by Dani Rei
“You’re so cute when you’re feisty,” he grins.
“Hey!” Blake calls, finally reaching the two. “She’s not interested! Fuck off!”
“Or what?” Ian raises a brow at him, and Inez uses the distraction to lift her leg and kick him in the chest, making him fall onto his back.
Blake blinks hard with raised eyebrows and gestures toward Ian’s fall. “Or...that.”
“Thanks for that, Pup,” Inez grabs Blake’s wrist and leads him back downstairs. “I was hoping he’d let his guard down. You were a great distraction.”
Blake peeks over his shoulder to see Ian struggling to stand, glaring at the two as they walk away. A smirk forms on Blake’s face as Inez’s kick replays in his mind. Even if she doesn’t like him much, at least he isn’t on her drop-kick list.
“So what’s going on?” Inez asks once they find a spot outside. “Were you looking for me when you came up the stairs?”
“Yeah, I was,” says Blake, shifting in his space and glancing around as if he was hiding a dark secret. “Listen, I’ve been thinking about it all day, and I know this might sound stupid, but I want to do it. I want to spin fire.”
Chapter 8
T
he morning sky is clear, and the dew on the grass sparkles in the sunlight that eases the bite of the autumn chill. Inez hands Blake a set of three poi, similar to the ones she used the other day.
“I’m a little scared,” he says, holding them out at arm’s length. “They won’t burst into flame, will they?”
“No,” Inez chuckles. “I’ll show you how to light them later, but for now you need to focus on the basics. We’ll start with two and throw in the third later.”
Blake readies himself, but instruction goes quicker than expected. He learns a few simple circles in various sizes and directions. Inez teaches him about the various planes around his body and how to create limitless patterns, shapes, and visuals.
“Good,” Inez says after almost half an hour. “It looks like you’ve got that stuff figured out. Let’s work on some three-poi patterns, and then we’ll take a break. You already know how to juggle, so just follow my lead like you did before.”
Blake agrees, and Inez juggles her poi in a basic cascade, each one rotating while the rope holds a straight line until it lands back in her grip.
Blake grins and throws a poi up. The rope wobbles, the poi doesn’t fully rotate, and Blake grumbles when the next few tosses have the same result, and one poi plops on the ground.
Inez snickers and holds on to her stomach as she lets out her laughter. Blake stops to enjoy it as she spurts out fragments of how bad he is.
“These things just flop around!” Blake shouts in playful defense, holding the poi out to wiggle them in his hands. “Help! How?”
He tries again, letting out playful growls with each fumble until he finally gets used to the difference. Inez’s smile is lifting his spirits the whole time until he can finally get a decent cascade started.
He attempts a few other patterns, and the poi are still flopping and curving, but he’s catching them and mirroring Inez’s tricks.
She takes a step back and makes a familiar gesture, swinging one poi in his direction.
A smile plasters his face as he nods and readies himself. They each toss a poi and catch the one coming to them. They flip in the air between them, some straight as poles, and some curving.
His gaze drops to Inez as they continue, and the light in her eyes hypnotizes him, and the sun makes her skin glow. A hard thunk sounds from his head.
Inez covers her mouth to hide her snicker. “I’m sorry.”
“No worries,” Blake chuckles as he rubs the sore spot. “How is fabric that solid?”
“It’s kevlar. If it’s going to hold against fire, it can’t be flimsy. Want to take a break?”
“Please.”
The two of them plop down by the same tree as yesterday, watching the other performers continue their practice and taking sips from the water bottles they brought with them. If hurting his head is going to be a regular thing around here, he may need to invest in a helmet.
A soft breeze caresses his arm, cold as ice, cooling the sweat on his body. He takes in a deep breath as it cruises past them, filling his body with refreshed energy.
“Inez! There you are!” Allistair rushes over to them with an excited grin. “I just talked to my father, and preparations for the Blasphemer’s Ball are going to start soon!”
“That’s great!”
“Yeah! So, listen, I was hoping we could go together. I mean, as friends of course.”
“Hmm, maybe. I’ll think about it.”
“Hey, take your time, it’s okay!” says Allistair, turning his attention over to Blake. “I’m sure you’ll get a date too. Though, even if you go alone, you’re in for a treat!”
“Uh, sure,” Blake mutters. “But I have no idea what any of that means.”
“The Blasphemer’s Ball is our Halloween celebration,” Allistair explains with a smile.
“It’s just a dance,” Inez chimes in. “But Rex goes all out for food and decorations, and we get dressed up all fancy. It might sound corny, but it’s always a lot of fun.”
“No, it sounds great!”
“Sorry to split so quickly, but I’ve got to spread the word. I won’t make it to lunch today, but I’ll see you both at dinner.”
“Hold on, you’re spreading the word?” Blake furrows his brow. “Why doesn’t Rex make an announcement?”
“He will,” says Allistair. “But with me being the link between those in charge and the performers, leaking bits of news ahead of time is a fun way of making sure I hear what everyone has to say. It’s all with my father’s approval, of course, but they don’t need to know that.”
Blake isn’t sure he understands, but he nods anyway as Allistair waves them off. He turns back to Inez when he’s out of earshot.
“So, are you going with him? Dancing as friends might be fun.”
“Yeah, but there’s this superstition most of the members have. They call it the Midnight Dance. They say if two people dance in the center of the ballroom at midnight, they’ll be together forever. I’m pretty sure Allistair might try to rope me into it. I don’t believe in it, but attending the ball with Allistair is how the rumors of us dating started, and they spread like wildfire. I’m not letting that mess happen again.”
“Understandable,” says Blake, his mind filling with classical music, images of fancy gowns, and— “Shit, I don’t have a suit.”
“Victor will make one for you, don’t worry.”
“No good, I can’t pay him.”
“Whatever money they spend on you before you perform is put on a tab, and part of it will come out of your paycheck until it’s paid off. They’ll explain it all once you start stage rehearsal.”
“Wow, it’s really that easy?”
“Assuming you don’t fail your test and get kicked out of here, yes.”
“Thanks for that,” Blake grumbles. “So, is there any basis behind that Midnight Dance superstition?”
“Mishkin and Vladik. Apparently that dance is how they started dating. But that was long ago. They were already an official couple by the time I got here. Later on, Knox and Melody had that dance and became an item.”
“Knox and Melody?”
“The tall guy with the dreads and his girlfriend. You were gushing over them on your first night, remember?”
“That’s right,” Blake smiles and the image of the couple floods his mind. “Did you ever have that dance with anyone?”
“No, I usually slip away before it happens.”
Blake chuckles. “Pretty smart.” Leave it to a Fire Goddess to turn any amount of restraint into a burning pile of nope.
“All right,” says Inez as she stands up. “Back to work. Want to try some partner stuff?”
“Sure, why not.” Blake follows her lead in grabbing two poi.
Inez steps closer to him, looking h
im in the eye. His heart leaps in his chest, paralyzing him. The sun glows against Inez’s face, and her brown eyes look almost red enough to match her hair. Her skin is like porcelain, and her smile makes his breath catch in his throat.
“Partner work means we have to get close,” she says. “But if that’s not comfortable for you, we can skip it.”
“N-no, it’s fine,” Blake stammers, praying that she can’t hear his heart pounding. He’s seen partner work with fire spinning, acrobatics, and dancing. Of course the partners have to get close, that’s how a good routine is created! He shouldn’t be this flustered.
Practice begins with coordinating patterns while Inez has her back to him. She’s giving him commands and directing his motions, and his autopilot is following along while the front of his mind tries to ease his breathing.
Her hair wisps into his face, her scent caressing his nose with notes of flowers, argan oil, and a hint of sweat. Such a warm fragrance—invigorating and inviting. She makes a swift motion of turning to face him, and the two use tricks that interlock their arms, pulling them close and pushing them apart.
The poi whoosh behind his back before his arms move around her. Her body is touching his, sending warm chills across his skin. It would be so easy to take her into his arms—so wonderful to pull her close. He shouldn’t, but he keeps his eyes focused on her plump, pink lips, parted to keep her breath. His eyes fall to her chest, almost brushing against his as she whips her poi around him.
Don’t get hard, dear God, please don’t get hard.
Her eyes focus on their poi, barely noticing him. He’s fighting the urge to lean in, to give in to his craving, until one of his poi hits Inez on the head, prompting her to laugh, and Blake’s jaw drops in shock.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”
“It’s fine.” Inez laughs, rubbing the sore spot. “Let’s just call that payback. I got you twice, so you still owe me one.”
“Nope, I’m done.” Blake drops his poi and shakes his head. He takes a step back and tries to recenter his thoughts.
“Don’t worry so much,” says Inez. “That happens a lot with partner work.”
“Sure, but I still feel bad. Besides, it’s not like I need partner work for my test, right?”
Inez’s eyes drop to the ground as she purses her lips, and Blake regrets his words. It isn’t the bump on her head that’s making him nervous. You don’t understand, Inez, I almost...
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Inez smiles. “You’ve managed to learn a lot pretty quick. Let’s relax for a bit, and we’ll meet up again at lunch, ‘kay? I’m starting to get a little cold out here.”
Blake agrees, and they gather their poi before heading inside.
“You can bring those to your room to practice in private,” says Inez.
Blake thanks her, but he can’t bring himself to say much else. The thoughts he had earlier, the urges. Where did those come from? He bites his lip, embarrassed that he almost lost his head so easily. He tries to shake the already distant memory of her body close to his, her scent dancing in his nose, her eyes glistening in the sun.
“By the way,” Inez continues, “what did you tell your parents when you left?”
“Nothing too bizarre. I told them I was going on a road trip with some friends of mine. They weren’t too happy about it, so no doubt they’ll have an earful waiting for me when I get back.”
“If you go back.”
A smile creeps onto Blake’s face. That’s right, they could renew his contract at the end of the year! If he passes this test, he may never have to go back to retail work again. The words echo in his mind, filling him with new energy.
If you go back.
BLAKE AND INEZ STAND with Mishkin and Vladik, in the food line. Dinner has a tangy, citrus smell to it, and Blake’s stomach is getting impatient. At home, it wasn’t uncommon for him to skip a meal, and his body wouldn’t miss it, but all the practice and new information at the mansion has been building his appetite.
“Look at those two.” Mishkin smiles toward Knox, seated with his plate and playfully taunting Melody with a look of pure love in his eyes. “I’m so glad they’re finally tying the knot.”
“What?” Blake gapes. “They’re getting married? When?”
Mishkin, Vladik, and Inez all exchange looks, shifting in their spots as if deciding who forgot to fill him in.
“Tomorrow,” says Mishkin. “Sorry, I guess we all dropped the ball there. We meant to tell you.”
“So now I need a suit for tomorrow?”
“Nah,” Mishkin waves his hand. “There are a ton of extra clothes to choose from. You can find something to wear while we’re all getting dressed.”
“Is only to borrow,” Vladik adds. “For ceremony. We change before reception.”
Inez nods. “Yeah, you’ll need some kind of nice clothes for that, but a suit won’t be necessary. Mishkin, do you have anything he can borrow?”
“Yeah.” Mishkin smiles. “Tonight, we’ll head to my room and get you set up.”
Blake thanks him, and the group continues to coordinate ideas of clothing and wedding preparations as they fill their plates and settle themselves around the table.
The food is delicious as always, and the talk of weddings shifts to nonsense, making Blake laugh harder than he ever thought possible. Inez’s words still echo in his mind as the conversations and laughter continue.
If you go back. If you go. If.
Chapter 9
B
lake stiffens when he finds everyone in one large dressing room, many of them already half naked. Mirrors line the walls, and some members compare one outfit to another and check their forms in the outfits they’re wearing. He glues his eyes to the floor as Mishkin leads him through the chaos. Blake’s cheeks heat up, and his jaw clenches.
Mishkin stops at a clothing rack and shoves the hangers around, pulling a few of them to drape their contents over his arm. Blake quietly rushes him, but he takes a deep breath.
If he stares straight ahead, he can hide his discomfort without having to be obvious about it. He lifts his eyes, hoping to lock them on the wall ahead of him.
As his head lifts, his eyes land on a pair of bare breasts as Maya breezes past him without a single glance, and he drops his eyes back down, wondering if he should apologize, but he’s too afraid to look at anything but the floor.
He’s relieved when it’s time to keep moving, but the thought of turning around to change in his own room is tempting.
“Get used to it,” says Mishkin as he settles the clothes onto a small rack near an unused mirror. “We all share a dressing room like this when we go on tour. Except Rex, Allistair, and Axel.”
“Rex won’t even buy curtains? I can’t imagine it’d be that much of a splurge.”
“Why bother?” Mishkin shrugs. “It’s not like nudity is a secret. Billions of people have dicks, tits, and slits. What’s the scandal?”
Blake’s muscles relax; he hadn’t thought of it that way before. His mother always taught him about respect, but maybe in this case, pushing his discomfort to the side might be more respectful than averting his eyes. It isn’t like they expect him to stare.
“Anyway, try some of these on.” Mishkin drops a pile of clothes onto a nearby chair. “I’ll get us some makeup.”
Mishkin rushes off, and Blake tilts his head. He was prepared to wear makeup when the members went on stage, but would he really need it for a wedding? He shrugs, figuring it’ll just be a touch-up for photos. If there’s a wedding video, of course everyone would try to look their best.
He takes off his shirt and shuffles through the pile of clothes Mishkin grabbed from the rack. He furrows his brows at the color options as he lifts each one to see the next. Gray, light gray, lighter gray, dark gray, almost black but not quite there yet, gray patterns, gray stripes, gray, gray, gray.
Blake scans his eyes around the room. Most of the members are dressed
now, all of them in various shades and tones of gray. His eyes land on Ronan, all dressed in light gray, and applying dark gray makeup to his face.
A compact circle pops into his line of sight, a small black container with a light-gray pigment inside.
“I don’t think Ronan’s shade will quite match yours. This one will suit you better.”
Blake grabs the makeup from Mishkin’s hand. “I’m confused. Are we performing or something?”
“The wedding ceremony is a performance of dreams,” Mishkin says as he takes off his own shirt and plucks the almost black one from its hanger.
“A performance of what?”
“A long time ago, human beings used to dream in black and white. At least, that’s what Rex told us. So, at every ceremony, the wedding couple are the only ones permitted to be in color. It’s supposed to make the whole thing feel like a dream, so when they wake up to their lover in the morning, their dreams have come true.”
Blake can’t help but smile as he pulls a light-gray shirt from the rack and puts it on. He still has no idea why Melody left the stage, but she looks happy with Knox at her side. Their interactions at each meal make their love clear, and it almost makes him jealous to be single.
He’s undoing his zipper when his eyes fall onto Inez, who is in black lace underwear and a matching bra. He darts his gaze back to his mirror, but her reflection is there too. He tries to keep his gaze low again, but he catches Ian’s reflection as he steps into view, a disgusting grin on his face as he walks by. He gives Inez’s behind a light tap, and it seems Inez is the only one who noticed.
Blake whips around to say something, but Inez has already kicked the back of Ian’s knee as he tries to walk off. Ian falls to the ground with a groan and some choice words that don’t seem to faze her.
Blake holds out a finger at Ian. “Ha!”
Swish.
Blake’s face heats up as he realizes his pants are now at his ankles. He scrambles to pull them back up, though it’s already too late.
Inez snickers before turning back to her own mirror, and Ian rolls his eyes before he slumps off. Mishkin bursts into laughter at his side.
