whispered. “Go, before Tabitha gets a hernia or something.”
“You sure you’re going to make it to your table?”
Dean’s laughter interrupted our conversation.
“I’ve got her,” he said.
“Like the mask, Dean.”
“Yeah, well your sister made me.”
“Be safe, Elena,” he said as he walked away.
“Thanks,” I said to Dean.
“For what, I wasn’t even close when you almost hit the floor.”
I giggled. “For rescuing me.”
“You didn’t look like you wanted to be rescued.”
I slapped him playfully and thanked the heavens I’d made it to our table in one piece.
HE ENTIRE NIGHT went by so fast. We had a beautiful dinner with light music. Master Longwei said not much more than a couple of words and then the party started.
I was asked a couple of times by guys to dance, but I feared for their lives and toes, so I declined.
Blake vanished with Tabitha into thin air after a couple of hours and I couldn’t help but think about him, a lot. He saved me and then he gave me that compliment. Not to mention his eyes checking me out. Something he’d said that night we’d almost kissed for the first time jumped into my head. He was as drunk as a skunk, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it was really just the booze or had he been telling the truth.
Was him hating me all a big act?
Then why would he ask me not to fall in love with him?
Nothing about him made any sense, but that was Blake. Always luring people in and pushing them away whenever they got too close.
“May I have this dance?”
Speak of the devil and you step on his tail.
I looked past him. “You sure it’s safe? I don’t want to get a frost ball thrown at my head.”
He chuckled. “You have frost balls too, Elena.”
“I’m not a good dancer, and I fear for your toes.”
“Ahhh, there is the right concern. My toes will be fine, and I happen to be a terrific dancer.”
I gave him a raised eyebrow. “You?”
“If you tell anyone, you know what I’ll have to do.”
I gave him my hand. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I pushed myself up off the chair and the first step I took made me want to tumble again.
Luckily Blake caught me, again.
I regained my balance and struggled to suppress my laughter. When I saw him with closed eyes and a huge grin, shaking softly with laughter, I laughed too.
“This is going to be a nightmare,” I whispered.
“It’s going to be fine.”
“Everyone is staring at us,” I whispered as I saw everyone’s faces on us again.
“Can you blame them? You seriously look hot.”
“Seriously? That’s like the best word you could come up with?”
I grabbed his arm again as my shoe slid and we both laughed.
“Okay, I can foresee this too now. It’s going to be a miracle if we get through this one dance,” he said as we reached the dance floor, and then put his hand gently on my waist, pulling me closer to him. “Just take small steps.”
“In what direction?” I asked him as I stepped on his feet.
He cringed. “Not that direction.”
“Sorry.” I laughed again.
He lifted me up gently and lowered both my feet onto his.
I started to laugh again. “You seriously going to do the side stepping for both of us?”
“It’s the only way for us both to get through this alive. Part Moon-Bolt, remember?”
“Oh, how could I forget?”
He chuckled again.
The dance ended way too soon, and he showed himself to be someone I never thought I would associate with Blake Leaf. He was through and through a gentlemen. He said good night with a soft bow of his head and disappeared.
I decided to take off my shoes right then and there and go back to the table, but the DJ started playing an up-beat tune and Becky pulled me straight back. With my shoes in one hand and my other lifting up my dress slightly so I wouldn’t step on the hem, I bounced up and down, just enjoying the rest of the night.
HE NEXT MORNING we slept late. We’d hardly had the strength to get out of our clothes and just fell on our beds already asleep. My dreams were peaceful. I didn’t hear the clucking sound of the Elementals, the cannons or even dream about the queen. There was nothing, just a black darkness with no sound.
Sammy got us each a cup of coffee from the cafeteria and I struggled really hard to ignore their stares.
“For crying out loud,