Born in Blood

Nine

It was time for ballroom dance lessons. Mrs. Isabella had volunteered to teach us. She had us meet her in the boxing arena where we had fought days prior.

"Shay and Maze, before we start I want you two to clean up the blood off the floor. This is disgusting, learn to clean up after yourselves." She scolded. Even though Mrs. Isabella was more forgiving than Boss, she still didn't show to much of her sweeter side after the Russians took her daughter.

I had the task of moving the bloody mats into the gym while Shade worked on getting the stains out of the floor. We scrubbed for a long while, but a light tint was still visible. Mrs. Isabella scoffed but allowed us to enter the ring.

"First off, both of you, lose all your weapons. Anything sharp and deadly off your person. While I know both of you are capable of killing each other with no weapons, I don't want to encourage it."

Shade and I both turned around facing back to back and dropped our knives and guns onto the ring floor. I tossed my holder from my thigh and got the hidden knife in my boot out. I turned back to see Shade dump a blade out from his sleeves on both sides.

Mrs. Isabella went to a bag she had brought and took out an old blazer and a pair of tall shiny heels. I wasn't to nervous about heels as I worn them all the time during my killings. I gave me an advantage to be so tall.

I slipped off my boots and put my feet into the tall heels. I tucked my shirt into the waistband of my tight pants and ran my fingers through my hair. Shade slide the blazer on over his shirt and stepped towards me. Naturally we both assumed a fighting stance.

"Stop!" Mrs. Isabella yelled. "I want you to say something sweet to each other before we start. A ballroom dance is supposed to be romantic and magical. Even though you are there to kill, I want you two to understand the nature of a ballroom dance."

"I like the blazer on you. It suits you well." 

"You have beautiful eyes Mazikeen. Very nice shade of green." 

"A good start I guess." Mrs. Isabella shrugged. 

Mrs. Isabella placed her hands on Shade and I's shoulders and moved us to where our chests were touching. I stared up into his blank grey eyes. I made no movement to touch him until Mrs. Isabella swatted at my hand.

I rested one of my hands on Shade's broad shoulder while the other laid on his callous hand. His free hand found its way to the bend of my hip.

"Now that's better." Mrs. Isabella spoke while she pressed on a remote on the corner. "I want you two to follow a square pattern as you step with each other. Maze, allow Shay to lead."

I relaxed my body against Shade's and he moved his body to the recorded soft violins that played in the background. The stepping part we got down quick, but Mrs. Isabella wasn't happy.

"You two look like you hate each other and that needs to go. I want you, Maze, to sway your hips. I know when you fight you stay with a strong center. As you dance you keep a flowing body, like a river." Mrs. Isabella walked over to Shade and pulled his arm more around him. His bicep now rested against my ribs and his forearm against my back. After that she pulled my hand from his shoulder further back. Now my forearm rested behind his head and my bicep in his shoulder.

Mrs. Isabella stepped back and clapped her hands. "You two look wonderful together. This is how you will dance at the ball. You look close and like you have a clue what you are doing."

The music picked up again and Shade walked us around the ring. I locked my eyes to his and peered through his head. His hands dug into my skin, likely to leave marks. I allowed my hips to sway gently with each step. Soon Isabella wanted us to practice the dip. It was when the final note was to be played in the song.