When Reese arrived, the soiree was just as magical as she’d imagined it would be.

  Soft music was playing somewhere in the room, and food and drinks were piled into elaborate pyramids that made her almost afraid to touch them. Women dangled from the air, twisted in silks that looked so fragile they might fray at any moment.

  But the girls didn’t seem worried, and neither was Reese. She knew how it felt to be suspended in the air with nothing but fabric to keep you there.

  She almost didn’t realize she was walking away from Luca.

  He was perfectly capable of handling himself while she had some fun.

  A girl Reese didn’t recognize stepped away from her silks and smiled at Reese. Her face was covered in pink and silver glitter, and feathers stuck out of her hair and the little bit of clothing she wore.

  “Do you know how to work these things?” The girl asked. She had a lilting Black Sands accent.

  “I’ve tried once or twice.” Reese smiled.

  “Show us what you’ve got.” The girl smiled back and took several more steps away.

  The rest of the room faded away to nothing as Reese’s hands ran through the silk, getting a feel for them. She tested her grip before she pulled herself up into the loop and off of the ground.

  She let the music guide her through twists and turns until she was high enough to touch the ceiling. Reese let her fingers drag against the rough canvas fabric of the tent.

  All the way up there, she felt like nothing could reach her.

  Not even Lyonell and his stupid games.

  At least it did until she looked down to see him staring at her.

  He had dozens of other girls to watch, girls he had no doubt hired for their talent, and yet he was watching her.

  The safety of her silken sail no longer held her securely in the air.

  It felt loose and dangerous.

  Almost reluctantly, Reese let herself spin down to the ground, where the lion was waiting for her.

  “What do you want?” She asked.

  “To make an offer.” There was a drink in his hand, but Reese couldn’t tell if Lyonell’s offer was coming from the champagne or not.

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  “I don’t want anything from you,” she said.

  “I want you to stay here, join my little troupe of freaks and fantasies, and you’ll be safe.” He smiled and took a sip of his drink.

  “Why would I do that?” Reese asked.

  “All this drama would go away; you could live forever. There are countless reasons staying here on good terms would benefit you,” he said.

  “I don’t trust you. I don’t want to live for centuries looking behind my back in case you decide to change your mind.” Reese let the silk she’d been clutching fall from her hand and she walked away.

  Someone caught her arm as she wove through the crowd.

  She turned, ready to give Lyonell a piece of her mind and remind him she’d turned down his offer, then she realized it was Luca who held onto her.

  She realized the music had slowed.

  “If you want him to leave you alone, dance with me.” Luca’s eyes were off somewhere in the crowd.

  “That will never work.” Reese scoffed.

  “It will, he won’t want anything to do with you if he watches you choose me.” He must have found whatever he was looking for because now, his eyes were on her, and she nearly forgot to breathe.

  She’d told herself to stop trying to read Luca’s emotions through his eyes, it almost never worked, but something she saw now gave her pause.

  Desire.

  Whether that be the desire to take something Lyonell wanted or the desire for her, Reese found she didn’t care.

  She wanted to give Luca whatever he wanted.

  She was wading in dangerous water.

  But one dance couldn’t hurt, could it?

  She took his hand. He had been the one who suggested they have some fun after all.

  Luca led Reese out to the dance floor, they were surrounded by other pairs, dressed in feathers, silk, and velvet.

  “Now feels like a good time to tell you I’ve never danced with anyone before.” She whispered, wondering where to put her hands.

  Without a word, Luca took one of her hands and set it on his shoulder, and held onto the other one.

  How hard could it be?

  For a while, Reese watched his feet and mirrored his movements, careful not to step on his toes. But when he pulled her closer, and she couldn’t see, she learned to follow the rhythm, and go where Luca led her.

  And suddenly, as she became less aware of what she was doing, and what was around her, she understood what they’d been talking about in the books. She understood why the girls at the docks were always in a tizzy when a ball was coming up, and even after the fact.

  It felt liberating to let go of everything else that was going on and just enjoy being held.

  “Look for the others, I want to know who didn’t come.” Luca whispered, jerking Reese out of the trance she’d been it.

  It was for the best.

  As they spun in circles, she was able to catch glimpses of most of the others, but it seemed to matter so little when she caught sight of Lyonell.

  His face had gone red with anger, his eyes pinned on Reese and Luca.

  For some reason she couldn’t place, it made her believe that this wasn’t the first time Luca had taken something from Lyonell. She didn’t know if it had been on purpose or not, but she knew Lyonell believed Luca had taken things from him, and it went so much further than Reese.

  This just might be the straw that broke Lyonell’s control.

  Reese heard the glass in Lyonell’s hand shatter from across the room.

  And old wound had just been reopened.