“Would you care for a stroll? I recall seeing a courtyard as I came in.”
I nodded gratefully.
“This way.”
Cassius led me through the huge arches lining the side of the ballroom and down the corridor, taking more turns than I could remember. Finally, we stepped out into a quiet courtyard, surrounded on three sides by towering cloisters.
The wind whipped by, blowing strands of hair across my face. It still smelled like autumn here. Pine needles and cold, crisp air, bonfires and moldering leaves, the world dying as it readied to be reborn. I took a deep breath, savoring the sharp tang.
An eerie cry ripped through the air. Another joined it, and another, and suddenly the night was alive with wavering howls.
“The Pelage wolves,” Cassius explained as I tensed. “They roam the forests at night, always on the hunt.”
Pelage. We were in Pelage. I tried picturing the map that hung in Papa’s study, showing all of the regions of Arcannia. Pelage was in the northeast section of the kingdom, about as far from Salann as you could get.
“It almost sounds like the whales at home. You can hear them singing on summer nights when the waters are still.” Thinking of Salann made my mind circle back to the one question it had avoided since running into Cassius. But I needed to know. “The last time I saw you, you were on Selkirk….”
His eyes twinkled under the mask. “I remember. You were the prettiest girl on the docks.”
I paused, taken aback by his open flirtation. “What on earth are you doing here?”
He looked to the sky as another volley of howls started up. “I could point out you’re just as far from home.”
“You’re right, but—”
“I came for the same reason as you,” Cassius continued, nodding back toward the castle. “The dancing.”
“Dancing?” I echoed. “You came all this way to Pelage for dancing?”
“Didn’t you?”
Our eyes met, and I got the distinct impression he somehow saw more of me than he ought to.
“You’re blushing,” he murmured, touching my cheek below the tulle mask. “I wouldn’t have expected that.” He traced one of the stars on my sleeve, curious. “What exactly are you meant tobe?”
I ran my hands down the gown, heat sweeping from my cheeks throughout my body. “I…I just liked the stars. I thought they looked like a summer’s night sky.”
His stare weighed heavily across my skin. “They suit you.”
“And what about you?” I asked, gesturing to his all-black attire. “Are you scared of the dark?”
“Me?” He looked down. “I’m the most terrifying nightmare of them all.”
I raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to elaborate.
“Regret.”
I smiled, though it wasn’t funny. “Is that really a nightmare?”
“Can you think of anything more frightening?”
Another sharp howl split the night, followed by a barrage of snarls. The wolves must have caught the scent of something. They were on the hunt.
We stared out over the forest, trying to spot the pack, but there were too many shadows.
His fingertips brushed against the back of my hand, no more than a whispered question, sending a dance of shivers down my spine. When I glanced up, I saw Cassius looking at me, but it was too dark to see the intent in his eyes. For a moment, the world seemed to be willing us closer and closer together. I felt his breath on my cheek and knew if I took one small step toward him, he would kiss me.
“Do you want to know what my biggest regret tonight will be, pretty Annaleigh?” he murmured, his lips brushing the skin of my temple.
