“Okay.” I continued staring, long minutes passing, the sun just starting to touch the crystal clear blue waters…until I heard…I tilted my head to the side…and a small smile lifted my lips. Music. I heard flavored Cajun music from down at the bar on the beach. It sounded like they were just warming up, but after a few more minutes the spiced flavor of the festive, magnetic music could be heard clearly. I peered back to Elder Samson; my eyes glowing dimly, power still ramped for Elder Farrar’s call, and asked him, “Dance with me?”
He couldn’t have looked more taken aback if I had jumped on him naked.
My brows rose a bit, ignoring his shock. “You do dance, don’t you?”
Golden eyes still wide, he muttered, “I’m not near drunk enough for that.”
“Good, you won’t step on my toes.”
“I don’t want to dance.” He was polite enough to refrain from saying “with an Elemental”.
I started moving toward him. “Neither do I, which is the exact reason why we are going to.”
He blinked, eyes huge, watching as I took the bottle from him. “There is no logic in that.”
I sat the bottle aside, trying not to cringe with the effort as I bent, setting it on the white tiled ground. “The reason is in the very depressing nature neither of us wants to.”
He scowled, but didn’t yank his hands away when I grabbed them, tugging gently. “You’re injured.”
“Quit making excuses, and get up,” I tugged more, “Come on,” more tugs, “it’s not scandalous. It’s just a little dancing.”
He continued scowling, but rose when I tugged again, muttering, “Fine, I could use a distraction.”
“You say the sweetest things.” I intertwined our fingers quickly, and lifted our hands between us, about eye level for me, and started shimmying as much as I could to the zesty beat without hurting myself more, moving my arms with the motion, in effect, making his shoulders move a little. “You can do better than that, Elder Samson. Move those hips!”
He blinked slowly, and then muttered quietly, “I cannot believe I’m doing this.”
Dry words. “You aren’t doing anything so far.”
He sighed heavily…and moved his hips…a little.
“There you go,” I cheered him on, turning us a little with the beat. “I knew you could do it.”
He stared, his lips twitching a bit, body barely moving to the beat. “You really want to dance, Ms. Jules?”
I widened my eyes marginally. “You got more?” Yeah, I was egging him on, and he knew it with that gleam in his eye.
He chuckled quietly. “Just try to keep up, and don’t hurt yourself.” And, with that, he twirled me. I squealed in delight, one arm flying out before I flew back at him as he pulled me in, doing a little shimmy to the beat with me before twirling me back out, then swinging us in a circle, my head tipping back as I laughed, both of us grinning like idiots when we stopped, holding our hands together between us, shaking our hips to the beat.
And we danced, thoroughly enjoying ourselves for three entire songs, using the entire balcony at some points, being utter goofs, managing to do some waltz motions, combined with a tango, and then just grooved the rest of the time to the unique essence of the Cajun melodies.
Breathless, and a bit sore, I raised my hands, muttering, “I can’t do anymore.” My cheeks were flushed and I was grinning so much my cheeks hurt. “But Christ, that was fun.”
He dipped grandly, also smiling, golden hair windblown. “That is was. Thank you, Ms. Jules.”
I also dipped, but much less grandly, holding my stomach. “You’re welcome.” I tilted my head to the door. “Coming inside?” The sun had almost set by now.
He shook his head once, peering out to the ocean. “No.” His smile turned soft. “I see it now. I’d like to enjoy it for a little while.”
I patted his shoulder, moving passed him. “Suit yourself.” Running a hand through my messy hair, I was still grinning when I stepped inside, shutting the sliding glass door behind me. And came to a stop, staring. “You have got to be kidding me.”
Sin shrugged, lowering his camera. “I just followed their lead.” Everyone in the room—including Cain—had damn cameras out, some still aimed at the balcony, standing a few feet in front of me. Another shrug from Sin. “They all started running around the room when you two first started dancing, bumping and plowing into each other, digging through their bags. I thought they were going for their weapons, some type of an attack imminent.” His lips trembled fiercely, “But, no. They were all grabbing their cameras.”
My brows lifted, and I crossed my arms, staring at them mutely.
Brann broke first, muttering, “That was damn priceless. Everyone knows he’s the biggest stick in the mud with other factions.” He shrugged a shoulder. “We won’t use it against him.”
Cain grunted, hooding his gaze, tucking his camera in his pocket protectively.
Elder Bridges’s eyes gleamed, placing his camera behind his back.
My eyes narrowed on them, but King Zeller turned his camera, grabbing my attention, pointing at the lit up screen. “Look at this shot! He’s actually laughing!” Jabbing pointing motions. “With you in his arms!”
“I got one of him glowing a little,” King Collins muttered, leaning toward King Zeller showing him the shot. King Zeller leaned in, then instantly scowled. King Collins chuckled, pointing at his screen, “You can tell that glow is from joy, but he’s still glowing.” More pointing. “That is fucking epic material.”
I inhaled heavily, glancing at each of them, lingering on Cain and Elder Bridges before stating slowly, “If any of you use those pictures to harm his credibility in any way, I will find a way to return the favor.” I was dead serious. “None of you are here to dig up dirt to harm one another. You are here as my Lajaks. Individuals I handpicked to protect me, and to showcase the integrity of what I have chosen, which is to live outside the Temple. If I feel any of you are here with undue malicious intentions toward me, each other, or any spirit living at the Temple, I will send your ass’s home in a heartbeat.” I glanced toward the bathroom door, wondering if I was going to have to do just that. Rubbing a hand over my face, I muttered, “Now, hide those damn things before you ruin the good mood I managed to put him in.”
They did, a few mumbling their excuses for taking the pictures, but Cain and Elder Bridges only glanced to each other, staying mute, keeping their cameras on their person—so I couldn’t get to them—and sat where they had previously, everyone situated about the suite well before Elder Samson returned inside.
Eventually, Cain rose about forty minutes later, and started banging on the bathroom door. I observed, wondering who he would want to call, watching him put on the show all the others had—Sin had waved him on, telling him he wasn’t interested in calling anyone. Elder Farrar came out ten minutes later, and I instantly shut my power down as I had every other time. Appearing refreshed, he sat heavily on the couch, arms behind his head, closing his eyes, ignoring the covert glances everyone was giving him, since he had been flat out demoted for actions that had happened behind closed doors, I was sure they were all curious about.
I got up without being asked—like normal, and walked stiffly to the bathroom, my stomach aching now with all of my movement from today, and ducked under Cain’s arm holding the door open, turning as he shut it behind us.