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“And as Balance decreed, so it was done. In that moment, a promise was made to Ryden. Because of Elena’s sacrifice, the rain would never again be taken from the land. However, it would always come with the thunder and lightning of Death’s heartbreak for the mortal woman he’d loved and lost.
“So, when the rains come and you hear the rumble of thunder and see the flash of lightning, think of the fates who can know grief, and of Elena, the girl who saved Ryden and loved even Death.”
Lyda bowed her head, signifying the end of the story.
The room was quiet for a long moment, the only sound the crackle of the fire and the rain that hit the roof. There was a distant roll of thunder, and someone began to clap, the others soon joining in.
Grayson’s jaw was tight, his hands fisted on his knees.
“Why are you crying?”
He glanced at the little girl curled on Mia’s lap, but she wasn’t talking to him. She was looking at Mia, who was brushing a tear from her cheek. Mia smiled gently at the girl, her eyes shining. “I’m crying because that story was beautiful and sad.”
Grayson stared at Mia. He saw no beauty in that story. Only tragedy.
Across the room, people called for Izac to start playing again, and the old man did so. The lilting flute music soon overtook the heaviness in the room, and the dancing resumed. Some clapped along with the beat, while others stomped their feet.
Mia gently bounced the little girl in her lap, though she stilled when Keegan tapped her shoulder. “Dance with me?” the young boy asked with a lopsided grin.
“Oh.” Mia shot a look at Grayson before she focused back on Keegan’s eager face. “I’m afraid I haven’t danced in a long time.”
Keegan shrugged. “That’s all right. I’m not very good at it, either.”
Mia’s lips twitched. She passed the young girl back to her mother, and then she took Keegan’s hand.
The young boy tugged her away from the table, talking all the while. Giving her instructions, Grayson guessed, though he couldn’t make out the words over the lively music.
He knew Mia well enough to see she was nervous. Her shoulders were tight and her motions a little stiff at first, but it didn’t take long for her to adapt to the rhythm of the dance. And as she danced with Keegan—both of them stumbling occasionally—Mia threw back her head and laughed.
Grayson couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her beauty was undeniable, but it went so much deeper than her skin. Everything about Mia was beautiful, and he knew he wasn’t the only man in the room to notice her. Garrett soon asked her for a dance, and then Timothy approached and took a turn spinning her in the space between tables.
Grayson had danced with Mia once, when he was twelve and she was eleven. The memory was so strong, perhaps because he’d recalled their dance while he’d been in Mortise. It made him think of the pearl necklace he’d bought at the market in Duvan, when Imara had forced him to accompany her. He wondered if the necklace was still tucked away in the room he’d had in the palace, or if it had been thrown out. He wished he had it with him, so he could give it to her.
He’d probably never have the opportunity to give it to her.
Fates, his mood was as black as that fates-blasted story. And he didn’t want it. For once—even just for tonight—he wanted to leave the shadows behind.
He may not have forever with Mia, but he had this moment.
Grayson pushed to his feet and rounded the table. He reached Mia and Timothy just as the song ended, and the room clapped. Mia’s flushed face turned toward him and she smiled, her eyes shining as he extended a hand. “Would you dance with me?” he asked.
Mia took his hand, her thumb brushing over his skin. Everyone around them melted away as her brown eyes met his gray ones. “Always,” she said.
A new song trilled, filling the room.
Grayson set a hand on her waist, easing her closer.
Her free hand settled on his shoulder with the lightest pressure, but he still felt her touch all the way to his bones. His skin heated, and his fingers tightened around hers. “I should warn you,” he said, his tone serious. “My skills haven’t improved since the last time we danced.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “You remember that?”
“I remember everything about you.”
Her gaze warmed. She lifted her chin and pressed a kiss against his lips. As she drew back, she admitted, “My skills haven’t improved, either. But that’s all right—we’ve always found our way together.”
She was right. With Mia, he’d always found his way.
Holding onto each other as the music flowed around them, Grayson smiled, and they danced.
