Tease

by Mary E. Twomey

  Ezra was frustrated with my stubborn streak as we sat around the dining room table in the mansion. “And you don’t see the problem with that? I’ll not send my daughter into a land filled with zombies.”

  “Hello, I fought just fine against an army of them with Finn and Kabayo.”

  Clearly this was the wrong thing to say. Ezra narrowed his eyes at me and set his fork down. “Rethink your argument, young lady. This isn’t something you simply waltz into. If Mason’s not back yet, there’s a reason. I’ve never known him to dawdle when there’s work to be done.”

  Von sat back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, as if the whole conversation bored him. “You want to help me out, here?” I asked him. “Mason’s ours, and you’re just going to let him keep being lost?”

  Von shrugged, and then started tapping his fingers on the table lazily. “Ezra’s the boss. Sooner you learn that, the happier you’ll be. This is what it is to have a dad, love.”

  I scowled at Von as Graham, Alton and Boston made plans with Ezra, discussing where they would go searching for Mason first. That night, Von insisted we sleep at our house, not the mansion, which was probably best. I didn’t appreciate being “you tiny little woman’d” out of the search party. Being in a different house kept me from shooting daggers at Ezra, who couldn’t have cared less that I was pissed.

  Von was distracted that night as we got ready for bed. The search party consisted of his brothers (all except for Danny), and they were to leave in two days when Kabayo had time to port them down into Terraway and escort them through Sombi.

  When the doorbell rang at ten o’clock at night, I was expecting maybe Gabby, and a group ready to mess up the house they’d just put back together. Instead it was Danny, hands in his pockets and scowl on his face. “You got an extra room I can stay in?” he asked gruffly.

  “Um, sure. Everything alright?”

  I’d barely stepped back from the doorway when Danny brushed past me. “It’s fine. What, we’re the perfect couple? We’re not allowed to have a row?”

  “Well, you’re not allowed to leave her unattended. That much I know. You want me to send Von to take your place for the night and watch her?”

  Danny scoffed. “Please, I didn’t leave my charge unattended. Alton is staying with her. And I didn’t leave-leave her. I just want one whole night where I don’t have to hear her complain that I won’t learn how to dance for the fake wedding we have to have in Terraway. One entire night is all I ask.” When I opened my mouth, he shot a sharp, “And I don’t want to hear any of it from you, either! I keep her safe, and I’m the best Reaper there is. I don’t need to dance around like a fool on top of it just to prove something to her.”

  I held up my hands. “I was only going to say that you can have Allie’s room until she wakes up. So long as Mariang knows where you’re at, my house is yours.”

  “Just for tonight would be good. And she knows I’m here. Cheers, October. It’s been a long day.”

  I texted Mariang that Danny was staying the night with Von and me, just to make sure, knowing I would worry if Von stormed out in the middle of the night. She answered back with a glib, “Best of luck to you and Von. He’s in a mood.”

  Von came out of the bathroom, his shoulders falling at the company. “Oh. Hallo, Danny. Didn’t realize you were staying here tonight.”

  “I don’t dance!” he belted out as the reason he was allowed to be surly.

  Von scratched his head in confusion. “What did I say?”

  “Never mind. Just go back to bed. I’ll stay out of your hair.”

  “Mariang’s angry because you won’t dance with her?”

  Danny nodded. “At the reception in Terraway. I wanted to marry her, not have a giant party where I’m trussed up like a Christmas turkey, parading around in front of Terraway like a bloody muppet.”

  “Oh, is that all? Danny, dancing’s no big deal. It lets your woman know you’ll be good in bed.”

  “Huh?” I quirked my eyebrow at Von, never having made this connection before.

  Danny groaned and rolled his eyes. “Mariang already knows I’m good in bed. Dancing’s got nothing to do with that.”

  Von searched through his phone for a Rat Pack song with just enough bounce in it. Then he held his arms out to me with a more serious expression than he usually cared to wear. “Now, watch. Bring your stomach tight to hers.” He demonstrated for his brother, using me as the visual display. “This does two things: It shows her you’re not afraid of her body, and it’ll make her suck her stomach in and push her breasts out, giving you more to look at.”

  I looked down and realized that’s exactly what just happened. “Oh, whoa. That’s freaky. How’d you know I’d suck in my stomach?”

  “Darling, I’m very good in bed.” Von’s natural response oozed out of him, coating me with his charm as he started swaying to the music.

  Danny groaned. “I came here to escape all the dancing, not get a private lesson in my own personal torture.”

  “Boy, are you in for a surprise if you ever do get legitimately tortured. It’s nothing at all like dancing with a beautiful woman.”

  I beamed up at Von, who soaked in my smile at the compliment. “You think I’m beautiful.”

  “If you gaze adoringly like that at me for stating the obvious, then I’ll just keep doing it. Your eyes are stunning, you know. And your lips...” Von tugged my lower lip between his, giving us both just enough affection to invoke the swirl of colors and sounds that made us sigh with elation.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll just go to the mansion if you two nutters clearly need this much privacy.”

  Von reached out and gripped Danny’s arm. “No, no. Come on, mate. I’ll teach you how to sweep Mariang off her feet. Worked on this one before she even knew she fancied me.”

  “It’s true,” I nodded, stepping out of the dance so Von could instruct Danny. “I thought he was ugly and gross, and then he danced with me, and it scrambled my brains. Now I have all these weird sexual fantasies about Fred Astaire and the guy who does Riverdance.”

  Von narrowed his eyes at me. “Hey, now. Don’t oversell it. He’ll never buy that any woman thought I was ugly and gross.” He stood across from Danny. “Nearly every song either has a three-count or a four-count. It’s basically two steps you need to learn, and everything else falls into place. Easy enough.”

  Danny set his bag on the floor, his hands over his face. “I don’t care how easy it is! I don’t want to parade around in front of Terraway like a monkey.”

  “Well, if you dance like a monkey, you’re doing it all wrong.” Von dropped his bravado and gripped Danny’s shoulders. “Look, Mariang puts up with a lot from you, and she asks for very little. This’ll be good for you to learn, yeah? Just because you landed the girl doesn’t mean you ever stop auditioning for the role.”

  I could tell Danny wanted to argue this point, but his shoulders drooped in defeat. “Fine. Show me enough to get by and fake that I know what I’m doing, and then let’s turn in.”

  Von smiled at his younger brother and gathered me up in his arms again, swaying gently to the beat without any fancy steps or twirls that would only scare Danny. “See? It’s just counting until you get so familiar with the steps, your brain doesn’t need to count any longer.”

  Danny studied Von’s feet with his monster of Frankenstein eyebrows pushed together, as if the more serious his expression was, the better he’d be at mimicking the simple steps. “Fine, but if word gets out that I came here for dance lessons, I won’t waste a moment pounding you both into the ground.”

  “No one would believe you can be sweet, so don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with us.” I let Von twirl me out and then pull me back in, our matching smiles growing at the intimacy and flirtation we could have in plain sight.

  Von released me and motioned for Danny to take his place. Danny glowered as he stood across from me, as if this was all my bright idea. He gave a few false starts of holding up hi
s arms in different poses, unsure which was the correct one. Finally, he slumped. “I don’t know what to do with my hands.”

  Von was patient, and I noted his lack of sleazy comments that would only make us both uncomfortable. He positioned Danny’s hands, one holding mine out to the side, and the other loosely around my waist as the music played a nonthreatening ditty. “Well, start!” Danny growled at me.

  “I don’t know how to dance,” I admitted. “I just do what Von does, and somehow it works out.”

  Danny harrumphed and moved back from me. “Are you having a laugh with this? You’re giving me a partner who’s even more clueless than I am? How does that measure out?”

  Von was unperturbed at the setback. “It doesn’t matter if the woman knows how to dance. You lead, so if you know how to do this properly, she’ll learn to fall in step. Didn’t you see how incredible she was when I danced with her? It’s because I knew what I was doing. Rally, soldier. You can do it.”

  Danny glared at me in silent warning not to mess him up. I gulped, nervous before we’d even began. Danny was finally trying to be sweet for Mariang, and I was determined not to make the kindness evaporate before she could benefit from it.

  “Just side to side to start,” Von instructed. “Danny, what’d I tell you about holding the girl close? How’s she supposed to know where your body’s going if she can’t feel it?” Von gently moved me closer so my hips pressed to Danny’s. My surly older brother’s eyes widened as a look of alarm crossed his features at our close proximity. Von was in charge, which finally relaxed us both. “Easy, Danny. Dancing will be simple for you once you give it a few tries. You’re good at anything physical, and this is just one more problem you use your body to solve.” Then Von leaned in and whispered to Danny something that made his eyes turn to saucers when they fell on me.

  “Seriously, guys. This is embarrassing enough. Keep the secrets for another day,” I groused.

  Danny swallowed hard and tightened his arm around me, trying to communicate strength and know-how so I’d follow him. He stood straighter, and this time when his foot moved to the side, mine slid out at the same degree. We were basically shuffling from side to side, but we were doing it together, which was a first. “Am I doing it?” Danny asked, perplexed that his feet were puzzling through the invisible maze.

  “You are. And what’s more, November’s moving with you. If you can get a willful one like her to follow your lead, you’ll have no problem with Mariang.”

  After a few more minutes of the mindless shuffle that Danny was so proud of himself for, Von introduced a simple waltz step. As it turns out, the waltz was far more complicated when I was paying attention to what I was doing, rather than just following Von’s or Judge’s lead. It took a few false starts, but eventually we started moving to the song like we actually knew what we were doing. We were stiff and unpracticed, but we were dancing.

  I smiled up at Danny, who scowled at me to make sure none of my softness leapt into his personality. He didn’t want me to pollute his storm clouds with my ponies and unicorns. “You’re dancing, Danny! I’m so proud of you.”

  His arm tightened around me in silent threat. “Shut it. You’ll make me lose count.”

  I pretended to faint in his arms, my southern lilt ramping up to full force. “Oh, your charm! It’s just sweeping me off my feet! Whatever shall I do?” I righted myself and cast him up a scolding look. “This is the part where you don’t spend the whole time counting in your head. You’re supposed to make flirty chitchat with Mariang, so make sure you can do this without counting out every beat.”

  “I’m not worried about romancing you. Of course I’ll talk to her when we’re...” He sobered and looked over hopelessly at Von, who tried to hide his smile. “But if I talk, I’ll lose count!”

  “Not to worry. A little more practice, and your feet will know what they’re doing without your brain having to tell them.”

  We danced for a little while longer until Danny started getting confused, overthinking everything and messing up the parts he’d already mastered.

  Von ran his hand over his face, and I could tell he was getting tired. “I’m thirsty. Carry on, and I’ll be back in a moment. Danny, you’re brilliant. The quicker you realize that, the sooner your surly mug stops tripping your feet. You want a beer?”

  “Will a beer make me better at this?”

  “Couldn’t hurt.”

  “Cheers, Von. Whatever you’ve got.”

  Von left the room, ensuring that Danny started counting out loud, which for some reason tripped me up even more. We had devolved to eighth grade dance stance – where a whole person could fit between us. “You’re doing real good, Danny. And hey, this is totally sweet that you’re learning all this to make Mariang happy. My guess is that even if you end up sucking at dancing, it won’t matter – she’ll be so romanced that you tried, that she’ll think you’re fresh off the cast of Rent.”

  Danny paused, suddenly forlorn. “You really think I’m still rubbish at this?”

  I took in his slumped shoulders and dejected demeanor. “Hey, not at all. I just mean you don’t have to be so hard on yourself. You’re great at this,” I lied. “I can’t believe this is your first time. Maybe you could try not looking at your feet, though. That might help.”

  Danny straightened and pulled me flush to him, like he was supposed to. He waited until he caught the downbeat and locked his eyes with mine as he started the waltz. “Like this?” His stare was intense as he tried to get everything perfect; he looked borderline psychotic, with too much intensity.

  “Um, could you look nicer maybe? Just a little less like you might murder me in my sleep.”

  “Oh, sorry. You’re like, the third person to say that to me today.” His gaze softened, making him appear younger, kinder, and without his signature surliness I was accustomed to.

  “Much better.” My heartrate started to pick up as the intimacy of the close proximity mingled with such focused eye contact. “Yeah. Exactly like this. Mariang will love it.” My hand naturally slid up his bicep to touch his shoulder. I’m not sure why it made me blush, but now I was the one who had a hard time keeping track of the beats. I could feel Danny’s heart thudding against mine, so to break the weird vibe that was settling between us, I crossed my eyes while we waltzed. “Do you think I’m sexy when I look into your eyes like this?” I asked, drawing out a small smile from him, which counted as a win for me.

  “It’s the most attracted I’ve ever been to you. Maybe it’s the way you’re doing your hair.” Then Danny broke the waltz to muss my hair beyond a two-second tousle. He put me in a headlock and frizzed the top of my head until I twisted myself out of his grip. Instead of letting the razzing end at that, I jumped on Danny’s back and messed up his hair, laughing when he looped his arms around my legs to give me a piggyback ride. He carried me into the kitchen, actually smiling the whole way, knowing he was being fun, and that the privacy my house provided was the place he was free to do just that.

  Von’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Ho! What’d I miss? Did you buy yourself a smashing new horse, Peach?”

  “I did. Isn’t he pretty?” I took the opened beer Von handed me and tipped it to Danny’s lips, who drank with only a little dribbling down his chin.

  “Absolutely stunning. Tell me, do you think your horse can dance well enough for our princess yet?”

  “I think Danny can do just about anything he puts his mind to.” I took a chance and pressed a kiss to the back of his head, smirking when the nape of his neck turned rosy.

  Danny’s head shrunk down into his shoulders. “Okay, okay. Stop it with the cutesy girl stuff you always do. I’m not your dolly.”

  I hugged him around the chest, resting my cheek on the back of his head. “Yes, you are. My little Prince Danny doll who never sasses me. Such a little love bug!”

  Danny rolled his eyes and shot to Von, “Does she come with an off button?”

  “She does, but not one you’r
e allowed to go fishing for. I was thinking of turning in. You guys tired yet?”

  Danny had only just turned on his personality, and I was keyed up at having Von back in one functional piece. “Movie night first? Just one movie, not a marathon. Please?” I begged with my beamiest smile. “Danny never gets to watch the violent movies. We have to save him!”

  “Nothing with a deep plot or anything where there’s a higher point,” Danny demanded. “I want nonsensical blood and guts.”

  “Like there’s any other kind. I know just the thing.”

  “Okay, but then I go to sleep,” Von ruled, too pleased that his brother was being playful to rain on our parade. He followed us into the living room, turning on the TV and spreading out on the couch that was too new to have comfortable divots yet. Danny dumped me onto the cushion next to Von, unlocking my giggles as Von and I wrestled for the remote. We were a family, and it was the very best kind of night.

  Thirty-Six.

  Sneaking Out

  The movie was the kind of gory where too many extras die, and you don’t feel a thing for a single one of them. It was my favorite kind of bloodbath. Danny fell asleep on the couch, his head tipped back as he snored softly beside me.

  “Do you want to know a secret?” Von asked quietly with a coy smile.

  “You’re kind of adorable when you look at me like that. Is your secret that you like to dress up in my underwear and dance around in the moonlight? Because I’ve got to tell you, I already knew that one.”

  “Oh, you. My secret is that while I’ve been entertaining myself prancing around in your knickers, I’ve been completely blood-free for three days.”

  I froze next to him, trying to keep the alarm off my face. “Um, is that okay? Isn’t blood kind of one of those vampire non-negotiables?”

  Von shrugged. “Your kiss breaking the curse of me craving it so often opened up my mind. I started wondering if I’m only drinking out of desire rather than actual need. People ditch meat and go vegetarian all the time. What if this is no different?”