Narro waited until Eden and Haravin concluded their earnest chat, and then he went to his partner and asked, “May I have this dance?”
Haravin blushed and nodded, sliding her fingers along his.
A soft waltz began to play, and they moved together gracefully.
Rache chuckled. “Every time dance people get together.”
Xeti got up and held his hand out to her. “Will you dance?”
Rache nodded and let him pull her up. She thudded against him, and he grinned, walking her to an open area, and then they began to move together. It was effortless. His hands on her felt like they were supposed to be there.
They moved around the available space, and then a new hand took hers and pulled her into his arms via a spin. “I thought that I wasn’t your type, Terus.”
He looked embarrassed as they moved smoothly. “I may have been mistaken about that. Actually, I know I was mistaken about that. I was waiting for a sign that didn’t come when I touched you, but Xeti sets it off.”
“I think it is a cumulative effort. I wasn’t going to flicker until I had met both of you.”
He nodded. “Watching you and him, I confess to jealousy, and when he demanded your number, I had to admit that I didn’t have it.”
“And I had you blocked on all the email accounts we used.”
“Yeah, that was a good call on your part. I just thought there would be sparks or a trumpet or a cherub with a laptop that said what was what.”
Rache smiled. “That would have been helpful for you.”
“For me?”
“Oh, sure. I knew. I knew it in my bones the moment we went on that first excursion.”
“You didn’t say anything.”
“We went on outing after outing, and there was no touch, no kiss, no warm smile. I thought you preferred men.”
He froze, and in Terus’s shock, Xeti took over and grinned. “That is hilarious.”
“Why?”
“Because he is very, definitely, interested in women.”
“Just not me.” She felt the tingling of magic under her palm, and he grew several inches. So did she.
Xeti grinned as they continued to move around the space. “You look spectacular.”
“I am just glad the clothes are large enough to manage.”
He laughed, and they moved with more energy.
Terus recovered from his shock and stepped in again, moving with her, and he said softly, “I prefer women.”
She chuckled. “So, it is just me then?”
“No. I... I didn’t feel what I am feeling now. The energy that you put out was lost on me.”
She nodded. “I talked to someone on Emerald, and they mentioned that if a pair loses a member, a single elf takes his place. Did that happen with Xeti?”
Terus stared at her in surprise. “How did you know?”
“If I am calibrated for spiders, you might not have been able to hear me.”
