Bound by Glass

25| First Dance

"You're asking me," Vace repeated slowly, "to dance?"

"Yes," Allie replied. "Tenna, amore, I said that, right?"

I gulped. I was still trying to get over the fact Allie was suggesting I was going to dance. With Vace, of all people!

My cheeks heated as both their eyes fixed on me. Allie, with a look of unmasked, near malicious pleasure splayed across her features, and Vace with sheer disbelief, his right eyebrow raised high on his forehead.

"Yeah," I said after a moment of silence. "Actually, she asked how well you could dance. Not necessarily imply you had to–"

"Of course I can dance. I'm not a barbarian," Vace said bluntly. 

I huffed. "So I'm a barbarian?" I said, raising an eyebrow as I turned myself to
Vace, "Lovely to know that that's what you think of me," I said, giving him a quick smile.

"Sure, if you want to interpret it that way... be my guest," he said, the hint of a cocky grin playing on his lips.

Jackass.

"Well," Allie said, inhaling deeply. "I suppose you two will work out just fine. I presume Vace will be a... refreshing teacher."

She stepped aside, leaning against the vanity, her ankles crossed under her green linen dress.

I hate you, I mouthed.

Allie replied with a smile.

Vace scraped his throat. "We can't dance without music, can we?"

I let out a sigh in relief. "Oh, what a pity. I guess we'll have to do this another–" I started, but Allie cut me off.

"That's no problem. Music..." she mused, lifting her chin. "Ah, I know. This piece was rather popular in my time."

Without further ado she started singing. A beautiful melody filled the room, her clear, silvery voice unlike I've ever heard. I was carried away by the song, back home, to that mild spring morning a few years ago.

I remembered it like it happened just yesterday. Kael had awoken me just before sunrise. He'd taken me to the stream, just west of camp. The sky had been an inky shade of grey when we'd left, but when we arrived the heavens stood ablaze. Purple, red and pink painted the sky, thin ribbons of ash grey clouds striking though it like knives. I still remember my initial surprise of the sudden escapade, and then the amazement and mesmerisation once the colours of the fiery skies hit the water and scattered in all directions. It was like the forest was lit on fire—something I'd never anticipate to see in real life.

Images of camp burning flashed across my vision, my skin remembering the scorching flames that'd nearly burnt me. I closed my eyes. So many had died. The tiny dots of Outsiders running into the forest entered my mind. They must've made it out. They had to.

I shifted my gaze from my memories back to Vace, who was standing in front of me.

He took a breath, like wanting to say something. An expression of confusion passed across his features.

I realised what it was for.

I was still standing on the chair.

I wanted to mentally slap myself in the face, or at least cover it up. I could already feel my cheeks burn.

But, Vace seemed to compose himself. As Allie kept on singing, the wordless melody drifting through space, he held up a hand.

Play your part.