Page 77 of To Crave Madly
It was closer to the main doors which were near the kitchen. I’d be able to smell the dinner cooking. It was also closer to a radiator so the air would be warmer.
I took another deep breath to calm my frantically beating heart, closed my eyes and stepped forward.
A soft breeze whispered through the tendrils of hair that had escaped my bun and the smell of Jasper’s rich tomato sauce wafted through the doorway. A smile crept along my lips. Once Saskia had tasted his recipe, it had become a firm favourite with the team, and Jasper had ended up on the cooking schedule, much to his disapproval. My eyes opened and the main doors to the training room stood right in front of me.
“Yes!” I jumped and threw a punch in the air. I stepped out the shadow and let my shadow cloak fall from me.
Elissa squealed in delight when her eyes found me at the other end of the room. I hopped back into the shadow and leapt back to the other side of the room. Now that I had done it once, I knew what it would feel like. I’d been failing because I’d been trying to run. Trying to imagine moving faster than a vampire when it wasn’t a run at all. It was like taking a step into the unknown and believing in the space you were stepping into.
I stepped out of the shadow next to Elissa and she screamed at my sudden appearance.
“Shit, sorry,” I said as I laughed at her frightened face.
“I knew you could do it,” she said, giving me a playful pat on the arm in retaliation for scaring the shit out of her. “That was amazing.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“No problem.”
“No, really. Without you, I wouldn’t have achieved this. I’d most likely… you know…” I couldn’t say the words out loud. But I would have died. I would have totally died and destroyed everyone I held dear. Which was an absolutely terrifying thought.
“I’m sure you and Fenris would have managed to find your magic eventually. We just had a bit more luck.”
She was being diplomatic and polite. “I am not sure we would have, but thank you for saying so. Fenris and I…” My words trailed off. I didn’t want to talk about Fenris with Elissa. It seemed wrong. We still hadn’t spoken, other than mere pleasantries, since that fateful night at the club. I’d caught him looking at me when he thought I couldn’t see him, and I wanted to call him out on it, but Elissa was always there, and I liked her. I genuinely liked her, and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. God, this was a mess.
“Well, don’t thank me yet. We’ve got to get you into a ball gown,andyou’ve still got to learn the dance for the opening ceremony.”
“What?”
“Did I not mention that bit?” Elissa asked, a mask of sweet innocence crossing her face.
“No!” Horror swept through me. A ball gown was bad enough; I was hoping to put on some nice clothes and hope for the best. But to do a proper dance, with elegance and fancy footwork and shit… Nope. No way.
“Lori, you’ll be fine. It’s really easy and besides, I’ve already asked my assistant to bring a selection of my gowns. I have several and I am sure we can find something to suit you.”
I blinked at her. Oh, god. Visions of me falling flat on my face in pools of taffeta swam before me. I couldn’t do this. This was one steptoofar.
Elissa stepped closer and took my hands. “Don’t be so terrified. Fenris and I will teach you and one of your men to do the steps.” She smiled and her eyes lit up with excitement. “It’ll be fun.”
Fun? Uh-uh. This was not what I’d call fun. “I think we have different opinions on the meaning of fun.”
“Don’t be silly,” she giggled. Had I said I liked Elissa? My opinion was rapidly changing. “Now who are you going to choose to dance with?”
Who indeed?
Chapter 26
JASPER
“You want me to what?” I stared down at Lori with disbelief written across my face.
“Dance with me,” she whispered as she hopped nervously from one foot to the other. “Elissa has said I need to learn a dance as part of the opening ceremony, and I’d like to do it with you.”
She turned her eyes to mine and the pleading look I found there was nearly my undoing. The fiery edges sparked with her nerves and I felt like such an ass. I hated dancing. I remember the days of balls and parties and social gatherings when dancing was a form of courtship. To me, it was about stalking my prey. Getting closer to a female to try and seduce them into my bed so I could get what I wanted.
Blood and sex.
I was good at it. Until I started to loathe the repetitiveness of it. If I wasn’t out assassinating someone, I was charming my way into female company and gorging myself on the hedonistic offerings of society.
