“Okay, everyone,” Miss Michelle gestures to us all. “Break apart, and let’s go through the steps again.” We form two lines with leads and follows facing each other. She takes each group through the steps to our half of the dance, moving much more slowly than the music allowed us to go.
For all his reluctance to dance, Luke’s innate grace becomes apparent compared to the human men, and I let my body move on autopilot as I sneak peeks of him in the mirror.
“Okay, back to your partners.”
Luke stalks over to me, pulling me into his arms.
“Why don’t you have your wings and tail?” I ask. “Is it the protection spell the shadow fae put on Ferndale Falls?” The glamour keeps non-magical humans from seeing the fae for what they really are, making everything look “normal” in town.
“I doubt said spell extends to here,” he says. “It probably has more to do with the world of the book having no magical creatures. Dragons do not exist here. Therefore, I cannot be a weredragon.”
“Let’s get started.” Miss Michelle calls out a slow one-two-three beat without turning on the music.
Luke shifts forward, his steps still a little hesitant, and I glide backward, trying to mirror his movements as best I can. I might know the steps, but it’s not like I’ve ever practiced them with another person. The more we do this, the more I realize dancing around my living room on my own doesn’t count as much as I thought it did.
The instructor slowly speeds up the timing, and without warning, she turns on the music again, perfectly cued to match our steps.
Things remain awkward for several minutes. Then something in Luke eases. We dance across the floor, two bodies moving together, and I get lost in the moment. Dancing with Luke feels just as magical as I’ve always imagined partnered dancing can be: two bodies, moving as one.
My world narrows to Luke. His hand gripping mine, the other cupping my shoulder blade. The feel of his shoulder muscles rippling under my palm. The sheer presence of him standing so close, huge and muscular and radiating heat. We’re not even touching that much, but my entire body lights up with an awareness of his. It feels as if a sparkler lit inside my chest, fizzy and fun and bright.
The music comes to a halt, and I’m caught mid-sway, not wanting this feeling to end.
“Good job, everyone! That’s it for tonight. I’ll see you next week for the next lesson, in which we’ll add a simple turn to the waltz.”
As the last echoes of Miss Michelle’s voice fade, the entire room starts to spin behind a curtain of golden sparkles, and I cling to Luke as the dizzying transition overwhelms me once more. When my head stops whirling, we’re back in his library, surrounded by the pink wisteria trees and tables piled with books and scrolls.
“It worked!” I grin up at Luke, the real Luke, horns and all. Pleased excitement skitters through me, followed by relief. I didn’t trap us permanently!
He wrenches away from me. Magic sizzles through the air as his wings spread and he lifts a couple of feet off the floor.
Which makes me realize… “You didn’t have magic while we were inside the book!” Everyone says dragons are super powerful, and he hadn’t tried a single spell.
He scowls as he lowers back to the ground. “It doesn’t matter. We’re in the real world now. Retrieve your book, so you can leave.”
“Did I… did I not get the job?”
“We can discuss the job tomorrow. You’ve done enough for one day.”
I nod and turn away, swallowing down the lump in my throat. It’s not a total rejection, but it sure feels like one. Yet I also get why he’s mad. My first ten minutes on the job, and I suck him into a book, take away his magic, change his physical form, and force him to dance with me! All without permission. I’m a walking HR violation over here! Fudging fudge, I’m an entire HR cautionary video! I can see it now—workplaces will have posters plastered all over their break rooms: “Don’t be Skye Summers!”
If I’m lucky, fae don’t have HR departments. It’s not like I did the spell on purpose. But still—it’s a lot for anyone to accept from a new hire, especially since I haven’t had a chance to prove myself at all.
But I really want this job. Not only for the chance to work in a massive fae library or to be around Luke. With the extra pay, I can start the kids’ reading charity I’ve been dreaming of. I could buy so many new children’s books!
I shrug into my coat and pick up my purse. The rest of the books have settled back onto the tables, but my romance book still hangs overhead, surrounded by sparkles.
“Umm…” I bite my lip and give alittle hop. My fingers brush against the book with a sting like touching a live wire. “Oww!” I suck my fingertips into my mouth.
Luke glares at my lips, his nostrils flaring. Then he stomps over and bats at the book. There’s a flash of light and a boom that rocks him back on his heels, his long auburn hair rippling in the wind of the blast.
Instead of being knocked out of the air, the book looks completely unperturbed. If anything, it sparklesharder.
“What does that mean?” I whisper.
Luke frowns, his tail lashing. “I fear it means we did not, in fact, break the spell.”
“So…” My tummy flips.
