hear the growls of at least four males. However, when I glance over my shoulder, they all seem to be behaving themselves, except for Eldrin, who has disappeared. That makes me nervous, but I don’t have time to worry about that right now. I have to focus on the prince who’s grinning at me as he leads me into a simple waltz. My dance experience is extremely limited, which, from the smug look he keeps giving me, he knows, but he doesn’t say anything or try to trip me up with more difficult moves. In fact, he doesn’t say or do anything untoward, which makes me suspicious. What is going on here? Are they trying to distract us from something? I ponder, but that doesn’t feel right either. All I know is the longer I dance with the prince, the more I start to feel nauseous, and my skin almost burns where he touches me. A tingle runs over me, something which my body seems to try and reject, and it takes my entire concentration just to focus on keeping myself upright and following his simple movements.
“What’s wrong with you?” I finally ask between gritted teeth when I can’t take it any longer, my gaze locked over his shoulder.
I can feel his eyes on me, his body shaking as he chuckles. “Whatever do you mean, my dear?” His smooth voice may charm the other ladies, but it just makes me want to shudder.
“You know what I mean.” My words are harsh and clipped, my patience shattered by his presence. Finally deigning to meet his gaze, I narrow my eyes as I look him up and down. When I meet his eyes, a flash of fear goes through me, but I can’t explain it other than he feels dangerous, like a predator, and right now, I’m pressed right up against him. “You are…wrong,” I spit, and I know I probably shouldn’t be antagonising him, but I just can’t seem to help myself. His wrongness awakens my anger and frustration. “I’ve seen the way people react around you, even if they don’t realise they’re doing it. Not to mention your eyes changed.” As I look into those black orbs, his smile widens, making his handsome features take on an intense, creepy mien. Instead of upsetting him, my words almost seem to please him as another wave of prickles rolls over my skin. “It almost…it almost feels like magic, but it’s twisted.”
I struggle to explain the sensation, but I needn’t have worried. Humming low in his throat, Rhydian leads me into a spin, giving me a brief respite before pulling me back into his hold. Landing against him with an ‘oomph,’ I rest my hands against his chest, trying to put some space between us.
“Very impressive,” he purrs, lowering his face until we are eye to eye. Leaning back as far as I can, I raise my eyebrows at his comment. “Most people don’t notice,” he continues, releasing his tight hold on me and returning us to a slow waltz, never once stopping his conversation. “And those that do don’t realise it’s me making them feel uneasy.” Spinning us around the ballroom, he weaves us through the other dancers. “You are the first to figure it out.” I feel his eyes land on me once more, but I keep my head up, my gaze on the room around me. He seems to find this amusing as he just chuckles.
His laughter makes me indignant, stirring at my anger. “What are you?”
My question seems to catch him by surprise, because from the corner of my eye, I see his smile drop for a second as he pauses. “I’m Prince Rhydian of Arhaven,” he answers after a beat, his tone light, deceptively so, but I didn’t miss that pause.
I look at his face, really look, and see something I didn’t notice at first. Something about what I said upset him. However, I get the impression I’m asking the wrong questions. Think, Clarissa, I muse, contemplating everything I know so far. A thought comes to me. “You changed,” I murmur, thinking not only about the way he’s acting, but his physical appearance. “What happened to you?”
He smiles again, showing too many teeth, and his pupils seem to get impossibly bigger as he stares at me. Another wave of awareness rolls over me. Real fear surges through my veins as I rip myself from his hold, taking a step back. “A lot has changed since you and your