Ashes to Ashes | ✓

13 || Dance with Fate

As a child without his master, Felix had found himself working alongside others of similar skills—bounty hunters, assassins, thieves, spies, or any other who fed off of the greed of powerful and wealthy individuals. He had always hated it. There was a stifling air of superiority that surrounded every guild he worked with, as if they were better because of the blood that stained their hands. If he was just a little younger when his master had passed, perhaps he would have been stained by their ways.

But as he matured, he grew into his own opinion, and he was no longer favored by the guilds. Perhaps that was why the raven-haired girl sent a shiver down his spine. Or maybe it was because if she was here, so was her gang. They were almost as renowned in Furvus as he was, rumored to have killed at least twenty-three people since forming their guild only a few years ago. If it was truly them, there were others after Aiko's life. Dinah had not stopped at commissioning one assassin. She had built a failsafe in case Felix could not do what was asked of him.

Time was short. Sucking in a sharp breath, Felix quickened his steps as he approached Aiko. The heels of his boots scuffed the polished floors, producing a squeak that rubbed his nerves the wrong way. He cringed and pressed on, holding his head high and keeping his blank locked firmly in place. Aiko. He needed to get to Aiko.

Surprise flickered across her expression as he drew nearer—though it didn't carry even a hint of recognition. She straightened her spine, tilting her head back slightly to meet his gaze. There was uncertainty in the flicker of her eye's brilliant flame, and she almost seemed to shrink back from him. If his guess was correct, he appeared as a total stranger to her. Some part of him stirred with pride at her unease. He had tried to teach her to be wary of strangers, and perhaps it had registered with her.

Or she threw caution to the wind just to toy with you, he reminded himself.

Ignoring his snide comments, he dipped his head to her in an awkward bow as he held out a hand with a flourish. "Would you care to dance with me?" he asked, laying as much charm as he could in the words. He had never thought of himself as charming, but he could at least try to revive his silver tongue, which had fallen to disuse since he left Furvus. Weariness and confusion had eroded it, and this was a good chance to try and polish it.

Aiko hesitated, casting a nervous glance around her. As she began to speak, she lifted her hand to rest it in his own. "It's tradition for the newly-crowned queen to have the first dance, but to be honest, I... wasn't expecting anyone to ask," it came out as more of a murmur, as if she was talking to herself rather than to him.

"You told me once that, if I ever wanted a dance, all I had to do was ask."

As soon as her hand brushed his, the blue aura shifted. Aiko gasped, her eyes growing wide. She took a firm step back and he closed his fingers around her hand, locking it firmly against his palm. He pulled her in close, mimicking one of the formal dances his master had taught him so long ago. Music filled the room once more, slow and soft as it set the tempo for their dance. The rise and fall of each note was unfamiliar, but his master had been sure to teach him a dance that could be adapted to any song. Pulling her along, he guided them into the rhythm of their dance.

"You!" Aiko hissed. The word grated on the light and airy melody of her voice, and her surprise hardened into a wickedly sharp glare. Despite that, she didn't fight as he led her into a dance. If anything, she simply let herself follow him, her steps as practiced and poised as they ever were. Each step matched the beat perfectly, each swing falling in place at the perfect time. Even the way her full skirt flowed around her ankles was in time. Why should this be any different? She lived her life in a constant dance.