Charlotte After Dark

Chapter 19: Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

The days that passed were difficult, even after sleeping on the biggest discovery of my short life. I spent most of my time back in the library, alone with my thoughts and my research. I wasn't really sure what I answers I was looking for, but I knew if I searched long enough I would find them. Cormac left me alone for the most part, after his first few attempts to rouse me from my obsession were unsuccessful. I hadn't eaten in days, but it didn't seem to affect me much. I grew a little weaker by the day but as long as I was still able to lift the heavy volumes from the top shelves I didn't mind.

One night, while perusing another volume of Encyclopedia Praecantatio and reading an entry on early discoveries of warlock Ursus Gravenor, I heard the sound of music coming from somewhere within in the penthouse. I hadn't heard more than the dull, monotonous tone of the news echo through the apartment since I arrived what felt like eons ago, so I went to investigate. I threw on an over-sized sweater that I had draped over the side of the sofa as I tiptoed through the apartment, following the sound of music.

Cormac was dancing with Audra around the back room with an ancient record player belting out old tunes. They didn't notice me as I watched them dance on and on, doing a couple moves I could never imagine doing myself. Cormac spun Audra around and when the song finished, I clapped and smiled for the first time in days.

"A smile? That must have hurt," Cormac said, surprised that I was there.

Audra wafted over to me, and grabbed my hand and led me to the middle of the floor. She placed my hand in his without a word and smiled.

"It's your turn," she said. "Dancing makes the sorrow pass more easily."

"I'm not a very good dancer," I admitted, grasping onto his fingers.

Audra blew off my remark with her hands, heading over to the record player to change the record. "I have business to attend to anyway. In the opposite side of the apartment," she replied.

"Audra always wants to lead. It will be nice to have someone who isn't such a bossy partner," Cormac said as he lifted my hand up with his and placed his other hand on the small of my back.

"She's a good dancer," I noted.

"You should see her csardas dancing," he replied.

Being this close to him made me feel better than I had in days and I felt my skin prickle more the longer he held me. The music started slowly at first, the music so quiet it was almost hard for me to hear. The record was old and the music raspy as it continued, but I wasn't paying much attention to the music as I let him lead me around the empty room.

I felt rigid as he grabbed me tighter when the beat became faster and I stepped on his toes on more than one occasion.

"Have you never danced before?" He joked.

"I took ballet once when I was five," I said, stepping on his foot by accident. "It didn't go well."

"Let me guess why you quit," he responded.

I looked up at him, rolling my eyes. I was an athlete when I had been human, but dancing still was never my forte. My sister was always the better dancer. He pulled me even closer to him, and I couldn't resist the urge to lay my head on his chest, closing my eyes as I listened to the music. The entire room could be engulfed in flames, and I wouldn't have noticed in the slightest.

"Tell me about witches and warlocks," I said, changing the subject.

"Now, why would you want to know anything about that," he asked.

"Well, my dad was one. I would like to know what I came from," I responded.

"To be truthful, your father is what we call Trueborn and you were a demimagus," he explained. "They're two entirely different worlds."