Page 70 of The Call of Crimson (The Crimson & Shadows #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

brEYLA

B y the time we reach the tavern, my cheeks are flushed from the biting winter wind. It’s all worth it, though, if it provides a night of dancing with the people that mean the most to me. I hadn’t realized how deeply I’d missed Elijah and Ophelia until they arrived yesterday.

The tavern is warm and lively when the eight of us enter. I was surprised to see Darian relaxing with us today, considering the stick that seemed to be permanently present in his ass. When he followed us out to the tavern, my jaw nearly hit the floor.

Darian trails Rowina, a hand on her lower back, to the bar to order drinks as we settle in a booth along the wall.

It’s warm enough that we can comfortably peel off the fur-lined cloaks and gloves.

Dark wood paneling lines the walls, but paired with the gentle gleam of Faerie lights, it creates a very cozy environment.

I slide in next to Elijah, Ayden taking the seat on my right side, followed by Aurelius. As promised, a group of musicians occupies a raised area in the corner.

“They must be taking a break. Have a drink, darling, then we’ll dance,” Ayden says, seemingly reading my mind.

Not a minute later, Rowina and Darian return, their arms holding mugs for each of us. As I lift the drink to my lips, I realize it’s not ale but mead. The strong, semi-sweet honey liquor slides down my throat smoothly, filling me with a heat that leaves me grinning.

We sip in companionable quiet until Darian breaks the silence. “Mykel is playing tonight,” he says. “He always chooses the best melodies for dancing.”

I should know better when it comes to him, but I can’t help the question that slips from my lips. “You dance?” I scoff disbelievingly. “You are the antithesis of fun.”

His fingers curl around his mug at my words. “It’s not fun I dislike.”

I bristle at his insinuation. “Yes, General , you’ve made your distaste for me abundantly clear.”

Sensing the rising tension, Ayden cuts in smoothly. “You’ll find that Darian is actually quite the skilled dancer.”

I consider his words for a moment before shrugging. “Doubtful.”

Darian stands abruptly, and I expect him to storm away from the table in irritation. When he holds his hand out to me, I lift a brow.

He rolls his eyes. “Dance with me, General.”

I stare at his hand. “Is that a request or a command?”

“Why are you always this obstinate?” He sighs, thoroughly exasperated.

Elijah snickers beside me, and both Aurelius and Ayden stifle a chuckle. Cillian doesn’t even bother; his laugh bursts out unrestrained.

“Some find that my most endearing trait,” I say sweetly.

“I assure you, they don’t. Now dance with me so I can wipe that smug look off your face.”

“He really is a talented dancer,” Rowina assures me.

“Fine,” I grumble, standing from the table.

I place my hand in his, letting him lead me to the dance floor. He leans down to the male, whom I assume is Mykel. The male nods and chuckles.

Returning to me, Darian smirks and says, “Try to keep up, General.”

His large hand finds my hip, pulling me close while still keeping space between our bodies.

A moment later, the music begins, and a moderate-paced melody fills the tavern. Several couples join us on the floor, but not nearly as many as still stand along the fringes.

“Why aren’t more joining us?” I ask as we spin across the floor.

This isn’t some ballroom dance, and it isn’t one I’m familiar with, but I’m an adept learner.

His grin turns sinister. “You’ll see why shortly.”

I must admit, he is a skilled partner, leading me effortlessly through an unfamiliar dance. He spins me out and back under his arm in a twirl that has my hair whipping around my face.

The song increases its tempo suddenly, our pace increasing with it. He continues gracefully guiding me through the spins and twirls as we move across the dance floor.

I give up the fight, letting a wide smile grace my face from the pure joy I feel in this moment. A laugh bubbles up my throat as our tempo increases once more, the rest of the tavern blurring around us.

“You ready for this next part, General?” Darian asks.

“Bring it, General.”

“Keep your hands on mine and trust me,” he commands.

His blue eyes sparkle just before he circles one arm around my head, his hand coming to rest on my throat.

Effortlessly, he lifts me from the ground above his head and holds me there a moment before letting my body swing back into his.

Instinctively, I wrap my legs around his hips as he dips us both until my hair brushes the floor.

I keep my eyes on his as he brings us upright.

He slowly releases the hand around my neck but keeps his eyes on mine.

Holy. Shit.

I’ve danced with many talented partners in my life. All the males currently sitting at our table are fantastic dancers, but then there is Darian. I was absolutely going to eat my words about his ability.

As my legs slide back to the floor, the song comes to an end. Our chests heave, heartbeats erratic as we come down from the high of the dance.

“How did you learn to dance like that?” I ask, still stunned.

He grins triumphantly at me. “How did you?”

“My father encouraged it when I started showing interest in swordplay. He said it would make me more fluid and graceful in fights.”

“Your father is a wise male, and of a similar mind to my own.”

I’m not sure how I feel about sharing something so unexpectedly... personal with him.

“Can we do that again?” I ask, grinning despite myself.

“Maybe later.” His gaze darts behind me. “I believe you have another hoping for a dance right now.”

Darian releases me, turning to Rowina, waiting for her turn to dance. A bright smile creeps across his face as he pulls her into his arms.

I turn around to find Elijah waiting patiently for me.

Behind him are three sets of heated eyes.

Aurelius, Cillian, and even Ayden stare as if they wish they were Darian right now.

I throw them all a wink as I step into Elijah’s arms and tease, “Are you sure you want to dance with me? My last partner is a lot to live up to.”

“I would never say no to dancing with my best friend.”

We fall into step alongside the other dancing couples, many more for this dance than the last.

“Do you remember our first dance lesson?” Elijah asks after a few beats.

I groan. “How could I forget? I insisted on leading because I thought it made me weak to follow. I stepped all over your feet.”

He chuckles at the memory. “You also got so caught up in watching your steps that you led us into a wall.”

“I have no idea why you would continue being my partner after that. I would have quit if I were you.”

“I considered it,” he admits. “But I also realized that even though you clearly were not meant to lead in a waltz, you would one day be an incredible leader. I recognized that you needed me then, but you wouldn’t always.

So I made a decision to always be what you needed for as long as you still needed me. ”

“Elijah, I will always need you. There will never be a time when my soul does not need yours. I love you, Eli.”

“I love you, too, B.” He smiles before spinning me out. As I return to him, he continues, “But you’re wrong. You’re stronger than you believe. And one day, you’ll trust your own strength.”

I open my mouth to tell him he’s wrong, but he cuts me off. “Do you remember being afraid of thunderstorms?”

“Of course,” I say, a memory bubbling up like a dream I hadn’t realized I’d forgotten.

“Eli, wake up,” I said impatiently.

His snoring continued, clearly not having heard my pleas. I shoved his shoulder, trying to rouse him, just as lightning struck and thunder sounded through his room.

I let out a startled scream, jumping slightly.

Elijah’s eyes flew open as he sat straight up in bed. His eyes settled on me, mind piecing together why I’m standing in his chambers.

“Again, B?”

“I can’t sleep, Eli. Please, let me sleep with you,” I begged. Tears welled in my eyes as another round of thunder shook the walls.

He was quiet for several moments before his eyes lit. “Fine, but only after you try something with me first.”

“What do I have to do?” I questioned softly.

Elijah got out of bed, pulling on his boots and a cloak. “You have to trust me.”

He handed me a pair of slippers and wrapped a spare cloak around my shoulders.

“I trust you, E, but you’ve got to give me more than that.”

Tugging me out of his room and down the hall, he said, “I’m going to teach you to associate a positive emotion with what you fear.”

“Okay,” I said, my voice unsteady as we approached the servants’ exit.

Turning to me, Elijah asked, “Do you really trust me, Breyla?”

I took a deep breath before responding, “Yes.”

He gripped both of my hands in his, keeping his eyes on me as he opened the door. “You can do this.”

I nodded, never taking my eyes from his.

Walking backward, he took a step outside. Behind him, lightning struck, freezing me in place.

“You are stronger than the storm, Breyla.” His voice was reassuring and full of confidence.

“I am stronger than the storm,” I repeated back, taking a step with him.

One step at a time, we worked our way outside into the onslaught of rain until we stood ten feet from the castle door.

Thunder rolled again, and I cried out, clinging to him.

Without hesitation, Elijah pulled me into his arms, whispering, “Shhh, I’ve got you, B. You’re okay.”

Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the rain covering every inch of me.

Elijah’s hand came to rest on my hip, his other clasping with mine as he held them out to the side. “Dance with me.”

“There’s no music,” I protested.

“We don’t need music,” he responded, dragging me into the steps we had memorized.

Muscle memory took over, my body moving with his, despite the paralyzing fear. The more we danced and swayed, the more I felt my body relax.

Thunder sounded again, causing me to jump and look around in panic.

“Eyes on me, B. Ignore everything else. Just feel the dance, feel the safety of my arms, the cool touch of rain on your skin.”

My eyes found his brown ones and stayed there. We continued dancing, my eyes locked with his as we swayed.

After several more minutes, I no longer even noticed when thunder sounded. All I knew was the comfort of Eli’s arms, the joy of doing something I loved, and the feel of the rain on my skin.

Throwing my arms out to the side, my head flung back, I savored the moment.

“Never forget to dance in the rain,” Elijah whispered.

Returning to the present, I say, “You told me I was stronger than the storm.”

He smiles at me. “I also told you to never forget to dance in the rain.”

I tilt my head, trying to read him. “Why the sudden trip down memory lane?”

“I thought you could use the reminder right about now.”

The song comes to an end, and Ayden steps forward, tapping Elijah’s shoulder. “May I steal your partner?”

“Of course, Prince,” Elijah says, smiling warmly. “She’s all yours.”

OPHELIA

“Your turn, darling,” Elijah whispers, taking my hips in his hands from behind. He nips at my earlobe, sending a shiver down my spine.

He turns me so we’re face to face, his grip firm as we sway in time with the music. This tune is slower, meant for lovers.

I wind my arms around the back of his neck, pressing close. He leans his forehead against mine, whispering softly, “You are so beautiful, Ophelia. The gods have truly blessed me.”

I soak in his words, trying to find something to measure up to that declaration. “It is I who has been blessed.”

He kisses me tenderly before speaking again, “When you ran into me in that hallway, the only thing I could think was, ‘This looks like someone I could spend my life with.’”

I lift a brow. “We had barely spoken before then.”

“Ah, but you forget, I saw into your soul that day. I saw your memory of healing Lyla and countless others. Your memories showed me who you were, and I knew then that I could fall in love with you.”

“I was only doing what I knew to be right. I’ve also taken life…” My voice trails off, memories of my father and that male’s final breath clouding my mind.

“Because that is who you are at your core. You may have lost yourself along the way, but your soul was created for love. The darkness in you isn’t evil. There’s darkness and light in us all. You just have to remember where to look for the light when the darkness feels like too much.”

“Is it the end of the day yet?” I ask, wishing to utter the words I felt in my soul.

“Not quite.” He grins. “Tell me, what do you think forever would look like together?”

“With you?” I sigh contentedly. “I think it would look like joy.”

“And what does joy look like, Ophelia?”

“A summer wedding, so we could honeymoon in Amala. I think Layne would want you to take me there in his place.” A bittersweet smile crosses my face at the thought of going without my brother, but instead with my love.

“Tell me more,” he urges.

“It looks like two beautiful children with my hair and your eyes.”

“Boys or girls?”

“One of each.”

“What else?”

“Story time with hot chocolate around the fireplace on Winter Solstice. Slow dances to no music when we’re alone. Falling asleep next to you every evening.”

“And waking you up every morning with my tongue,” he adds in a low rasp.

“You did promise that,” I say with a giggle.

“I like the sound of that, Ophelia. It would be a perfect life.”

“It will be our life, Elijah. I want nothing more than that life with you.”

“Of course.” The smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

Rowina’s scream slices through the tavern. I snap my head to her right as I see her punch a male in the jaw.

“We should go see?—”

Elijah groans, a sharp, broken sound, and collapses at my feet.