The Painter's Apprentice

Chapter 28

Morel's lips press to mine and I gasp in shock. When my mouth opens, he wraps his arms around my shoulders and kisses me deeper. I kiss him back, but I can't seem to wrap my mind around this moment. I try to silence my racing thoughts and focus on the kiss, but it only makes me feel more awkward.

I pull away and give Morel a little smile when he looks at me with concern. The girl I was would have delighted in this moment. She dreamed of it. Now I have everything I ever wanted from Morel and it feels... wrong.

Someone clears their throat behind me and Morel removes his arms from my shoulders.

I turn and my stomach drops when I see Destan standing in the gallery. His face is unreadable as he watches us. I jump away from Morel and Destan extends a hand to me, palm open and waiting. My cheeks burn when I wonder what he must think of me. Does he think I'm still in love with Morel?

"Come dance with me?" he asks, his voice low and his eyes fixed on me.

I take his hand readily, thankful for the chance to escape. I have no idea what to say to Morel after he sprung that kiss on me. "Of course," I reply.

Destan escorts me back towards the ballroom and I glance back at Morel who wears disappointment on his features. His shoulders slump forward and he runs a tired hand over his face.

We turn a corner and rejoin the crush in the ballroom where Fae scurry about, finding partners for the next dance.

My stomach is in knots as I try to find the words to break the silence between Destan and I. We make our way to the center of the dance floor and he places a hand on my waist while he still holds my hand in his.

The orchestra mutters the first stirrings of the song and Destan's eyes rove over my hair, my face, and down to my dress. "You look beautiful," he says as a soft smile turns up the corners of his mouth. The gentleness in his voice, in his eyes, is not what I expected after what he just witnessed. It's a welcome sight from the man who spends so much of his time frowning at me. "I'm surprised you chose a dress so... daring."

The music begins and tugs at my free hand. As if it has a mind of its own, my arm raises with a ballerina's grace and I settle my hand on Destan's shoulder. A soulful melody fills the air and the feeling of yearning fills my chest as we begin to sway back and forth.

"It wasn't my choice of dress. Morel picked it out for me."

Destan's smile widens. "Ah... now I see."

My heart stumbles with an icy panic when I wonder what he must think of me for putting on this gown. "I didn't wear it for him," I cry defensively as the music guides us into more intricate steps. I don't even trip when Destan twirls me under his arm.

He pulls me in and his hand finds the bare skin of my back. With a gentle tug, he holds me pressed tight against his chest so there is no space left between us.

"That kiss—" I whisper. "It didn't mean anything."

"I'm not sure it didn't mean anything. I was there. I saw it," he says playfully as his hand slides down my spine.

"I swear—"

"There was definitely something to what I saw." His brows flick towards his hairline.

"You're not... jealous?" I ask, disappointment creeping sickly into my chest.

Without warning, the music crescendos and we take off into a whirlwind of dancers, spinning and twirling and weaving through the other couples. My feet know each step before I do and every time I think I may fall, Destan is there to catch me. He takes me by my hips and pulls me in, my back against his chest, my hips flush with his. As the music reaches a lull, we sway together. He brings his lips down to my ear. "Do you want me to be jealous?"