Kiss of Fire (Imdalind, #1)(96)

“Close your eyes and pretend that this is natural for us.” His voice was rough in my ear as he nuzzled his face into my neck, his warm breath running across my skin. I fought him, and his grip increased, his body pressing more firmly into mine. It didn’t hurt, but the pressure was definitely unwelcome.

“Do you want to get us caught?” he hissed. “Do what I say. Someone is coming.”

I let my lids drop over my eyes and raised my hand to cup his neck. My heart beat erratically as I felt the negative energy pulse toward us, heavy footsteps announcing the arrival of someone I didn’t want to see.

“Keep them closed,” Ilyan instructed as he moved his head, hoping to mimic the look of an intimate kiss against my neck. I screwed my face up into what I hoped was a pleasurable expression as the negative power hit its peak. Ilyan intertwined his fingers with mine and pushed against me harder, the ridge of the wall pushing into my bare back.

Ilyan didn’t wait for whoever had passed us to get very far before pulling me beside him and leading me into the large hall.

I stopped in place. The main ballroom had been transformed into a night club. I no longer felt out of place with my hair and clothing. Flashing lights flickered and vibrated to the beat of the music, lighting the mosh pit as everyone moved together in some odd semblance of a dance.

I didn’t have time to linger as Ilyan pulled me into the crowd, a hundred other bodies instantly pushing against us. He moved us deep into the writhing mass, enclosing us within it. The lights flashed and pulsed as the crowd danced and moved against everyone around them.

Ilyan pulled me into him, his hands fanning out on the bare skin of my back as he moved me against him in a seductive dance. I fought the urge to shy away from him. I cursed my clothes; he wasn’t the only person who would be acquainting themselves with my body tonight. I felt sick.

“Remember to play the part, Siln?. Rich, powerful. And don’t touch him unless you know it’s him. I don’t need Edmund to be able to trace you.” I nodded as he whispered in my ear, his hand moving up to cup my cheek for just a moment. “I’ll be close by.” He looked into me, his finger running the length of my jaw bone.

I looked up and screwed my jaw in defiance, my eyes opening in a seductive powerful way that I hoped fit the look Wyn had given me. I popped my hip and squared my chest, trying desperately to mimic the ridiculous movements I had seen Cynthia McFadden do every day of my life. Ilyan nodded once in approval before turning from me, leaving me alone in the crowd.

I couldn’t let my nerves get to me. I kept my jaw tight, my other facial features soft and wide as I began to move through the crowd. I was passed from person to person as I made my way through the throng of tightly packed people. I mimicked the sensual daces as I moved against the bodies that pressed against mine in ways that made me blush. I never wanted to be in a place like this again. I was here for Ryland, and that was enough.

A hundred faces blurred together as they danced, each one with hooded lids and open mouths in some drugged-out ecstasy. I danced through bodies so carefully entangled I could never be sure exactly what they were doing. I skirted around couples who had fallen to the floor in a blissful madness that I never wanted to see again. I moved through them, hoping my alert face and body didn’t give me away.

I had almost reached the edge of the wall of people when someone grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into them. My face fell out of place in fear as I whipped around, expecting some attacker. Instead, I looked into the face of Ryland’s friend, Tyler. He held me tightly to him as he looked down in pompous ignorance. His face looked like all the others: glossed over and void of all normal expression. I moved with him for a minute, trying to plan my escape when he leaned down to nibble on my ear. I jumped back in repulsion, remembering all too well what Ryland had told me about private school boys.

“What?” Tyler yelled over the crowd. “Too dirty for you?” He placed his hands on my hips and moved me back to him. I screwed my face back into position and pulled his shirt to bring him to eye level.

“You have no idea.” I let one eyebrow rise in what I hoped was an alluring way. “Get me a drink?” I asked and wound my arm through his, letting him lead me the rest of the way through the crowd.

I didn’t feel comfortable attaching myself to one person, but if I was lucky, he would lead me right to Ryland. I tried desperately to focus on my character and not let my nerves sneak through to give me away.

I gave him a small smile as he thrust a drink into my hands. I could smell the alcohol before it even made it to my lips. Of course there would be heavy drinking; it made sense given the state that everyone was in. I lowered the glass and set it on the table next to us, I didn’t need any distractions.

The raw magical energy that had been boiling under my skin shifted. I checked to see if the barrier was still firmly in place. Being this close to the energies that controlled me was sure doing weird things to my body.

“You okay, little bunny?” Tyler asked in my ear. My irregular magic had caused my cover to slip. I put the face back on as I leaned into Tyler in a poor imitation of what Ilyan had done to me, but I failed miserably.

“You wanna get out of here?” he asked. I cringed—wrong direction.

“Let’s dance,” I yelled and dragged him back toward the mosh pit. Luckily, Tyler didn’t seem to object to my mixed signals; he must have been beyond drunk.