Page 18 of Seduced By Darkness

This is a terrible idea. Etan is pushing through the crowd toward us—I can’t even tear my eyes from the stranger’s face to see where my nemesis is, but I saw Etan start this way.

I don’t even know his name. His court. Who he belongs to.

There’s no answer in the unrelenting black of his clothing. Black and silver are the colors of Evernight, of course, but no lord of Evernight would ever approachme. And there are enough black-clad strangers here that the color alone doesn’t make him stand out.

“I shouldn’t….”

Finally, a smile blooms on that dangerous mouth. “No. You shouldn’t. I shouldn’t. But the second I saw you I had to know you. What’s your name?”

“As if I’m going to hand some handsome stranger my name.”

His lips curl upwards. “You think me handsome?”

“You know you’re handsome.” I push at him, snatching a glance behind me.

It’s like trying to shift a mountain.

“Who is he?” The stranger demands, and tension coils through him.

“You want to dance with me?” I blurt. “Then get me out of here. Get me as far away from him as you can and I will grant you a dance. I will grant you a dozen of them.”

Stillness.

“I’ll hold you to that,” my stranger breathes. “But as you wish….”

He swings his cloak over me, tucking me under his shoulder and the world vanishes, the dancers and the music dropping away. It’s like we took a step between this world and another.

I can see ghosts of the others still moving. Wisps of a skirt appearing here and there. Laughter ringing out before it cuts off.

My handsome stranger sweeps me into the crowd, an arm draped around my hips. A spin, and suddenly we’re in the middle of the dancefloor. I catch a glimpse of the back of Etan’s head, barely a foot away as he searches for us.

And then we’re gone again.

A guard I recognize as my mother’s appears, up on his toes as he scans the crowd. They’re all here. They’re all looking for me. There’s some kind of illicit thrill in stealing away from both of them.

A hop, a skip, a twirl.

It feels like I’m spinning in circles.

The stranger lets me go as I stagger into the trees, his cloak falling from my shoulders. Music hammers at me, drums vibrating through the trees. The fae are back, no longer mere hints of movement.

I press my spine to the ivy-covered tree, my eyes darting over his shoulder. Etan’s expression tightens with anger when he clearly can’t find me.

“Forget about him,” my handsome stranger whispers.

“I’m trying.”

Something soft brushes over her lip. “Does this help?”

It’s his thumb, tracing my lower lip so slowly that a fist of heat knots between my thighs.

Our eyes meet.

And then the back of his knuckles ripple over my jaw. He makes a small sound in his throat as if he finds the contours of my face fascinating.

A shiver runs through me. There’s barely an inch between us, as if he’s trying to give me just enough space that I don’t feel caged.

“What was that? How did you do that?”