A shameless flirt.
With a sigh, she patted his shoulder. “Don’t waste any efforts on me,” her tone almost conspiratorial, “you could be as handsome as the Demon Prince of Lust himself, but I only entertain women.”
He glanced at me with a smile, “I like her.”
“As do I.”
"How is your First Sun party going then, ladies?"
"You could have told me this was going to happen, you know?" I responded, arms crossing as we moved forward in the line.
“Why ruin the surprise? I feel like it's less fun when you know what to expect."
Grabbing our drinks, I nursed mine, slowly slipping as the warmth grew, my limbs growing lighter. The shadows almost always vanished under the influence of drink, so quiet I could hardly feel their stirrings.
Bran's eyes snagged upon a pretty brunette who hurried by, her dress a beacon of yellow as she chased after her friends with a smile lighting her face. Brows raised, he slowly took a step to follow and with a laugh I waved him off.
It wasn’t long after that Rena and I finished our firemead, once more joining the dancing throng of bodies. Not even the blazing fire at my back could distract me from the melody and joy that twined in the air.
I spun and spun and spun, landing within another pair of strong arms, my back pressed to their chest. Their hands gripped low upon my waist as we moved in time, a breathless merriment growing deep in my chest. They spun me in a fast circle, perfectly in sync with the beat that thrummed through the crowd. My eyes flew up, my smile freezing as for the second time tonight, silver and green stared back at me.
"Are you drunk, little menace?" His tone was bored, maybe a hint of annoyance underlying it, but he too held a hint of breathlessness. A shot of indignation spiked through me. Why the question bothered me so much I didn't quite have the mental capacity to dissect at the moment, so instead I leaned closer to him, my chest practically flush with his. My head tilted back to look up into his eyes and I saw something flash there as I stuck my finger threateningly in his face.
"Youare not allowed to dance with me." I meant for it to come out strong, perhaps even a bit mean, but it was a slurred murmur and his brows bunched together.
"You spun into my—"
I was stepping away before he could finish, my skirts swishing around my ankles as I reached out and grabbed the hand of a nearby man without looking, my back pressing against a broad chest the same way it had been merely a moment ago with the Kinslayer. I danced, the man behind me matching my rhythm as I tilted my head back into his chest, wishing to return to the euphoric feeling of freedom and letting go.
To my utter annoyance, it would not come.
I could feel him watching, even as I closed my eyes and tried to lose myself to the feeling of the music.
Head still leaning back against the chest of the man behind me, when my eyes opened next they instantly locked with the silver and green gaze staring directly back at me. A hand traced a path down my arm, lifting it gently into the air as the man I danced with spun me in a sensual circle, my eyes falling shut once more, not wanting to see the face of the stranger and break the illusion I had fallen under.
I couldn’t help that my stare found the Kinslayer again as soon as I was settled back into place. Perhaps it was the firemead, this angry tension that had sprung between us, or perhaps I had simply never learned when I shouldback down from a challenge. Especially not when I had alcohol burning through my veins, lighting every nerve ending on fire.
AndGoddess, Roan Delmar liked to challenge me. Biting my bottom lip lightly, my hips rolled as a new song began. It was slower, more sensual, but still alive with energy. My hands trailed up my waist until they reached the nape of my neck, tangling in the hair that I knew was beginning to spill from those pins Rena had placed.
It was at that moment that I saw a telling clench in his jaw. Offering a knowing little smile that I made sure he saw, I looked away. Turning in the man’s arms, finally facing my dance partner, my breath caught in my throat.
"Hello beautiful." Aldrin McCay stared back, blue eyes burning into my very soul. His head tilted to the side as he brushed a stray curl from my face, a crooked grin on his lips. “Long time no see, Sy."
The firemead had anger burning itself up my throat and before I could even think, my fist was connecting with his face, a solid crunch sounding out before he fell flat on his ass. "You can't dance with me either damnit."
"What the fuck, Syra?" He tenderly touched his nose. "You broke my nose!"
My mind was spinning when I felt a sudden presence at my side, my gaze shifting to find the Kinslayer staring at the man who had broken my heart so many years ago, with a look of lethal rage.
"What did he do?" When I didn't answer, his attention turned to me, his gaze searching. “Why did you punch him?"
Hugging my arms around myself, panic had my throat bobbing, catching the stares that were now pinned upon us. I turned and quickly began to walk away as I felt the tears welling in my eyes.
I’d be damned if I let Roan Delmar see me cry.
I was never drinking firemead again.
The grass crunched behind me, heavy footsteps following after me. Many eyes tracked my escape, but when they landed on the man in my shadow they were quick to divert their attention.
