“Kai?” Thora’s voice made Kai snap his head up.
“Why dae we keep getting interrupted, eh?” Kai said with humor and stood up, releasing Ava. She slowly moved to her feet, hardly worried she had lost their sparring match and thinking much more of how close his lips had been to hers. “Aye, Thora?”
“I need ye two. Need yer help,” she called from the portcullis in the curtain wall. “We’re setting up the great hall fer the Yuletide feast Domhnall insists we have.”
Kai’s body stiffened at once. Ava stared at him in wonder. He’d gone from easy humor and excitement to being as wooden as a board.
“Come, Kai, it willnae take long,” Thora pleaded, turning and disappearing back across the courtyard.
“Well, ye win,” Ava said, nudging him with her elbow, hoping not to remind him of that charged air that had just arisen between them. She feared that she was reading all the excitement wrong. Maybe indeed she was growing more and more attracted to Kai by the day, but his behavior could be a part of their lessons – he was showing her how attraction worked.
He would never truly be attracted tae me, would he? After all, he can bed any woman he wants tae.
The thought made such sadness swell in Ava’s chest that she walked away fast, tucking her sword into her belt as she approached the castle. Kai said nothing, but followed closely behind her, giving her space.
Inside the great hall, Thora had spared no expense or energy in preparing the room for their upcoming feast. Tables were spread around the edges, decked with dried fruit and pinecones. The scent of cinnamon hung in the air from where sticks had been pressed into green boughs that hung from the ceilings. Iron candelabras peppered the space, ready to be lit, and the top table, raised on a platform, was already decked with displays of great winter flowers and mistletoe.
“It’s beautiful,” Ava whispered as Thora clapped happily at her side, clearly pleased with what they had achieved. “What can I help with?”
“That is really rather simple.” Thora reached for the weapons in Ava’s belt and slid out the sword, laying it down on a table nearby. “Ye too, Kai. Weapons off.”
He halted at Ava’s side, as silent as he had been the whole walk up to the castle. Slowly, he drew out his own weapons, laying them down beside Ava’s own.
“Now, here is what I need from ye.” Thora took Ava’s hands and dragged her into the wide space between the tables. Once she’d released her, Thora moved to her brother and pushed him forward with her hands in his back, until he stood in the middle of the space before Ava. “I need ye two tae dance fer me.”
Ava saw Kai’s eyebrows shoot up high in surprise.
“Ye… what?” Kai stumbled over his words, turning to face Thora.
Ava chewed the inside of her mouth. As surprised as she had been, the thought that Kai would rather fight with her than dance with her made her feel as if she had been kicked in the gut.
“I need tae ken this is a good space fer people tae dance. Is it wide enough?” She gestured around the space. “Try a volta. That will show me if it works.”
“We’re nae dancing fer ye,” Kai snapped, shaking his head.
That feeling was growing worse. Ava now felt as if snakes lodged deep in her gut.
“Ye’ll have tae find another woman tae dance with Kai,” Ava said, knowing she had to extricate herself from this situation at once. “Clearly, he has nay wish tae dance with me.” She stepped around him, intent on leaving the room.
Out of nowhere, his hand took hold of her arm and brought Ava to a stop.
“Is that what I said?” Kai’s voice was unusually sharp. “Did I say I didnae want tae dance with ye?”
“Ye didnae have tae say it.” She avoided looking him in the eye.
“Well, this is cheery and nae awkward at all,” Thora said as she walked away. “I’ll get some music prepared.”
“Thora!” Kai hissed, but Thora either didn’t hear him or pretended not to. She enlisted the help of a minstrel who had been helping to hang boughs from the ceiling and now stopped to pick up his lute and play a tune.
“Ye dinnae have tae dae this,” Ava whispered, but Kai’s hand was now slipping down her arm. He took hold of her hand and drew her forward to walk around him in a circle. “Kai, I said –”
“I ken what ye said. For once, dinnae argue with me. Just dance.” He pulled her to a stop in front of him and took hold of her other hand. They just looked at one another as they waited for the lute player to finish the introduction of the music.
The string instrument dropped low, the notes heavy and beating a dramatic tune, as Thora began to clap slowly alongside to keep the rhythm.
Kai led Ava into the opening steps of the volta. In all her years of being Kai’s friend, she could not remember them ever having danced together before. The opening movements were slow, performed in a circle. The whole time, Ava just stared up at Kai, very aware of his height and strength compared to her own body. When he came close, placing a hand to the curve of her waist to make her dance back and forward, close to him, then apart, she couldn’t stop thinking about his strong muscled chest or the firm hand on her waist. She longed for him to touch her more, to break all the rules there had ever been, to forget that they were just friends and to show her what it would be like to be one of the women he took to his bed.
The music grew faster. With the change, Thora’s clapping grew faster too, and their dancing increased in pace. Kai turned Ava quickly under his arm, so she had to flick her head around repeatedly to look at him. He never once took his eyes off her. There was something in his gaze that was heated. She loved it.
