Page 63 of Bonds of Starfall

The air stung her lungs with every inhale, and each exhale puffed before her.

The lights were red and blue. Fire and ice.

Bodies were packed so tightly inside she felt others’ heartbeats thrum inside her very bones, echoed by the thick, heavy pulse of music. It vibrated through invisible speakers, each electronic crescendo mirrored by synced lights.

And Rin was lost.

In the crush of strangers, she disappeared, just as she wanted.

The music was so loud, she forgot about grief and was able to exist in the moment.

She drifted to the bar. The sleek glass countertop held raging fire within it, but as she rested her arms on the counter, she did not feel warmth. A body jostled her back, pushing her further into the counter, digging into her stomach.

The bartender—a tall, muscular incubus with short hair—called out, "What will the human be having? Something sweet… or spicy?" As he spoke, he poured a thin stream of yellow-gold liquid into a glass cup with chunks of ice.

"Something strong," Rin said, raising her voice to be heard. "I want to forget."

The bartender laughed. "Then you’ve come to the right place."

His hands expertly moved along the collection of bottles, mixing up a shot of something green and thick. It slid across the fiery counters and came to a jiggling stop before her. She poked the side, watching the thick liquid within slosh.

"You drink it all at once."

Rin glanced up to an incubus sitting one chair down from her. He gestured to the shot. "It burns like a motherfucker, but if you want to not feel or feel too much, it’s perfect." The incubus’s voice was sultry, and his purple eyes dipped with appreciation toward her chest.

"Thanks," Rin mumbled, lifting the glass and tipping it back before she could think twice. It was like jello, thick and sweet, slightly sour, burning all the way to her stomach. No hint of alcohol. That made it dangerous.

She placed the empty glass down with a soft clatter, finding the incubus still staring at her.

He licked his lips. "Want to dance? I promise I can make it worth your time."

The feel of his eyes on her skin was not unwelcome, but still uncomfortable. She stood, feeling her limbs loosen from the shot. "I dance better alone."

And Rin disappeared into the crowd.

The music made her bones rattle inside her skin, and she found the press of bodies and ice-like temperature enticing.

She danced, she forgot, and most importantly, she lost herself.

The sweat that dripped down her spine was cooled by the icy fog before it even began; her body was warm from what she had drunk. Incubi and succubi pressed into her, hands searching, but she shrugged them off, dancing away, letting the dreamy haze ofForget You Notblur her every thought.

Until—

"Ves…"

The soft sound barely reached her. Her white hair whipped around her face as she turned, searching for the sound of her name. Or had it been? Was she hallucinating?

Hands shot upward all around her as bodies jumped along with the music. Through the gaps, she caught a flicker of redhair catching in flashing lights and a pair of purple eyes that seemed to glow against pale skin. Gems glittered around sharp cheekbones, catching every pulse of crimson light.

And those eyes… They were fixed on her.

Her arm was still raised, lost in the beat. Slowly, she let it fall, ripped from reverie, as she watched the stranger.

"Ves." His voice carried to her, even over the beat of music.

Bodies danced between them, and she moved her head, trying to find a glimpse of him, unobscured.

The stranger took a step forward, flashing red lights catching on the sparkling gems on his cheekbones. His lashes were thick and dark, too pretty to be natural. His lips glistened red. A glittering body chain was draped over his chest, his black silken shirt unbuttoned completely. In one hand, he held a glass of purple liquid, dark smoke curling over the top and seeping along the back of his hand.