The drums increased in tempo, and Drak began moving. Not the formal, structured dancing Briar had seen at fae courts, but something rawer. Bodies moving to rhythm, individuals and pairs and groups, no set patterns, just movement and life and celebration of survival.
A Drak warrior approached her, male, young, scales a brilliant copper color.
"Would you honor me with a dance, shadow walker?" he asked, holding out a hand.
Before she could respond, Eliam stepped forward, shadows curling around his feet despite the brightness of the fires.
"No," he said flatly.
The warrior looked between them, but instead of backing down, he smiled. "The shadow walker can speak for herself, Forest Lord."
"I'd like to dance," Briar said, partly because the drums were making her body want to move, partly because Eliam's possessiveness sparked defiance in her.
She took the copper-scaled warrior's hand. His skin was warmer than human temperature, smooth where scales met flesh. He pulled her into the crowd of dancers before Eliam could object further.
The Drak way of dancing was nothing like the fae courts. No prescribed steps, no proper distance between bodies. The warrior's hands settled on her waist, guiding her into movement that followed the drums. Her body found the rhythm easily, the drink making everything feel liquid and natural.
"You honored our dead," the warrior said, leading her through a turn that made her skirt flare. "My uncle was among them."
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"No, you gave us closure. That matters." He spun her, and another Drak caught her, this one female with deep green scales.
"My turn with the shadow walker," she said, hands settling on Briar's hips.
The dancing became a blur of partners. Each Drak wanted a moment with her, to thank her, to celebrate her survival. Hands on her waist, her arms, her back. Bodies pressed close in the heat from the fires. The paint on her skin smeared and transferred, creating new patterns. The drink made everything feel intense and immediate—the heat of skin, the rhythm of drums, the smoke that made breathing feel thick.
Then familiar golden eyes. Karse caught her as she spun from another partner, his hands spanning her waist.
"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, and there was something lighter in his expression than she'd ever seen.
"The drink is strong," she said, having to focus on the words.
"For non-Drak, yes." He moved with her easily, naturally. This was his culture, his people. "You've given them hope. First time in decades."
"I just survived."
"You survived what none of them could." His hands shifted, pulling her closer as the drums intensified. "And you honored the dead. That matters here."
Someone called out in Drak, and Karse laughed, responding in the same language. Then other hands were pulling her away, another dancer claiming her. She caught a glimpse of Eliam through the crowd, his expression dark with frustration as he tried to move toward her but kept getting blocked by celebrating Drak.
Three more partners, each dance becoming more intimate as the celebration progressed. Bodies closer, hands bolder. The drink and drums and heat were making her skin hypersensitive. Every touch felt electric.
Then Eliam's hand closed around her wrist.
"Enough," he said, pulling her out of the current dancer's arms.
He didn't give her a chance to protest, pulling her against him fully. One hand splayed across her bare back, the other gripping her hip.
"Do you have any idea," he said against her ear, his voice rough, "what it's like watching them all touch you?"
She could feel his heartbeat against her chest, fast and hard. His skin was hot where it pressed against hers, the leather straps across his chest creating interesting texture. The paint on his skin had started to smear, and she could feel it transferring to her.
"It's just dancing," she managed.
"Nothing about this is just dancing." His hand moved up her back, fingers tracing her spine. "Look around."
She did. The celebration had shifted. Drak were paired off, pressed together, hands and mouths exploring. The dancing had become more intense and it made her face heat despite the drink.
