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A grunt of pain stole my attention from Rafael. The couple next to us was no longer dancing, but the man was bent over, clutching a wound in his middle. His partner cackled with laughter, a dripping dagger in her hand. Whistles of approval rang out from the crowd, and a few sparks crackled over the dancing pairs.
“Keep your eyes on me,” muttered Rafael. “This game is designed to hurt.” He moved my waist back, then tugged me gently forward. My claws made it hard to hold his hands, but he gripped hard enough that I barely had to hang on. “These dances are all about power. On nights like tonight, one can harm their enemies, gain new alliances, forge new bonds, and most of all, gain the favor of their sovereign for their ruthlessness.”
The stories had it all wrong. The fae weren’t tricksters; they were monsters.
“That woman took my dagger. Do you have a weapon?” I asked, my throat tight.
Rafael didn’t answer.
Every turn put me closer to someone who might lash out with a blade. I wanted to curl into Rafael’s arms and stay there. One woman fell to the ground, and the couples danced over her. She screamed, but no one listened.
“Can’t you help her?” I begged.
He maneuvered us toward the fallen, writhing woman, but just then, a man toppled over, clutching at a wound that made me gag. I saw blood everywhere I looked.
A woman jabbed at me with a dagger. I only saw the attack because her skin was sparkling. I spun into Rafael, avoiding the blade.
“They want you to miss a step,” he hissed. “They can only hurt you when you do.”
The woman’s eyes lit with an eerie white glow. I’d just given her permission to stab me. Rafael kicked out, sending her dagger flying.
Figures from all directions descended upon us, one even fell from the sky—it had wings.
I lifted a hand to block whatever swung at me, and to my surprise, someone yelped. My claws had pierced flesh. I slashed again with my long, horrendous bear claws.
Then like lightning inside my body, pain needled outward from my heart to my every extremity. I crumpled forward into Rafael’s arms. This was it, my body was going to rip at the seams and pour my life onto this polished dance floor.
His nose brushed against my cheek. “I’ve got you.”
My skin lit up like a match. At the same time, a hollow cavern opened up inside me. I would die from this change and return to the dust. He would live on for centuries, free from his curse, but without the one he loved. Perhaps, in time, he could love again.
Fae lunged for us, their weapons drawn. I’d missed too many steps.
But each attacker blasted backward, clutching their hands as blisters rose on their skin.
“I’ve got you,” he said again. “Don’t worry about them.”
I carefully threaded my clawed hand into his hair. “Don’t choose to love something that will last only a moment. It’s like loving a flower you’ve already picked.”
The pain intensified, and I closed my eyes. Bright spots still danced across my vision.
He wrapped his arm tightly around me, pressing me close. “Yes,” he breathed, bending down to brush his nose along my neck. “You are my lily. And as long as you draw breath, I will love you.” His lips grazed my jaw, then my forehead. “And when your petals fall off and you wilt, I will love you still.” Now his mouth hovered before mine. “And a hundred years after I last touch you, I’ll still remember your smile and the way your lips felt against mine.”
He pressed a gentle yet desperate kiss against my mouth. All protests melted away, and I wrapped my arms around him.
I was on fire.
My body kicked and jerked, and suddenly the pain stole my breath. I choked, collapsing to the ground and bringing Rafael down with me.
I wanted to love him for longer than a single day.
Then my body convulsed so violently my face smacked the stones.
Every muscle quivered, and my back arched. I gritted my teeth, and a howl came from my lips. Rafael pressed his body down on top of mine, and with a whispered word, strength flowed into me once more. For one blazing instant, I took a deep breath, then my throat ripped apart, and my bones disconnected, and I was lost to the pain.
40
Rafael
