THREE

I shiver, knowing the dress beneath my coat isn’t made for this weather. 

Tai was successful in compelling me into coming to this staff party tonight, noting that we have both been refusing offers to go out for too long now. Noa is already suspicious of me, so I’ve dressed up and have come down to the main centre of the town. 

Here, everything is ancient and magnificent, cathedral-like dramatics rearing up out of the snow, brick architecture shadowing the alley I wander aimlessly down. My feet melt footprints into the snow beneath me, the sharp chill of night air daring me to step inside one of these magnificent buildings, find the comforting grasp of warmth. Instead, I walk along the path of the moon, its dreamy light dousing me in colours of ivory and indigo. 

It’s awfully peaceful out here, as I turn a corner, checking the address I wrote on the back of my hand before slipping between the tall wooden doors. There are two laundry businesses in this village, all the staff gathering here to talk about anything other than work. 

The dimly lit room is immediately degrees warmer, sparsely filled, but the music is upbeat enough to have encouraged a few people onto the dance floor. 

Shrugging my coat off, I hand it to the man who is holding them for everyone. Across the room I see Noa and another co-worker of mine, Tate. They grin and wave at me, Noa’s bright smile lighting up her face as she rushes across the room, careful not to spill her drink across her dress. 

"Wait, you actually came," she exclaims, looking over me. "And you look beautiful."

"I agree,” Tate affirms, smiling gently at me. Our hours only sometimes coincide, so I don’t see him often, but I like him. He does unnerve me at times, his dark brunette hair and blue eyes making him looking eerily similar to Marek. 

I shrug, smoothing my hand over my irritatingly tight dress, knowing the only reason I own it is because Noa once encouraged me to take it home once someone left it for over a month at the laundry. "I thought I better."

"Where's your husband?" Noa questions, narrowing her eyes on me playfully. She looks beautiful, her dark hair pinned back with a sapphire pin that sparkles under the lighting, her dress in a colour that matches frames her figure, which almost everyone in here envies. There was no way Tai could come here tonight with such a big crowd; this is already enough of a risk with me here. 

"He had to work late, and this kind of stuff isn't his scene, exactly,” I tell her firmly, hoping she doesn’t keep pressing. I don’t have the answers she is wanting. 

"Oh, mysterious, I can't wait to meet him,” Noa says smoothly. I nod, brushing my hair back from my face. I left it down and around my shoulders tonight, showing off how long it has gotten. Tai and I are saving for a way out of here, so paying to get my hair cut isn’t an option. And I’m definitely not letting him do it...

"Very mysterious. You're the talk of the town, everyone is wondering what you're hiding,” Tate comments. I know his town has an amused lilt to it, but his eyes remain flat, darker than usual. He’s suspicious of me, I realise. It’s not enough where he would confront me about it, but it’s obvious with the pair’s jabs that they have been talking about this matter when I’m not there. 

"We are private people, is that a problem?" I ask, furrowing my brows. 

Tate blinks, cheeks reddening slightly. "Of course not."

Noa nudges Tate’s side, trying to be inconspicuous, but I don’t miss it. She opens her mouth to speak, but freezes. 

The moment she looks over my shoulder is the moment a hand glides around my waist, warm and large as it tightens its grip intentionally. I gasp at the touch, so purposeful and familiar. 

"What am I missing?" The voice asks softly. 

I flinch, dread as cold as ice smoothing over me as I realise who is standing beside me, whose hand presses against my waist. Glancing up, I look over him, the cruel sense of reality stinging through me, leaving my legs quivering, my head feeling faint. He stares ahead at Noa and Tate glacial blue eyes looking over them, remembering exactly who they are. 

"Marek...What are you doing here?" I hiss lowly, my voice shaking as blood pounds in my ears, the music drowned out to the point where all I’m registering is the vibrations from the floor beneath me. It takes everything within me to not pull away, hating the feeling of his touch against me, silently cursing my decision to take off my coat at the door. Through the thin fabric, I feel where each of his fingertips presses down gently. 

Marek smiles in a way that reaches his eyes, but I know it’s just another one of his expertly erected masks. "Excuse me for interrupting. I'm the husband."

"Oh wow, I had no idea you were coming,” Noa gushes, shaking his hand while looking at me with a raised brow. She is likely wondering why my ‘husband’ is a Summoner with his painfully obvious marking that rains down from his forehead and onto his temples, into his eyebrows and partly down his nose. I had told her he had come from the Jade Province...

"My lovely wife knows this isn't usually my scene, but I thought I better be a good husband,” Marek comments, the lie coming to him with ease. 

I stare him down, wanting to study his every action, not wanting him out of my sight. Whatever sick plan he has, he’s taking his time to tease it out. Has he not already ruined my life enough? Noa now believes a Summoner is my husband, which means I can never be seen with Tai again...Not that it will matter if Marek kills me right now. 

"You're right, it's not your scene, is it? Maybe we should go,” I say firmly, nudging at his side, only to meet hard resistance in the form of muscle and adamant. 

This isn’t going to be as easy as I thought. 

"What, no way," Tate exclaims, looping his arm though Noa’s. They have no idea how serious this situation is. We are all standing before a man who wants to murder me in cold blood. "Your husband just arrived, we should dance, have fun."

"I would love to dance,” Marek murmurs, finally meeting my gaze. 

I’m struck for a moment, my own mask shredded to expose my vulnerability. I forgot for a moment how much he once affected me. His eyes, so pretty and blue dry my throat out, those bronze strands raining down around his ears, not much effort needed to make them look perfect. He hasn’t used his powers since I last saw him either, the many aspects of his mark glittering like the facets of a gem. 

Caught off guard, I can’t fumble with an excuse in time as Marek grabs a hold of my hand, the grip firm enough to suggest that I’m not getting out of this one. Noa casts me a wink as Marek whisks me onto the dance floor. 

I curse under my breath as I awkwardly bump into those already dancing, completely taken aback by what is happening right now. 

And Tai is all the way at home…

Marek pulls me toward him and out of the way of other dancers who shoot me heated gazes. Resting the palm of his hand on my lower back, he grips my other hand, pushing me closer enough so that my torso is flush against his, that hauntingly familiar pine and cinnamon scent invading my senses. I could faint right now, all of this too overwhelming. 

"What are you doing here?" I growl lowly, trying to keep my expression light and careless, despite how horrified I am to be in this position with him. 

"Shh, my beautiful wife," he murmurs lowly, dipping his head to whisper in my ear. His voice makes me shiver as it glides across my skin, his breath wonderfully warm. I audibly gasp as his lips brush against my ear, each movement on his end purposeful and calculated. “We should enjoy this dance.”

"I don't even want you to touch me,” I tell him firmly, wondering how viable it would be for me to make a scene and storm out of here. It would be embarrassing, but it would be worth it to get away from him. 

And then what? I’m going to have to face him alone eventually. 

"I'm being polite. We are just dancing,” Marek reminds me, the amused lilt to his tone making me grit my teeth. His hands may be in safe areas of my body, but that doesn’t make me less aware of the knives that likely dwell beneath the surface of his tailored black suit. It hugs him so perfectly I could believe he’s unarmed, although I highly doubt it. 

Looking over Marek’s shoulder, I catch Noa’s deep blue gaze. I have to force a weak smile onto my face as she mouths ‘he’s hot!’ 

"I'm going to kill you,” I breathe as Marek pulls me around to the beat of the music, his steps adept and coherent enough for me to keep up with, even if I’m hardly paying attention. I’m more intrigued with how I’m going to kill Marek before he can kill me...Ever since we arrived I carry knives with me everywhere. Tonight is no exception. .

"Don't be so hostile, Cara," Marek scolds, his smile indulging in my mortification. How much of the facade I’ve created to live here has he already picked apart? How long has he known Tai and I were here? “No one needs to get hurt."

"If I don't kill you, Tai will,” I tell him firmly, seeking an excuse to frighten him. It’s no use. Marek knows what he is doing -- he wouldn’t have approached me like this if he didn’t have a purpose for it. 

"He's powerless, remember?" Marek breathes, something taunting in his tone, or perhaps I’m reading into this too much. It strikes me that he doesn’t know about Tai’s healing powers. Does he even know I was stabbed? "I'm not here to speak to Tai, I'm here to speak to you."

I look around, seeing Noa is looking away from us, making this the perfect time to get out of here and deal with this in private...Even if it kills me. 

"Maybe we should take this outside,” I murmur, nodding toward the door. 

Marek finally releases me from his tight grip, grinning tauntingly. "After you."