“No, I just can't breathe.”
She scoffed quietly to herself while continuing her work. “Then that means I’m doing it right. Hang in there, I'm almost done.”
“Ugh, I already hate prom,” I grumbled to myself as she tied the final bow. “How did I let Lacey talk me into this? I don't even have a date.”
“It’s a rite of passage,” she insisted. “Besides, you look amazing. None of the boys will be able to take their eyes off you.”
I rolled my eyes while she corrected my posture and brushed my hands over the skirt that billowed out around my waist. Elyse had spared our father the horror of taking me shopping for a prom dress. Although she’d had way too much fun playing dress-up and using me as her own personal Barbie doll, I indulged her sisterly affection and let her take me shopping. Even though I had no desire to follow in her footsteps and be a proper lady, I enjoyed our day together talking and laughing about books, movies, and boys. Trying on the dresses was pure torture, but everything in between had been great. I’d gotten used to her being around again, it’d be weird when she and Kevin got married in a couple months. I know they were just moving a few minutes away, but that would feel like forever and the house would definitely be quieter without her.
She tied off the corset strings on the back of the bodice and I rolled my eyes again. She and I both knew I didn't have the temperament to play the role of a fairytale princess. Though, as I looked at the girl in the mirror, I began to wonder if pretending would really be all that bad.
The black floor length gown was perfect for me, corseted around the bodice with gold and amber highlights. I looked at my face in the mirror and hardly recognized myself — a green eyed beauty with autumn colored hair curling down her back in gentle waves. Not even Jeff Atkins would have a snarky comment to make about my appearance.
Elyse noticed my appraisal while curling the last part of my hair and asked, “Do you like it?”
I nodded. “I just…”
“What?”
“I wish Mom was here.”
Her expression softened as she set down the curling iron and pulled me into a hug. “I know.”
I smiled into her shoulder then pushed away, grabbing my purse off of the bed. We heard the front door opening downstairs and we both looked at each other knowingly. “That would be my ride,” I stated nervously. “Thanks for doing this, Elyse. I couldn't have done it without you.”
She gave me another hug and smiled. “What are sisters for?”
I sighed when I heard them talking downstairs and looked out into the hallway. “Dad's going to want pictures, isn't he?”
Elyse grinned. “I might take a couple myself. It's not every day that I get to dress you up like this, it needs to be thoroughly documented.” My expression must have reflected the distaste I felt because she laughed at me, and shooed me out the door. “Go on, I'm right behind you.”
I chuckled to myself and took a deep breath before descending the stairs to the living room. Lacey and her date were there, along with another couple and my father. Lacey had her hair done up in a twist on the side of her face with a floor-length ball gown and chandelier earrings. I wanted to tell her that she looked lovely, but the way her date was looking at her I had no doubt that she had already been told. I recognized him as the one who had helped me in the theater and carried me down the ladder. He looked smashing in a simple black suit and tie, his hair brushed neatly to the side. She was blushing coyly and looking up at him as they held hands at the bottom of the stairs. When they heard me coming towards them they all looked up and smiled. “Wynn! Oh my gosh, you look incredible!”
“Thanks, so do you!”
“Nice to see you again, Wynn,” Phil told me with a smile, then looked nervously at my still bandaged hands. “Are you safe to dance?”
I laughed it off and smiled. “I’ll be fine, as long as you take it easy with me. I thought the sling would be a bit much, so I’ll have to be careful with my shoulder too.”
“Phil and Sam have both promised to dance with you, so you don’t have to worry about sitting alone at the table all night. We’re all going to have fun.”
I smiled at Phillip and Sam and offered a grateful nod, “Thank you guys for doing this.”
“Of course.”
Sam’s date didn’t look as happy about the arrangement, but everyone else seemed fine. “All right, you guys ready for some pictures?” Dad asked us from the foyer. I groaned, but the rest of them squealed with glee and stepped out onto the porch. There was a beautiful, crystal blue sky and the weather was pleasant, the perfect conditions for pictures. Dad arranged us in different poses and clicked photos of us incessantly. Nate watched us from the porch, making snide comments in the background until Dad finally made him stop.
I was grateful when the documentation had ended and he waved to us from the steps as we all piled into the back of Lacey’s mom’s minivan. “Sorry about the set of wheels,” she told me a little embarrassed. “But my mom’s making me drive it.”
“Hey, no worries. I don’t even have a car, so you’re one better than me already.”
“Why is that?” Lacey asked. “Didn’t you have one last year?”
I cleared my throat with an uncomfortable cough and said, “Yeah, I was in a bit of an accident a while ago. I haven’t saved up enough yet to replace it.”
“Oh, yeah! I heard about that,” Sam added from the back. “They said somebody in our class flipped their car off Millhouse Creek, I didn’t realize that was you.”
I blushed uncomfortably and nodded. “Yup.”
“Well, I personally, cannot wait until the dance,” Kate gushed from the seat beside me. “How about you, Lacey?”
“Oh, totally.”
They rambled on for the rest of the drive about hair and makeup, all the things I didn’t care about. Lacey was riding shot gun next to Phil and they held hands on the console between them as he drove. I couldn’t help but feel out of place among these obvious sets of couples. If prom was a rite of passage, then I was in for a heap of trouble. It was the social custom to bring a date to things like this, and once again I was rejecting the status quo. I didn’t want that to be my life anymore. I wanted to be a part of it.
I thought about the almost kiss I’d shared with Caleb and it made my cheeks flush. He was the one I wanted to be with me tonight, not Lacey or my friends, not even Ryan. I wanted to be with him. But that was kind of my curse though, wasn’t it? I was always wanting the wrong thing.
~ * ~
When we arrived at the University Ballroom, there was a line beginning to form as students waited to get inside. The Prom Committee was taking tickets at the door, checking ID’s, and greeting students as they passed. Thankfully, the line moved quickly and we were soon allowed inside.
It was decorated with an ethereal moon and stars décor, a hint of fog billowing out across the floor. It was like dancing on a cloud. I saw a table of our friends on the edge of the dance floor so I waved to them with my white gauzy hand and smiled.
Courtney looked devastatingly gorgeous, but when she saw me her mouth dropped. She and Travis were both sitting at the table and he followed her gawking stare to me standing in the doorway. His eyes bulged dramatically and he immediately choked on the ice in his drink. I snickered to myself and saw her quietly scold him as the rest of us walked over to them.
The other couples were all exquisitely dressed and talking excitedly amongst themselves. As I approached, their smiles faded and Amber gave me a nasty look, which gave me the distinct feeling that I still wasn't welcome. Jasmine whispered something that made her laugh and I fidgeted uneasily in my heels. I didn’t think it was possible to feel so alone in such a crowded room.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ryan and Monica approaching. It was an encounter I’d been dreading and still wasn’t entirely prepared for. “Hey guys,” I told them with false enthusiasm.
“Hey!” Ryan greeted warmly. He was in a charcoal grey suit with a white ros
e boutonniere and his hair gelled back — I had to admit he cleaned up well, though I wasn’t regretting my decision to end things with him. It wasn’t fair to him and it wasn’t fair to me. Now he could move on and date other people, even if those people happened to include Monica Nichols.
Monica was wearing a red dress that fell just below her knees, a stark contrast to the dingy green aura that swirled around her.
“Hi, Monica!” I greeted while Lacey and Phillip both rolled their eyes.
Ryan nudged her with his elbow. “Monica, didn't you have something to say?”
She fidgeted uncomfortably and stared at the ground in front of her. “Yeah … I just wanted to say what you did at the theater the other week … that was pretty cool.”
“See was that so hard?” he asked. She rolled her eyes and escaped to another table while Lacey and I both glanced at each other and smiled. “I guess that's as good as it’s going to get. Would you like to dance?”
I laughed uncomfortably. “Are you sure?” He grinned and offered me his hand before leading us off onto the dance floor. “This isn’t weird for you?”
Ryan shrugged. “It’s a little weird,” he confessed. “But it’s worth it to dance with Cinderella.”
I blushed. “It’s kind of weird. I’m not used to having lots of people look at me.”
“They’re just not used to seeing you dressed up like this.”
“Well, you don’t seem surprised.”
There was a long pause before he muttered, “I already knew you were beautiful.”
I smiled and rested my head against his shoulder as he danced us in a circle. When the song ended he walked me back towards our table and went to go smooth things over with Monica. Lacey and Phillip were on the dance floor, so I touched Katie on the arm and said, “I'm gonna go get some drinks. Do you want anything?”
She shook her head and smiled so I excused myself from the table and went to find the buffet.
On the dance floor couples were bumping and grinding against each other while some pop song blared through the sound system. Auras mixed and mingled, and when I noticed a couple kissing it gave me pause to think. The way their essences blended into one made me think just how intimate the simple action was. I wondered if people knew how much of themselves they gave away in that one kiss, if they’d be more careful with who they shared that with.
“You want a picture, pervert?” the boy behind me goaded.
My cheeks flushed red at being caught as I rushed off towards the punch bowl. Fabulous. Now they think I'm a pervert. I hate socializing, I commiserated to myself.
I stirred the bowl of punch more vigorously than I should have, splashing sticky red liquid onto the counter top. Great, I thought grabbing a napkin from the table. This is going to be more difficult than I thought. I began to wipe off the table, cleaning up the mess I made.
“That color suits you,” a voice complimented me from behind. I recognized it immediately and turned around to see Aidan leaning against the buffet.
I swallowed carefully, acknowledging him with a nod. “Good evening.”
“Good evening to you, my pet. Your dress is exquisite, and black seems fitting don't you think? I bet your date would like to rip it off with his teeth.”
I blushed feverishly as his eyes trailed my body and I pulled my shawl up over my shoulders with the fingers I had free. “What did you come here for? I don't know how Lacey talked me into coming to this stupid dance,” I mumbled to myself.
“You don't like dancing?”
“No, I love to dance. I’m just not very good.”
“Well, you're in luck because I happen to be an excellent teacher.”
He took a step towards me and offered me his hand. His flawless, Grecian face leaned into mine and commanded, “Dance with me.”
“No one can see you…” I argued feebly.
Aidan smiled and informed me, “It makes no difference since they can’t see you either. I cast an invisibility charm the minute I appeared.”
“I’m … invisible?”
“It’s just us. Dance with me,” he repeated, still holding out his hand.
I should have told him “no”, or tried to get away, but for some reason I found myself placing my hand in his and letting him lead me towards the dance floor. His deep, brown eyes never left mine as he placed his hand on the small of my back and pulled me along into the rhythm. I was kicking myself internally, but for some reason I could not escape him.
He wrapped his arms around me and twirled me across the floor. The music from the band was muffled and replaced with a music of our own. Our legs moved in sync with one another as I looked up at him. The expression on his face was unrecognizable. I wanted to say it was affection, but it was deeper than that, and darker — possessive, needy, and hungry.
As our own music grew louder in my ears it seemed like the rest of the room had disappeared. He led and I followed, hesitantly at first and then allowing the magnetic pulse to take over me. My breath caught as he pulled me close and leaned me down into a dip, my head tilting back in complete submission. I’d never danced like this before, but then again, I’d never had such a competent partner.
Everything around me was getting foggy and I felt as though I’d been drugged. The only thing I cared about was the music and my partner leading me, his arms wrapped tight around me. What am I doing? I asked myself. This is crazy! Have you forgotten all the reasons you decided to leave him?
“Fretting over your date?” Aidan asked with mild amusement when he noticed my furrowed brow. “It’s just a few stolen moments. I'll return you when I'm done.”
“I don’t have a date,” I conceded.
Aidan smiled deviously. “Oh good, then I don’t have to share you.”
Our eyes met when his fingers ran down my back and he spun me in a circle around the room. It occurred to me that I might be getting in a little over my head, but my feet and hands would not obey me and I had no will to stop.
Maybe that’s how the road to perdition starts. I was dancing with the devil, wasn’t that the famous beginning to any witch?
I couldn’t deny he was an amazing dancer. My feet were twirling across the floor without a care and his hands maintained a commanding lead. I could spend all night like this and not even realize time had passed. Dark couples began surrounding us and joining in the frivolity, and it reminded me too much of the time that Mammon had challenged me in the theater. The smile on my lips faded as I looked up at my partner. “Why are you really here?” I asked. “You and I both know you didn’t come here for a dance.”
He raised an eyebrow to challenge me. “Didn’t I? We left on rotten terms last time and I wanted to make one last appeal to gain your favor. All you have to do is come with me, submit to my will and there is nothing I would deny you. I could make this world your playground … you're a demon, Wynn, accept that. This dress and that ridiculous glamour you’re wearing may make you look like one of them, but you never will be. You hide your beautiful, serpentine self, but let go of that spell in your mind and your ‘friends’ would all run screaming. Why not come home to me, where you would be accepted for what you are, around your own kin. When your mother and I made that deal twenty years ago it sealed your fate forever, tainting your blood with her demon's magical energy. My energy. We're bound together, you and I — it's destiny.”
A pregnant silence fell between us while he waited for my answer. I didn't so much as dare look at him, but I had the feeling his eyes never left me for a second. I bit my lip while absentmindedly tugging at the fabric of his sleeve and admiring the broadness of his shoulders. My palms were getting sweaty and I was feeling light headed. Though he tried to conceal his smile, I knew Aidan was doing something. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d been drugged, or if he was using some kind of mind control. It was even a little enjoyable feeling so free from the stress that usually plagued me, but I didn’t like not being in control of all my senses — something was very wrong. Then all at once
I had a weightless feeling in my stomach and I knew help had come.
Whatever spell had been cast on me was broken and my eyes glanced frantically around the room until I found him. I would recognize Caleb’s presence anywhere. I should have known that he would come.
He was standing by one of the far tables of the edge of the dance floor, looking urgent, and I felt my blood run cold. Aidan was perceptive enough to notice my distraction, but didn’t cease the hypnotic dancing for a minute. Caleb’s presence in the room was like a cold dash of water and I began to see how very wrong Aidan’s offer was, because in truth, there was no comparison. An eternity in darkness, or a lifetime with family and loved ones, however short it was. I turned back to him, “I want to control my own destiny,” I told him. “This isn’t what I want.”
“And what do you want?” he asked smoothly. “All the hurt, all the pain … would disappear if you'd just surrender yourself to me.”
I swallowed hard and looked away, hoping that he didn’t notice the way my eyes flickered across the room to the boy standing there. “You already know the answer to that.”
His eyes were cold when he responded and brought our dancing to a halt. “Yes, I think I do. You can pine for that pathetic Guardian all you want, but he'll never have you,” Aidan mocked. “The Elders won't allow it.”
“His name is CALEB!” I almost spat at him, “and it’s never been about him!”
“I saw the way he was looking at you,” Aidan mused. “And you seem to keep forgetting you're not the only one who can see his aura … or yours. He may be one of God's anointed, but trust me, he’s still a man.”
“That's ridiculous! Our relationship’s not like that,” I said defensibly.
“Your soul belongs to me, even if I have to rip it from your cold, dead body,” Aidan growled.
Panic began to set in as I realized that he had danced me into a corner, blocking my only way out.
Caleb came towards me through the crowd, looking urgent and somewhat panicked. I wanted to go to him, but Aidan had me trapped. “Wynn! I’ve got to tell you…” he shouted from the crowd.
Dealing with the Devil (The Earthwalker Trilogy Book 1) Page 32
