The Belly of the Beast

Ch. 58, Partners

Against the white granite, and a crowd of deep colors and gaudy faces, he wore only black. His hair had been combed back, showing the cut of his jaw and the mark of several bruises. There was something about him: the feeling I imagined a growing thunderstorm had once brought. The promise of danger, the knowledge you should run, even as it was impossible to look away.

I wasn't the only one who stared.

"Skull." Dagger's gaze moved to Skull's hand settled on my waist.

"Dagger." Skull grinned, seeming to enjoy being caught with me in his arms.

"Shall we?" Dag held out a single hand, and I stepped away from Skull and took it, feeling the touch through my whole body. Dagger's other hand circled my waist, and all the words I'd been about to say disappeared. His eyes stayed dark and impassive, but I didn't miss the way his eyes ran down the length of my dress and back up. Maybe I owed those idiot guards a thank-you after all.

The music swelled and Dagger swept me away from Skull and into the crowd with a confidence that surprised me.

"You can dance?"

A bitter smile filled his lips. "If only my skills were as useful as yours."

"What skills?"

He listed them off so fast it surprised me. "You know the secrets of the Beast. You're fearless. Clever. And I think your arm might be more helpful than every Jackal combined. And you don't give up, even when you have, how did you say it... " He leaned in, voice soft as a secret, "a shitty partner?"

A blush rose to my cheeks, and I tried to hide it by looking at the other dancers, where Skull was now dancing with a large woman, unconcerned with the path of destruction he made as they parted the crowd. "You never know," I said, keeping my voice light, "maybe the next Trial will be a dancing competition."

"In that case, Skull is doomed."

"Me too."

"Nonsense. We're partners. It's all in the leading."

So we are still partners then? Interesting. Maybe I should have felt happy, or relieved, at that revelation, but in his arms, I didn't want to think about The Letter Trials. All I wanted was to live in this brief, peaceful moment.

He swept me around the room, avoiding other men who clearly wanted to cut in, for which I was grateful. The last thing I wanted to do was talk with one of the Highs, or even worse, have one put their hands around me. I might very well live up to Skull's nickname and bite. Plus Dagger was right, following his lead was easy. The rhythm of the song and the feel of his arms around me brought me to another world.

When the song ended he drew back, his eyes locked on mine as he raised my hand and kissed it. I felt the touch of his lips all the way to my toes. Then he stepped away, and the cold air rushed back in, and with it the weight of hundreds of hungry eyes.

"Miss, umm, Z?"

Dagger and I both turned, and I almost smiled to see Kovu, the round-faced guard who had pulled me from the Tuv Pit, and put me in the Pucker Box. Maybe it was stupid to think of him fondly, but it was nice to see a familair face. Even if that face belonged to a K-guard. He looked terrified to be speaking to us, with a full crowd of Highs watching. Behind him, the dead-eyed Kaptain stood, and the happiness I'd felt dancing with Dagger disappeared. Somehow it felt as if these small moments of peace became smaller and smaller. Kovu managed to speak again, voice halting. "Some of the Highs have purchased time with you, Z. If you will follow me."

I froze beside Dagger. Purchased time with me? What the hell does that mean?

Dagger must have sensed my fear, because he stepped in front of me, blocking Kovu from view as he pulled my body close to his and dropped his mouth to my ear. My breath caught, but though the gesture looked intimate, his words weren't. "This is part of the High Letter Trial: people will try to buy your loyalty. Don't promise anything. They'll want you to become crowd favorites, but no one will want to help us get to the Top. I've got some ideas, but the fighting won't be till later. We'll talk more tonight."