Daughter of Winter

Chapter 27

He glanced at me as I approached and took a seat beside him. More fae had joined the party and volume had been increasing for some time. I had to raise my voice to be able to be heard.

"What makes a handsome man like you sit alone during a ball?" I asked, hoping that it didn't sound as awkward as it felt. He shrugged.

"I've had a lot going on the past few days." I could barely understand him, but his voice was familiar. I must have heard him speak during a meeting. "I'd prefer to sit over here, where it's a bit quieter."

"We could go back to my room," I said, instantly starting to blush. "It's a lot quieter there."

"That's certainly a possibility." I didn't know if that response was a good thing or a bad thing. I tried to relax and think of something else to say.

I looked up at the ceiling - a mosaic of art pieces denoting the creation of the world. In the center of the room, above all, was the Cauldron. From it, a massive ball of faelight hung.

"This place really is beautiful," I said, gesturing upwards.

"Is this your first time coming to The Gathering?" he asked.

"It's only my second time," I lied.

"I've lost count of how many times I've come. Hundreds, probably. At some point it gets...old."

"What do you mean?" He placed his hands on the table. On his left thumb he wore a single black ring. My heart dropped.

He shrugged and said, "I don't know." Could anyone be more confusing and difficult to talk to?

"Alright, well, it was nice talking to you. I'll be around if you want to dance," I said, standing up and briskly walking away. I glanced behind me in time to see him shrug.

Along the edges of the dancing groups, I noticed a Summer Court Fae. She had freckles and hair like gold. She was the one who'd waved at me the other day. We met eyes, but she certainly did not recognize me.

She turned her head away and toward the wall, standing rigidly. She seemed out of place somehow. I walked up to her and said hello.

"Sorry, I'm not very interested in conversation with Winter Court Fae," she said, avoiding looking at me and clasping her hands together. I looked side to side briefly before leaning in to say,

"I'm not from the Winter Court." I winked. She furrowed her brow before realization dawned on her face.

"Oh, I remember you." She glanced at my covered ears.

"It's best if you don't ask," I replied, doing my best to sound mysterious. She shrugged and moved closer to me.

"I wasn't going to."

"Would you like to dance?" I asked. I saw her fiddle with something in her hands before she replied.

"I would love to, but in somewhere more private." I didn't think to question her choice.

She took my hand and led me over to a darker, more populated corner of the masquerade. There, we would blend in better.

She danced close and smooth, her body always in contact with mine. She was always the guiding force, showing me how and where to move. I wondered what she saw in me, what made me stand out from all of the other, more beautiful fae, around us.

At one moment in the song, she slowed her movement to a stop. I echoed her. She placed her hands on my waist and started to lean in. I could feel my heart start to beat faster and my stomach flutter. I pulled her closer and met her in the middle.