A Valkyrie's Apprentice: Book Two

A Uccellon Woman

– T A Y A H –

I took the Valkyrie's hand with a mocking look among a number of partners before the lutes and drums. Her expression was a calm mask that gave me nothing. It was one I had seen many a time. One that told me she already knew what she was getting herself into. After all, cultural study was one of her great pursuits...

The drums picked up and the men shouted and stomped their feet as they spun around women in the Kanton custom. I did not follow their rules.

I secured the demi-god's forearm in my own and met her eyes. I knew then that I had been correct. She mirrored my quick step and circled us to begin. Our arms held between our eyes and the laughter of mortals surrounding our backs. But my focus was steadily on the timeless woman of burning silver eyes.

The lutes joined the beat and a thickly voiced woman cut through the cheers to their delight. I dropped my arm quickly and struck up her other in a smooth motion. We changed course and circled the opposite way without breaking our gaze.

"It seems there is not much to teach." I told her, over our bound arms. She winked quickly as the dance progressed and we drew our arms back into a straight line increasing our circle and only linked by our hands. It was quite a feat of agility considering the number of drunks we had to dodge in the process.

"I learn much from you. Dancing is not one of those things." She murmured, keeping the neutral mask in place.

She raised our hands high quickly and I spun under them meeting her chest with my back. The closeness sent waves of sparking current through my body. She looked down to me keeping our arms high and stepping quickly with the drums.

"Your steps are a touch sloppy." I mocked, spinning back out to the extent of our arms and raising an eyebrow. She was no such thing–but I was not about to let her know she was as flawless as a native. 

"Forgive me. It is hard to perfect the dance of every continent." She said in a low voice over the song.

I missed a step in shock and she grinned briefly before I picked back up and drew our hands inward to meet her other. Our hands joined in a bridge and I narrowed my eyes before her.

"Vex?"

"They are much more intimate." She smirked.

"Jurrian?"

"Far too aggressive." She scowled, thinking back to a past I had not seen. I found myself smiling despite it and closed the space breaking apart our routine.

"I do not remember close embrace as part of the dance." She teased, drawing her arms around my lower back anyway. I tilted my head and appreciated her.

"How intimate is the Vex custom?" I murmured in a sultry tone.

Her own irises darkened a touch and she moved her hand to grip my jaw. "I believe the Uccellon Royals executed the last pair who tried it inside the Castle halls."

This made me smirk despite the consequences. "I believe we are not in a Vayleron castle now. You can lead and I will follow–"

She shook her head before I could even finish. "If I want to explore you in an intimate way, Tayah. It will not be where any other eyes can steal a look."

I grinned and pressed myself close to her warmth before drawing away and securing her forearm before us again. The music was infectious and I still wanted to enjoy a moment of timeless joy before something as moronic as fate took it from us. She never took her eyes off me and I was not about to lose sight of her either. We circled and twirled as the candle wicks grew deeper and the mortals grew drunker.