I slip my fingers free of his grasp. “Senan, we need to talk.”
His head jerks up, and his eyes fly to mine. As if he can hear the direction of my morbid thoughts, he starts shaking his head. “The last thing I want to do is talk.”
That really is too bad because I have things to say—things we both need to hear. “We cannot keep seeing each other?—”
He captures my fingers once more, clinging even tighter than before. “Don’t do this tonight. Please. Just give me one more night.”
How can I deny him when he holds my heart? “One more night.” Reality will come with the dawn. Tomorrow, I’ll be stronger. Tomorrow, I’ll keep myself from falling deeper under the spell of his hypnotic silver eyes.
Tomorrow.
Senan tosses the blanket aside, stands, and pulls me to my feet. His voice trembles when he asks me for one final dance.
This feels like more than a dance.
This feels like goodbye.
With my eyes still burning, I pray this isn’t the last time Senan’s free arm snakes around my waist. The last time he draws me against his firm side. The last time he holds me in his arms.
A crowd fills in around us, but all I can see is Senan. The music begins, soft and whimsical, like the memory of a beautiful summer’s day. But every summer has an ending.
And tonight is ours.
Suddenly, Senan stops and grumbles, “Bloody boots,” before taking a knee on the stones. I tap my fingers against my thighs, waiting for him to tie his laces. When his warm fingers clasp my wrist and he tugs me down next to him, I have to brace myself against his shoulders to keep from toppling over.
I’m about to ask what he’s doing when he withdraws a small white object from inside his coat. A mask. He presses it into my palm. Why do I need another mask when I already have one?
“Put it on,” he whispers, replacing his crow mask with a white one as well. “Hurry.”
I trade masks, and he tucks mine inside his coat with his own. “Why? Is everything all right?”
The intensity of his gaze steals my breath as he draws his hood over his glamoured hair. His fingers lock around mine, and he urges me to my feet. The twirling couples around us become a blur of color and motion.
When I say his name again, Senan’s gaze collides with mine. “We need to run.”
Seven
SENAN
As my handclutches Allette’s, her piercing golden eyes search for answers I don’t have time to give. If this is going to work, we need to leave right now, before Sir Diligence realizes we’re missing.
“I can’t leave Wynn,” she protests with a shake of her head.
“Don’t worry about her. My guard will bring her back.” I told Wynn to stick with him if we get separated. And that is exactly what is about to happen.
Allette’s brow furrows as she glances over her shoulder to where Wynn sits, sipping wine and swinging her feet along to the beat of the music.
“Allette, we must hurry.” I hold my breath, waiting for her response, my heartbeat thundering in my ears.
When she nods, I nearly collapse with relief. Together, we charge through spinning couples, heading straight for the road that brought us here only a few hours earlier. Our footsteps pound against the stones. We hold onto one another as if the world would tear us apart if it knew my plan.
A plan born out of desperation.
Seeing Allette with Philip fucking Windell of all people…
I hadn’t been joking when I’d said I wanted to kill him. The way he’d smirked at me as he walked away…
A fresh wave of rage spills through my chest.