“Amongst others.”
“Fine. But only because I don’t want to make an ass of myself.”
As we made our way back to our room, Hades sat at the same bar, and a woman sat next to him. She smiled, leaning her face near his. He didn’t move and shook his head. Something he said made the woman frown and storm off.
Well, at least he’s consistent.
He caught my gaze, and my feet glued to the concrete. His stare gripped my spine like a vise. He looked—defeated. The pastel colorings of his aura were fading away.
Sara snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Hey. None of that. Come on.”
I blinked myself back to reality.
We spent the better part of an hour going over the most basic moves for couples dancing. I sat on a couch in our room, staring off in the distance while Sara practiced.
“You know what?” Sara blew out a breath. “All I need to do is sway during the slow songs and shake my tailfeathers during the faster ones. I’m done.”
“Mmhmm,” I responded.
She dipped her face in mine. “Let me guess. Hades?”
After blowing my bangs away from my eyes, I said, “You should know I’m incapable of leaving well enough alone.”
“I know, sweetie.” She grabbed the curling iron and sat behind me, running her fingers through my hair. “You did all you could do.”
A small part of me hoped he’d inexplicably show up at the ball. The crowd would part, and he’d be standing there, beckoning me to dance with him.
Life isn’t a romance novel, Stephanie.
“All done. You ready to do this?” She held up a can of hairspray. “Close your eyes.” The air filled with mist and vapor, making me cough.
We slipped into our dresses. Thankfully mine was long enough; I could wear flats instead of heels. Function over beauty. Besides, I could barely walk three feet in a pair of heels without spraining my ankle. The atrium had been transformed into Mount Olympus itself. Tapestries and curtains in shades of white and gold were draped over tables and hung from ceilings. Several layers of fog skirted the floor, making the walkway a hovering cloud. An array of masks lay on a front table. I selected a lacey black one with several rows of beads that hung down over my cheeks.
“This looks like heaven,” Sara stammered, grabbing a white mask with points on the top like horns. She snatched two flutes of champagne from a passing tray.
“Tell me about it. The resort pulled out all the stops.”
There were several tables littered with finger foods, including a gelatin looking dish labeled as ambrosia. I was busy stuffing my mouth with cheese cubes when Guy walked up.
“What is this? Only one half of the dynamic duo?” Sarah asked.
Guy wore a grey suit with a dark blue necktie. “Keith got food poisoning. Been coming out of both ends since last night.”
Even though I knew it was highly unlikely he’d been poisoned from cheese, I spit it out in my napkin.
“That’s awful,” Sara said. “What a way to ruin a vacation.”
Guy nodded before giving an electric grin. “I still showed up. Specifically, to dance with you.”
“That’s sweet of you, but I can’t leave Steph by herself.”
I sputtered my champagne and shook my head. “By all means, go dance. Have fun. I’ve got this to keep me entertained.” I held up my glass.
“You sure?” She asked, her eyes brightening.
After finishing the contents of my glass, I plopped it on a passing tray and grabbed a full one. “Absolutely. Go.”
Guy took Sara’s hand, and they moved to the dance floor. I shuffled my way to a table in the corner, dragging my fingertips over the burnout velvet that made up the design on my bodice. It was the perfect dress. I flopped onto a chair, sipping my champagne, and kicking my feet to make the tulle of my skirt bounce.
Sara tripped too many times to count. He didn’t seem to mind, and they both kept laughing. It was a treasure to see her so carefree. Too many days, she spent physically chasing down bad guys and stepping around dead bodies. Seeing her spinning around in her purple gown, you’d have no clue she was a rough and gruff cop.
The song False Kings by Poets of the Fall blared over the loudspeakers. I closed my eyes, swaying to the rhythm and humming the melody. A chill washed over me, compelling me to open my eyes. A shadowed figure stood across the room, dressed in all black, dark blonde hair falling past his chin, face hidden by a simple black mask. Hades. Did I imagine it? I sniffed my champagne.
He appeared in front of me, his hand outstretched, the other draped over his back. “No one puts Stephanie in a corner.”
My jaw dropped. Did he quote one of my favorite movies? Sure, it was “nobody” not “no one,” but close enough. Furthermore, did he know it was my favorite?
“Are you going to sit there with your mouth open, or are you going to dance with me?” He still didn’t crack a smile, but his dark eyes peered down at me through the holes of his mask, almost twinkling.
I gulped and set the champagne on the table before slipping my hand into his. He led me to the dancefloor, capturing me with his stare. Once we reached the center, he tugged me to his chest, slipping an arm around my waist. A whoosh fluttered in my stomach.
“I didn’t think you’d show up. Especially after yesterday,” I said, unable to tear my eyes away from him.
He moved us around the dancefloor as if he’d practiced for a hundred years. “I’m sorry for being so brash with you.” His jaw tightened, and he lowered his voice. “It’s not one of my more admirable qualities.”
The anguish in his voice pulled at my heart. “Apology accepted.”
We continued to float across the floor, weaving through other couples.
“You’ve done this before,” I said, smiling.
“I reckon I’ve been to a few balls in my time, yes. They’re normally not so—” He paused, looking around with a grimace. “Bright.”
“How else would you see your dance partner?”
He kept my gaze. “You’d be surprised what can be accomplished by candlelight.”
Stomach Whoosh.
He pushed on my hip, spinning me outward, keeping his grip on my hand. “You really don’t believe I’m who I say I am, do you?” He twirled me back in, and I tripped on my dress, falling against him.
“Can you blame me? It’s a pretty outrageous claim.” I trailed my gaze from his chest up to his face, eyeing the light beard over his chin.
“Just remember when you reach that epiphany,” he dipped his face closer to mine. “I told you the truth from the very beginning.”
My eyes fluttered, lashes hitting the mask. He was serious, deadly serious.
He tightened his grip around my waist, my chest pressing into his ribs, and glided across the floor again. “That dress suits you.”
“Think so? Sara said cranberry is my color.”
“Funny. I would call that color more—” He dipped me, our eyes locking from behind the shields of our masks. “Pomegranate.”
My heart thumped against my chest. His face was so close to mine; I could feel his breath against my lips. He yanked me back to standing.
“I quite like pomegranates.” I gulped.