Page 57 of Muse

I nodded, and he gave me a soft smile. His hand dropped from my arm, and he slowly walked around until he was behind me.

“Close your eyes,” he commanded gently, and his voice was practically in my ear.

I closed my eyes, and his arm wound around my waist. Not touching me, but I could feel the heat from his body through the thin fabric. His arcane tattoos must radiate heat when he’s channeling magik.

And then I felt his hand, splayed flat across my abdomen, the place where I drew my magik from.

"Breathe," Soren said, so I took a deep breath.

The music began, filling the room, and his baritone was low and husky in my ear as he sang.

And then my body began to move as if it had a mind of its own, taking the steps I'd memorized in my soul.

Soren's hand remained on my stomach – neither guiding nor pushing me, but simply telling me he was here with me every step.

The air rushed around as we moved across the ballroom, and I felt the ground disappear beneath my feet. But I didn't open my eyes until the music reached the crescendo. When I did, I wasn't surprised to see the magik sparkling in the air or that we were both floating six feet off the floor.

“You didn’t hold back your lights,” Soren said.

“And you didn’t hold back your levitation,” I said.

“How is your acrophobia?”

“I’m feeling good.”

The distance between us had somehow disappeared, so my back was pressed against his chest, and his arm was wrapped around my waist, holding me securely to him. Floating in the air with Soren, I knew I was completely safe.

I didn’t know why we were still in the air. Was this meant to desensitize me to heights? But I was too afraid to ask because I didn’t want the moment to stop, so I closed my eyes and relished it.

I leaned back into him, and his other arm snaked around my waist, enveloping me. His breath was ragged, and his lips brushed against my neck.

“Oh, excuse me!” a shrill voice suddenly cut through the air.

I opened my eyes to see Cosetta and Sylvetta, the Princesses of Calida, standing in the now open door to the ballroom.

And Soren and I were in the sort of embrace that was definitely not allowed.

“No apologies necessary,” Soren said with faux cheer.

His arm was still around me as we descended slowly, and he released me the moment our feet touched the floor. He casually stepped away from me then, trying to play it off as if the embrace was a necessary part of our conduction rehearsal.

“We didn’t realize anyone was using this room,” Sylvetta said, but her sly smile made me uneasy.

“It’s your ballroom in your palace, so you are always welcome,” Soren said, smiling broadly.

“We will leave you to finish your rehearsal,” Cosetta said. She was the Crown Princess, and she seemed to be urging her younger sister on.

“Actually, we are finished for the day,” Soren announced to my surprise. We’d only run through it once, without all the bells and whistles, so it hardly even counted as a dress rehearsal.

“We didn’t mean to chase you out,” Sylvetta said, still with a strange knowing smile.

“You are much too kind, Your Grace, but we will be on our way,” Soren said, and we slipped by them and out the door.

He didn’t speak again until we were almost out of the palace. Without looking at me, he asked, “Did the dress feel comfortable?”

“Yes. It was wonderful.”

“Good.” He nodded once, then called the carriage to take us back to his estate.

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