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“You can dance, can’t you?” I asked. My stomach tightened. We’d planned for weeks to attend aballand I’d never thought to ask Riven if he could dance. I had just assumed he would have learned as an immortal.
“Of course I can dance,” Riven spat back. He paused in the middle of the floor.
I smirked. “Good, because I can’t lead like I usually do.”
The string band started to play, and all the couples readied themselves for the dance. The slow tempo of the music drifted through the room. Riven grasped one of my hands in his and settled the other on my waist. My skin was set ablaze where he touched me.
Riven pulled me close to him. Our bodies touched with every breath as we started the waltz. I leaned my head back as we circled the room. Riven’s eyes drifted to my exposed neck. My stomach tightened at the thought of how warm his lips would feel pressed against my racing pulse. Riven’s fingers pressed harder into my skin as we turned with the other couples.
The cellist increased the tempo and our steps quickened to match it. The other pairs of dancers flitted about the room, content to turn as one, synchronous wave. Riven grinned and grabbed my waist with both hands. My eyes widened as he lifted me off the ground as if I was nothing. He spun around with me above his head as I tried to catch my breath. The faces around us blurred, violet eyes steadied me as we spun.
The layers of my skirts swirled through the air, threatening to set the room ablaze. Riven lowered me slowly, my body sliding against his until my feet hovered just above the ground. Riven rejoined the dance again, turning with me still pressed against him, my feet only grazing the stone floor. I threw back my head and laughed as we spun faster. With Riven holding me, I looked like I was dancing, but I felt like I was flying.
The music slowed, and Riven let my feet touch the ground. He stretched out his arm and I spun across the floor once more, engulfed in flame. He tugged on my hand and pulled me into his chest. The other couples bowed as the final crescendo rang through the ballroom, breaking into applause for the band, but Riven kept a firm hold.
I looked up to see him staring at me. His face held the same admiration as the guests in the hall, but his was sweeter. He wasn’t gazing at the face of a mystery woman but staring at my silver eyes knowing it was me behind the mask.
He lifted his hand and gently caressed the high point of my cheek.
“You’re always beautiful,” he whispered. “But you’reexquisitewhen you laugh.”
He kissed my hand and I forgot to breathe as I blinked down at him. All words escaped me. The electric current flowed through my limbs leaving every inch of skin exposed and raw.
Someone grunted behind me, and the moment broke. I clenched my jaw, turning around to see Curringham standing there.
He held out his hand in front of my face, his eyes on Riven. “May I have this dance?” he asked.
Riven’s hands turned to fists. His violet eyes flashed, and I could taste something tangy in the air. “You have to ask her,” he said through clenched teeth.
Curringham paled, noticing the shift in Riven’s violet eyes. I grabbed Curringham’s hand, pasting a smile onto my face. “Of course, my lord,” I said with a bow. “It would be my pleasure.”
Curringham’s hand dropped low against my back. I pulled it up, making sure to pinch his skin as I did so.
“The Fae like their women wild, then?” he whispered in my ear. He couldn’t see my scowl over his shoulder.
Riven was standing behind a group of lords, cloaked in shadow from the balcony. He watched as Curringham paraded me around the room like his prize. I wanted to vomit, but I hadn’t gotten the pendant yet.
Riven and I had wanted to distract the lord over drinks, but this worked just as well. I didn’t dare look down as we danced, but my fingers inched along his shoulder waiting for an opportunity to grab the chain. Curringham bumped into another couple, and I lost my chance. He glared at them like it was their fault. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. No amount of Curringham’s fortune could teach him to dance. He tramped along the dance floor and my skirts without care.
The song ended and I cut away from him, lowering myself into a low bow. “Thank you, my lord,” I said, walking over to fetch myself a glass of water. Lady Darolyn pounced on her lord, pinning him to the dance floor.
I tossed back the entire glass, dousing my rage, as Curringham left Lady Darolyn in the middle of the dance floor and joined a group of four lords. They were laughing loudly, their goblets of wine splashing onto the floor.
I took a step toward them, but another lord materialized beside me. His face looked vaguely familiar from my weeks staking the manor, but I didn’t remember his name.
“Shall we?” he asked, holding out his arm. Apparently, I had agreed to another dance while I trailed Curringham from across the room. The lord’s brows were crossed, his arm hanging in the air as he waited for me to clasp it. I reluctantly let him sweep me into another dance.
I kept my eyes on the lords with every turn about the room. Riven was standing behind them, waiting for his opportunity. I continued to swerve about the dance floor as I waltzed with the nameless lord. I widened my step, redirecting us toward the lords.
We were only steps away from Curringham; I could feel his eyes thirsting after me. I twirled out of my partner’s grasp, holding his hand to make it look like he had initiated it. If Curringham and his lords didn’t move, I would crash right into them.
It worked.
The lords stepped back, shouting in their surprise. Curringham didn’t even notice when Riven slipped the dummy pendant around his neck. All he had to do was cut the chain holding the real one and it would be done.
I held my breath as I watched him reach out with a knife only I could see. He gripped the golden chain, pulling the blade underneath to make the cut. Curringham lurched forward, reaching for a champagne flute as a servant walked by. Riven’s blade missed as the chain yanked free.
The servant hadn’t noticed and kept walking across the room. Curringham left the lords where they stood and marched after him.
