shiver of anticipation flowed over her skin.
But like before, when she’d been too chickenshit to join the fun, all the contentment in the air set her on edge, and she hesitated to follow him to the other dancers. Nothing good lasted. If the villagers didn’t turn on her, some new horror would surely come to claim its due.
Stop this pointless worrying, she scolded herself. She was free from Danya, “Damaris,” and her old life.
Unless Danya didn’t believe Verve was dead and sent Usko—or any of the Chosen—to search for proof. The priest was relentless. More than once, Danya had driven a merchant out of Freehold for trying to swindle her. What if she followed-up with Legion’s report, and—
Verve’s stomach dropped as the anxiety she’d tried to ignore the last few days hummed back to life. Even her “death” would not stop Danya from sending the Chosen here to find Alem. Fuck, she was such a sodding fool for thinking she was free of her old patron, for thinking—for hoping—she had found a little happiness all her own.
“Verve?”
Verve met Alem’s gaze again, read the uncertainty there. Alem had seen her at her lowest, and still took her hand. He was still here. And so was she.
She would keep him safe. She would keep everyone in Lotis safe. No matter what.
For now, Verve reveled in the flutter of butterflies in her stomach when she said, “I don’t really know how to dance.”
His smile was softer. “Truth be told, I’m not great at it either, but we can still try. Tell you what: I’ll show you what I know, and we can figure the rest out together. Sound all right?”
She squeezed his hand. “Sounds perfect.”
* * *
Alem had no sense of timing and Verve’s feet weren’t used to following along with anyone else so closely, but after a few stumbling steps, they eased into the simple dance. The others whirled around them, each pair or trio circling the fire as the musicians let loose a lively reel that made Verve’s head spin.
Eventually, the music’s wild pace slowed, allowing the dancers’ hearts a chance to follow. Suddenly Verve and Alem were moving slower, hand in hand, bodies matching one another’s rhythm. His grip was strong but not stifling, and his gaze on her held a heat she recognized but could not quite let herself acknowledge. Yet. Nectar sweetened the air around him, nectar and sweat and whatever scent was pure Alem. As they danced, Verve had the occasional odd notion she’d done this before, in another place and time, with another partner who looked at her with that same intensity.
A glimpse of a past life, resurfacing? Or a memory from another meridian?
“Everything all right?” Alem asked.
“I think so,” she replied. “I just got a weird feeling this has happened before.”
He nodded. “Milo used to call stuff like ‘new-old memories.’ I have to admit, it never made much sense to me. But he said it was pretty bizarre.”
Verve relaxed into his arms, her steps coming more natural now. “I could get used to it, I guess.”
Alem sighed as they moved in tandem. “Me too.”
They danced a while longer before he spoke again. “If you’re feeling better, I’d like to ask you something.”
Verve’s calm splintered, but she resisted the urge to turn away. Instead, she focused on not falling over or stepping on his toes. “Should I be worried?”
“You can be whatever you want,” he replied. “I’m just wondering… What are you going to do now that you’re free?”
He said this carefully, his face neutral as any of Atal’s Chosen. Verve didn’t answer right away. “I don’t know,” she said at last. “Probably stick around here for a while, at least until I’m sure Lotis will be safe.”
“Good.” He flushed. “I mean, for Lotis.”
She eyed him. “Why do you ask?”
He kept the door of his spirit shut tight, but she could read the tension in his hands. “Next time you need to go after other mages,” he said slowly. “Will you try to talk to them before you… try anything else?”
