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“You’re a good dancer,” she said.

He shrugged. “I’m the product of years of private school.”

Secretly, she thought back to when it was Dawson holding her in his arms at the council ball, and she cursed herself for remembering what his fingers along her spine had felt like.

Ella and Oliver danced near them with expectant eyes. Mira smiled back at them, hoping she was convincing. Ella was waiting for the old Mira. The one who could laugh out loud. The pressure on her felt like a heavy cloak. Was she smiling enough? Did she appear happy enough?

She tried to emulate other people’s smiles and watched the way women leaned against their dance partners, looking relaxed. She was stiff.

The room had grown too hot, and she hoped someone would open the door to let some of the cold evening air in. Her eyes locked on a button with a loose thread on Sebastian’s shirt. Sweat made her hair stick to the back of her neck. The mixture of sickly sweet perfume and heavy cologne around them made her nauseated.

Pull yourself together. She focused on the button and tried to breathe evenly.

Sebastian spun her and then her eyes collided with cold gray. A sudden jolt went through her body. Dawson stood with Evren at the back of the room. It wasn’t his usual angry stare that made her almost step on her date’s toes. For the first time this evening—maybe ever—someone else looked like she felt, like the life had been drained out of him, like too much had happened to make things okay again. She had never noticed it quite so distinctly. It felt like someone threw her a lifeline.

I’m not crazy for feeling this broken. It was everyone else around her who acted strangely. Dawson remained entirely still aside from his jaw muscles, which flexed under his pale skin.

It took another song before the gavisus potion finally kicked in, and when it did, Mira felt like she was floating on a cloud. She had forgotten how much fun dancing was! A weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Sebastian smiled at her, and suddenly she could return it with ease.

“One more,” she insisted when the song ended.

“Your wish is my command, milady.”

This time around, he pulled out all the stops. Air rushed through her curls as he twirled her. The silk of her dress brushed along the polished floor. He dipped her and she laughed, holding on to his arm as she was suspended in the air. She hadn’t had this much fun in years.

Why did she feel like she couldn’t connect with him before? He was truly perfect.

When the song ended, Oliver and Ella walked over and she wanted to hug her friend and tell her how much she loved her.

“Maybe I should have asked about your dancing skills before,” Oliver said to Sebastian. “You’re making me look bad.”

“No need to blame Sebastian,” Ella told him. “You simply have two left feet.”

“Hey!” Oliver protested in fake outrage.

Mira felt bubbly with excitement. Her face hurt from all the laughing. “I’ll get a drink. Want something?” she asked Sebastian.

“I can get it for you.”

“No, that’s fine.”

With a smile she strolled to the bar. What a beautiful night it was, and they had done such a wonderful job of decorating the ballroom. Fresh white flowers spilled out of vases on the side tables, filling the air with their delicate scent.

She asked for two glasses of Goldwine at the bar, hoping the night would never end, when she smelled spearmint and whiskey. She didn’t need to turn to know who stood behind her.

“Why are you not dancing?” she asked. When he didn’t answer, she turned around and was surprised by the harshness of his face. Had he always looked this sinister?

For a moment his eyes studied her closely. “I don’t dance.”

Dawson looked even more aristocratic than normal in his sharp tuxedo. Wasn’t he mad at her for something? Everything was a bit hazy.

Like a memory from a different life, she remembered what his lips against hers had felt like and the adrenaline that had rushed through her.

“You danced with me.”

Those silver eyes narrowed and he cocked his head to the side as if he was trying to solve a puzzle. His stare was hard. Unforgiving. “I did.”

Without further warning, he pulled her closer until she was pressed against his chest. Her hands braced against his biceps, creating a bit of distance between them.