Original Edition: ◇ Chapter 8 ◇ Sparks ◇
LORELEI
Baltessa
Mid-Rainrise
Lorelei had never played Aces before, but she'd seen the others play enough to know the basic rules of the card game. Even then, Kane sat close, whispering in her ear about how much she should bet each round and which card she should play. Her hair tickled her neck every time, chills chasing each other down her spine. She let him think that he was helping her do so well, but she made her choices in her mind before he could say anything. At least it kept him close.
The longer they played, the more Kane seemed to be loosening up. He always stood so straight, eyes calculating everything and everyone. And smiles? They were like those short bursts of sunlight on cloudy days, warm then cold again. Tonight, however, there was something different about him, something hopeful, something that made her feel bold enough to scoot closer to him on the bench seat. Her heart fluttered when he didn't inch away, the side of his leg flush with hers as they were dealt hand after hand. When Flynn finally won, it felt like it had come too soon.
"Csilla," Flynn said, standing and throwing his cards in the air. "Would you like to dance with a winner?"
A small smile curved at Csilla's lips. She glanced out at the empty space by the guitar band. "But there's no one dancing."
"Then let us be the first," he teased, grabbing both her hands and pulling her along.
"Fine," she said, but the happy tone in her voice didn't match her reluctance.
Lorelei stood and watched the two of them as they made their way to the open floor. Flynn wrapped his hands around Csilla's waist—hers up around his neck. As they swayed to the slow strumming of the guitars, more masked dancers joined them, pairing and filling up the open space.
Kane stood right next to Lorelei, the quiet between them something that Lorelei felt the need to break even though her heart was in her throat.
"Do you..." she started, before she glanced down at the ground. "Do you want to dance?"
Kane sputtered the ale he was drinking. "Dance? Me? I don't dance."
Her stomach sank like a ruined ship. Her cheeks flushed, but she hoped her mask hid most of it.
"Excuse me, Miss Storm," said an unfamiliar voice. She glanced up from the ground to find a stranger in a brown mask that resembled an animal print. His smile was handsome as he asked, "I'd be honored if you'd spare a dance for me."
"Oh," Lorelei said, surprised. She wasn't quite sure how to answer as the one she truly wanted to dance with stood stoic next to her. "I suppose that—"
"We were just about to dance," Kane interrupted. She turned to look at him, noticing his eyes narrow at the man through the holes of his mask.
"Perhaps another time." The stranger bowed slightly before running off to ask someone else.
Lorelei faced Kane and crossed her arms over her chest. She hiked an eyebrow at him. "I thought you said you didn't dance."
"It seems I've suddenly changed my mind," he said, holding out his elbow for her. "Would you like to dance with me, Miss Storm?"
She smiled at him then, and he smiled back just as fully. She wished she could put this moment in a bottle—the first time she'd seen him smile like that. "I'd love to," she answered, wrapping her arm through his. "It was my idea after all."
Kane chuckled and led her the few paces to where everyone danced together. He stopped at the edge and turned to face her, one hand finding hers, the other sliding to her lower back. She rested her other hand on his shoulder, warmth spreading into her from everywhere they met. She swallowed, hoping to calm the beating of her heart, but it was pointless. As they began to slowly sway to the music, she looked up at him to find him already watching her, his usually sharp gunmetal gaze softening.
Then he stepped on her foot. She winced and gripped his hand and shoulder tighter.
Kane stood straighter, his hand wrapping farther around her back as he craned his head down toward her. "Is your foot okay?" he asked quietly, his mask hiding his expression. "I'm an oaf when it comes to dancing."
Lorelei nodded. "So, you weren't lying when you said you don't dance."
"I tried to warn you." One of the small scars by his lips dimpled with his smirk.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I just assumed you didn't want to dance with me." Her breath stalled, waiting for his response.
"If I'm going to be honest with you Lorelei," he replied. He quieted his voice like he was telling her a secret only for her to hear. "It's quite the opposite. I was only trying to protect your toes...and perhaps a bit of my pride."
"You haven't stepped on both feet yet, so I'd say you're doing okay."
He raised their joined hands above her head, her skirt fanning out as she spun. When she stopped and faced him again, both his hands went to her waist. Closer than they'd been before. The air magnetic. The strums of the guitars slowed as her eyes caught his, their swaying falling to a standstill. He leaned down, she looked up, the space between them narrowing until he was all she could see, and if she stood on the tips of her toes, her lips would brush against his.
One of the guitars strummed a final chord and the party broke into applause. Lorelei and Kane stepped away from each other and clapped with the rest of them, but the warmth of him lingered on her wherever he'd been. Sparks bloomed at her fingertips and she bit them back.
No, she thought to herself. Not now. Not here.
The guitars picked up again, their fingers strumming to a quicker tune. Someone hollered excitedly about the shanty choice, but their voice sounded so far away.
She felt Kane's eyes on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked over the music.
Lorelei shook her head and forced a smile. The guitars were suddenly too loud, the lanterns too bright. She had to get out of there, but she didn't want to leave Kane behind. Then she remembered—the parcel, his gift.
"Come with me to the fountain?" Lorelei asked him, pulling on the sleeve of his coat. She couldn't quite read his expression under his mask, but he didn't argue against her so she dragged him away, stopping first to grab the parcel she'd left on the table.
The guitars faded away when they stepped through a curtained archway and onto a secluded terrace. Hedges lined the pillars, the clouds allowing in streams of moonlight. A three-layered fountain streamed in the center. She dropped Kane's arm from her grasp and walked toward it, the sound of its running water enough to quench the sea-magic protesting in her veins, calling to her like a song. Just like the waves in Port Barlow used to do when she stood at the cliff. If she could, she'd spend the rest of the evening here, but that would only ruin Kane's night. It was his birthday after all and she'd done so much planning to make sure he liked the party.
"You're the one who planned the party?" Kane asked from behind her.
She hadn't meant to say the last part aloud. Her cheeks flamed, but she might as well own the slip-up and run with it. Pulling her gaze away from the fountain, she spun on her heel to face him, finding him much closer than she'd anticipated. The moonlight reflected in his dark eyes, the black mask and his towering figure making him look more pirate than the man she'd gotten to know. Her courage flickered for a moment.
"Yes," she answered. "It's what I've been busy with the past couple of weeks. It's why I've been late for dinners with everyone." Her words came out in a flood. "You said you didn't like birthdays, and with Flynn's idea of turning it into an entire masquerade, I thought I'd do what I could to at least make it enjoyable for you. It's okay if you don't like it. I completely understand."
Lorelei looked at the hedges, the ground, anywhere but at him. The parcel in her hands practically burned. If he announced his distaste for the party, there wouldn't be a shred of bravery left in her to give him the gift, so she had to give it to him now, before he could say anything.
"I also got you this," she said, shoving the parcel into his hands. She hadn't meant to do it so forcefully, but her nerves seeped into her bones. "I bought it in the Coin District the day you came back. I figured maybe if I gifted it on your birthday and you liked it, this wouldn't be such a hollow day for you, even if you didn't enjoy the party."
She cringed at her words and tore her eyes away from him. Paper crinkled as Kane tore into the parcel and then there was silence. Time passed. She wasn't sure how long, but it felt like the sun would rise before he said anything. Unable to stand it any longer, she raked her gaze to him.
In his palm he held the silver compass she'd bought him, its chain dangling down between his fingers. He'd pushed his mask up onto the crown of his head, the moon's light touching every curve, scar, and rugged angle of his face. His thumb pressed the button on its top and the lid popped open to reveal the face of the compass. Lorelei watched his lips as they parted and closed again.
"If you don't like it then I can—"
"I love it," Kane said. His eyes flicked to her with an intensity she didn't recognize from him.
"You do?" Relief trickled through her.
"Of course I do." He took a step closer. "The compass, the party, all of it. And you are..." Shoving the compass into his coat pocket, he reached for her hand, his calloused fingers wrapping around her own. With the other, he lifted her mask away from her face. "You are beautiful. Tonight and every other night."
Lorelei could've melted right there and become one with the water in the fountain, but instead she clenched her skirts and took a breath to steady herself. When she didn't respond, he crooked his finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to look at him.
"Why did you wear a black dress?" he asked as if it were a simple question with a simple answer.
She couldn't think. Not when he stood this close and he was touching her face. She remembered how delicate he'd been when he'd treated the burn on her arm back when they were just strangers to each other. That moment felt like so long ago, and now his touch was filled with a different kind of delicacy, something much more intimate.
"I don't know," she told him. Her voice only came out a whisper. His fingers held her chin so she couldn't look away.
"I think you do know," he argued.
"Perhaps I...wanted you to see me," she admitted. Her heart raced with her confession. "Not just as the stowaway, or as the Storm, but as yours."
Kane stilled for a breath, then pulled her to him, his arms wrapping around her like he'd blow away in the wind if he didn't hold on tight enough. His nose brushed hers as he leaned down toward her.
"I don't deserve you," he murmured.
"What you deserve is to be happy." She traced the golden weavings on the collar of his coat.
She meant to say more. That he deserved to find happiness with or without her. That he should love with his whole being and forgive himself of his past. But his lips met hers before she could say anything else. His kiss was a burst of warmth that spread over her cheeks and down her neck. Then he was gone, shying away from her as his eyes searched her face.
"Is this okay with you?" he asked, his voice a rasp, nearly pleading. "Is this what you want?"
She answered by grabbing the collar of his coat with both hands and pulling him to her. He chuckled under her lips and kissed her back, his hands fitting back into place around her like it was where they were meant to be. She bowed into him as his hand traveled up her spine, fingers twining into her hair.
She'd kissed a boy once back in Port Barlow, but not like this. Not with this type of hunger. She could kiss Kane under the stars until they faded into the bleeding light of sunrise and it still wouldn't be enough.
One moment they were holding each other, the next they were stumbling to a nearby pillar. Lorelei's back pressed against it as Kane leaned into her, kissing her again, deeper this time. Their rushed breaths filled the quiet space of the terrace.
His hands roamed over her ribs and onto her hips, fisting the black fabric of her dress. She lightly scratched the back of his neck and he sighed against her lips, the sound of it unraveling her.
Sparks started in her core, spreading up her chest, through her arms and into her fingers before she even realized what was happening. Her wild magic summoned itself so quickly, she didn't have time to bite it back. Like an uncorked bottle, magic poured from her.
The moment her sparks left her, Kane jolted. He convulsed under her touch, his entire body shaking like lightning swam through him. She let go of him, her heart in her throat as he crippled to the ground. Though she no longer touched him, he still shook with tremors, his breaths ragged pants.
Lorelei moved to crouch down next to him, trembling fingers reaching. But then straightened back against the pillar, eyes on her hands, afraid she'd lose control again. Attempting to make fear a stranger had only left it clawing at her door.
"What..." Kane said between breaths. He groaned as he rolled onto his side."What was that?"
Her tongue turned to sand. Words were lost to her, swept away with the sea-breeze.
"Lorelei?" he looked up at her from the ground, eyes searching her with concern. "What happened? Were you harmed?"
Her heart throbbed. He worried over her even though he was the one shivering on the ground. She'd put him there. Her lack of control could've killed him. The more she thought of her grave mistake, the brighter the spark inside of her grew.
She glanced down at her hands, breath hitching. Her fingertips looked like they'd been dipped in gold. The terrace melted away and she was back in Limbo, her arms coated in the very same gold. In that realm, the power of her storm magic was unfathomable. Perhaps monsters weren't the only thing slipping through the cracks in Limbo. Lorelei rubbed her fingertips together, but the gold remained like paint smudged into her skin.
She couldn't stay there. No, she couldn't stay anywhere near the ones she cared about. It was foolish of her to think that she could find a sliver of peace, even if just for this evening. A cloud of regret hung over her.
Kane grunted, drawing her attention back to him as he crawled onto his knees. He lifted his head back to look at her, his eyes hazy. "What's wrong? Was it—was that you?"
His expression was unreadable. She'd never seen him look at her like that before. It was a mixture of shock and wonder, but did she detect disgust or was that her mind playing tricks on her?
"I'm sorry," she managed to say. Her voice didn't sound like her own, like she was speaking from behind a glass window. "I didn't mean to. I can't believe I—"
Kane rose to his feet, the movement wobbly and labored. "Shh, I'm fine." He reached out and and cupped her cheek with his palm. "Are you?"
His thumb softly stroked her cheek and sparks pricked at her fingertips again. She stepped away and curled her fingers into fists like if she couldn't see her golden fingertips, they wouldn't exist.
"I have to go." Lorelei's voice cracked. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go." She turned away from him, face cold, stomach churning, but she couldn't take the chance of hurting him again.
"Wait," he rasped, grabbing her wrist. His hand was warm. She wanted so much to hold on to it tightly. "Please. Stay."
The pools of his eyes and the scratch in his voice nearly pinned her where she stood. She'd stay with him. She'd let herself lay in his arms until the sun woke up. She'd kiss him and he'd kiss her like nothing else mattered, like the were the only two in the world. But she couldn't risk it.
She tore her gaze away from him before she caved in. "I have to go," she said, unable to hide the way her voice quivered. "Please. Let me go."
Kane dropped her wrist, his warmth leaving her skin much too fast, the evening chill sweeping into her quickly. Tears welled in her eyes as she half-ran away, spilling onto her cheeks as she stumbled through the empty side-halls of the courtyard. Faded guitars and laughter drifted on the wind, deepening the cold in her heart.
What if the gold continued to spread up her arms, her power growing more uncontrollable? What was a future in a place where she put all of them in danger? Kane's smile flashed in her mind and she fell to a stop. If she left Cerulia, she'd never see it again.
She sighed and pulled the black mask from her head and held it in her hands, eyes scanning the lace while she screamed on the inside. This night was supposed to be perfect, not for her, but for him, and she'd ruined it all.
Footsteps echoed behind her. Kane had followed her even after what she'd just did and it made her nearly banish thoughts of leaving. But when she turned to face him, it wasn't Kane who stood in the empty hall with her.
He wore a plain dark coat and pants, standing as tall as Kane but with scuffed boots. In the shadows of the hall, she couldn't tell the shade of his hair, but his red mask stood out brightly.
"I'm a little offended that I didn't receive an invitation to such a grand party," the stranger said. He took a step closer and Lorelei took a step back.
"Who are you?" she asked. Sparks came to her fingertips without a thought. "If you didn't receive an invitation, then you shouldn't be here."
"Don't worry," he told her, hands splayed like he was trying to calm an animal. He took another step closer, then stopped when he noticed she retreated again. "You're scared."
"Not scared," she lied. "But of course I'm going to be wary of an intruder."
"I'm not your enemy. I'm here to save you."
Confusion made her sparks flicker, letting her guard down. "But I don't need to be saved."
"He said you'd said that," the stranger replied. "I didn't want to do this."
"Do what?" Her heart was in her throat. She could turn and run, but she wasn't out-running anyone in heels.
The lanterns decorating the hallway snuffed out one-by-one, the flames inside dissolving to wisps of smoke. A scream lodged itself in her throat. She tried to summon her sparks, but they wouldn't come to her when she called. Damned magic with a mind of its own.
When the last lantern went out, everything went black and Lorelei fell into a nightmare.
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