Page 41 of Taking Jenny
“Sadly, no, or I would have given it to my ex-boyfriend.”
“Hmm.” He looked over a page written in some language I didn’t know. “A pity, then. Do you read Gorrk?”
I shook my head. “I only learned Ladrian when I…” I couldn’t tell him how or where I had learned the native language. That would expose my family and friends on Halla and I refused to put them in danger in any way when it came to Justice the psycho. “…met Ladrians.”
“I see.” His eyes brimmed with curiosity. “And how did that come to be?”
“It’s a long story, and aren’t you supposed to be teaching me about all this?” I asked, waving a hand in the air and hoping to distract him.
“Yes well, you can’t blame me for trying,” he said, smiling. “You are a puzzle, Jenny Hollinger.”
I didn’t encourage his interest and instead quickly changed the subject. “What’s that pink bottle do?”
My attempt at diverting his attention worked. “I’m glad you asked...”
Our time together was a fascinating exploration of tinctures and other things in his laboratory, but by the end, I couldn’t keep them all straight. He looked at me with pity.
“Your eyes are glazing over,” he said with a sigh. “I can see I’ve lost you.”
“No, no, it’s not that this isn’t fascinating, I’m just not sure how helpful all of this will be.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” he said with a thoughtful nod. “You won’t have fire or bottles of potions out there on the mountain. During our next lesson, we will go for a hike, and I will show you how to do this using only what we find along the way.”
I smiled at him, truly appreciating his help. “That sounds more useful, thank you, Surge.”
“My pleasure.” Surge gently pat my back in a fatherly gesture. “Now, go before you’re late for your dance lessons. Discord will have my head, if you are.”
“Yeah, she’s strict about the sparring, too.” I hopped down from my stool and headed for the door.
“She’s more strict about dance, Jenny,” he cautioned lightly. “Take it seriously, or you might find an unpleasant gift in your bed, care of Discord.”
I stopped and glanced back at him. “I thought she was some kind of warrior. Why would she take dancing more seriously?”
He shrugged as he put a few bottles back on the shelf. “You’ll have to ask her that question.”
After I changed into a black leotard and black heels that were left on my bed, and ponytailed my hair, I trotted to the ballroom. It was gigantic compared to the amount of room the three of us needed, so walking in I felt smaller than usual when next to the Ladrians. Unlike the rest of the mansion, the floors were wooden and dark, like the walls. But the ceiling was painted to mimic the night sky, twin moons and all. Windows ran along the outer wall, providing a view of the forest where I ran with Longshot in the mornings. It was much prettier from inside the cool building.
Discord stood unnaturally still next to a device I thought might be a radio, or some kind of console for music. She actuallylooked very beautiful. The blood red gown she wore graced the floor in elegant tatters near her black-heeled feet. The tatters’ slits ran up to her thighs. Mal stood next to her, his back to me. His black suit was stitched in red to match her dress.
As soon as I arrived, the music began, a pulsing beat echoing out of the speakers. I stood off to the side and watched as Discord took him in her arms, before he twirled her and reversed their positions, taking control from her. Then Mal led Discord around the ballroom, strutting, flair kicking, and posing to the rhythm of the song. It was closer to a sparring match than a dance, very sexual in undertone, yet mesmerizing and enchanting at the same time.
They moved well together. Too well. Their bodies fluid and sensual, like two people who’d been intimate with one another.
By the end of the piece, I was sure they were a couple, no matter how platonic they appeared on the surface.Our flirtations were probably just a way to make her jealous—Mal didn’t mean any of it.
I would have been more disappointed by my realization, but I was too aroused by their dance to be too upset by what it meant. When they finished, Discord stood victorious over him in a role reversal, while Mal was on his knees on the floor in front of her, his head resting on her thigh.
I clapped, pulling both of them out of their erotic reverie.
She smiled down at Mal and gave him a hand up, before she said to me, “Think you can do that?”
“Oh god, no.” I laughed, more than a little nervously. “You’ve seen my sense of rhythm, Discord.”
Her lip curled. “That is true. Let’s start with something simpler, then. Mal, take the girl.” She turned to the music system to select something else.
Mal looked me over before he joined me, his eyes darkening. “Skintight clothes suit you.”
I suppressed a shiver and gave him a cheeky smile. “You should try them some time.”
