Page 30 of Null & Void

Riley makes a joke about having to carry some spices and herbs, asking if I’m going to help carry some of the random junk he brought with him. Beans clips him upside the head as if he were a naughty teenager and not a 31-rev-old prince.

“I wouldn’t worry yet, there are still too many trees in this part of Erdu to worry too much about windstorms. Best to be prepared though,” Beans says.

I’m not reassured.

While not as dense as Nemoris, Erdu still has many trees in the south. As we travel, cracks in the earth and small cliffs begin to appear. The further north we go, the hotter it gets. Standalone mud huts are expertly built around trees for maximum safety against windstorms. Erduborn peer at us from behind curtains as we make our way through tiny towns.

We didn’t linger at Erdu Teorann after crossing the waters so early in the morning. Our first night was similar to our time in Nemoris, though we were far more alert during watch. A week after entering Erdu, we finally started to get a feel for the country. The days are hot, and the wind only makes them feel hotter as fine dirt sticks to our sweat.

Jundamara will be our first stay in a bed and breakfast type accommodation. It’s an enormous canyon town that was once a riverbed, now mostly dry with pockets of water that remind me of Sadori oases. Jundamara itself is built along the dry parts of the riverbed snaking through the canyon.

The B&B doesn’t have a tavern, though it does offer a breakfast basket. For dinner, we wind our way along the pebbled pathways to a surprisingly large smokehouse. Music can be heard long before we see our destination, and the smell of smoked meat makes me salivate.

Inside, we’re greeted as if we’re old friends and shown to a booth not far from the group of musicians. The place is busy and bustling with so many people and so much laughter. Our server assures us that the best way to enjoy their food is to let them bring out plates of it, and we share until we’ve had our fill. So, that is exactly what we do. We receive a complimentary beer from the owner, and I take a sip to be polite.

The food comes out on various plates, piled high with various meats atop leafy vegetables. The server explains what each meat is smoked with and how, but I am more interested in watching the musicians. A man and a woman are singing together, and I am riveted.

“They are mesmerizing,” Tovi whispers loudly near my ear, watching the musicians with the same fascination I am.

“I wish I could sing or play an instrument,” I say back.

Tovi grins and nods, not taking her eyes off them.

The music changes to something more upbeat, and people start dancing in the center. I lean back to Tovi, who is still watching the singers. “Do you want to dance?” I ask eagerly.

Tovi looks at me like she forgot I was sitting there. “No. I don’t…don’t dance. But thank you,” she stammers, looking awkward.

“Well, that’s bullshit!” Riley yells, laughing at Tovi. “You don’t dance well, but you do dance.”

Wondering if I overstepped the boundaries of our precarious relationship, I let it go. I look over at Bitty across from me and mouth the same offer to dance to them. Their violet eyes light up and I receive an enthusiastic nod as they push Beans out of the way so they can get up.

I take another sip of my now warm beer, offering the rest to Beans, then join Bitty. Something about music and dancing frees me to pretend I am a normal person who can find joy in simple pleasures. We dance and jump around to the beat, laughing at each other and our ridiculous moves.

The musicians slow their tempo down. I lift my hands together in the air as I sway, closing my eyes. I’m twirling my hands when a familiar fluttering begins in my chest. I open my eyes, expecting danger.

There is no danger. However, Riley has joined Bitty and I on the dance floor. He would look large and ridiculous dancing somewhere else, but in Erdu where everyone is giant, it’s Bitty and I who look ridiculous. Riley looks at home, despite the dark blood-red hair, pale skin, and green eyes.

Heat slams into my chest the moment Riley catches me watching him as I dance. He holds my stare, a slight smile curling at his lips. I am the first to look away of course, surprised at myself for looking him in the eye for as long as I did. The heat travels down and settles between my legs.

He’s dancing with Bitty, twirling them around gently as they laugh and make Riley twirl instead. But his eyes are on me, burning every inch of my skin. He’s studying me. Like I’m a creature he’s never seen before. I close my eyes again. Swaying with my arms in the air, I slide one hand along my arm to find my skin prickled.

“I’m going to go finish my beer!” Bitty announces, leaving me alone with Riley. Alone—with a bunch of other folk also dancing. Still, I find it hard to breathe.

The music changes to a lively jig and Riley grabs my hand and spins me. I can barely stay on my feet as he skips around, flinging me in and out, catching me with his other hand and twirling me with no effort.

The song finishes, and Riley gives me one last twirl and pulls me in, ending with him hugging me from behind as we catch our breath. He holds me and I can’t help but laugh, overwhelmed by how utterly ridiculous that was.

“You were throwing me around like a doll,” I laugh as a new song begins. “I had no idea what to do. I didn’t know you could dance like that!” I yell over the music to Riley.

“There are many things you have yet to learn about me, Firecat,” he whispers in my ear, before turning me in his arms. The song is slower; Riley matches the music perfectly with his movements. Of course he knows how to dance, he’s a fucking prince.

Again, he’s watching me, but I stare back as intently. I make note of every freckle on his face, deciding my favorite are the three clustered above his lip on the right side. He’s tucked his hair behind his ears, and it shows off his perfectly sharp jawline and proud chin. He’s attractive. Fuck. I’m attracted to this dickhead.

I didn’t realize I had leaned in so close, my hand resting on his chest.

He reaches up and covers my hand with his own, leaning down so I can hear his quieted voice. “I like looking at your face too.”

Riley gives me a twirl, then winks at me and walks back to the table.

---