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He looks too relaxed. I know he didsomethingwith that light show.
“What did you do?” I cross my arms.
Rolling his eyes, Rune steps over to a group of Eostrixes and waves right in one of their faces. I almost turn and run; I’m not getting fucking caught out here. I feel like a teenager sneaking out past curfew, godsdamn it. But I think better of it and wait to see how this pans out.
Wait. Did he just roll his eyes atme?!
It takes a few seconds to process all that just happened. But then it registers that the Eostrix can’t see him.
“Are we… invisible?” My breath curls in the brisk night air.
That damning smile returns and he reaches his hand out once more for me to come to him. The world around us seems to glow a little brighter, the snow falling a little slower. My heart pounds hard in my chest.
He wants to be here… with me.
I slowly step to meet him, my cold hand lifting to find his warm one, and when they connect my skin comes alive. He smiles and leads the way.
I’m walking down the streets of Nesbrim freely for the first time in… well, ever. I’ve never been the invisible girl who can stuff her face with hot rolls and just admire the world unnoticed.
“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Rune doesn’t turn his head toward me but side-eyes me. “Where did you get your tattoos? I really want to get one, if that’s a thing they do here in Tomorrow.”
His eyes light up and a wicked grin crosses his lips. I furrow my brows. “What?”
He waves at me dismissively and shakes his head, the grin remaining on his lips and giving me goosebumps. All right—we’ll circle back to that later, I guess.
At first I’m a little nervous that someone will see through his ability to cloak us, but my fears tamp down as we continually pass beautiful creatures in their festival wear, women in gorgeous blue winter dresses and men in brilliant silver suits.
String lights cross overhead, attaching to the sides of the second-story cottage balconies. Large snowflakes fall past them with a beautiful orange glow. If snow can be warm, this is it.
I glance at Rune. He’s eyeing the food stand with hot rolls of honey bread, and for a moment—a beautiful, stupid, and unreasonable moment—the world slows.
He flicks his crimson eyes to me, excited to show me the food stand or something I couldn’t give less of a shit about it right now, because there’s only him.
There’s only him, holding my hand and smiling at me like nothing else has ever mattered, dressed in his gray sweater and dark pants, snow melting red on his horns.
He catches my dreaming eyes, raising a brow.
I shake my head. “I wouldloveto get some honey rolls.”
We have to take them secretly and pay by leaving the money in the merchant’s back pocket. It’s hard not to laugh at our mischief and we each eat three. Okay—I have four.
Rune just looks at me with a smile that actually reaches his eyes. We find a quiet spot in the alley off of the main street and enjoy our rolls as we watch the elegantly dressed creatures dance. Beautiful music with an uplifted beat travels through the streets. A midnight lullaby with a whisper of morning. Music unlike any I’ve ever heard before, but it seems to reach my bones. I wonder if Talia remembers these songs.
Beautiful women take their places alongside the men. Eostrixes dance with their own, Moss Sparrows, and Dreadiuses alike. I take a sharp breath and hold it as the music quiets and the figures stop on cue.
I nearly turn my head to ask Rune what’s going on as he scoots in close to me, his thighs pushed up against mine. My cheeks heat and—fuck it—I’m going to pretend like I don’t notice. I don’t know when I became shy around him, but I try not to think about it too much.
The music starts back up again and the string lights get a bit brighter as the snow slows and the dancers lift into a beautiful toss across the cobblestones, Eostrixes opening their wings to catch the air as they spin around their partners with grace.
My breath gets caught in my throat.
Rune stands at my side and my eyes widen as he offers me his hand. I glance up to meet his gaze and his crimson eyes are gentle. A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth and he nods his head over to the ethereal beings dancing.
My heart leaps as I take his hand. I fight the warmth that swells within me as he guides me to the dancing creatures. I know we’re invisible, but my stomach still churns as we take our places in the center of the street. Swoops of royal blue and silver flicker around us like waves of magic, frolicking with the snow and lights to a melancholic tune.
A lump forms in my throat as Rune slides his hands down my wrist and threads our fingers together, a mischievous grin pulling on his lips.
“I don’t know how to dance,” I whisper, never letting my eyes leave his as he draws me in closer. He simply shakes his head like it doesn’t matter, and the lump in my throat grows.
