Page 101 of Draekora

Nearly choking on her mouthful at what sounded very much like an accusation outing her humanity, Alex raised panicked eyes to Roka. He caught her look and gave a slight but meaningful shake of his head.

“Or at least,” Kyia continued, not noticing the interplay between Alex and Roka, “you don’t know enough to pass as one of us when it comes to dancing.”

“Dancing?” Alex cried, equal parts relieved and apprehensive. “No one said anything about dancing.”

Deadpan, Kyia said, “What exactly do you think happens at a ball? That we all sit around playing Stix?”

“I vote we do that next time,” Astophe offered his opinion from the head of the table while reaching for a second helping of honey cake. “It sounds much more enjoyable.”

As Alex turned back to Kyia, her eyes flicked past Aven just in time to see a flare of annoyance blaze across his face. She understood the reason for his quickly concealed display of emotion, since she knew he’d been desperately trying to organise the end-of-summer celebration so that it was something everyone would enjoy. The knowledge that his father would prefer to sit in a corner and play a game rather than revel in the festivities can’t have been something Aven was thrilled to hear.

“These pastries won’t eat themselves, Aeylia,” Kyia said, drawing Alex’s attention away from Aven by placing another fruit scroll onto her plate. “You need to regain your energy, so dig in.”

Not needing to be told twice, Alex did as ordered, wondering how she might avoid the coming dance lessons and instead rest her tired eyes. But one look at Kyia, who was still piling more food in front of her, and Alex stopped brainstorming excuses, knowing that her evening was already planned whether she liked it or not.

After finishing their meals, the king and queen excused themselves, and Kyia took that as her cue to drag Alex from the table and through the palace until they reached a grandiose ballroom.

Staring in awe as she looked around the glass-domed space that was more like an observatory than a ballroom, Alex marvelled at the star-strewn sky and the glowing Myrox city easily seen beyond the transparent walls. There were at least three large balconies leading out into the open air, making themyraes-chandeliered room even more magical than it already was.

Craning her neck from side to side, Alex tried to take it all in, but her attention was seized when music began echoing around the space. The sound was classical yet upbeat, using a combination of woodwind and stringed instruments. Where it was coming from, Alex had no idea.

“There are a number of traditional Meyarin dances that you should have at least a basic knowledge of before the ball, so we’ll start with the easy ones and work our way from there,” Kyia said, just as Aven and Roka ambled into the room.

“Is this really necessary?” Alex asked, brushing her hair behind her ear and feeling all kinds of awkward. “I’ve danced before.” She paused, then admitted, “I may not be verygood, but I can twirl my way around a ballroom without falling on my face.”

She reminisced about Kaiden and his arms around her, guiding her confidently through their waltz at D.C.’s seventeenth birthday party. But even that wasn’t her first time properly dancing, since that happened with Bear and Jordan during the previous New Year’s Eve Royal Gala at Chateau Shondelle—Jordan’s family home.

So much had happened since then.

Wiping her mind clear lest she become lost in her memories, Alex looked back at Kyia and added, “I’m sure I don’t need to practise—how hard can it be?”

But half an hour later Alex realised just how ignorant her words had been. Meyarin dancing wascomplicated, full of spins and twists, skips and jumps. And it was also fast. But that wasn’t the worst of it—the worst was that Kyia had paired Alex up with Aven as her teaching partner.

Normally Alex would have been thrilled by the arrangement because it meant Kyia herself was practising with Roka, which led to the two of them being in very close proximity to each other as they danced together. But given Alex’s desire to distance herself from Aven—and from whatever he might feel towards her—she was supremely uncomfortable being in his arms, despite the fact that it was purely for educational purposes.

“This would be a lot easier if you would just relax,” Aven said quietly to her, one arm curled snuggly around her waist, the other hand tangling with her fingers as he tried yet again to lead her through the steps. “You’re as stiff as a slab of Myrox.”

“I’m perfectly relaxed,” Alex lied, looking at anything but him.

Silence for a beat, and then, “What’s going on with you, Aeylia? I thought you… I thought we…” He trailed off, sounding lost enough that Alex felt compelled to look at him, only to see not just confusion in his eyes, but also hurt.

It was the hurt that made her wince inside, because this younger Aven was her friend. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him—there was enough of that coming for the both of them in the future. Her treating him like a pariah now wasn’t helping anyone.

“I’m sorry,” she answered softly, forcing her body to relax. “I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.” That much was true, thanks to Niyx’s rigorous training demands. “I think I’m just a little stressed and not feeling like myself lately.”

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” Aven said, his voice both compassionate and sincere. “No matter what, I’m here for you, Aeylia—always.”

Alex wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry, fully aware his statement wouldn’t hold true for the future. And she certainly had no idea how to handle her current situation—how to keep him at arm’s length but also keep their friendship intact for as long as possible. Niyx had implied that she should consider discouraging Aven’s feelings, but short of being a cold-hearted witch, Alex didn’t know how else to make it clear that she was never—ever—going to be romantically inclined towards him. She still couldn’t understand how he could feel that way about her when all she’d done was offer a few non-judgemental words of support. Was he so starved for kindness that her encouragement had claimed such a strong hold on his feelings? Having spent time with his loving family and friends, Alex struggled to comprehend how that could be true.

“Can I ask you something?” Alex asked, step-hop-twirling with him as he led them around the room in time with the music.

His reply was instant. “Anything.”

Alex kept her voice low enough that neither Roka nor Kyia could hear when she said, “Do you remember that night you took me toNarsae de Trigon?”

Aven’s features tightened a fraction and he glanced quickly towards where his brother was dancing on the far side of the room before turning back to Alex and quietly saying, “What about it?”

Biting her lip, Alex said, “When Skraegon came up to us”—Aven’s body tensed under her hands—“he suggested that if you—”

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