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Garrick’s eyes darted to my hair again. “Why are you different from them, Florentia?”
I grimaced. Father had called me Ren. My full name sounded pretentious and wrong.
“You have eyes that pierce through glamour and hair of starlight. Is that why you sit all alone while they gossip about you?”
Ducking my head and refusing to meet his gaze, I resumed the steps of the dance, managing to tug out of his hold on me. I had the impression that now he’d found me, he wouldn’t let me go. That if I walked away, I’d only be more interesting, like a fleeing mouse capturing a cat’s fascination. Perhaps if I danced quietly, I’d seem dull, and Garrick would leave me alone. I wasovercome with the fear that my earlier courage might prove fatal, and I inwardly cursed myself as a fool for giving into it and allowing this stranger to lead me to the dance floor.
Whether he’d come for entertainment or to fool humans into terrible bargains, I no longer cared. I wanted to leave this floor, leave this ball, and return home. Away from the stares, the noise, the gossip. Away from the danger and cruelty of humans and fae. Away from all my forced smiles.
I was awfully, bone-deeply weary of pretending.
But I’d have to do it a little longer. Lifting a hand to feign fanning myself when inwardly I was clenching my teeth to keep my teeth from chattering with cold, I sighed in relief as the song ended.
“Thank you for the dance,” I murmured, staring at my feet as I dipped my head to Garrick, “but I feel faint and need to sit down.”
It was a reasonable excuse, one I hoped he’d accept without following me. Plenty of young ladies grew overheated during the exertion of dancing for hours, especially when they forgot to take a rest and drink. The crush of bodies was warm enough—or it had been, before this strange chill had started overcoming me.
I walked on wobbly legs toward the nearest table, eager for a glass of water, anything to distract myself. My slippers skidded along the polished floor. The sound of footsteps trailing me made me turn, skirt swishing about my ankles.
Garrick.
“Please, sir,” I said, but as soon as I unclenched my teeth, they began to chatter.
Garrick’s eyes widened. “Are you unwell?”
Surprise momentarily eased my fear. He sounded concerned, as if he were a compassionate fae. Not heartless. “I—I don’t...”
He stepped forward, cutting me off as he brushed his fingers along my forehead. They were calloused but gentle. Heart inmy throat, I was too shocked at his forwardness to step away. “I have heard of fevers afflicting mortals, but not deadly cold.” Something flashed in his eyes, and I didn’t like it. It seemed too calculating. “Do you need to sit down?”
I shook my head, wanting him to leave but not quite able to brave saying the words aloud. Instead, I decided that if etiquette didn’t matter to a fae, I wouldn’t let it matter to me, and I turned my back on him to approach the table. As soon as my fingers closed around a glass of water, cold flared through my body. The water frosted over, black as the darkest night.
But the ice didn’t stop. It coated my arm, tracing lacy patterns up my bare skin. It crackled beneath my feet.
And now, everyone was watching me.
CHAPTER TWO
Charles’s grip was unyielding, digging into my arm so painfully that it distracted me from my smarting, bleeding palm.
“Charlie, please!” I cried, but he ignored me, his expression stiff, his eyes locked straight ahead.
The night air nipped at the exposed skin of my arms and face. Heavy cloud cover blocked the stars, and a frosty hint on the wind threatened snow. It was not a night to be out in nothing but my short-sleeved gown. There hadn’t been time to search for my jacket after chaos had ensued.
Everything was a hazy blur in my mind, even though mere minutes had passed since the incident at the ball. Black ice. Biting cold. Shattering glass splintering in my hand and warm blood, shockingly bright and red against the frosty darkness surrounding me.
