“Oh,” Kiva couldn’t keep from gasping quietly.
“My sister is a lot of things,” Jaren mused, “but she certainly knows how to throw a good party.”
Kiva nodded mutely, too stunned for words. She tried to spot Mirryn in the crowd but only saw the king and queen holding court near a large cluster of guests, young Oriel remaining obediently at their sides, Flox squirming in his arms.
“There are far too many people here,” Naari stated, looking unhappily around the packed room.
“Half of them are guards,” Jaren said. “And the other half are people we know. You’re off duty, Naari. There’s no danger to me here.”
“But I —”
“Mirry ordered you to take the night off,” Jaren reminded her. “If she sees you clucking around me like a mother hen, you know she won’t be pleased. So grab a drink, get some food, and have some fun.” When Naari continued to hesitate, Jaren smirked and added, “Unless you want to three-way dance with Kiva and me all night?”
The look on the guard’s face was comical enough that Kiva normally would have laughed, but instead she looked at Jaren and repeated, “Dance?”
A devious grin stretched across his lips. “I thought you’d never ask.”
And then he was tugging her deeper into the room.
“No — Jaren — I can’t —”
But she didn’t finish her protest before he twirled her into his arms, one of his hands landing on her waist, the other gently clasping her hand.
“I don’t know how to dance,” Kiva said quickly.
“Then it’s a good thing I’ve been dancing all my life,” Jaren replied, his eyes sparkling. “You just have to trust me.” His forehead dipped until their gazes locked. “Do you trust me, Kiva?”
The way he said it, Kiva knew he wasn’t just talking about as a dance partner.
And when she held his gaze and whispered a breathy, “Yes,” she knew he realized she was answering with the same level of meaning.
His face lit with such hope, such joy, that for one moment, Kiva could only stare, but then he pulled her closer and whispered back, “Then follow my lead.”
Kiva had no idea what she was doing, but she let Jaren guide her around the dance floor, spinning and twirling to the music. He didn’t care when she stood on his toes, or that it felt like everyone in the room was watching them. He only cared about her, and the way his eyes never left her — not once — told her as much. It was all too easy for her to fall into the same enchantment, forgetting her troubles and sinking into the moment. Into Jaren.
When the song ended, he smiled, wide and glorious, and led her straight into the next dance.
And the next.
And the next.
They didn’t stop until they were interrupted.
“All right, cousin, I think it’s time you let someone else show your girl how to really dance.”
As if being pulled from a dream, Kiva’s eyes fluttered when Caldon’s voice drifted to her during a pause in the music.
“Sunshine, may I?” the prince asked, offering his hand.
Jaren held her tighter for a moment, before sighing and loosening his grip. “I’ll go wish my sister a happy birthday,” he said, drawing Kiva’s fingers to his lips and placing a perfunctory kiss on the back of her hand — something that felt anything but perfunctory to Kiva, leaving tingles in its wake.
“Good luck with that,” Caldon said dryly. “Dearest Mirry hasn’t graced us with her presence yet. My guess is she’s waiting to make a grand entrance.” He tilted his head toward Ariana, Stellan, and Ori, his voice lowering. “Your father’s looking a bit peaky, though. You might want to suggest they retire early. Ori’s miserable anyway since they won’t let him leave their sides, and Flox keeps escaping to play in the mist, scaring the life out of the guests when he curls around their feet.”
Kiva coughed to hide her laugh, but she sobered quickly when Jaren’s concerned gaze shot toward his family.
“I’ll go speak with them,” he said, before offering a gentle smile to Kiva and sending a meaningful look to his cousin. “Take care of her.”
“Goshdarnit, there go my plans to toss her in the Serin,” Caldon deadpanned.
Jaren didn’t deign to reply and took off into the crowd.
Caldon snickered, drawing Kiva into his arms as the music started again. “I like him like this,” he said. “It’s so easy to rile him up these days. You’ve been a real gift to us all, you know that?”