Dance with the Devil

Chapter Twelve

   My heart faltered in my chest. I knew I should run, that I was in far deeper then I could ever manage to find myself out of alone.

   But I didn’t want to run.

   God but it had finally happened. I had fallen under a vampire’s spell.

   Perhaps I wasn’t the skilled Hunter I had thought myself to be. Everything that had transpired tonight, everything that led me here, to this point, to be in the arms of a vampire, was everything I knew never to do. I had broken every rule and in doing so had not only put myself but my brothers in danger as well.

   I had been distracted by a carefully planned ruse. And in doing so I underestimated my prey’s ability to deceive me, thinking I was infallible. I let my heart guide me into dangerous situations rather than using my instincts. Instincts that had I given them the chance would have showed me just how coincidental all events were tonight. I wavered from my carefully laid plans, plans that would have guaranteed me success had I just followed through. And I went in alone. Had another been with me, most especially Luke, then there was no way I would have ended up here.

   I swallowed deeply, “you’re going to kill me now aren’t you? Now that I truly know who you are.”

   “No,” the vampire nodded over my head, acknowledging someone’s unvoiced question behind me, “right now I plan to dance with you.”

   Was he mad? What made him think, knowing now who he was, that I wouldn’t take the first opportunity to do away with him? He just admitted that he knew I was capable of doing the job, yet he only wished a dance?

   I could only stare dumfounded as he led us back to the center of the dance floor, several other couples taking their places around us as the musicians began their gentle tune. Slowly they played as we once again took our stances, but this time he held me tightly to him, molded our bodies together in a way that was hardly decent. I looked up to him in question as we began moving simply enough, but his only response was to smile and to jut his chin out, gesturing for me to look at the other dancers. Their carriage was indeed a mirror of ours.

   He leaned in before I could right my head, whispering in my ear, “Hold on.”

   Before I could look back to him a primitive drumming called for the tempo to pick up, its cadence more dramatic than any other tune played in this hall tonight. I did as I was told, having no other choice as he began to twirl us briskly, our spinning bodies weaving in and out with the other couples around us.

   I worried my lip for a moment. I did not know this dance and was afraid that any misstep of my own would lead to a collision of bodies. And with our momentum it would surely lead to injury.

   I knew it was an unfounded fear though, because this vampire led me through the dance with expert skill, never once letting me stumble.

   Abruptly the music waned, the vampire unraveling his arm from around my waist to hold me out beside him. Before I had the chance to wonder what came next another man grabbed my own extended hand, pulling me to him with a bow before taking a more proper stance. For just a step, just one spin he danced with me before passing me off to another in the same manner the vampire had. Over and over again the movement was repeated, each man and woman trading partners for just a step before moving on to the next. I was growing dizzy trying to keep eyes on the vampire as I was spun from man to man, but as the music began its upsurge I realized I was making my way back to my vampire.

   No, I chided myself. I could not think of such a thing, he was not my vampire.

   But when I found his arms again I felt in control once more, no longer lost to the dance.