Natalie? As in her best friend’s name? It must have just been a coincidence. Natalie was a popular enough name. Scarlett’s gaze snapped to the top of the stairs. There, her best friend stood, arms linked with Raith’s. She wore a crimson, floor length gown with an opaque lace neckline. Natalie’s eyes doubled when she saw Scarlett. Her foot slipped on the stair and she tilted to the left. Raith’s hand quickly moved to her waist and kept her close.
When they reached the bottom stair, Raith looked at Kassandra and the king. Scarlett swore she could feel anger radiating off Kassandra when she took in Natalie, but her expression didn’t give any feeling away. Natalie kept her jaw clamped shut, her eyes wide with fear. Even her human instincts must sense the distaste pouring off of Kassandra.
“Let the dance begin,” the fae at the top of the staircase said.
The crowd drifted to the outside of the room, creating an opening in the middle. Cade guided Scarlett inside and spun her to face him. He bowed. Scarlett wasn’t sure what to do, so she curtsied. He nodded in approval. Then he pulled her close and they danced.
Piano music bounced through the room, but Scarlett didn’t see a piano. The desire to play consumed her. How long had it been now? Too long. The song was a waltz. Scarlett’s shoulders swayed to every third beat. With closed eyes, she envisioned her hands moving across keys to Chopin’s Waltz in B Minor, her mother’s favorite. Its sad melody sang in her head, blocking out the noise around her. A memory surfaced.
“Why do you always like the sad songs?” Scarlett asked her mom.
“There’s a beauty to sadness,” her mom replied.
Scarlett’s fingers played Fur Elise. “And this isn’t beautiful?”
“In its own way. But so overplayed.” Her mom grinned. It had been a good week so far. No complaints as Scarlett watched her take her pill every morning, and, more importantly, no voices.
Scarlett jerked herself from the memory and tore her eyes open. She couldn’t deal with her grief right then, not there in front of all those people.
Cade led Scarlett across the dance floor as Raith did the same with Natalie. Scarlett tried to keep her gaze on Cade, but she couldn’t stop an occasional glance to her best friend. Why was she here? It couldn’t possibly be a coincidence that Raith needed to bring a human to the ball and he chose Natalie. Had Cade told him about her? Scarlett doubted so. Any time she saw Raith and Cade converse, a smoke trail of animosity radiated from both of them. She doubted Raith would go to Cade for anything, especially not which human to select.
The crowd watched the two couples dance. When the first song was over, they stopped. Scarlett wondered if the crowd would join now, but no one moved. Cade’s expression tightened, then Scarlett felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Hello, love,” Raith purred. “Dance with me?”
Scarlett glared at him.
“Now, now.” Raith slipped his hand around Scarlett’s lower back. “Tradition is tradition.”
Cade’s eyes met Scarlett’s. “We switch partners for one dance. Then you’re mine again.”
There it was again, the possessiveness. Raith pulled Scarlett away before she could respond.
“I’m a much better dancer than my brother. You should be thanking me.” Raith grinned as he twirled her.
“Why her?” Scarlett asked.
“Your friend, Natalie? I thought you’d be grateful. A friend in such a strange place should be a comfort.”
“This world is dangerous. She shouldn’t be here.”
“Ahh, but you’re here.”
“That’s different.”
Raith’s hand moved lower, grazing just above Scarlett’s butt. He pulled her closer. “You’re not the only one trying to escape demons.”
Did he mean that Natalie was running from something, too? She was one of the happiest people Scarlett knew. The eternal optimist, the burst of sun on a gray-skied day.
“What do you mean?”
Raith’s gaze met Scarlett’s. “That’s not my secret to tell. Just know she came here willingly.”
Scarlett glanced at her best friend. She’d been so preoccupied with her own problems, when was the last time she asked Natalie how things were going? Scarlett would have noticed if something was wrong, though. Maybe. Or had she been too busy?
“After the ball, take her home,” Scarlett said. “Please.”
“Such polite manners. I bet those big blue eyes work wonders on the human boys at home.”
“Quit patronizing me.” Scarlett’s eyebrows tightened. “I should have known you were just trying to be an ass.”
Raith removed his hand from Scarlett’s shoulder and placed it on his heart. “You wound me.” He moved his fingers up to Scarlett’s chin and lifted it so her eyes met his. “I didn’t say no. We could work out a bargain.”
Scarlett’s heart flickered. If there were a way to save Natalie, she’d do it. “What kind of a bargain?”
“A fae bargain.” Raith smirked. “If you haven’t been warned, you should never make a bargain lightly.”
“Why would you tell me that if it’s you I’m bargaining with?”
Raith shrugged. “I’m in a good mood.”
The song ended and Cade, arm linked with Natalie, headed toward them.
“Meet me here at three in the morning, and we’ll sort out the terms,” Raith said.
“You can’t hurt her in the meantime. Or take advantage.” Scarlett would do what it took to keep Natalie from being sucked into this world, but she needed to know that she would be okay until she could make the bargain with Raith.
“After the ball is over, I will keep my hands to myself. But she has to finish her duties as my date.” Raith held out an empty hand. A pocket watch appeared in his palm. “Don’t be late or I’ll assume you’ve changed your mind.”
Scarlett took the watch and stuffed it into the side of her dress underneath the cover of her arm. Raith backed away from her with a wink. “Natalie, dear, another dance?”
Natalie looked nervously at Scarlett. She must not have known that Scarlett was here. What made her agree to come in the first place? Sure, Raith was attractive. If you liked the cocky type. Did Natalie come just to see another world? Had Raith told her he was a fae prince? Or was he telling the truth when he said Natalie was fighting some demon, and, like Cade did with Scarlett, Raith took away her pain?
Scarlett grinned at Natalie. She couldn’t find the right words to say, so she kept silent. But Natalie smiled back and Scarlett’s shoulders relaxed. Neither knew why the other was there, but they were still friends. And even though Scarlett was determined to get Natalie home safely, Raith was right. Having a familiar face in the unfamiliar world was nice.
With the second dance over, the crowd joined in. The ballroom filled with dancing pairs, twirling across the dance floor in coordination like the gears of a clock.
“Come with me,” Cade said. Scarlett followed him outside of the dancing, to the edge of the room. Plates of food and pitchers of wine filled the tables covered in cream-colored linens. “I have something to attend to. Help yourself to anything while I’m gone.”
He headed back through the crowd. Scarlett was alone. At first, she stood awkwardly next to the refreshment tables like a loner at prom. She watched the couples glide across the room, smiles on their faces. Almost everyone was dancing now, at least from what Scarlett could see. Except for a tall, brown haired fae in the corner of the room who watched Scarlett. He wore a maroon jacket similar to Cade’s. Scarlett had never seen him before. Why did he seem so interested in her? Probably because she was some lowly human here to please a prince. She turned back toward the refreshment table.
Her stomach grumbled. The fruit looked delicious. The strawberries’ bright red color made Scarlett’s mouth water.
“Fae food makes human food seem bland,” an unfamiliar male voice said from behind Scarlett. She didn’t see anyone approach her. How did he get so close without her noticing?
She turned to see a tall fae, with wavy, chin length navy hair peering at her with steel eyes. His suit was more modern than the other fae here—like some Armani model.
“I’ve eaten fae food before.”
“Then how are you resisting these delectable strawberries?” The fae took one from the silver platter and bit into it slowly, eyes locked with Scarlett’s.