I snorted. “Raikidan was being slow, like always.”
“Me?” Raikidan half laughed. “You’re the one wearing shoes you can barely stand in.”
I wanted to laugh. He was right. We had taken forever to get up the stairs because I was so unstable in my shoes, but he was the reason it took forever to get to the stairs in the first place.
“Hey, I didn’t pick out the shoes,” I defended. “I was forced to wear them.”
“Whatever you say, Butterfly,” he replied.
I looked at Argus and blinked. “Argus, you okay? You look tense already and this party has barely started.”
“I’ve been listening to what these soldiers have been conversing about,” he said. “It’s all been the same topic. It’s been about a violet-haired woman whose innocent civilian identity is now in question.”
I gulped. It would be my luck that the others would find out about what happened. Everyone looked at me. They weren’t stupid.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Ryoko asked.
I sighed and looked elsewhere. “I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Please don’t leave us again,” she begged. I did my best not to react. She knew me all too well.
“She won’t have to,” Raikidan said. “We’re going to fix it.”
I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He knew something. I didn’t know how I knew, but I had this weird feeling that he was hiding something.
“Well it’s good to see that you actually chose to show up, Zane.” I wanted to shoot myself at the sound of Zo’s voice.
Zane chuckled and shook Zo’s hand. “We’ve never missed one of these parties yet, we’re not about to know. Though, a little more notice next time would be great.”
“Yeah,” Ryoko muttered. “Four hours to get ready was not enough time.”
I snorted. “Not like you needed those four hours. You spent two on me alone, which was completely uncalled for.”
Ryoko wagged her finger at me. “Perfection takes time.”
“Then what about you? You took all of five minutes to get ready.”
“Years of practice,” Ryoko justified. “You on the other hand, don’t have that and need help. A lot of help.”
Raikidan snorted. “Someone needs to get a reality check.”
I laughed, although Ryoko, on the other hand, didn’t find his statement as funny.
Zo chuckled. “Well at least I knew you’re all enjoying yourselves already. Now, Zane, if I may ask, who is your beautiful date?”
Zane looked at Shva’sika, unsure if he should attempt her elven name again. With a smile, Shva’sika extended her hand in greeting. “Elarinya Lightshine. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Zo took her hand and planted a small kiss on it as if he were some sort of gentleman. “General Zo, and the pleasure is all mine. It’s an honor to meet an elf of such status.”
Shva’sika smiled kindly at him. “A rare find you are, General. Not many know my family name anymore.”
“I’ve done a lot of traveling in my time,” he admitted. “Though I must say, none have come close to comparing to your beauty.”
I wanted to wretch, and one look at Ryoko told me I wasn’t the only one. I couldn’t see how Shva’sika could stand it. She showed no signs of disgust at all as she spoke with Zo.
I looked around when the music softened suddenly and the lights dimmed. Several groups of couple moved onto the floor and began dancing.
“Shall we?” Zane asked Shva’sika.
She smiled. “I’d love to.”
I watched the two walk off. I had to resist the urge to laugh. Zane’s shiny bald head reflected the dim lights, making him a tiny beacon. Ryoko, on the other hand, was more inclined to giggle.
Blaze was next to take his date away and then Rylan stole Ryoko away leaving Raikidan, Argus, Zo, and me. I watched the three couples float across the floor. It was interesting to watch. I had never really learned to dance even though it had been a requirement in the military. I thought it was stupid and no one wanted to dance with a monster like me so I didn’t see the point in learning.
I blinked when Zo offered me his hand. “I would be honored if you’d dance with me, Eira.”
“I… I um… uh…” I couldn’t think of anything that would be good enough to say no. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Zo. I have two left feet.”
Zo chuckled and kept his hand outstretched. “It’s easy, I promise.”
I sighed and reluctantly took his hand. Apparently the lack of dance ability wasn’t a good enough no. I looked back at the two boys as Zo led me away. Raikidan looked at a loss and I didn’t blame him. Like me, he had no idea how to dance so how was he supposed to help? My only hope was Argus. I gave him my best pleading eyes but he only returned my plea with an apologetic look. He wasn’t going to help me. He was going to stick to his stupid code and I was going to suffer.
Zo pulled me closer to him and placed my hands in the correct spots. I prayed to the goddess, as he placed his hands on me, he would keep his hands in the appropriate places. I knew I’d end up slapping him if he didn’t behave.
He pulled me along as we began to dance. I stumbled several times and became more and more uncomfortable by the minute. Not only was I being forced to dance with a man I hated, I was forced to overhear what the soldiers were saying about me. I listened as they compared me to rebel me.
“Relax, Sweetcheeks,” Zo encouraged. “Follow my lead and you’ll be fine.”
“I’m trying,” I admitted. “I’m just… not good at this. Sorry.”
He chuckled. “Why are you sorry? There’s no shame in not knowing how to dance.”
I looked at him through my lashes. “I’m making you look like a fool.”
Zo laughed. “Trust me, hon, you’re not making me look like a fool. My company can and does, but you, you make me look good.”
I wanted to gag. He was gloating about something that didn’t exist. Instead I half smiled.
Zo frowned. “Something is bothering you.”
“Bothering me?” I blinked. “Nothing is bothering me.”
“You don’t seem happy like you usually are,” he observed.
I’m never happy, you oaf. “It’s nothing really.”
“Eira, why don’t you tell me?” he asked. “I hate to see you so upset.”
Why did he sound so concerned? It was creepy. I sighed. “I’m not good with crowds in small places.”
Zo looked at me skeptically. “That’s not what’s bothering you.”
I wanted to smack him. He couldn’t get the hint I didn’t want to talk about it. “It’s just the things the other soldiers are saying. They’re talking about me. They’re comparing me to someone and it doesn’t sound good.”
Zo smiled at me. “Don’t listen to them. They’re wrong.”
Was Zo really that dumb? “Who are they comparing me to?”
“A rebel who was spotted last night.” he admitted.
“Why are they comparing me to her?” I asked. “What did I do?”
Zo sighed. “They think you look like her.”
I furrowed my brow. “That’s it? That’s their reason? They’re comparing me to a trouble maker because we look similar?”
He sighed again. “You also share her name.”
Shit. I knew I should have come up with a fake name. I looked down at the floor. “My parents named me because of the time I was born. We had seen peace in the village for so many years they wanted my name needed to mean it. I never thought anyone else shared my name…”
“Don’t listen to them,” he encouraged. “You’re nothing like this rebel. She’s cold and heartless, which I know you’re not. And the name thing can be a coincidence. It’s a beautiful name and it suits you. No
t to mention you admitted you dye your hair and Azriel vouched for it. You have nothing to worry about.”
I nodded. He really was dumb, but I wasn’t about to complain. The more people I could convince I was a civilian trying to get by in life, the better.
“Besides, she doesn’t wear leather and ride motorcycles.”
Oh man… I was hoping he hadn’t seen me that day. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Zo.”
“Oh don’t be like that, Eira,” he teased. “I saw you on the back of that bike with your friend. You looked to be enjoying yourself.”
I forced my face to flush. “D–don’t tell anyone okay? I don’t like a lot of people knowing.”
“Guilty pleasure?” he guessed.
I nodded. “It’s not the bike part. I drive that all the time.”
He chuckled. “I get it. It’s the leather. But if I’m allowed to say, you looked good.”
I forced myself to blush more, instead of gagging, and averted my gaze. I didn’t need any images of him fanaticizing about me for some odd reason running through my head.
“So, tell me about your elven friend,” Zo said, changing the topic.
“What about her?” I asked.
“How did Zane end up with her as his date?” he clarified. “How do you know her?”
“Oh, that’s easy.” I smiled. “Elarinya is a longtime friend of mine.”
Zo blinked. “I’m a little confused.”
I laughed. “It’s all right. I confused everyone else too when she showed up. Elarinya, Rai, and I lived in the same village. She’s an old friend of my family’s; she acts like a mother to me when I need it, and like a sister the rest of the time.”
“So you remembered her after you lost your memory?” he questioned.
I shook my head. “It took me three weeks to remember her.”
“I see,” he mused. “What is she doing here now?”
“She’s living with us now,” I explained. “I bought a messenger hawk from a traveling caravan a few weeks ago and sent her a message about my progress. She was so excited and missed me so much she gained citizenship and now lives with us at the house.”
“Your family is very lucky to be so close with a member of the Lightshine family,” Zo commented.
I shrugged. “We’ve never seen it as anything special. I’ve always seen it as a normal thing.”
“Practice in humility.” Zo smiled. “An excellent trait to have. A trait the rebel you are being compared to doesn’t share.”
I wanted to sigh and leave. Zo was so stupid and I hated him insulting the real me. What he was saying about me may be true, but it still hurt. I hated who I was and his words only made it worse.
I gulp when Zo pulled me closer and move his hand closer to my butt. I pulled his hand back up to my lower back. “Please don’t do that, Zo.”
He chuckled and tried to move his hand again. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
I sighed and moved his hand back to my lower back. “I’m being serious, Zo, stop. It makes me uncomfortable.”
“All right, all right, s—”
“May I cut in?” Raikidan’s voice asked out of nowhere. The two of us turned to find him holding out his hand and waiting patiently.
Zo nodded. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice. She is your date after all.”
Zo moved away from me, much to my relief, and allowed Raikidan to take me by the hand. Zo retreated a little ways off but didn’t disappear into the crowd of party attendees. He stayed near the dance floor and watched.
Raikidan put his arms around me and forced me to dance with him. I exhaled slowly. “Thank you for saving me from him, but can we not dance?”
Raikidan chuckled. “I’d like to have my turn with you now. Besides, it’s the least I could do for being late and letting him take you. I shouldn’t have done that.”
I shrugged. “You didn’t know how to dance.”
He sighed. “It wasn’t that. I didn’t want to make you look like a fool for choosing me as a date for this thing, and I can’t even dance.”
I laughed. “What are you doing now?”
He chuckled. “I had time to watch Rylan and Ryoko.”
“Is that why you finally came to save me?” I asked.
Raikidan thought for a moment. “Partially. I also didn’t like how grabby Zo was getting. It was very disrespectful.”
I fought a real blush that tried to surface. He was sounding so protective of me, which normally I hated, but the way he said it, it was nice.
Raikidan spun me around, surprising me, and pulled me along on the dance floor. I had no idea where he learned all of this. Rylan couldn’t have done these moves with Ryoko, could he? He did like to show off for her sometimes, even if they were subtle most of the time. Where had he learned to cut in properly for that matter?
Raikidan spun me out to arms’ length and then spun me back to him. “You have something on your mind.”
“Trying to figure out how you knew how to cut in on my and Zo’s tortuous dance correctly, and not all caveman style,” I admitted.
Raikidan chuckled. “A brave soldier tried to cut in on Rylan and Ryoko but Ryoko refused and insisted on dancing with Rylan only.”
I smirked. “Rylan must have loved that.”
“He didn’t complain, that’s for sure,” Raikidan said with a grin. “And may I say, Zo is a horrible dancer and leader.”
My brow rose. “What?”
“You tripped at least half a dozen times with him, but here you are with me, not tripping.”
I blinked. He was right. I hadn’t tripped once since Raikidan took me as his partner. “I suppose you’re a better leader than I thought. Thank you, for not making me look like a fool.”
Raikidan pulled me close and dipped me with a grin. “You’re welcome.”
I wrapped my arms around him in surprise. “Don’t do that!”
He chuckled. “I’m not going to drop you.”
“I don’t care.”
He sighed and pulled back up. I went to hang my hands over his shoulders when Ryoko’s shouting caught my attention. Raikidan and I looked at each other and then Ryoko. She had a communicator held up to her ear and she was speaking frantically with someone. Raikidan and I rushed over to her to find out what was going on. Zane, Shva’sika, Argus, Blaze and his date also rushed over.
“Ryoko, what’s going on?” I demanded.
“Hold on,” she told the person on the other end of the communicator. “Seda says the military is raiding the house!”
My heart sank.
“What the fuck?” Zane shouted. “Why the hell would they do that?”
I looked at Zane in surprise. It wasn’t often Zane swore so freely.
Zo strolled over to us. “What seems to be the problem?”
“The problem? I think you know the problem, Zo!” Zane shouted. “What right does the military have to raid our house? What have we done?”
Zo blinked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“My babysitter is on the line,” Ryoko barked. “My daughter is freaking out and there are soldiers all over our house destroying our belongings! Don’t you dare tell me you have no idea what is going on.”
I was taken aback by the amount of anger rolling off Ryoko. This was not good.
“I honestly don’t know what’s going on,” Zo insisted.
“That’s because not everyone was let in on it,” a soldier stated as he approached. From the looks of it, he was a high-ranking officer, but since he wasn’t wearing a uniform, I wasn’t sure how high of a rank.
Zane narrowed his eyes. “I demanded to know what’s going on.”
The officer pointed at me aggressively. “She’s the reason.”
I flinched and shrunk back. This was bad. Raikidan stepped in front of me, creating a shield.
“What proof do you have to justify it?” Argus barked. “All I’ve been hearing all night long is how Eira resembles some low-life rebel. There’s no proof she is, just speculation, and it’s solely based on how she looks. That doesn’t justify a raid!”
The officer snorted. “I received a status report showing they couldn’t find any identification cards. Not on any of you. That’s suspicious in its own right.”
Zane growled. “I lock those away so they don’t go missing.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that you are possibly harboring a criminal,” the officer said.
“But we also don’t have enough proof showing that she is one,” a soldier said.
The officer glared at the soldier in attempt to silence him, but he didn’t back down, and other soldiers backed him up on his claim. Then the shouting began. People were pointing fingers, shouting and fighting. I hated this—hated knowing I was the cause. This is my fault… I should have just left…
The room was completely divided. There were those who were opposed to what the military was doing, those who thought the military was in the right, and then the rest who were trying to stay out of it. When the fighting became worse, I left. I couldn’t deal with it. I pushed past anyone who was in my way and headed for the balcony.
“Eira?” Raikidan called. “Eira!”
I didn’t stop. Not when I stumbled and not even to find out who Raikidan had punched. I didn’t stop until I was outside. I leaned against the railing of the balcony and held my arms close. What had I done? This was all happening because of me. If I hadn’t been so stupid I wouldn’t have put everyone in this situation.
“Eira?” Raikidan asked as he walked out onto the balcony. I didn’t answer him. He walked over to me and leaned against the railing. “Eira, talk to me.”
I looked away from him. “Just go away.”
“No. I’m not going anywhere.” I continued to look the other way. “Eira, please.”
Raikidan tried to place his hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off. “Don’t touch me.”
Pieces Page 33
