Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 702(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 468(@300wpm)
I’ve never laughed this loudly, and I don’t know if it’s the alcohol, or if I’m drunk on my beloved, but it doesn’t matter. He’s so happy to be dancing and eating, and drinking after the years he spent in prison that all I want to do is indulge him.
I’m not the most accomplished dancer even when I know the steps, but I laugh even though I’m making a fool of myself, because with Hawk, it’s fun to just be. We twirl, we drink more, not caring about time, because our vows have already been said.
I might have gotten carried away and explained my thinking in far too much detail to a man serving me a tart beer. I don’t remember that part very well. Only that as I was finishing my thought, Hawk arrived at my side to take the man’s hand off my forearm.
I think they argued. But I can’t be sure.
But what I do remember is that Hawk never left my side, that he told me about places in the human realm where men who desire the company of other man can dance and have fun. Apparently, during his first night in such a place, he ended up slipping on the slick floor and injured his head. I’m positive the ghost of a scar remaining from that occurrence is still visible at the side of his forehead, and I kiss its general location when he picks me up and moves us to a comfortable booth in the corner.
People come and go, eager to exchange a few words with one of the few humans they’ve ever met. Even those who visit the human realm to smuggle goods are interested in spending time with my tall, handsome spouse, but while Hawk enjoys the attention, he does nothing that might fuel the green fire of booze-infused jealousy inside me. He keeps including me in conversations, he always keeps at least one hand on my body, and whenever there’s an opportunity, he drags me back onto the dancefloor, proud and joyful that I’m the one in his arms.
When someone laughs that it would have been easier for him to dance with someone taller, Hawk takes such great offense I have to break up a fight. It does give me quite some satisfaction that I get to use Hawk’s shadow to do so. Though while I was intending to force the rude traveller back, I end up pushing a shield of shadow too hard at him, and he falls into the shadowild. I didn’t even know I had access to the shadow realm, as my own powers have always been far too flimsy to even attempt entering that space. But after the initial panic, we manage to pull him out and all is good again.
Hawk then shows off just how easy it is to dance with me by carrying me all the way through a whole song while whispering filth into my ear. Once he puts me down, I’m so overheated it’s as though I’m blushing all over my body, and I can’t even make myself protest when he sneaks his big, strong hand under my shirt, exploring the plains of my skin with snake-like swirls. I’m on the verge of letting him go farther and get the pesky garment off me, right here, in front of all those people, but Fenren announces another game, one that needs to be started by the newly married couple.
Ivy and one other girl drag me into a small room and shut the door, explaining I’ll need to recognize Hawk’s knock among many others. The catch? I’ll need to kiss the one I open the door for, whether I like it or not. As pleasant as the laziness brought upon me by cherin is, my drunken state is getting me worried, because if I lock lips with someone else, Hawk is bound to break a nose or two.
A part of me doesn’t mind, but I do not want any more blood on my clothes.
My mind is scrambled, and I’m not all that confident in my choices when I say ‘no’ to the first two people knocking. Relief fills me when the third person taps in the rhythm of a song we heard all too many times on the radio during our car trip to Boston.
I belt out the lyrics and open the door, laughing. What a stupid game. And yet I’m so happy to have won I climb Hawk and let him hold me up for a kiss. He tastes of wine and something sweet, smells like heaven, and I now wish to bed him sooner rather than later.
“I knew you’d recognize me,” he whispers, moving his lips to my ear as one of the musicians playing in the background slips, failing to hit the right note. Such things never happen with professional music masters at court, but it doesn’t matter, because the amateurs gave me more joy than any ball I’ve attended at the Nocturne Court. This one is celebrating me and my mate, and that makes it special.