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“What are those for?” I yell over the music.
“A few of these and your friends will adore me,” she promises.
I decline the shots, but the others down them. It isn’t long before Mack, Eclipsa, and Layla surround Jace, who’s only happy to be surrounded by three of the hottest girls on the dance floor.
Richard and I are the only ones not actively trying to embalm our livers. At some point, we’re paired off together, and we awkwardly shake our hips. Like most people who can’t dance, we end up yelling over the music, hoping to use small talk to divert from the fact that we suck at dancing.
“I can’t believe it’s been over a year,” Richard yells.
“What?”
“A year! Since Evelyn turned. The dance reminded me of her.”
Oh. That explains why he’s not really in a partying mood. That makes two of us.
Between Valerian’s recent coldness, Mack’s struggles, and waiting for Hellebore to call in his bargain, I just can’t muster the energy to celebrate.
I look around for Mack, but she and the others have drifted deeper into the crowd. She’s already on her third drink and Titania knows how many shots.
I don’t like her drinking with this many Fae around, but we’re surrounded by mortals, and she’s with Eclipsa. Most of the Evermore have taken up the other side of the dance floor and are ignoring us completely.
She’ll be fine. Stop worrying. She’s with humans, and she needs the break after finals. Fanning my face, I shout at Richard that I need another drink and flee before he can offer to go with me. The lanterns above dim, the music slowing.
A love song. Ugh.
Fighting free of the crowd, I find myself searching the other side of the courtyard for a certain Evermore. One with silver eyes, midnight-blue hair, and a devious smile.
And then, as if summoned by my thoughts, Valerian appears a few feet ahead. My chest aches as I take him in. A cerulean blue dinner jacket with silver embroidery shows off his wide shoulders, his wavy hair brushed to one side.
A wry smile plays on his lips. “Care to dance, mortal?”
I’ve been so mad at him these last few months. I even wrote him a letter only to tear it to pieces. I swore tonight if I saw him I would tell him exactly where to stick it.
But now . . .
Valerian Sylverfrost is asking me to dance, and I don’t have a chance in hell of refusing.
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I accept his hand, hardly daring to breathe as he guides me to the center of the Fae dance floor. The Evermore stop dancing to stare at us. Their pinched faces make it more than clear what they think about a human in their midst.
With one of their princes, no less.
He rests his free hand on my waist, drawing me to him. “Don’t look at them, look at me.”
“How do I know you’re . . . you?” I whisper, Bane’s little trick from last year fresh on my mind.
“I could kiss you and you would know, I promise.”
His teasing tone sends a shiver through my torso. “True. But if you’re Bane, I would have been tricked into kissing him, and I’d rather not.”
A chuckle. “Spoken with the cleverness of a Faerie.” His hand moves to the bare skin between my shoulder blades, his fingers tracing my spine as they glide down to the small of my back. “What does your body tell you?”
Heat blossoms from my core, and I swear the air gets thinner with every circle his fingertips make against my flesh.
Only one Evermore has this affect on me.
“They’re all staring,” I whisper.
