Page 3 of The Endless Dance

“Sol is the Lord of Summer. He is also my second. He didn’t Hunt this year. The best option for your friend is to submit to Lord Sol. It is going to be difficult enough to convince the other Lords to allow his sudden partaking in the Hunt. It will be more so if you fight it.” He turns his fierce glare to Akari, who practically pees herself on the spot. “Besides, you’ll get to be neighbours this way.”

“Neighbours?” I ask. “I meant it when I said I’m not going anywhere without her.”

I fold my arms across my chest and cock a hip. I doubt the High Lord has ever met such disobedience.

“You don’t have a say, Little Bird. Now, say your goodbyes. We are going.”

Akari immediately engulfs me in her small embrace. I wrap my arms around her in turn.

“Delta,” she whispers. “I’m scared.”

“I know, Akari,” I hum. “It’ll be ok. You heard those assholes. We’ll be neighbours. We can see each other as much as we want. Besides,” I glance at Sol, “I think he might be a good one.”

Akari nods, and I swipe at the tears running down her filthy cheeks.

I turn to Lord Sol and point a stern finger at his chest. “If I find out you’ve laid a single fucking finger on her—”

He grins, showing off his lengthy canines. “Your little friend is safe with me.” He cocks his head at the High Lord. “I can tell why you like this one, Draekoh.”

My eyes thin at the casual use of Lord Draekoh’s first name. Perhaps they were closer than Lord and High Lord. Maybe they were friends.

Draekoh scoffs. “Keep your thoughts to yourself, Sol.”

He stalks past Sol and reaches for me. I turn and cast an urgent look at Akari.

“I’ll see you soon, ok?”

Not for the first time, I hope I can keep my promise.

As the High Lord’s hand wraps around my wrist and the world begins to shrink and expand all at once, a tiny golden sparkle catches my eye. Pixel. I lift my free hand in goodbye, but I don’t know if she sees it before we disappear.

Chapter Two

“Oof!”

I land heavily on the ground.

I blink at the dancing lights around me and take in my surroundings. I’m in a tent. It’s much smaller than what they kept the Chosen in the previous few nights, but more spacious and homier. I get to my feet and look around.

A king-sized bed takes up the far wall. It’s made with heavy blankets, furs, and dozens of pillows, which were obviously just for display because no one needed that many. Not even a High Lord of fae.

I turn and find an enormous bathtub filled with deliciously steaming water. Gods damn, it looked good. My muscles, already aching, twinged longingly. Not to mention, I was also caked head to toe in mud.

Turning some more, I find a desk strewn with paperwork. Lord Draekoh leans casually against it, eyeing me with blank features. I can’t help but wonder exactly what he is thinking about.

“No rest for the wicked?” I ask him, nodding towards the pages.

Draekoh’s lips quirk. “Get in the bath,” he demands, completely ignoring my question. “You fucking reek.”

I cock a hip and roll my eyes. “Yeah, well, you would too if you’d been trying to hide your scent from horrible beasts.” I raise my nose, insinuating that the beast in question was him.

“Is that what you were trying to do?” he snorts and walks forward. His steps are long and quick, and before I know it, he is so close I have to tilt my head back so I can keep my eyes locked on his. “You could never hide from me, Little Bird. I will always find you. No matter what.”

I swallow thickly at his words, my throat suddenly dry. My mind whirls for a suitable retaliation, but I come up blank. Instead, I croak a weak “Delta.”

The fae tilts his head.

“That’s my name,” I say, clearing my throat. “Delta. Not Little Bird.”