I Am Bree - Book 1

Chapter 16 - Dance and Blood

 There was no shout for guards. No rough hands dragged me to the notorious torture chamber where the king's stone-cold assassin, Ayan, would end me in a slow rain of blood. That was the only possible end for traitors, and I was sure I would be cast in that light.

A minute seemed to pass, but still: nothing. Could I be lucky enough to have escaped his notice? Resigning myself to my fate, I opened my eyes.

Prince Aidan's hand was offered to me. I looked up quickly, startled. He was. . .smiling at me. There was no judgement in his clear, blue eyes. He raised a brow slightly as if to say 'Well, are you going to leave me hanging like this?'

I suddenly remembered what Flora had said about the prince starting the dancing tonight by choosing the most eligible lady in the room to be his partner. Could he be choosing me? I looked down at the hand again. Was I dreaming? The hand stretched a little further toward me, and I felt every eye in the room glued to me.

Unsure what I was supposed to do, I took his hand. I don't know if I looked as clumsy as I felt, but before I had the chance to dwell on it, Aidan was leading me out onto the dance floor.

I'd never felt so exposed before. With nothing else to take their attention, everyone was staring at us, waiting for us to make the first move. I could feel the darts of hate shot my way by every expectant maiden, and I nearly shriveled beneath the weight.

Stopping in the middle of the room, Aidan turned to face me. He pulled me close, smiling down at me. How was I supposed to tell him that I didn't have the faintest idea what to do? I'd never been taught to dance, and I opened my mouth to say as much, but he'd taken my hands and placed them where they were meant to go.

"Just follow me." He leaned close and whispered, his breath stirring the hairs near my ear.

The orchestral music began and abruptly came to a squeaky halt as the ballroom doors slammed open. If the room had been silent before, it was like a catacomb now. Prince Aidan's grip on me tightened until it almost felt like his fingertips were boring into my skin. His smile disappeared.

I felt the tension level in the room rise until I felt it in my marrow. There was an almost electric current flowing from the doors throughout the room, and my heartbeat drummed in my ears. Unsure why I was so affected, so nervous, I turned to look.

The increasingly familiar black clothes were a stark contrast to the golden lights and laughing faces. This time, however, they were torn, and parts of them were stained a deeper color with blood. It was the first time I'd gotten such a perfectly clear view of Kotaro's face at such close range, and streaked with blood, it was not what I would call a pleasant sight.

He smirked suddenly as if knowing how deeply disturbing his presence was. The guests gave him a wide birth as he moved further into the room, his steps thunderously loud in the deathly silence. The nearer he drew, the more evident the contrast became between him and this occasion of cheerful dancing and drinking.

He stopped parallel to Aidan, tilting his head slightly to the side. I watched a drop of blood run the length of his exposed forearm and splatter on the floor at our feet. His tongue touched the corner of his mouth where the blood had begun to darken and dry.

"I thought this was a party." His voice filled the room, and he half pivoted to face Aidan. "Why so silent?" Those almond eyes were wild, almost crazed, and I understood why everyone stayed away from him.

"Why are you doing this?" Aidan hissed, moving almost imperceptibly between Kotaro and me.

"What?" Kotaro turned in the direction of the throne. "A bastard is welcome to fight the king's battles but not to attend his parties?"