Lady Mutiny

Twenty-One

"I can't dance," she finally said, resigning herself to be the center of his ridicule.

But Wil didn't laugh. Instead, he took another step closer, his head cocked to the side as if he was assessing her. "No one ever taught you?"

She shook her head.

"Not even Baz?"

She scoffed at that. "As if he'd have the time."

Wil's brows furrowed at her words. "I would have assumed he'd find it for you."

She shrugged her shoulders in response. "There aren't exactly many reasons to within the Guild."

"And elsewhere?"

Another shrug. "I never cared to ask."

Something flashed across Wil's eyes- not the ridicule she was expecting. Not even pity, but perhaps something more like sympathy. Understanding.

"I'm going to teach you."

"What?" Cass choked out.

"I'm going to teach you how to dance," he said levelly.

"Where, right here? Right now?"

Wil glanced around at the training room, empty for all but them. "I don't see why not?"

"There's no music."

"Do you need music when you're practicing swordplay?"

"This has nothing to do with swords."

"Doesn't it, though?" he challenged. "Is there truly any difference between the two where footwork is concerned?"

Cass opened her mouth to respond but closed it. She hated when he was right. But rather than giving him the victory, she responded with, "And who's going to teach me?"

Giving her a gracious bow, he smiled at her knowingly.

She couldn't help but laugh. "And since when do you know how to dance?"

"Since I discovered it was a valuable skill to have, especially when one needs to blend in with the aristocracy during certain missions."

Missions that Cass had never been assigned- she had to wonder if her inability to play the part of a Lady was more obvious than she suspected.

"Come on," Wil urged, now standing before her with his arms out. "What do you have to lose?"

"My dignity?" she muttered, folding her arms over her chest.

He gave her a smirk but kept his arms out.

Rolling her eyes, Cass assented, closing the distance between them. "Fine, but if word of this gets out-"

"I'll do my best to leave alone the scandalous details."

She gasped at his insinuation, but all other words were lost as he pulled he grabbed her hands and pulled her close against him. She realized only then that she had never been this close to Wil before, not that she truly had any reason to be. He had always been closer to Lilia when her sister was around, and there was a time when Cass humored herself into thinking it was because he was infatuated with Lilia.

But she looked up at him as he worked on situating her hands - one on his shoulder, the other remaining in his grasp as he placed his other on her hip. He smelled like he had just recently bathed, remnants of lavender soap mingling with his scent of leather and steel. His dark hair fell to the collar of his shirt, which was open to reveal the tan-yet-scarred skin beneath, and she wondered when the last time was he had had it cut.