“Shoo! Be gone, foul creature!”
And she has a bat. Wow.
Backing away, I take another look around the club. There’s no chance of spotting River, Jenson or Kai – if they’re even here.
Swaying in place, I take another sip of my drink as I listen to the music. I can feel the echo of it inside my chest like a second heartbeat.
This… doesn’t seem so bad. Maybe not somewhere I could see myself spending a lot of time, but there’s something in the air. An excitement. Anticipation, maybe. It fills the people around me as I find a slightly quieter spot against the wall with a tall table and lean on it, watching them.
So many different lives – hopes, dreams, fears, worries - all in the same space, dancing to the same song at this precise moment. Connected in a single small way, before they go about their own lives. This particular group of people will never be in the same room together again.
It’s a beautiful thought, really. And maybe a little sad.
The voice makes me jump. “Want to dance?”
Twisting my head, I offer a small smile to the sandy-haired man lingering nearby. He looks friendly enough, his checkered shirt open at the neck and his brown hair neatly trimmed. He smiles back, holding out his hand. “David.”
I hesitate, but reach for it, keeping my drink out of easy reach. It’s a little clammy. “Briar.”
“Pretty name.” He moves in a little closer, his voice raising to be heard over the music. “You on your own?”
“Well, this looks cosy.”
Both of our heads jerk around at the low, drawled words. Jenson stares down at me, those gray eyes like flint. He doesn’t look at David. “Whoever you are, leave. Now.”
And with those two words, the burning I fled my bedroom to escape erupts again, surging back to live beneath my skin as I stare up at him.
Two words. That’s all it took.
David didn’t even raise a flicker.
“Briar Rose.” Jenson’s eyes travel over me slowly, cataloguing my outfit. “What exactly are you doing in our club?”
I take a sip of my drink to buy time, forgetting how strong it is and nearly choking. “This is a public place, isn’t it? Maybe I’m here to dance.”
“Or maybe you were curious. And not about the club.” His low words have my head jerking up. He’s watching me closely, but his eyes travel to my drink. “What the hell is that?”
It is a rather vibrant shade of green.
He has it out of my hand before I can stop him, sniffing before he yanks it away with a look of disgust on his face. “This is one of Dove’s special concoctions. Donotdrink this. You’ll end up waking up a week from now, wondering what happened.”
I push my tongue into my cheek. “Kind of thought you’d be into that.”
He pauses, eyes dropping to mine. “Funny.”
I mean, I thought so.
I purse my lips. “Can I have my drink back?”
“No.” His voice is terse as he slams my drink down. “Come with me.”
He reaches out, but he stops, turning and stalking off. Frowning, I watch as he stops, glancing over his shoulder. “Let’s see if I can settle some of that curiosity of yours.”
I follow him over to the bar, watching as he slips behind and returns, a bottle of water in his hands. “You’re not having this conversation without a clear head.”
Weighing the bottle in my hands, I wonder what he’d do if I tossed it back at him. I’m not quite brave enough to find out. “I didn’t ask for a conversation at all.”
“Didn’t you?” The gruff words make my heart leap as we move around the crowded dance floor. He pushes open a door I didn’t even notice, and I slip through. The noise behind us fades as he pushes the door shut. “I’ll leave it unlocked. Tell me you locked your door earlier.”
