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ELEVEN

Leo had never enjoyed a ball this much in his life. He'd danced with a lot of women, having to force himself to remember the steps and how to make polite conversation without stepping on her feet, whilst wanting nothing more than to walk out of the event altogether, but dancing with the Silver Lady was almost...effortless. Like his feet had wings.

Nor did she require small talk. No, it was all about the ballet of bodies moving so in sync with one another, it was like there was some sort of quantum entanglement going on. Of course, he hadn't done physics since high school, and it had hardly been his favourite subject, so he wasn't even sure how two bodies could be quantum entangled. He hadn't even touched her, so there was no way any parts of them could have tangled, though he wouldn't have complained if they had. And the more he danced with her, the more he became aware of his desire for her.

Several times, his suit pants had grown so uncomfortably tight that he'd had to excuse himself, telling her he was going to fetch them some drinks. The row of empty water jugs on the railing told the tale of how long they'd been dancing, but he just didn't want to stop. Nor did she, it seemed, though she did pause every time the clock struck the hour. And why wouldn't she? The loud, discordant notes from the centuries old clock tower drowned out the music they were trying to dance to.

This time, he'd just poured her the last glass of water as the bells began to toll.

"Is that...?" she asked.

Leo nodded. "Midnight. The witching hour." He wanted to say something about how she'd bewitched him, but that seemed too trite. If anything, it would break the spell of this enchanted evening. He held out her glass as he raised his. "To a magical night," he said.

Her fingers touched the glass, but it slipped right through, smashing on the ground, sending water and glass shards everywhere.

"I have to go!" she cried.

"Stay right there. I'll get your shoes," he said, crossing the grass to where she'd kicked them off.

But when he turned, shoes in hand, she was already sprinting away.

Leo wasn't sure what came over him. One moment, he was holding her shoes. The next, he was fully shifted, chasing after his prey. Prey he would not allow to get away.