Page 70 of A Legacy of the Light

“Good,” I reply. “We took it easier today with the ball tomorrow.”

“Good idea. You don’t want to be sore for all the dancing.”

I nearly choke on the food in my mouth. “Dancing!”

I scowl at Reyne who seems oblivious.

“Reyne didn’t tell me I would have to dance.” I shoot a scathing look in her direction.

Unless it’s bumping and grinding, I don’t dance. And I’m pretty sure that’s not the type of music they will be playing tomorrow.

I look between Tavish and Reyne.

She looks at Tavish, then at me, and shrugs. “Sorry, guess I forgot to mention that.”

“I can’t dance,” I tell them.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Reyne tells me, carrying on eating her lunch.

“She’s right, Elsie,” Tavish confirms. “You only dance if you want to. You normally can’t get this one off the dance floor, though,” he comments, jutting a thumb in her direction.

Reyne smiles widely at him. “I promised I’d keep Elsie company the whole night, so if Elsie doesn’t dance, I don’t dance.”

I appreciate her solidarity, but I want her to enjoy herself. If she wants to dance, I’ll encourage her. I’m capable of surviving for a few minutes without her.

“I can keep her company, too, if you wish to dance tomorrow,” Tavish offers Reyne as if I’m not even there.

“Won’t you be inundated with the swooning ladies?” I tease.

Tavish glances down at me and leans a little closer. “I’ll keep you company for five minutes while Reyne dances, and you can keep the vultures at bay in return.”

A smile breaks across my face. “You have yourself a deal, Prince.”

I offer my hand. Tavish takes it and smiles at me and Reyne before he leaves to go train.

As I watch him leave, I hear Reyne snicker.

“What?” I ask her.

“Oh nothing,” she comments nonchalantly, looking between me and the door that Tavish just left through, grinning.

I ignore the suggestive look on her face. I also really need to stop watching him when he walks away when she’s around.

You need to stop watching him walk away, full stop, the well-behaved side of my inner monologue chastises.

Reyne and I finish our lunch and agree a time for her to come to my room tomorrow, then go our separate ways. I head for the library, and find Finneus in the same spot he was in this morning.

“Afternoon, Elsie,” he says without lifting his eyes from his desk.

“Hi, Finneus. Have you moved at all today?” I ask him.

“I have,” he says while checking over the document he’s working on.

“Good. Finneus?”

He looks up at me with an expectant look.

“Is there anything I can help with? You know, with finding a way to beat the Dorche?”