"Careful, Viv," he teased. "You look like you might actually be enjoying yourself."
She rolled her eyes but didn’t bother hiding the widening curve of her grin.
"I can't remember the last time we've had a chance to..." she let out a breath, staring out at the waves, "just be."
The sand yielded beneath their steps, grains slipping away as Vivienne and Lewis approached the central, blazing bonfire. Flames crackled and twisted, licking at the twilight sky, their glow casting flickering shadows across the revelers. The steady pounding of drums merged with the sweet, airy lilt of a fiddle, drawing dancers into a spiraling rhythm. Some had already kicked off their shoes, spinning and leaping, their flushed faces illuminated by the fire’s golden light. Vivienne was about to suggest they find a spot near the warmth when an all-too-familiar voice sliced through the music.
“Lewis!”
Bianca.
Vivienne turned just as Bianca sauntered toward them, moving with the slow, deliberate confidence of someone who knew she was being watched. The firelight caught on the deep emerald fabric of her gown, its plunging neckline emphasizing a particular duet of curves. Her chocolate-brown hair was sculpted into an elaborate updo, stray curls artfully arranged to frame her impossibly symmetrical face.Not that anyone will notice her hair or makeup in a dress like that. She has more faith in the security of that bodice than I have in all the gods combined.
"Hi!" Bianca trilled, her voice syrupy sweet. "I was worried I wouldn't find you in this crowd."
Vivienne had never seen Lewis try so hard to maintain eye contact.
"Well… ” He shrugged, shifting his weight."You found us."
Bianca's painted lips curled into a knowing smile as she stepped closer, placing a feather-light hand on his arm. "I'm ready for the dance you promised me."
Her tone left no room for discussion.
Lewis blinked hard, his gaze flickering between Bianca’s emerald stare and Vivienne’s expression. "Oh, yes…of course," he muttered, his voice unsteady as if his thoughts were scrambling to catch up.
Vivienne offered a small, dismissive nod. He handed her the last of his candied apple before Bianca tugged him away, her laughter ringing out like chimes in the wind.
"Don't dance too close to the fire!" Vivienne called after them, implying Bianca might push him into the flames.
Lewis shot her a halfhearted glare over his shoulder, the underlying message clear. He knew exactly what she meant.
The laughter and movement of the festival swayed on without her. Vivienne lingered for a moment, watching as Bianca spun Lewis into the firelight, her gown catching on the breeze. The ease of it, the way Bianca’s world bent to accommodate her presence, sparked something in Vivienne’s chest—something she wasn’t interested in examining.
You’re sailing with him tomorrow. You can handle one night on your own.
Without another glance, she took a final bite of her candied apple before drifting past the music, the dancing, and the performance. The festival continued to swell with laughter and light, but Vivienne let it blur at the edges, her mind already drifting elsewhere.
At the farthest edge of the beach, the storytelling bonfires flickered low, their flames kept small so the gathered listeners could lean in and hang on every word. Vivienne settled onto an empty log just as the next tale began, the hush of the crowd leaving only the crackling of the flames and distant crashes of waves on the shore.
The storyteller drew a slow, deliberate breath, their voice carrying the weight of countless retellings.
"Before time began, Althera, the All-Mother, was born of the stars and the endless void between them. From her essence, the cosmos unfolded, and the world took its first breath. Althera shaped twelve gods, each one a reflection of the forces of the universe. Among them stood Velorien, god of justice and balance, and Malcari, god of retribution and discord. Alongside their divine siblings, they molded the mortal and magical realms, their powers woven into the land, sea, and sky.
"Though Velorien ruled with fairness, ensuring harmony in all things, Malcari rejected balance. He saw it as a cage, a false order smothering the true nature of the universe. To him, vengeance was justice, and power the only law. The tension between the two grew until, on their divine isle, their conflict erupted into a war that shattered mountains and set the seas aflame. Velorien fought to uphold order, but Malcari unleashed ruin, tearing through creation with no regard for the devastation left in his wake.
"In the end, Velorien, with the aid of his siblings, overpowered his brother, but he could not bring himself to destroy him. Instead, he cast Malcari into the everdark, a prison beyond the reach of gods and mortals alike, where the vilest souls are bound in eternal shadow.
"But exile did not silence Malcari. From the everdark, he whispered into the hearts of men, tempting them with power, twisting their desires into chaos. Velorien, ever watchful, guided the rise and fall of kingdoms, ensuring the scales of justice remained even, but mortals tend to be forgetful and fickle, letting the truth fade into myth.
"Now," the storyteller’s voice dropped lower, the embers of the fire glowing like watchful eyes in the night, "as the winds shift and the seas churn, the balance falters once more. And from the everdark… Malcari stirs, ready to return."
A swell of applause rippled through the listeners, though Vivienne barely registered it. Beyond the firelight, her gaze drifted toward the main bonfire, where Lewis and Bianca danced.
The music had slowed to a ballad, and Lewis held Bianca close, his arms wrapped around her waist as they swayed in time with the melody.He looks… happy. With Bianca.Vivienne hesitated, fingers curling into the fabric of her skirt.Would it be selfish to interrupt? Would he even notice if I did?
Something in her chest tensed, an ache she couldn't quite name. Envy, perhaps, or the quiet loneliness of watching from the outside. Or maybe it was something deeper, something she wasn’t ready to admit.
She let out a breath, pushing the thoughts aside. Lewis deserved this. He deserved a night untouched by worry, by duty, by impending departures. She wouldn’t take that from him.
