Ben felt his stomach churn as he watched Alistair. He couldn't say anything bad about him, or that he didn't like him, but the thought of him with Amara made him sick.
As long as she's happy. He told himself as he slipped on his own suit jacket and smoothed out the sides.
"Leah has a tendancy to be a...bit bossy." He avoided calling her a ** even though she could be, especially to him. But she was his sister and he loved her and he was happy that she had arranged for this dance. He secretly hoped he would be able to single Amara out for at least one, even if he had to stomach watching her with Alistair the rest of the time.
He looked over at Arashi who surprisingly enough was looking wide awake and put together.
Leah will be happy.
His phone beeped and he looked at the display.
"Leah just sent me a message." He informed everyone. "She wants us to go ahead and they'll meet us there."
"Probably wants to make an entrance." Uri observed then looked at Liam. "I guess we're the only ones not dancing then."
"I think it we'd have a hard time at it," Liam replied with a smile to the wolf-lion.
Alistair walked over to the door and opened it, then turned back to the others.
"Let's not keep them waiting then," he said, unusually cheerfully, and proceeded out of the room and toward the ballroom. Liam gave a shrug to Uri and followed him out of the room.
-
"Hmm...I'm not sure what to get," Elia said as she sat down at the bar. "What are you getting, Aeron?"
"Pinot gris." He said taking the seat next to her. "Do you even really drink?"
He suddenly flashed back to Samora knocking back the vodka back at her hotel room and he had to keep himself from smirking.
She is an interesting woman. He caught himself thinking and quickly shook it off turning his attention back to Elia.
-
"Whoa, this place is amazing." Ben said as he gazed about the massive room. Silk white runners billowed out from the ceiling and stretched down to the pilars that supported the roof and a beautiful crystal chandelier adorned the center of the ceiling. There was a band playing to one side of the room and dining tables were set to the other side leaving a wide area for dancing in between. "I guess Leah wasn't kidding when she said it was fancy."
His phone beeped again.
/Heads up, we're on our way./
"They're coming." He told Alistair and Arashi then took a deep breath to steady himself. If he knew his sister, they would look amazing.
"What, you don't think I can?" she asked, shooting him a glare. "Give me a chardonnay."
She took a long sip and smirked.
"I've got to do something to wash away the innocent romantics I've been forced to dabble in."
-
Liam sat in a chair next to Uri and rested his head in his hands. He looked around the room and sighed.
"It is pretty nice up here. I guess it's not a total loss."
He looked over at the other guys waiting for the girls, then at Uri.
"So, Uri, how do wolf-lions uh...court?"
-
Alistair turned to face the door, pulling at his suit jacket nervously. He knew she was going to look beautiful but he was still sure she would take his breath away regardless. He only hoped she would find him equally attractive. He ran a gloved hand through his hair and took a deep breath to calm himself.
"I think that's them," he said as the doors to the ballroom swung open.
It had been years since Aeron laughed. It was loud and hearty and sounded just
plain weird. He coughed to silence his sudden outbust and rose his glass to
Elia.
"I'll drink to that." He said before taking a long sip.
-
Uri blinked surprised at Liam and chuckled.
"Well," He said sitting up, "courting usually involves a male demonstrating
courage and agility and the female will decide if he is a suitable mate or
not. Sometimes though, what you'd call marriage is arranged while the
prospective couple is still young. When they are older they have to prove that
they are both deserving of the partnership."
-
Leah was the first to enter the ballroom. As soon as he saw her, Ben's eyes widened and all he could do was shake his head. It wasn't that her little black dress was entirely inappropriate, but the plunging v-neck and thigh length hemline would have given their dad a heart attack. It was nice to see that her hair was up and out of her face though.
"What are you wearing?" He whispered as she walked by to stand next to Arashi.
"I'd think it was obvious." She retorted then turned her attention to her date. "You look great."
Samora was the next to enter. She was wearing a strapless cobalt blue dress with a corset. The skirt flared at the hip and came down just above her knees. It looked lovely set against her violet red hair and made her sky blue eyes shine like stars.
"You look beautiful." Ben told her sincerely.
"Thanks." She said smiling at the compliment, though she secretly wished Aeron was there to see her two. She stood next to Leah who nudged her and inclined her head to Alistair and Ben. She was counting on their reactions to be priceless and she wanted Samora as a witness.
After taking a deep breath, Amara lightly stepped into the ballroom. The glowing light from the chandelier shone off her crisp white dress and made her skin look tanned golden by contrast. The straps were thin, the neckline scooped down just low enough to be flattering yet tasteful and her hemline came up above her knees. The dress accentuated her curves perfectly and the skirt swayed gently as she walked. Her black hair was curled and piled loosely atop her head, thick ringlets spilled down her back and hung over her shoulder.
Ben held his breath as he watched her glide past him and stop just a few steps short of Alistair. He felt like he was being stabbed through the heart when he saw her smile shyly at the red head.
"You look amazing." She told him as she fidgeted with her skirt feeling both awkward and pretty in her dress.
Elia raised an eyebrow at Aeron's behavior but shrugged it off. She took a long sip and sighed.
"I'm surprised you haven't been assigned to something new, or are you staying under the radar so the Triune forgets about you?"
-
"Hmm, that doesn't sound too different from humans really," Liam said as he watched the others. "I wonder if that's instinctive in everyone."
-
"Amara...wow, you look incredible," Alistair said as he took her in. He gave a little bow and offered his hand to her.
"Shall we?" he said smoothly and flashed her a charming grin.
"I'm surprised as well." Aeron said returning to his comfotable cold demeanor, "I'll probably be getting a new assignment shortly." He took another sip from his wine before continuing. "I doubt the Triune would forget about me even if I wanted them to. It's only a matter of time before my head is on the chopping block. Heh, in fact I'm sure Lau will be the one swinging the ax."
-
Uri nodded in agreement with Liam.
"It is a possibility." He said smiling at the boy, "Although, it really does seem that humans like to complicate things quite a bit."
-
Samora looked at the couple with a tinge of envy. The way they looked at each other was like no one else was in the room with them and it was almost a bit intimidating. It just LOOKED like they belonged together. Then she glanced at Ben and frowned. It was obvious he was not too happy at the moment.
"Hey, you coming?" She asked stepping up to his side and hooking her arm around his.
"Huh?" He said coming out of his depressed daze then gave Samora a friendly grin. "Yeah, sorry about that. Let's go."
-
Amara gingerly took Alistair's hand not caring where he led her to. He looked so handsome and he was so charming it made her breath catch in her chest.
"This was a good idea." She whispered to him then remembered their conversation that morning at breakfast. "Oh, did you have something to tell me? You mentioned you wanted to talk before you left this morning."
"Don't talk like that," Elia chided him. "Who the hell else am I going to talk to if you're gone?"
-
"That's true," Liam said with a nod. "I guess it's in our nature to make too much of things."
-
"Hmm?"
Alistair was so content just slowly dancing with Amara and watching her that he almost missed her comment.
"Oh, yes. I just...wanted to talk about what happened with you and Uri. I know you're upset about all of it."
He looked at her and remembered the first time they danced. The memory brought a smile to his face.
"Let's not spoil the moment with that though. Let's just enjoy ourselves."
He twirled her around, then dipped her downward, flashing a grin down at her before bringing her back up.
Aeron gave her a serious look.
"Or they could order you to do it." He said quietly, then shrugged off the comment, "Everyone is dying Elia, it's just a matter of when."
-
Ben danced absentmindedly with Samora, constantly looking over at Amara and Alistair. Seeing that his attention was divided, Samora let out a labored sigh.
"Why don't you just ask her to dance?" She finally said getting his attention. "I'm sure one dance will be fine."
"Huh?" Ben said coming around, "Oh, no I couldn't leave you alone like that."
"I don't think it'll make much of a difference." She commented lightly with a smirk and he smiled back.
"I'll make it up to you." He said brightening up. "Do you know how to lindy hop?" He laughed at her expression. "It's a type of swing dance. Amara and I used to...ya know, I think I will ask her. Hey, why don't you call Aeron?"
"You think that would be ok?" She asked looking concerned. He nodded and passed her his phone before crossing the dancefloor to where Amara and Alistair were.
-
Uri was watching the scene on the dancefloor with interest and directed Liam to look as well.
"Case in point." He said indicating Ben. "My young friend there is going to make a very rash decision."
-
Amara dipped back against Alistair feeling completely comfortable in his arms. She wanted nothing more than to stay with him like that forever, but the song was quickly coming to its end.
As soon as the music closed, Amara felt a light tapping on her shoulder.
"May I cut in?" Ben asked politely a charmingly boyish smile playing on his lips. Amara gave Alistair a quick glance before accepting the invitation. He quickly told the band what song he wanted and Amara laughed merrily when it started to play.
"Just no flips." She told him indicating the dress and he gracefully conceded blushing slightly.
"Geez, we're trying to have a good time here. No need to get so macabre," she said, taking the last sip of her chardonnay before ordering another.
-
"He's playing pretty dangerously all right," Liam agreed. "So do wolf-lions know when they're beaten? As far as mating I mean."
-
Alistair frowned as he watched Ben lead Amara away. He knew he was being irrational, but he didn't care. He sighed and saw that Samora was without a partner, but she seemed to be busy trying to call someone so he walked over to where Liam and Uri were to sit.
"I'm sorry." He said dryly then finished off the rest of his wine as well. His phone buzzed and he checked it discreetly wondering if he was getting a new assignment already.
"Huh, Samora is calling." He told Elia before answering the phone. "This is Aeron. Really? And that's alright? Very well, I'll see you in fifteen minutes." He hung up and ordered another pinot gris.
"So, what are your plans for tomorrow then?"
-
"They'll persist until the female makes her decision." Uri informed him. He noted Alistair was making his way over to their table and lowered his voice to Liam so Alistair wouldn't hear. "Better not say anything. No need to stir it up any more than it is."
-
After Samora hung up with Aeron, she felt instantly lighter. Then she realised she was standing alone on the dancefloor and decided to go to where Uri, Liam and Alistair were and watch Ben and Amara dance.
"Wow, they're pretty good." She thought impressed. She looked over at Alistair and gave him a friendly smile. Aeron wasn't going to be there for a little while and this music sounded fun. "Do you want to dance?"
Elia shrugged and set her glass down.
"Well I know he'll want to see me again. I just don't have any particular activity plan. I guess I'll have to make my mind up soon. I don't suppose you have any ideas for dates," she said, trailing off toward the end and smiling slyly.
-
"Yes," Alistair replied cordially and led her out to the dancing area. Liam watched them for a moment, then turned to Uri.
"So, I am gauging this situation right, right? Alistair and Amara have a thing but Ben is hung up on her. So why doesn't he just move on to someone else?"
Aeron took a long sip from his wine as he thought about it.
"Make yourself vulnerable." He advised. "If he's busy comforting you, he'll forget his own pain for a time. But that's only a suggestion."
-
Uri blinked at Liam considering the question.
"He's cared about her for quite some time now." He said, "Ever since they were kids and he just found out about them. Could you give up something you love so quickly?"
-
Amara let out a laugh as Ben tossed her in the air and whipped her around his back. She landed on her feet gracefully and continued the jig with him without a hitch.
"It's been forever since we've done this!" She said as she swung her hips and kicked in rhythm with Ben. He pulled her into a spin and expertly executed a flip over her as she twirled underneath him. "When did you learn that?"
"I had to improvise." He replied smiling broadly, "Since I can't flip you, ya know."
He finished off the dance with a double suicide dip to the floor seperated by a quick spin. He pulled her back up and beamed at her, both very out of breath from the energetic dance. The room broke out in a cheer as the music concluded and the two blushed on the spot before bowing to the crowd. A cute brunette clapped enthusiastically and gave Ben a shy wave.
"I think you have an admirer." Amara commented spotting the girl and gave Ben a little nudge. "You should ask her to dance."
"I, uh." He glanced from Amara to the girl, "I think I'll just sit out for awhile, that jig took it out of me. Thanks though, Mar." He walked her the table where the others were seated and had to force himself to keep a smile on his face.
-
Samora chuckled as she saw the flip.
"You think he'll teach me that?" She blurted out to Alistair, then quickly tried to recover, "So...you two look really good together, by the way."
"Oh, good call," Elia replied, giving him a playful punch in the shoulder. "You sure you've never had to do this before?"
-
"No, I guess you're right," Liam said with a nod. "But-"
He saw Ben approaching and cut off the topic.
"So, that was some dancing," he said casually to Ben, hoping not to antagonize him.
-
Alistair had his eyes glued on the other two, but managed to look over at Samora when she spoke.
"Oh...thank you," he said, smiling a bit at her words. "So how long have you and Aeron been...well, together?"
"Not yet." He said with a smirk then finished off his wine and got up to leave. "If you'll excuse me, I must be going. I'll most likely call you later tonight."
He paid for his drink and cast Elia a brief nod before exiting the building.
-
"Oh, thanks." Ben replied blushing slightly. He took his seat next to Uri and looked out to where Leah had Arashi cornered.
Poor bastard doesn't know what he's getting into. He thought to himself shaking his head.
"She's really interested in him, isn't she?" Amara said after she followed Ben's gaze. "You think he likes her too?"
"I don't know if he has a choice." He said with a shrug and Amara laughed.
"Leah is a great person." She said giving him a playful shove. She looked back to where Alistair and Samora were and excused herself from the others. Ben watched her walk away and felt as if she was tearing his heart apart with every step she took.
"Did you threaten him too?" Ben asked turning his attention to Uri.
"More or less." Uri replied bobbing his head.
-
Samora saw Amara approaching and stepped away from Alistair.
"Thank you for the dance." She told Alistair then turned to Amara, "He's all yours."
After Samora left, Amara offered Alistair her hand.
"Are you up for another dance?" She asked him and as if on cue, the Dark Waltz began to play.
Liam looked at Uri with amusment.
"You threatened Alistair? Sounds like wolf-lions make things more complicated too."
-
Alistair, who has a bit ashamed to admit it, had been sulking slightly since Amara went off with Ben. Without meaning to, he'd decided that he wouldn't be as pleasant as before to her. However, with her standing right here staring at him with those beautiful eyes, all those ideas flew out the window.
"Yes, let's," he said, taking her hand and beginning to dance.
Uri chuckled a little.
"I didn't threaten so much as warn." He corrected, "But yes, I suppose we do complicate things as well."
"You just warned him huh?" Ben said frowning. "I was only ten and you just about bit my leg off. I didn't even do anything." He stared out at Amara as she and Alistair began dancing and swallowed hard. "I'm going to get some air."
He rose and walked towards the doors leading out to a large balcony.
"I never bit him." Uri decided to mention after Ben had left them alone.
-
Instead of joining the others again, Samora made her way to the bar to get herself something to drink. After she made her order, she looked back to see Alistair leading Amara in a beautiful dance and also noticed Ben leaving the room to go outside.
I hope he'll be ok.
"Hello Samora." Samora jumped as the words broke her train of thought and turned to see Aeron standing not four feet away from her.
"You've got to stop doing that." She told him trying to concentrate on slowing her heart rate again.
"You look beautiful." He said taking a couple steps forward. She smiled shyly in return and thanked him for the compliment.
"I'm glad you could come." She said unconsciously stepping closer to him. He looked around the room then gazed into her eyes and held out his hand to her.
"Would you care to dance?"
She studied him a moment trying to gauge if he was serious.
"You dance?" She asked slipping her hand into his. He smirked at the question and led her out onto the dancefloor.
-
Amara caught herself getting lost in Alistair's eyes once more as they moved along to the music.
"You're amazing, do you know that?" She spoke softly, almost whispering, "You make me feel so light, just like I'm flying."
Liam laughed at Uri's statement.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he said teasingly as he gave a fake shrug.
-
"You've got to stop flattering me or I'm going to start thinking it's true," he said with a playful grin. He turned her around and brought her back against his chest as they stepped in time to the music.
"I love everything about you, you know," he breathed in her ear before planting a fleeting kiss on her neck. "It's enough to take my breath away."
Amara shut her eyes as she felt his lips brush against her ear and her breath caught in her chest when she realised what he said. She barely had time to obsorb his words when he pressed his lips against her neck sending her heart racing a thousand miles. She leaned back against his chest loving the feeling of him being so close and turned her head to look back at him.
"You've already taken my breath away." She whispered, "My breath, my heart, everything...it's yours if you want it."
"Nothing would make me happier," he said before capturing her lips in a quick kiss. He pulled away before he could get too into it, and smiled at her. Less than a week ago he was totally alone, and now he was so strongly attached to this girl that it made him dizzy.
"I love you," he said softly. He felt he had to say it while the moment was so perfect and he still had the nerve.
Uri watched Amara and Alistair and grumbled.
"I may need to go complicate things again." He told Liam getting ready to sprint to where they couple were dancing and make some excuse to get Amara away from him before things could escalate any further.
-
As soon as his lips pressed against hers, Amara felt her legs go weak and her head started swimming. She was as close to heaven as was possible and didn't think the moment could get any better until he told her he loved her.
Is this real? She thought feeling as though she was melting away.
"I lo-"
"Sorry to interrupt." Amara jolted back to reality and was suddenly aware that Leah was talking to her. She felt her face flush with annoyance at her friend and wanted to scold her, but Leah continued on despite the venomous stare Amara was giving her. "I've been getting some requests for your special dance, Amara. I've already spoken with the band and they're ready after this song is over. You'll get her back in a minute, Alistair. Might as well enjoy the show. Come on."
She snatched her hand and pulled her away from the redhead. Amara gave Alistair a desperately sorry look as she was dragged to the stage area.
"Are you out of your &%*in' mind?" Leah asked while keeping a happy grin on her face. Amara blinked at the question and frowned. "You've only known him four days and you're going to tell him you love him?"
"What? You're one to talk!" Amara hissed trying to pull her hand away, but Leah jerked her back and looked her straight in the eye.
"It's not the same thing and I'll tell you why." She said under her breath so the other dancers wouldn't hear the conversation, "I like Arashi, I really do, but that doesn't mean I love him. Even if I did, it still wouldn't be the same because I know who I am and what I'd be offering. You don't. Even though you two have this undeniable, fairy-tale, sickeningly sweet romance thing happening, that doesn't change the fact that you're still missing a very important piece of yourself. And when you find it, it might turn out that it's something you can't share. And of course it might not be like that, but you shouldn't commit something you're not even sure you can give. He doesn't deserve that."
Amara felt her fury deminishing with Leah's harsh words and couldn't help but agree with them, even though she was still upset that she barged in on her moment with Alistair.
"So why am I dancing?" Was all she managed to say in return.
"Well, for starters Aeron just got here and I don't want things getting tense again." Leah inclined her head to where Aeron was tangoing with Samora. "Huh, he's not half bad. And for another thing, Ben isn't in a good mood and I don't want to deal with him moping all night."
"Why, what's wrong with Ben?" Amara asked clearly concerned and a little confused because he seemed fine while they were dancing.
"I really can't tell you." Leah replied as the music came to a close. "But the best way to ensure everyone enjoys tonight is for you to do your thing. Now get out there and shake it!" She gave her a quick slap on her butt, which made Amara jump, before addressing the entire room.
"Good evening everyone! My friend would like to treat us to a very special dance that she performs every year for a festival in Cosmo Canyon. So please, give your undivided attention to Miss Amara Eilian."
Leah led the room in a small applause before stepping away and walking back to the table where everyone had started gathering.
"What's going on?" Samora asked Leah as she approached.
"It's a special ability of hers." Leah whispered. "When she's in battle she can inflict status ailments with her dancing, but when she's actually performing it's instantly calming and almost euphoric. Kinda like some bizarre, hypnotic drug." She then proceded to shush her and nodded to in Amara's direction indicating she was ready to start.
Alistair felt aheavy weight press on his chest as Amara was ripped away from him by Leah. He stood in the same place, rooted, till Leah dragged her out of sight. He sighed and walked over toward the others till he saw that Uri had a look that made Alistair think he had been watching them.
"Oops..."
He steered away from Uri and sat at the end of the group, watching to see Amara's special dance. At least she would be doing it alone this time, and not with some other guy.
-
Liam, who had been watching Samora and Aeron dance with a sickening feeling, turned to watch Amara dance. He didn't think he was going to be able to focus very well. He had hoped that Aeron would become attached to Samora so that he would be sure to be close at hand, but he hadn't anticipated Samora becoming attached to him. This could possibly get very ugly.
"I still have to do what I set out to do, regardless of Samora," he thought, nodding his head slightly to increase his conviction. He shook away his thoughts and tied to pay attention to Amara's dance.
Amara suddenly felt very self-conscious, but Leah had effectively made it so
she couldn't decline. She had danced in front of crowds before, but they
already knew what to expect. These people were probably expecting some kind of
hokey folk dance and they were going to be very much surprised.
She listened as the music began to play and focused on her breathing. She
threw a quick glance over at Alistair and gave him a smile before taking her
first steps.
-
Ben heard the familiar music began to play and he slowly made his way back inside and took a seat next to Uri.
"Why is she dancing now?" He asked him partially excited to see it again.
"Leah." Uri replied and Ben nodded in understanding.
-
The music was eerie and held a strange power behind it. Aeron watched carefully as Amara gracefully shifted in place, stepped, whirled and plie then straightened and whirled again.
As he continued to watch, it almost appeared as if a faint light was eminating from her and steadily becoming brighter. As the dance went on, he noticed that Amara had been singing. Her voice matched the music so well, he almost didn't catch it, but now he realised that was why the music sounded so haunting and eerie.
He glanced down at Samora to see if she noticed and blinked in surprise to see that she and the others were swaying in time to the melody. What surprised him even more was that he had been swaying as well. He surveyed the room and found that it was the same for everyone present, even those at the bar that were not watching.
The room was beginning to look hazy and he felt as if the wine he had drank earlier was catching up to him, but it wasn't his vision, the room was literally becoming hazy. The atmosphere was actually becoming charged with energy.
"She's incredible," Alistair whispered as Amara continued her dance. Everything in the room seemed to grow hazy and swimmy but she seemed to remain perfectly clear, and he found he couldn't tear his eyes away from her, not that he wanted to. She was hypnotically beautiful and her voice was mesmerizing and it all combined into the most breath-taking experience
Alistair had ever had.
Amara had fallen into the routine as she normally did, letting the music move her along like an invisible guide leading her through the steps. But this time, along with the usual serenity she expirienced as she danced, there was a lingering excitement from when Alistair had told her he loved her. As she glanced around the room, she could tell it was effecting the mood the dance was creating.
When the dance came to its end, there was a long silence as everyone seemed to be caught in a daze. Then finally a loud standing ovation flooded the room and Amara took a bow before joining the others.
"That was amazing!" Samora exclaimed.
"Indeed." Aeron commented continuing to feel the drunken effects of the dance. "Where did you learn to do that?"
"I don't know, I've just always been able to."
"Not like that." Leah said smiling broadly, "That was...different. I feel like my head is swimming."
"I guess you could say I was inspired." Amara replied glancing over to Alistair. Ben noticed the look, but could not help but feel euphoric despite the fact he knew he should be heartbroken.
Alistair wanted to go over and embrace Amara, the effect of the song still stirring his blood and removing all reservations. However, he had a very sharp mind and managed to keep in control. It wouldn't be wise to do anything in front of Uri. Instead, he contented himself to gaze at her and smile.
Adray sat down on his bed and picked up the picture of Cynthia he had on his stand. He gazed at it for a long time, then placed it down again and smiled. For the first time, he didn't feel strangled by the great sadness he always felt. It was still there; he knew it wouldn't go away so easily. But he felt that with time Elisia could truly heal his wounds. The thought of her
brought a tug to his heart that he hadn't felt in a while, but he decided not to dwell on that. Not yet.
Uri felt so relaxed, he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. He had a feeling he was going to sleep well tonight and that worried him to a degree. Since Amara had that nightmare the night before, he wanted to be alert for her and his current state of mind made that difficult.
"What do you think I should do?" He asked Liam after voicing his concern. "Usually I sleep light enough anything can wake me up, but when I feel this relaxed I could sleep through an earthquake."
-
"Hey Alistair." Ben said feeling good enough to be pleasant to him, "Can I buy you a drink?"
"I'm sure she'll be okay," Liam assured Ui, somewhat surprised that the wolf-lion was confiding in him. He thought of suggesting that Alistair watch her instead as a joke, but figured Uri wouldn't take that well.
"If there's anything wrong with her, you'll wake up in time. You guys are so in tune that I wouldn't doubt it."
-
Alistair regarded Ben curiously, then shrugged.
"Sure, I guess that's all right. Uh..thank you."
"I suppose you're right." Uri said not entirely convinced. His thoughts circled back to that morning when he decided to join RETABLIR and he realized how difficult it was going to be to leave her alone. He was sure she would be fine, but he had gotten so used to her presence, it would be like losing a part of himself. The thought was just enough to break through the haze his mind was swimming in and he jumped down from the chair and bounded over to Amara.
"Hey you." She said running her fingers underneath his jaw. "Having fun?"
"Yes actually." He replied keeping his tone casual. He took a seat next to her and licked her cheek.
"What was that for?" She asked with a little giggle.
"I just love you, you know." He said with a little smile. She gave him a warm smiled in return and hugged his neck.
"I love you too, Uri." She whispered into his mane.
-
"So what'll ya have?" Ben asked Alistair as he leaned against the bar counter.
"I'll have a red burgundy," Alistair replied and waited till the bartender turned to get their drinks. He sighed, figuring what the conversation was going to be, and turned to face Ben.
"So, was there something you wanted to talk about? I assume you weren't just in a generous mood."
Ben gave Alistair an amused look.
"Why not?" He asked nonchalantly. Just because you're with a girl I've been in love with since I was ten? "Last I checked we were on the same team."
"Right..." Alistair said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Which team would that be?" he thought with a growl. "Smartass backstabber."
"Was that it then?" he asked, getting ready to turn and leave.
"Actually I'm kinda interested in the program that you and Uri are overseeing." He said then took a sip of his tea. "What do you think the success rate will be?"
Alistair could feel himself unconsciously grinding his teeth.
"What, is he trying to figure out the chances of me dieing so he can move in on Amara?" he thought with a flash of anger. However, he managed to keep his cool, though just barely.
"High enough," he said coolly with a sip of his own drink.
Ben noticed that Alistair seemed tense, which was odd considering the effects of the dance were still present.
He must really not like me. He thought feeling a bit of satisfaction.
"I just hope that it all works out." He replied. "For all our sakes."
"Indeed," Alistair replied frostily, bringing his glass to his face to hide his expression. He turned his head away from his present annoyance and spied Amara over with the others. Just looking at her lightened his mood and he could feel the effects of her dance settling over him again.
"She is something else," he thought with a smile.
Feeling emboldened by the blissful atmosphere, the cute brunette that had waved at Ben before decided to approach him.
"Excuse me." She said shyly, "I saw you dancing before and I thought you were great and I was hoping you would like to dance with me."
"I, uh, I..." He stuttered trying to think of an excuse so he wouldn't hurt her feelings. He really had no interest in dancing with anyone other than Amara, but he caught off guard and couldn't think of a good enough excuse other than blurting out he was gay and slinging an arm around Alistair. Hell no! "Um...sure."
He reluctantly stood and offered the girl his arm.
"Nice talking with you Alistair."
"Oh no, the pleasure was all mine," Alistair said in a completely posh voice as he watched Ben get dragged away by the brunette. He took the last sips of his drink and went to look for Amara again, hoping to get some alone time.
"All danced out?" he asked her with a grin when he reached her.
"Not at all." Amara replied standing to her feet. She coiled her arms around his and rested her hand against his chest as they walked out to the dance floor. "I'm so glad we met."
It amazed her how good she felt when she was with him. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved him and she wanted to stay close to him for as long as she could.
"So am I," he said with a contented sigh. He suddenly realized that he had said he loved her but she hadn't reciprocated. He thought that maybe she was going to before but she didn't seem to bring it up. The thought made him frown, but he hid it from her. He didn't want her getting upset over it.
-
"How go the preparations," Silyl asked Elia over the phone.
"He's falling for me easily. I'll have him under my control very soon," she replied.
"Excellent," Silyl replied, a cruel smile crossing his face.
Aeron had been watching Amara very carefully after her dance. There was something strange about her, but he could not place what it was exactly.
She is powerful and doesn't even realize it. He thought frowning, concerned about what would happen when she finally did realize it. She may become too much of a risk.
"Mmm." Samora sighed contentedly, snuggling up to Aeron as they sat togther. "This is nice."
He hadn't noticed that he was running his fingers through her hair and now was tracing the line of her collarbone. As soon as he came to his senses, he pulled his hand away causing her to frown up at him.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, her blue eyes catching the light from the chandelier.
"No, it's nothing." He replied, reluctantly placing his hand back on her shoulder. He glanced back to where Amara was dancing with Alistair and frowned. "Nothing at all."
-
"Have you gotten a report from Elia?" Vigdis asked walking up to Silyl.
Liam was trying to appear as though he wasn't watching Aeron and Samora. It was alarming to see how fast she was becoming to this total stranger, this monster in human form.
"What's he planning for her?" he thought nervously. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. He couldn't risk revealing too much to her, but he couldn't just turn a blind eye and see her get destroyed.
"Samora?" Liam asked, tugging on her sleeve. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
-
"Indeed," Silyl replied, chuckling to himself. "Everything is proceeding as planned. As expected, my schemes are flawless."
"Hmm?" Samora turned to Liam and smiled. "Oh yeah, sure."
"I should be going anyway." Aeron said rising with the two. Samora gave him a disappointed look and grabbed his hand.
"But you just got here." She protested surprised by the displeasure in her voice. Aeron blinked at her in surprise and she reluctantly released his hand. "Let me walk you out at least. I'll be right back, Liam."
"Liam," He said with a nod, "Have a good evening."
-
"I'm glad to hear it." She said flashing him an evil grin. "I've spoken with a contact at FESTANCA, it seems they are ready to release the soldiers for a field test. Their first target is a small villiage in Wutai. It should prove to be interesting."
Liam gave a curt nod and watched the two walk out. He hated having to see, or especially talk to that man. Why fate would have him tortured in this way seemed beyond cruel. He walked back over to the others and sat down next to Uri.
"Did everyone get up to dance again?" he asked.
-
"That it should," Silyl replied with a satisfied nod. "Things are proceeding smoothly then. However, there's still the matter of this rogue group who has the potential to ruin all that we've established. We must take certain procautions to see that they do not interfere."
"It seems that way." Uri said looking after Samora and Aeron, "Where are they going?"
-
"Oh yes," Vigdis agreed, "We'll have to kill them, to be sure. The question is how and when?"
-
"You want to step out for a minute?" Amara asked Alistair gesturing out to the balcony then gave him a sly smile. "It's getting a little warm in here, don't you think?"
"I wish I knew," Liam said, his voice sounding more deflated than he meant. The whole situation was getting to him. People his age shouldn't have to deal with this kind of stress.
-
"That remains to be seen," Silyl said, pacing slightly. "We need to know more about each of them. Each individual will need to be treated differently. The question is how to get more information on them. Where is Aeron? He's been investigating them more closely, hasn't he?"
-
"Yes, I quite agree," Alistair said with a subtle wink. He followed her out and leaned on the balcony, gazing up at the stars.
"I love the evening sky," he said quietly.
Samora walked Aeron to the elevator and watched as he pressed the down button.
"I guess I'll see you later then." She said biting her lower lip. He gave her an amused look and rubbed the pad of his thumb over the lip she was knawing on.
"You should be careful," He told her, "you'll end up drawing blood chewing on it like that."
"Wouldn't be the first time." She said with a little laugh. She took his hand in hers and used the other to pull him in for a kiss. The kiss lingered until the elevator pinged and the doors slid open. She threw a quick glance to see if anyone was riding it, when she saw there was none, she pulled him into the elevator and closed the doors.
"What are you doing?" He asked trying to catch his breath.
"I don't know." She replied breathing hard. Realizing she was still feeling swimmy, she backed away from him. "I'm sorry."
He studied her for a moment, then took a step forward and smoothed the hair away from her face. Reaching over to the controls, he hit the STOP switch and the elevator power shut down. Drawing her in, he pressed his lips against hers and brought his hand around her waist to pull her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips to deepen the kiss.
I must be crazy. She thought running her nails through his hair.
-
"Indeed he has." Vigdis said nodding her head. "In fact, I believe he is in the perfect position to gain the information we need."
-
"It is beautiful." Amara agreed. "The stars aren't as bright here though. You should see them in the canyon. It's like sitting up in space."
"Excellent," Silyl said, rubbing his hands. "We'll weed them out one by one. What do we have so far?"
-
"I'm sure it's amazing," Alistair agreed. "Hopefully, someday I can visit there with you..."
He turned and smiled at her, drinking in her beauty in the moonlight.
"According to what he's sent us so far," Vigdis said leaning back against the council table. "The pilot and engineer are leaving for Wutai as a matter of fact. The mage and wolf-lion appear to have joined with RETABLIR. He hasn't sent us any information about the black haired girl yet and the narcoleptic boy doesn't seem to have made plans at t his point."
-
"Of course you will." Amara said leaning against the railing. "I wasn't even going to give you a choice." She gave him a wink and a smile and slowly edged closer to him until their arms were touching. She gently slid her hand over his and curled her fingers around his.
"I see," Silyl replied, stroking his chin. "Let's see if our soldier project can't kill two birds with one stone then. Meanwhile we'll target the mage and wolf-lion whenever they leave Edge. In the meantime, we'll see if we can't have Aeron collect more information on the girl. At this point I'm not too concerned with a sleep-deprived teenager."
-
"How can I argue with that," Alistair said with a chuckle. He really wanted to kiss her again but contented himself to just be close to her like this.
Amara leaned her head against Alistair's shoulder and sighed contently.
"What was it like growing up in the manor?" She asked wanting to get to know him better.
"It was sheltered, but it was pleasant. I had loving parents and was never wanting for anything so I've always been happy. That was up until my father died..."
Alistair trailed off, then looked up at the stars with a sigh.
"After that it began to feel like a dog house. You still feel comfortable there but you can't help but feel that you're chained and bound to it."
"Remember what I asked when we first met?" Amara said turning to him. "About if you liked living there and you said that you were desiring a change of scenery and wanted to find your purpose? It was a terrible way for it to happen, but your house being destroyed may have been the only way you were freed from there. And now, you definately have a change of scenery and you've found a purpose."
She brushed her hand against his face and carressed his cheek.
"It's strange how things work out."
"Yes, it is," he said softly, gazing into her eyes. He felt the usual energy he felt between them building up again but wasn't sure if it was best to initiate anything. He was still a gentleman and didn't want to take advantage of her at all. He lifted his hand up and enclosed it over hers so as to keep it against his cheek longer.
"No matter what happens, I'm so glad I met you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper since just looking at her seemed to use up all his energy.
Gazing into his eyes made her feel so warm and happy. She guessed it was what people called coming home, like she belonged there and no where else. Leah's warning echoed in her mind and she held back a moment not wanting to do anything that might hurt him. But she knew how she felt now and she couldn't believe that whatever she found out could change that. Having made up her mind, she spoke softly to him almost in a whisper.
"I love you."
She tilted her chin up and gently pulled his face down until their lips met.
Alistair felt his heart swell like it was going to burst.
"She loves me?"
He could hardly control his thoughts. But then suddenly her lips were on his and he was pulling her close to him as he kissed her back with all the passion that his gentlemanly nature would allow.
Amara's heart began to race and electricity coursed through her veins as Alistair pulled her closer to him. She hugged her body tightly against his and brought her hands up around his neck. She had no fear of this moment going too far, he was too much a gentleman for that and besides they were still only a few feet away from their friends.
Still, she wanted to enjoy this time with him as much as she could before someone, either Alistair himself or one of their well-meaning friends, decided to break it up.
-
My god, I can't leave them alone for two minutes! Uri thought looking out to the balcony where the two were sharing a passionate kiss. He let out a low growl and shook his body making his fur fluff up. I'm giving them five more minutes. They better be happy with that!
Just as he was getting ready to start padding his way over to them, Samora came sauntering into the ballroom and back to her seat. She looked somewhat disheveled and had an uneven smile set on her face. As she sat down, her hair shifted enough away from her neck to expose a patch of reddened skin. He narrowed his eyes at her and snorted and she quickly recovered the area, blushing slightly.
"So Liam." She said with a little cough, "Did you want to talk to me about something?"
Liam took in her appearance and felt a wave of nausea hit him. She might be in too deep now. She probably wouldn't even listen to his warning.
"Yeah, but I think it's a little too late now," he said, his face showing undisguised disapproval.
Samora frowned at Liam's disaproval. True, there was no denying she rushed into things, but what business was it of his? She let out a long, deep sigh and then stood back up.
"I think I'm going to turn in now." She announced smoothing out the creases in her dress. "Good night, Uri! Liam, I guess I'll see you in the morning. Probably shouldn't stay up too long."
Uri bid her goodnight as well before she turned and left. He looked out to the dancefloor where Ben was being bombarded with dance requests from several young ladies and Leah and Arashi were dancing dangerously close together. His eyes flickered out to the Balcony again where still locked in an embrace and he let out a heavy sigh.
"What a night." He said shaking his head.
"Yeah," Liam agreed, watching Samora leave. Perhaps glaring would be the more appropriate word.
"If that's how she's going to be, then fine. I don't need to look out for her. I only have one person to look out for, and only thing I need to do."
After mentally writing Samora off, he turned to Uri and gave a fake smile.
"Are you guys going to bed then?"
"I think that would be for the best." Uri said scanning the room once more. "I'll have to go round them up." Which none of them will appriciate...except for maybe Ben. "Be right back. Wish me luck!"
-
"Elia." Aeron spoke into his phone once he heard her pick up. "I've had an interesting night."
"Will do," Liam said, laughing a little in spite of himself. He decided to wait for the others in order to give Samora enough time to get to bed so he wouldn't have to deal with her, at least not for tonight.
-
"Interesting, huh?" Elia said, smirking with amusement. "Would that be interesting as in arousing curiosity or *ahem* interesting."
Uri decided to save Ben first who, at catching sight of him, mouthed the words "Help Me!" with a look of desperation.
"Alright, ladies!" He barked at them making them jump back. "Way past this little one's bed time. Go on now!"
They quickly scattered, albeit begrudgingly, and Ben gave Uri an appriciative grin.
"Little one?" He repeated, "Technically I'm older than you..." Uri nipped at his heel with a little growl, "Ok, ok! I'm just sayin'."
As he walked away, Uri charged between Arashi and Leah and gave them the message that it was time to call it a night. With some colorful objections, they left as well.
Now for the fun part. He thought sarcastically and padded out to the balcony.
-
"The latter." Aeron said rubbing the back of his neck. "I refuse to give details, so don't ask. Suffice to say, I think she is sufficiently attached to me now."
