Her Hidden Half (War Songs of the Courts #1)

Chapter Thirty-three

Jovial music greeted us as we entered the room, dulling the happy voices around the room to a low murmur.

Couples gathered to the middle of the room to dance, their movements completely foreign to anything I was familiar with. But then again, the dancing I was familiar with came from nights in clubs so anything else would have been equally unfamiliar. The way they carries themselves felt more old school with the women using one hand to lift their dresses up just enough to see their feet, each, of course, wearing heels. Their other hand raised to meet their partners who danced alongside them. You'd think the dance would seem stale and boring, but it was just the opposite. Every movement was made with such feeling that it filled the room with a consuming energy of gaiety. Even the men and women who stood at the edges of the room added to the vitality it held, talking with excitement lighting their eyes and widened smiles.

It was infectious.

I looked to my side where Alec watched my reaction with a grin that encouraged my own to grow on my face. He took my hand in his and tugged me along with him as he made his way into the crowd. The Allure had ignited a firework of feeling in my veins as Alec had sat me down in my room and given me a red lip that contrasted so vividly against my pale skin, fading shades of dark and light neutral colors onto my my eyelids to make my irises pop. Even the the first hint of effects had were more than I expected, but the feeling only intensified until I felt like a ball of energy floating on a cloud of feel-good. Now I was so lost in the feeling I hadn't even thought to object as Alec pull me into the middle of the crowd and guided me along to the music.

Unfamiliar to the dance, I stumbled a few times, only giggling it off as Alec gave me subtle instructions with a laugh in his voice. I gave no mind to the people around us as I imitated Alec, their bodies blurry with warm light as I held my hand up to his. Every graze was a shock of the senses, making me grin until it made the muscles of my cheeks ached. I looked to Alec and he nodded, letting me know he knew what I was silently expressing in excitement.

My head fell back as I let out a laugh I felt in my throat more than heard. The vibrations making me gasp involuntarily, shocking me even further.

Every breath was a unique experience, the air cooling as it made it's way into my lungs. The new awareness of each intake of breath gave me an added high that made it hard to concentrate on anything else. Alec pulled me somewhat back down to earth as the music slowly changed, and even through my high I could tell the sound was clearly meant to make a statement that someone more important than you was making an entrance. Alec escorted me to the side of the room as people cleared the dance floor. With every eye glued to the doors, the music swelled with pride and they slowly moved to open, making the room collectively hold their breath in anticipation.

The Council stood at the entrance, staring straight ahead as if they hadn't had the gazes of entire room on them. The image of the Council members making their way up to a line of chairs that sat on the top of stairs felt coldly familiar and sent a somewhat sobering slap across my face, making my spine straighten in a renewed determination. Worrying on my bottom lip, I scolded myself for drinking the Allure. My head wasn't clear enough to attempt prying answers out of a old, admittedly terrifying, member.

My survival instinct kicked in to warn me that it was a bad idea to even consider something that could easily land me in hot water. I was new to this world, but I didn't need to know this world to understand that they weren't the kind you ever approached. It was inviting trouble where it wasn't needed, but there was an uncomfortable twist in my stomach that I knew wouldn't ease until I got answers.

The Council all took their seats at the same time and gave a single nod in unison, giving me the eerie feeling one got when twins did something creepy like tilt their head in sync and gave you identical blank looks. I shivered and absentmindedly rubbed my arms as the original music started up again, returning the energy back to it's normal state.