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“Thank you.” I unfold the cloth. It’s a telescoping trident. But this one is stainless steel. It’s gleaming so brightly it glows like a mirror.
My jaw drops and I’m speechless.
“We were going to get you jewelry,” one pipes up in the back. “We should have gotten her jewelry,” he mutters.
My dance partner says, “I was in the stall next to you when you were shopping for one.” He’s looking a lot younger now. “I didn’t like the way the stall clerk talked to you. If you want a dozen tridents, you should have them.” He smiles. And while I’m not feeling the whole pull of my mermaid at this male, he’s nice. I smile back.
“Thank you.” I put it in the large pocket of my dress. “It’s a kind gift. I’m touched.”
“You are welcome, my friend.”
“Friend. I like that. Thank you.”
There’s a tap on his shoulder, and a tall dark-haired male is behind him. He’s wearing a deep blue vest under his jacket. His jacket has brown flowers embroidered on it that perfectly match his eyes. “Arabel, I’m your next partner.” He says it with confidence, and even my cluelessness doesn’t miss the double meaning he is throwing down.
The music stirs once more, and the Governor’s pod moves to the side.
“It’s been a pleasure.” My new friend inclines his head and steps away from the new male waiting for a dance.
“I’m Eros Herod. And I’m delighted to meet you, Annabelle. I believe you are scheduled for a drink break now.”
My mouth is dry, but I don’t know that I’d be able to drink. If my last two partners were handsome, this male is blindingly beautiful. I glance over at Nico, but he isn’t where I saw him last. My stomach twists in a strange way. The judges could come back with a verdict at any time, and here I am dancing with other guys. It really doesn’t hit me until Eros touches my hand. I’m shopping for a new mate. I know it’s ridiculous to say it didn’t hit me. But it all felt so fake until now.
“That’s okay, we can dance.” I step on Eros’s feet at least twenty times in the first laps around the room, but the third time around I think I’m starting to get it.
“You are a fast learner, and so light on my feet.” His voice is deep and jovial.
“Thank you.”Wait.“What did you say?”
“I’m joking, Annabelle. You’re doing really well. You’ve never been to a ball before?”
“No.”
“Then you are even more perfect. And this is definitely a better ball for you to start with.”
I’m not sure what he means, but I make a note to ask Nico about it later. I look away from my feet, and Eros’s eyes hit me. Shrimp cocktail, my heart takes up lodgings in my throat, and my non-existent underwear is drenched.
Desire turns to panic. I shouldn’t be lusting over one of these guys. I mean, that’s what Ophelia wants, for me to find another mate to keep me safe and away from Castor. She didn’t tell me that; no one’s told me that. But I’m not dumb. He wants to be king. His mother wants him to be king. And mating the newcomer, no matter how nicely people are treating me tonight? I have a feeling things will be different in the morning. Different when the verdict comes in.
The music surges, and the dancers take off. But this music is different, and the dance is like going from a waltz to a waltz on hip hop. That doesn’t stop Eros. He has his hands on my waist, and the second time around, he drops my extended hand, putting the other on my waist. I’m out of breath, and the song is going strong.
“You’re doing great,” he tells me. “Don’t mind him. He’s had that same expression since we were in primary school.”
But I do look up, and Nico’s glare has turned into a scowl. “You’re not afraid of Nico.”
“Afraid of Nico? No, darling, I’ve never been afraid of Nico. I’m not sure he could say the same about me. I do suppose we have, as you say, history.”
I swallow. He lifts me in a jump, and I am almost in sync with the other dancers. I whisper up to him, “Are you enemies?”
He laughs. “Not enemies. Adversaries for sure, competitors. At one time, we were even friends. Anything he’s done, I’ve done better. Well, almost. I’m not a hero of Hestertåtten, now, am I?”
My blood heats in my hands around his. How, out of the whole ballroom, did I manage to be attracted to an enemy of Nico’s? Eros might deny it, but it sounds like there was no love lost between the two.
“He’s the most highly decorated in the military.” I’m not sure why I need to defend Nico. Perhaps it’s guilt at being attracted to Eros or some strange sense of loyalty.
Another turn, this one with a dip. He holds me for a beat as my braids drip to the ground. “You are lovely, but you’re wrong.”
“He’s the commander of the prize ship of the fleet.”
