He led her away and Kaela looked back at me with a face like thunder, miming something as they walked toward the music. I couldn’t quite tell if it was ‘thank you’ or ‘I’m going to kill you’, but either way I waved lightly after her and chuckled.
“Quite the attention seeker, aren’t you?” said the man beside me.
“Only when the attention I seek is for another’s benefit,” I said without turning to him. “Moments like that are as rare as a Blood Moon, however. I much prefer to blend into the background.”
“That must be quite difficult for you to achieve tonight since beautiful women always stand out from a crowd,” he started. “From what I saw, many eyes have been set upon you since the moment you walked in the room.” His voice was barely a whisper as he leaned closer.
I flicked my eyes up at him, a flush of heat rising in my cheeks. As with Ethan, the first thing I noticed about him was his eyes. Under the navy-blue mask he wore his eyes were the richest blue I’d ever seen, like lapis. I turned to face him and looked at them closer, noting that toward the centre his irises were ringed with a striking, deep shade of lilac.
“You have very unusual eyes, sir,” I said. “They’re terribly pretty though.”
He waited a moment before replying, “My name’s Ric, if you’re interested in knowing it.”
“I can’t see why people wouldn’t be interested in knowing your name. Do you have a surname?”
“Not one that I can remember.” His smile was etched with a sort of sadness. “Please, skip past the formalities and call me Ric. Where I come from we call each other by the names given to us, not by those we inherited.”
“And where is this barbaric place?” I joked.
He smirked, “Quite far away I’m afraid. I can’t say I’ve gotten used to your customs yet. I think I’ve insulted almost everyone I’ve come across.”
“You just have to choose the right person to talk to.”
“Oh? And where do you stand?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” I fiddled with a loose thread in my dress. “You’re not doing too badly so far, but then again, I am different from the others in town.”
“How so?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you, even if you are a foreigner.”
“Will you give me a hint if I get you another drink?”
“It depends how delicious the drink is.”
Ric left quickly and returned after a few minutes, a glass in hand. The liquid inside was clear and sparkling.
“I have it on good authority that champagne is quite delicious,” he said, handing me a glass. The bottom fizzed and bubbled and the sparkles tickled my nose as I took a sip.
“I accept your offering.” I nodded my head and took another sip as Ric smiled.
“I believe you owe me a hint,” he started, “if I’ve pleased you, milady.” He mocked a deep bow.
“Yes, as you’ve kept your word I suppose I’ll have to keep mine.” I dabbed sweat from the back of my neck as I thought. “I walk this world as both the sun and the moon. People know me as each and both my brother and I share the same name.”
Ric waited for me to continue. “Is that it?” he asked.
“You said you wanted a hint.”
“You gave me a riddle.” He emptied his glass and placed it on the table. “I’m terrible at riddles.”
“Looks like I won’t have to worry about you blurting out my secret.” I flashed him a devious smile and finished my drink as well. He sighed and furrowed his brow, tapping on his chin as he thought. Music floated in from the opposite ballroom and pulled me toward its upbeat melody. “While you try to decipher it, shall we have a look at the other festivities?” I added quickly, “Unless you have a lady waiting for you, of course.”
“Even if I had a lady waiting I’d be honoured to escort you,” Ric said, extending his arm.
I had danced before but not for a long time. I used to dance on Father’s feet as he twirled us around the sitting room. My gaze dropped to the gentleman’s feet. His shoes were far too expensive to dance on. “I’ll warn you ahead of time, however, if you insist on dancing I hope you aren’t too attached to your feet.”
“We’re joined at the ankle but I’m sure they’ll forgive me.” Ric placed his hand over mine as I took his arm and we walked toward the beautiful music.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE MAIN BALLROOM was incredible. Several crystal chandeliers hung from grand, illustrated ceilings while all around the room’s perimeter, long pieces of silk hung in greens and pinks and yellows. There were decorated tables situated here and there along the border of the dance floor and a large band played on a stage against the far wall. Suddenly the sight was overwhelming. Images of couples dancing simultaneously flooded my vision and the sounds of laughter and chatter swam in my ears. My life had always been small: small at the farm; small at the market; small with the amount of people I kept dear to me.
“Would you like to dance?” I forced down a cry of surprise as Ric spoke next to me. For a moment I’d forgotten he was even there.
“I can try,” I said, suddenly nervous.
He smiled, held out his hand, and I took it without question, letting him lead me onto the floor for the next song. In the sea of white around us, his copper skin stood out like blood on fresh snow. Whether it was a hue from birth or gained from a laborious life like mine, I couldn’t tell from a first glance. Past his reserved exterior I thought I saw something else in him: something secret and unusual. Easily a head taller than most men in the room with a good, strong form, he’d attracted no other woman’s attention. Even with half his face hidden I could tell he was attractive. He had the same air about him as Ethan in that sense. It was shameful, especially considering the ending of our last encounter, but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he wasn’t here.
Instead I turned back to Ric and focussed on enjoying my first, and most likely final, evening of rebellion. His hands were large and rough as one slipped around my waist and the other picked up my free hand. When I leaned into him he smelt damp like dew-soaked grass after a spring shower. Quite fitting for welcoming the new season this night, I thought. I quickly lifted my other hand to place it on his shoulder.
“This is right, isn’t it?” I asked.
His hands tightened, pulling me closer as the previous rhythm finished. “Perfect,” he said, flashing a daring smile at me and I looked away, embarrassed by our closeness.
Before the first note struck I caught sight of Kaela who waved to me and readied herself for the dance ahead of us. This sort of thing was as easy as breathing for her. She’d been taught every dance in tradition since an early age. I just waited and thanked the Daeus that I could conceal my day boots underneath my dress – at least there was one thing I was comfortable with that evening. The first beat struck. It was a slow, beautiful tune that complemented the majesty of the environment and without another word, Ric led me in the first of many dances.