I swear, I see smoke fuming from her widened nostrils. I even think for a moment that I smell something charred in the air. It could be the pink wine that’s starting to set in though, because for some reason, I laugh. Loudly. Everyone’s gaze shifts to me. Confusion paints their faces.
It’s funny. My new dragon friends are funny. And it makes me want to get up and dance. Maybe they’ll join me.
I shoot to my feet, smiling. Each member of the band is playing their string instruments beautifully tonight. “This is such a great song. I love this one. Does anyone want to come dance?”
I’m met with more confused looks. The three of them are so funny with their round ears. Daegan especially, with his dark clothing and brooding stare. “Daegan, you should really smile more.”
I laugh as that stoic glare falters just a touch, his eyebrows lifting an almost untraceable amount.
I turn and prance off, leaving my friend with the dragons. It would have been nice to dance with them, but I’ll find other fun people to dance with.Besides, Yara was practically in his lap. I’m sure they’ll be dancing together eventually, one way or another. I wonder if the dragons dance in the same style we do. As I glance around, I can’t spot a single one of them dancing. They’re all brooding, standing along the edges of the room, talking amongst themselves. Some with a few elves.
It’s like they’re in a room full of enemies or something.
“Elle!” I twirl around, attempting to find the face to match the voice that called out to me, but then I twirl again. And again, grabbing my skirt and tilting my head back, watching the ceiling with glee as it blurs into a swirling circle of blacks and grays.
A strong hand falls on my waist, stopping me.
“Sir Greenwood!”
“Elle,” he says again, steadying me and taking my other hand into his.
“I like when you call me that.”
“I like when you call me Adrian,” he laughs. What a beautiful face he has when he smiles. I can’t look away.
“Adriannn,” I sing. “Dance with me?”
“I am,” he says with a dimpled smile.
“Yes,” I say, feeling like I’m floating on a cloud. “So, what do you think of our new friends?”
“Friends?” His smile falters. He needs to cheer up.
“Yes. Friends.”
“I don’t think I’d go as far as to call them friends.
“Why not?”
“Because we don’t know them. We can’t trust them.”
“They don’t know us either,” I sing as he twirls me again. “Someone has to open that trust first.”
He looks at me, quiet, like he’s not happy with me, so I spin off into the crowd in search of a more agreeable dance partner. I don’t look back.
A tingling works its way through my neck and up into my head as I dance through the crowd, and when I look toward the outliers, I see an angry, brooding dragon leaning against a pillar, arms crossed. I make my way over to him through a sea of gyrating bodies, never breaking away from his stare.
“If you’re going to watch me that intently, you might as well join me,” I reach out a hand.
He doesn’t move. “No thanks.”
“Why not?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“Don’t want to.”
“Okay, then.” His quizzical gaze travels up and down my body. “Please, carry on with your reconnaissance as I dance the night away. I’m a very big threat indeed.”
“With those moves, I’d say so.”
