Page 34 of Red Demon

She blinked, then hugged him back, holding tight. The gesture seemed innocent enough coming from Ash, but something about it felt—new. The way they fit together, that look on his face.

Asher broke the hug, a faint blush dusting his cheeks as he stepped back.

“Oh, it’s almost time for my dance lessons,” Mira said, glancing at the time on the wall. With some effort, Mira pulled her eyes away from the machine, tucking it in a drawer with a pat. She gestured toward the garden door. “Are you both free? You could join if you like.”

“Yes,” Asher said, and I echoed.

“Excellent. Do you two prefer to lead or follow?”

Chapter 14

Dance Lessons

“Iprefer to lead,” said Asher, already headed out the door.

“Whatever,” I said.

She grimaced, pausing by the door leading back out to the garden. “Excellent, we’re low on leads, I expect. But don’t feel pressured if you’d rather go home. But since the rumor around town is that you are both good at swordplay, I expect you’ll be able to pick it up quickly.”

“You asked around town about us?” Asher said.

“And we have rumors,” I added with a smile.

Sunlight dappled through the vibrant blooms that lined the garden path. Chatter drifted on the warm air, and we saw the same small crowd as before. I counted six: five Chaeten young people staring back with curious expressions, and one older Chaeten woman standing with an intimidating posture. I sensed little affinity with the colorful, refined looking crowd from the inner empire. Even if I had my Chaeten father’s best clothes on my back, I wasn’t sure I’d fit into their world, or cared to. Mira turned back, biting her lip. “Can I partner with you, Ash?”

Asher, his cheeks dusted with a blush, managed a hesitant smile.

The middle-aged woman turned our way, sporting a short bob of hair in highlighted blue and white. She wore an asymmetrical sky-colored dress that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.

“Jesse and Asher Eirini, this is Luzan, my tutor,” Mira said, her voice laced with respect. “As far as I’m aware, the best dancer in Noé.”

Luzan offered a smile that at first crinkled her eyes until it started twitching a bit at the century robe.

“It is wonderful to meet you both,” she said in a melodious tone that translated “wonderful” to “diverting,” at best. “Oh my, aren’t you impeccable?” She reached for the hem of Asher’s robe.

“Thank you.” Asher ran his hand through the waves of his brown and sun-highlighted hair. “Sorry if I’m overdressed.”

“Oh nonsense. It’s simply gorgeous.” She patted his arm with a tight-lipped smile, giving the fabric an appreciative feel.

I shrugged at Mira. I was the most underdressed person here, I suspected, but I didn’t care. She didn’t seem to care either.

“Well, I suppose time is slipping by.” She nodded and took a few steps back. With a wave of her hand, Luzan gestured toward the group. “Pair off, please.”

The crowd murmured. Two dark-haired young women sprang up together from the patio furniture, and a man and a woman beside them. A pink-haired girl caught my gaze and meandered over in my direction as Asher reached for Ashmira’s hand.

“Today, we delve into the art of the Aetel waltz.”

My stomach fluttered. I’d picked up a bit of Asri dancing from festivals, but I didn’t know a speck in the void about what dancing looked like in the culture I was born into. And if I was supposed to lead…

The girl with pink hair waved as she took a spot across from me, offering me an apprehensive smile. “Can I be your partner?”

“Sure, but expect me to be quite bad at this.”

A mischievous glint sparkled in Mira’s eyes as she grabbed her friend’s shoulder and met my gaze. “Don’t worry, Jesse. Lila is a natural.”

“Hello Lila,” I said, smiling.

“Leaders to my right, please. Followers to my left.” Luzan motioned for silence after she assessed our rows.