“Dorian,” she whispers with relief.
“Hello, Starling,” he says, reaching for her.
Body trembling, she stands before him and throws her arms around his neck. His scent—mint and ice and ash—envelops her when she crumples in his arms from exhaustion and adrenaline.
“What happened? I wasn’t trying to come here. I didn’t—”
“I brought you here.” His tone is light, playful.
She pulls back, eyeing him with suspicion. “Why?”
He holds her by the waist and smiles. “Dance with me.” Her brow furrows when his hand slides to hers, and he takes her into a waltz, gliding through snow. They dance to the beat of the wind, nose to nose. An aura of intoxicating magic radiates from him. With every inhale, she gets a taste of what waits for her just behind his lips.
Power.
His mouth hovers just above hers, breathing hints of magic into her when he speaks. “What did I tell you, Starling?”
“What do you mean?”
His grip tightens, and his claws dig into her skin. “I told you to stay away from Cassius MacLeod.”
She stiffens, struggling to follow his lead. “I know that, but we’re—”
“You broke your word.”
“He’s my debate partner. I can’t avoid him altogether.”
He jerks her forward, grazing her neck with his sharp teeth. “But did you have to get on your knees for him?”
Her pulse throbs in her throat. “You saw that?”
She tries to escape his grasp, but he only holds her tighter,closer, refusing to let her step out of their dance. His hand squeezes hers too hard. Her knuckles crunch, and she whimpers.
“Stop. You’re hurting me,” she snaps.
He laughs. “I haven’t even started.”
There’s something new—dark and menacing—in his glare, and it chills Claudia to her core. Her breathing becomes short and stuttering. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs.
Shadows lash out from his body and wrap around her throat. “You are lying.”
“No, I’m not.” Her voice struggles against his strong hold on her neck. “I’m sorry I had to break my promise. I didn’t think—”
“No, you did not.” A low growl rumbles in his throat. His eyes are cold and violently bright. He spins her too close to the ledge. She almost loses her balance.
“You’re getting distracted,” he scolds. “Need I remind you of your debt? You have to uphold your end of our bargain at all costs, above all else. Otherwise, I can’t let you stay at Cygnus.”
“What?” she cries. If she left Cygnus, she would lose everything—her magic, her chance at getting the blessing, her entire future.
He dips her low so that she’s hovering over the ledge. Below her is nothing but black.
“I could send you back to scrub your father’s blood from your floor. To marry that old man you despise. I could take everything back.”
She claws her way up his arm and wraps her arms around his back to keep from falling. It feels like her heart is leaking, like every bad feeling is pumping through every vein. Her jaw drops. Her eyes well with ice-cold tears, but she refuses to let them fall.
“No, you can’t.” She hates how soft and shaky her voice sounds.
“Of course I can. Make no mistake. I got you here, and I could just as easily take you away.”
