Cyber Mortality

Chapter 30:

The walls shimmer with a gossamer golden color which could only be caused by some sort of magic. The king must have a lot of mages working under him. The ballroom is a large circle with a huge dome which is painted with the night sky. Constellations and shooting stars twinkle and shimmer like the real night sky. A large orchestra, nearly forty people, tunes up on one side of the room. The King Cyberius enters and the crowd parts to let him through.

"He will pick someone to dance with to start off the ball," DeNyle whispers in my ear.

Cyberius' eyes scan the room looking for the right partner before landing on Jez and I. He strolls toward us before holding out his hand to me. Panic fills my chest and I almost shake my head in refusal.

I take his hand and allow him to lead me to the center of the room. His warm fingers clasp my left hand while his other slides to my waist, just brushing the bare skin on my back. He stands still for a moment as the music starts then leads me right. He guides me around the room through twirls, dips, and spins as the music swirls around us and hundreds of eyes watch. Panic stirs up again but the king smiles softly.

"Don't be afraid," he whispers and squeezes my waist reassuringly. "Let them look at you." His words echo Jezebel.

I take a deep breath and keep my eyes on him, trying to tune out the stares and looks of jealousy from the other women in the room.

As the music stops the king dips into a bow and I try my best to curtsy.

"Thank you for this dance," the king kisses my hand softly and his stormy eyes swirl.

"Thank you for the honor," I reply with my head bowed.

Cyberius' lips turn up as he returns me to DeNyle and gives him a curt nod.

"That was terrifying," I whisper to DeNyle and clasp his hand. "Everyone was watching."

"I only wish I was the one dancing with you," DeNyle whispers back. "You were stunning."

"Well you can dance with me now," I grin and his face lights up.

He holds out his hand to me and I relish in the feel of his familiar callouses. The dance floor swirls with colorful dresses and music fills our ears. One woman smells like roses while another's perfume smells of jasmine. The men smell of spice and the woods. DeNyle smells of fresh laundry with a pinch of lemon zest.

As we switch partners, Rocky clasps my waist with both hands and draws me in for a slow dance. 

My hands wind around his neck and I step close to him, smelling the scent of pine needles and spice. My eyes raise up to meet his own and he bites his lower lip. I smile softly at his nervousness showing.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, you know," I whisper softly and my fingers brush his neck where they rest.

"I'm not afraid of you," he mutters and casts his eyes away.

The song ends and we step apart.

"I'm going to go get some air," I tell him before disappearing into the crowd. As I weave my way through dancing couples and finally find the edge of the room, I feel a pair of eyes watching. I turn and there is Skull Crusher leaning against one of the marble pillars outside.

"Have fun dancing with king fancy pants?" he snorts and steps toward me. He takes his hands out of his pockets before crossing them over his chest once he is beside me. 

"Go away," I command, but he doesn't listen.

"I'm only talking to you," Skull Crusher's lips turn up in a cocky grin. "You don't have to be rude."

"You killed me," I reply coolly and take a very intense interest in looking at my hands. 

"You ruined my trucks and killed five of my men with that avalanche." He responds and pulls out a cigarette from his coat. He offers one to me but I shake my head.

"Smoking is bad for you," I tell him.

"Not in a game, Sweetheart," he chuckles and deftly lights his cigarette. His face is lit up from the glow of his cigarette and I eye the scar on his face. "Wondering how I got this?"

Before I can respond he continues.

"I got it in the tournament last year and decided to keep it," he replies with a puff of smoke. "I don't need the money. I'm here for one reason."

"What's that?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Revenge," he says with smoke leaking out of his mouth. "To the bastard who did this to me." He gestures to the scar with his cigarette between his fingers.

"Who might that be?"

"Your golden boy," he gestures back into the ballroom. "Rocky. He did this to me in the duels last year. The final round was a singles duel bracket, and he nearly won. Lost in the semi-finals and took sixth out of one hundred people." Skull Crusher grins. "His team took fourth. One of the members of that team is competing on the red team this year, along with the prior champion. Funny how that works out. Now he's stuck with a bunch of losers like you all."

"We will prove you wrong," I snarl. My fingers clasp the frills of my skirt to lift the hem. "Just you wait," I reply before re-entering the ballroom. I find DeNyle and grab his hand.

"Why do you smell like smoke?" he crinkles up his nose.

"I went outside and there were some smokers out there," I groan and lead him out of the crowd. "Can we leave yet?"

"Uh, yeah. Let me grab our room key from Rocky and we can head to Arenia. That's where the tournament is taking place tomorrow," he reappears with Rocky and Jez in tow.

"We're ready to go too," Rocky says and holds out his fist. Jez giggles, obviously intoxicated, before placing her fist on Rocky's. DeNyle and I follow suit.