He was glad that King Tarnan hadn’t dragged Amira and her “maid”to Quarnian. This had been the longest he hadn’t seen his sister. It felt like a part of him was missing. He could almost hear Elyssa’s voice now, telling him to suck it up and get going.
So that was what Eyden did. Straightening his plain black and silver mask that covered half his face, Eyden headed into the crowd with Ilario by his side. For the first time, he didn’t need to be too careful about anyone spotting him. The mask hid his appearance well enough.
Ilario’s emerald suit and gold mask made him fit in with the crowd as if he was a royal himself. His friend’s posture was relaxed; he was much more at ease being surrounded by these fae than Eyden, but Ilario had always been more sociable.
It wasn’t long until he spotted Lora. His eyes seemed to zero in on her by their own accord, finding hers in the crowd even with the mask covering her face. Wearing a dark grey, almost black, dress that fit her curves perfectly, she approached Rhay, whose suit jacket reflected all the colours of the rainbow. A guard was trailing Lora. Though he was wearing a mask, Eyden knew it had to be Layken. He stopped a short distance from them as Rhay greeted Lora.
“I’m going to go chat with Nix,” Ilario said, patting Eyden’s shoulder as he walked by him. “Lora will know you’re here once she sees me.”
As Ilario approached the two, Lora turned her head. His heart skipped a beat when she met his gaze. It was only a second, but any second with her looking at him was worth everything.Fuck,he was in too deep. His “strictly business” attitude was crumbling every time their eyes met.
Lora returned her focus to Ilario and Rhay, and Eyden searched for Layken. He was surprised to see the guard walking away. Was luck on their side tonight?
Before he could think much of it, Lora excused herself and moved through the room. Eyden was about to walk towards her when Lora gave him a subtle shake of her head.
Reluctantly, Eyden stayed where he was and leaned against a pillar. Fae were starting to dance. He wondered if the king was here yet. Assessing the crowd, Eyden noticed a few guards stationed at the entrance and a few spread out throughout the ballroom. More security than he would usually find at Rhay’s parties. Was it because Karwyn was here, or because of what had happened in Quarnian?
Shifting his feet, Eyden felt the dagger he’d stashed in his boot. He wandered across the ballroom aimlessly. Where had Lora disappeared to? Maybe he should look for her. It was what Elyssa would be doing if she were here.
A presence behind him made Eyden turn around. His gaze locked on familiar aquamarine eyes.
“Recognise me?” Lora said, leaning in to be heard over the music.
Lora wasn’t wearing the same dress as before. This one was a deep burgundy that flowed down her legs in a wave of satin. The mask she wore was silver with black vines building a pattern around her eyes that were lined with thick black liner. Not even her hair looked the same. It had been braided before; now it flowed over her shoulders, much darker than her natural hair colour.
“Always,” Eyden said, not bothering with a lie. He heard Lora’s breath hitch, and a grin formed on his lips. He couldn’t remember why he should keep it strictly business. Maybe tonight they could play a different game, moving away from their pretense of a platonic relationship. His restraint was breaking with each glance at her.
She ran a hand down her dress, flustered. “I needed to change so no one would recognise me. Do you think it works?”
With the new hair colour and mask, no one would recognise her if they weren’t paying close attention. Eyden was sure he only knew it was her because he was paying special attention to her.
“It works. How did you change your hair colour so fast?” he asked.
“It was all Varsha. She does Rhay’s hair constantly. Mine is much more temporary, though.” Lora twirled a lock of her hair, staring at it as if she didn’t recognise it herself.
Eyden’s gaze swept over the room again, stopping at one of the alcoves. “We should still go somewhere more hidden to talk.”
Glancing at the clock above the double doors, Lora lowered her voice. “I told Varsha we would meet her at eleven to sneak into the underground.” She hadn’t told him her plan beforehand, but Eyden agreed it was a smart one.
It was only twenty minutes past ten bells. What would they do until then? Lora seemed unsure as well. They could still go to the alcove and talk. He had more than one question for her, but maybe asking wasn’t the right way to go about it. He needed her to trust him first. Otherwise, she would keep pretending like there was nothing going on between them. Like it was all a mistake.
Eyden shifted his feet over the smooth, bright white floor. “Can I have this dance?”
Eyes darting across the space, she avoided his gaze. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? You said it yourself, no one will know it’s you…and me.” Her gaze snapped back to him, and she bit her lip. It was utterly distracting. “One dance before we go back to business.” Eyden held out his hand.
The intensity of her stare almost made him think she’d refuse him. But then the torture ended as she grasped his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.
Her arms went around his neck. He set his on her waist lightly, but it was enough to feel the heat of her skin through the fabric of her dress. It felt strangely familiar even though they had only danced that one time.
At first, they didn’t talk. They moved to the rhythm of the music, their gaze connected as if held by an invisible force.
“Do you remember Falea Night when we danced?” Eyden asked, his hands on her waist tightening. Her breath caught.
Eyden was sick of pretending he didn’t want this. That he didn’t want to hold her, dance with her, draw her closer, or drag her off somewhere else entirely and have his wicked way with her. He let it all show in his eyes, and Lora’s widened in return. Her lips parted as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. She didn’t seem against the idea. Heat flowed through his body, spurred on by the warmth radiating off her body.
“Yes,” Lora finally whispered.
