Someone stepped between us and I looked up to see the smiling face of my father. Offering me his arm, he spoke, “Then I should be the one to take you in. We can have the first dance together.”
“I’d be delighted,” I drawled before looping my arm through his. As we walked towards the doors, I winked over my shoulder at Lucien.
“Make sure to pick your jaw up from the ground before entering, Lucien.” Isadora laughed as she followed in behind us.
The inside was a normal sight for me by now. The columns always had ivy wrapped around them with flowers I’m sure were native to Shadowhaven while more ivy flowed up towards the chandelier. More flowers hung from the ceiling until it looked more like a tropical oasis rather than a mayor’s home.
A water feature had even been placed in each corner of the room, adding to the tropical retreat they were aiming for every year.
“It’s like we’re home,” Lucien sighed happily. “If your father is to have your first dance, may I have the next?”
“Depends on when he releases me,” I responded as we all headed towards the dancefloor. My father pulled me into a dance while Isadora and Lucien danced together. The tempo was slow, but felt more like a waltz than a high school slow dance.
Taffy was there with her mom, Dorian was there as well with Lance glowering in a corner. When our eyes met, he turned on his heel and left. Dances were never his thing, but he came. Was it just to brood off the dancefloor? He was probably looking for the killer since everyone would be here.
“Penny for your thoughts?” my dad asked as we continued into another song. Exhaling softly, I gestured in the direction Lance had retreated from. “Lance is a big boy. I’m sure he will get over a broken heart. He seemed to be over it when he was hurting my daughter.”
“I handled it fairly well,” I shrugged. “He gave me pointers on how to wield my powers before he went crazy. It was easier than I had thought.”
Something twisted my dad’s face, almost like disgust as he heard me talking about using magic. As quickly as it had happened, it disappeared. He stepped out from our dance and, saying nothing at all, left me there to head towards the back patio. Before I could comprehend what happened, Lucien pulled me into a dance. His movements were elegant while mine were wobbly since I only knew a few dances.
His amber eyes softened as he saw my confusion. “Don’t worry about it. He was hoping to keep his word to your mother about keeping you from Shadowhaven.”
I stared at where my father had disappeared, Lucien’s words not bringing comfort. Why was there such a disgusted look from him? The image of it replayed in my mind, increasing my depleting mood. Lucien seemed to notice and proceeded to spin me outward before spinning me back to his chest where he dipped me. The movement was quick, but remained within the tempo of the music.
“What was that for?”
“Another perk of being mates,” he answered while bringing me to a standing position. “The males can always sense the female’s emotions. It also helps that you can’t hide your emotions very well. Relax, Mel. Breathe and focus on now.”
I tried. I really tried. However, my heart still hurt from what transpired and I needed to ask my dad about it.
Isadora swept me into the next dance, her hand gently placed on my waist as she waltzed around the other dancers. Her style was different compared to her brother. She was slow and graceful while he preferred intense and fast. She handled me with style and grace that only Isadora could manage to pull off. When the dance was over, she stopped near the entrance.
“Go do what you need to,” she urged me. “I’ll entertain my brother in your stead. Shouldn’t be hard since he’s taken aninterest in the townies. He’s stumped about who your killer is and believes with his charm he can unveil them.”
“Thank you,” I said before taking her advice and heading outside to my truck. With my mind set, I headed home. I pulled out my phone to dial my dad’s number, but it went straight to voicemail.
With what happened and a killer on the loose, I was growing more and more nervous. My first stop sign came and as I tried to press the brake, nothing happened. The car only increased in speed as I flew past the stop sign. Moving the steering wheel did nothing as the steering suddenly became obsolete. My eyes searched for the emergency brake, but as I stared down at the missing handle, I realized what was happening. Rolling down my windows, I spotted a lake in front of me.
Before I could remove my seat belt, the truck made impact with the white picket fence that served as a barricade. Within the next second, I was thrown against the steering wheel as the truck dove into the water. Cold water began to fill the cabin from the windows, sinking the truck further. I struggled to remain calm and tried to unbuckle the seat belt, but it was jammed.
My lungs began to burn from the lack of air, notifying me that I had limited time before I lost consciousness or took a breath of water.
I grabbed my knife from my middle console, not caring as the other items from inside began floating inside the cabin. Wasting no time, I cut through the seat belt and pulled myself through the opening of the window. With my lungs working against me, dark spots began taking over my vision. My hand reached up to the surface, desperate for air and safety. Taking an involuntary breath of water, I began choking and only managed to fill myself with more water.
Was I going to die?
No. I can’t die, not yet.
I haven’t had enough time with Lucien. I haven’t gotten to see Shadowhaven with Isa or the twins. I haven’t lived a full life yet. I pushed myself beyond the limit as I started blindly swimming towards the surface and as I felt the water grow warmer, I finally burst into fresh air. Coughing up water, my vision returned and I started to swim to shore.
“Melinda,” I heard Isadora shout before arms wrapped around me from behind. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but I found I was in no danger when the familiar outline of a jeweled cross pressed into my back.
“I thought I lost you,” Lucien said against my skin. His lips pressed kisses where they could while his arms held me tighter. The kisses were not passionate or knee weakening, they felt as though it was a way of him ensuring that I was indeed alive in his arms. “What happened?”
“My brakes stopped working,” I answered without much emotion. The shock of what had happened was still settling while he held me. His hands rubbed my arms, trying to keep me warm in the cooler water.
“Melinda Hardgrave,” another voice called out and I looked up to find Dorian there with another policeman. “Bring a medic! She’s alive!”
