“Yes. The dust comes from the velmoria flowers in the elven lands,” she told me, holding up one of the cakes and turning it in her hand as she showed it to me. “Their properties are said to alleviate enough stress to make you feel like you’re flying, which you don’t. Unless you take a lot of it, which you shouldn’t.”
I observed the cakes more closely. They looked like regular sweets, except for the sheen on top, which reflected the light, making the brown hue shift to golden and pink depending on the angle.
I studied Gwin, the Mage Lady, then the cake again.
Captive, sentenced, and now heedless.
“Alright, I will try it.”
Gwinifer grinned while she held the hand with cakes between us again. “Good. She’s not a coward.”
I glared at her before taking one piece. It carried the rich, velvety scent of cacao, yet I caught nothing else on them.
“Cheers,” Alameda said before she took a bite.
The taste was pure chocolate with a hint of something earthy and sweet that reminded me of wine. It didn’t make me feel any different as I finished the piece that fit in my palm.
“Wait, will others be able to tell that we ate it?” I asked as my stomach rumbled in satisfaction from the dessert.
Alameda snickered next to me as something pulled me down. The hem of my dress was full of snow, and I might have stepped on it.
While Gwinifer came to my side, taking my other arm with hers, she said, “Don’t fall, Red. It’s impossible for the dust to have an effect so quickly.”
My head snapped to her, amazed by how her voice was so melodic. “You have a beautiful voice.”
Gwinifer turned to me, her face very close as she let out a snicker. “Thank you, Red. I think your hair is beautiful,” she sang, or I thought she did, while running her finger through the tips of my hair.
“One small cake and suddenly you love each other,” Alameda remarked as we reached the other guests. “Come. Let’s dance.”
???
I felt the same as we reached the centre of the courtyard, stepping under the tall oak tree where people danced. Music enveloped us like a cacophony of claps and strings. Gwinifer let go of my arm, only so she could move her hips to the song, dangling her head from one shoulder to the other.
Alameda was on my other side, and she danced with the grace of a princess, almost waltzing by herself with a big white smile plastered on her face. It didn’t take long for the Mage Lord of Erisea to spot his lady dancing and sweep her into his arms.
I just moved, not sure how I looked, not really caring, only that I felt more marvellously relaxed than ever. The notes purred in my chest, and I rolled with them, faintly aware of Gwin beside me, also thoroughly enjoying the fantastic play of banjos and flutes. My head shot back, and I found myself staring up at the underside of the oak tree. It was so tall, its branches shimmering with the glow of hundreds of wisps. The music seemed amplified here, as if the oak had trapped its resonance beneath its canopy.
I breathed deeply, inhaling so much air that my chest felt as if it had expanded to a larger size. I thought I could float, even fly. I was definitely feeling the effects of the elven dust now. If elves felt like this all the time...Heavens, I wanted to be an elf too. I swung my arms next to me, letting my hips follow the momentum as I danced.
“I want to be an elf,” I wished.
“Me too,” Gwinifer sang with that beautiful voice. She twirled in precise, fluid movements, much like when she was sparring. I watched her for a moment, admiring how her body moved with grace and intention.
My body felt light and loose, every beat of my heart was one note to sync to, to dance around, to feel reverberating through my chest. Any thoughts that were in my head vanished, together with worries and fears. My mind emptied of everything but the song. Dancing was an incredible sensation, and I never wantedto stop. Except when I saw him, which made the thoughts of the music skitter away together with any innate inhibition.
Reagan had removed his navy-blue jacket, leaving only the black button-up to cover the tall length of his torso. There were more people dancing now, but my eyes were locked on him, watching me from just outside the tree, with a tilt to his head and a curl to his lips. His mouth distracted and anchored me as I twirled in place.
I didn’t know why I was fooling myself. It felt almost like a punishment to deny how obviously attracted I was to him. The thought that our time was limited—that I would soon forget him—no longer felt like a good reason to resist. Instead, I savoured every second of him looking at me like that, as if I were the only thing under the oak.
My move became a step that followed another, my legs taking me where he stood, with Finnegan by his side. Those lips were faintly parted when I stopped in front of him, eyes curious and filled with awe. He leaned over, his hands in the pockets of his trousers. “You look even more magnificent when you’re dancing.”
My heart was already drumming inside my chest. There was no more space inside me to swell.
“Why did—” Then he stopped, eyes narrowing towards my face as he inched closer. Something instinctive and primal inside me hoped he would kiss me. His mouth gaped. “Did you have elven dust?”
My jaw slackened.
Finnegan tilted his head to see me better and grinned. “She most certainly did.”
