Page 63 of Stitches
The first opening of the festival grounds after the initial corridor of vendors and performers was an area for dancing, with a band playing off to the side. On the other side of the dance floor, Ashmedai spotted Luccite.
He caught Levi’s eye and nodded toward the catlike woman, who hadn’t noticed them but was watching the dancers with what Ashmedai took for longing, hopping on both feet to get a better look whenever someone taller shifted in front of her. Dreya hadn’t released Levi yet,and they did owe these women some friendly scheming.
“Miss Dreya.” Levi turned to her, having finished his skewer and not missing a beat of what Ashmedai had in mind. “Would you care to dance?”
Dreya had likewise devoured her popover and answered teasingly, “Won’t the king be jealous?”
“I’ll steal him away in time,” Ashmedai said, nudging them out onto the floor.
The dance was a lively one, with several pairs rocking and spinning and twirling each other about in well-known choreography. Ashmedai was surprised, however, when Levi expertly led Dreya through the same steps, holding her close to prevent her tipsiness from causing any jumble of feet.
With a widening grin, Ashmedai ducked behind a stall and jumped from the shadow there to one behind another stall across the way. He snuck up behind Luccite in two short strides.
“Would you grant your king a dance?”
Luccite spun with what might have been a startled hiss. “Ash. Where…?” Her slitted eyes narrowed at him in suspicion.
“Come now.” Ashmedai held out his hand. “It seems all you’re missing is a partner.”
Luccite’s lips curled, but rather than argue, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her onto the dance floor, grasp her waist, and lead them into the same rhythmic spins and timed weaving to the music.
By now enough of the citizens had recognized their king had joined them and were spurred to join the dancers as well, always quick to follow his example. Hermit though Ashmedai had been of late, he never missed Festival Day, for he knew how much it meant to his people.
Luccite was a bit stiff and difficult to lead, despite the natural grace afforded her by being a cat—though she was also a good head or two shorter than him—but it wasn’t long before her distrustful smile turnedto something genuine. The song hit a bridge where all the instruments dropped off save the ones keeping rhythm, a signal for a very specific set of movements that involved one partner lifting and spinning the other through the air.
Ashmedai did so with Luccite easily, and she erupted with a rare giggle. The rhythmic beat continued for a second lift and spin that Ashmedai knew would culminate in final uproarious percussion that ended the song, and he eyed their surroundings, spotting Levi and Dreya and catching Levi’s eye again to ensure they both spun their partner in just the right direction.
He lifted Luccite, and after their twirl and subsequently setting her down, she and Dreya were back-to-back as the song ended to wild applause.
“Dreya, I believe it’s time I stole your partner.” Ashmedai turned a stunned Luccite just as Levi did the same with Dreya, and they pushed the women toward each other. “You can take mine.”
As Ashmedai anticipated, the musicians didn’t pause before continuing into a softer ballad to allow the dancers a break. He pulled Levi to him and quickly spun them away before any dissention could be spoken.
Ashmedai naturally started to lead, and Levi’s footing didn’t stutter as he shifted roles to follow. They watched Dreya and Luccite fumble with overlapping words at first before Dreya, her tipsiness proving useful when it came to squashing nerves, seized Luccite by the waist and let the music take them.
“Do you think it’ll be enough?” Levi asked, gazing at them fondly.
“If we see them straying, we’ll just have to intervene again.”
When Levi turned to look at Ashmedai, it seemed to only dawn on him then that they were dancing, close and slow to the gentler song. There were still steps to follow and mild spins, but this type of dancing reminded Ashmedai of the calm tide of the Black Lake.
During the song, Levi rested his head on Ashmedai’s shoulder, and it was easy to imagine that, although they were surrounded by other couples, the dance floor was theirs alone.
“What else would you like to see, my darling?” Ashmedai asked.
“Everything,” Levi said.
Beyond the dancing was a row of stalls for games such as archery, ring toss, and Hoodman’s Blind. At the bottom of the market steps was a larger open area for Prisoner’s Base, where two teams were equally set on stealing the other’s flag, positioned at opposite ends, and if someone from one team touched someone from another, that person became a prisoner in need of rescue. The flag was the prize, but another way to win was to imprison everyone from the opposing team.
Ashmedai and Levi played each game above the market at least once, but when they made it down the steps, Prisoner’s Base was in midsession. The red team was almost entirely captured, but the guard they had set up at their flag was Grillo, who stood his ground.
“Ash,” Levi hissed, grasping Ashmedai’s arm.
He looked where Levi indicated and saw what the blue team had yet to notice. Kenner, on the red team with his father, had snuck onto the other side of the field and snatched up the blue flag.
“The boy has it!” someone cried, and all the blue members spun to give chase.
Kenner bolted for his side of the field, far too small and nimble for anyone to catch him. He made it across the line with a narrow miss of a hand trying to slap his shoulder, but his feet were too quick.
