Doon (Doon Novel, A) (14 page)

“Aye.” Gabby leaned in like a conspirator. “And my sister, Sofie, could be our new queen.”

I
sat staring at my own empty eyes while Kenna played Extreme Storybook Princess Makeover and curled my hair into dark ringlets with a twisted length of metal she’d heated over the fire—her make-do version of a curling iron. As she chatted about our “costumes”—the flowy calf-length skirts and embroidered peasant blouses Fiona’d brought for us to wear—all I could think about was what we’d learned from the Rosettis: Jamie was practically engaged.

We’d gotten a quick lesson on Doon’s customs by the time we finished our care packages. When the Brig o’ Doon opened for the Centennial, the king had to welcome all who’d been led to his kingdom. If the auld laird died, then Jamie would assume the throne. However, before he could be crowned he had to do this thing called
the Completing
.

In Doon-speak, he had to choose a fiancée in order to be king. Sharron had said something about the tradition being born from a need for balance and equality, but to me the reasons
didn’t justify the end result—Jamie choosing a bride in less than two weeks.

As we made our way down to the feast, I dropped back, only half-listening to Kenna and Fiona’s plan to go shopping the following day. My head spun with dark emotions and I trailed farther and farther behind. Outside the wide double-doors, I stopped, poised to run back to the safety of the turret suite.

Lively music poured from the Great Hall, punctuated by the stomping of feet and the occasional hoot and holler. But for once in my life, I didn’t feel like dancing.

Kenna got halfway into the room before realizing I wasn’t beside her. She turned and pursued me as I backed away from the open door. “I don’t think I can do this.” I spun on my heel, but before I could take a step Ken looped her arm through mine and pulled me back toward the party.

“Relax, scaredy-cat.” We moved through an arched doorway and into the assembly hall at a leisurely pace, though my heart was sprinting at full speed. “Vee, do you remember our first junior high dance?”

I nodded. “I was afraid no one would dance with me.”

“And …”

“And I ended up meeting my first boyfriend.”

“And …” She made a rolling gesture with her hand.

“And what? He forced his tongue into my mouth, which I accidentally bit because I didn’t know what he was doing, and then he dumped me the following week.”

Impatiently, Kenna finished the story. “And yet you’ve been popular ever since.”

I shrugged. Popular and alone. Since that seventh-grade dance, every one of my relationships had been short-lived and lopsided—either the boy wanting more than I could give or being totally indifferent to my aching heart. Like Jamie.

Kenna squeezed my upper arm and sighed. “I know things aren’t working out like you thought, but this is still the chance of a lifetime. Doon’s a freakin’ medieval kingdom—and we’re stuck here for two weeks. We wanted an epic summer, and it doesn’t get any more epic than this.”

Before she could say anything else, Duncan came barreling across the room and skidded to a stop in front of my friend.

“You’re a right vision, Mackenna Reid. Care to dance?”

“To this?” Kenna gestured to the revolving mass of people on the dance floor. Her eyebrows pinched together above her wrinkled nose to silently declare
Think again
.

At first glance, it was chaos; people spinning and stomping, couples twirling through the crowd in a vigorous two-step to the raucous tones of a fiddle. Then the sparkling notes of a flute joined in, cranking the tune up even more, and I could see the order in the chaos—the sublime composition in the movement. The beat of drums layered into the song, and my body began to move in time.

I gave Kenna an encouraging smile, which she answered with a head jiggle before answering the hot boy anxiously waiting before her. “Thanks, but I have two left feet.”

Duncan looked vaguely appalled. “Ye have what?”

I chuckled while Kenna explained. “It’s an expression. It means I can’t dance.”

I leaned in toward my friend, infusing fake innocence into my tone. “But you were in all those musicals, Kenna. The video clips you posted online had very complicated dance steps.”

She rolled her eyes in my direction. “Just because you waltzed your way out of the womb doesn’t mean the rest of the world did. Have you ever heard of choreography? I had to learn each step and practice it over and over. Even then, I still managed to mess up something at every performance.”

Duncan raised his eyebrows in curiosity. “Performance?”

“Kenna’s a stage actress.”

“But Vee’s a
dancer
.” As Kenna shifted the conversation away from herself, I felt as if we were caught in a game of verbal table tennis.

Duncan smiled politely at me. “Then perhaps you should join in the dancing, Veronica.”

“So you’re not dancing, Ken?”

“No!”

Thinking my BFF protested too much, I flashed Duncan my most irresistible grin. “How about you, handsome?”

“Not for the present. No.” Immune to my charms, Duncan cast Kenna a sidelong glance while she raptly concentrated on appearing unaffected. His face was a mask of sincerity, but I sensed the mocking in what he left unsaid. “Perhaps I shall be more inclined later.”

“Sure.” I smirked at my best friend, enjoying the confusion that played across her face.

She rolled her eyes and then looked me up and down. “Go dance, Vee. Before you gyrate out of your stockings.”

Ever gallant, Duncan took my arm and propelled me to the edge of the dance floor. “Feel free to join in. We have many fine dancers in Doon. Even my brother is most accomplished in this area.”

“Really?” I paused to watch Jamie in the middle of an animated group of young women, including the lovely Sofia.

Suddenly the music was replaced by the pulse beating a tattoo in my ears, and my whole body stiffened. I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t go out there and lose myself in the music, like I longed to do. What if
he
didn’t want me there?

Then Jamie vanished in the revolving mass of bodies, and I forced myself to relax. Did I want to spend the rest of my
time in Doon as a spectator? I’d spent too many years locked inside myself, catering to others. It was time to live. With a deep breath, I swallowed my insecurities and let the music flow back into my veins. Ken was right; this was
my
epic summer, and if I wanted to dance, I wouldn’t let
anyone
stop me. “If you will excuse me, Duncan, the music calls and I must obey.”

With a lithe skip, I wove my way into the crowd. The music swirled around me as I high-stepped into melee, my feet flying into the tempo with a life of their own. My sadness and doubts melted away as I lifted my arms in abandon, clapping to the beat, time disappearing. I spun and shimmied with the escalating rhythm, the faces around me blurring into a kaleidoscope.

When the music slowed, I swiveled and almost collided with a handsome red-haired boy with sparkling green eyes. He extended his hand toward me and bowed with a wide grin. Accepting the unspoken invitation, I placed my hand in his. But as I stepped toward him, another hand clasped the boy’s forearm. My gaze traveled from the sun-darkened fingers to a sapphire sleeve, across a black leather vest, and up to a familiar face.

Jamie
.

He nodded once to the red-haired boy, who dropped my hand like it was covered in warts.

Jamie stepped in front of me. “May I have this dance?”

Not waiting for my response, he took my hand and pulled. I crashed against his hard chest, and blinked up at him. When he began to move, my body fell effortlessly into step with his. I’d imagined dancing in his arms multiple times—the reality was better than I’d imagined.

“I shall take that as a yes.” He raised a tawny eyebrow, his mouth quirking to the side as if to say, “Was there ever any doubt?”

Seriously?
His cocky expression was the reality check I needed. He was not the boy I thought he was—or hoped he’d be. Stepping back out of his arms, I lifted my chin and looked him in the eyes. “I’m sorry, but I’m not inclined to accept your invitation.”

As I turned away, he grabbed my arm and spun me back into his arms. All traces of amusement were gone, and the intensity radiating from his face stole the air from my lungs as he growled, “No’ so fast, lass.”

Decisively, he took my right hand in his large fingers, the heat of his palm pressed firmly against my lower back, guiding me, once again, into the dance. As we began to move, I was conscious of every muscle, every movement of his body against mine. He leaned close, his warm breath stirring the tiny hairs by my ear, sending a jolt down my spine. “If you’re no’ inclined to accept my invitation, then I’ll rescind it and make it a command, since you clearly dinna understand what you are refusing.”

His words splashed over me like ice water, cooling my over-zealous hormones. I’d had just about enough of his arrogant attitude—prince or no. Leaning back in his viselike arms, I watched a muscle in his jaw clench. Well, he wasn’t the only one who could get angry. Heat ran up my neck, flooding my cheeks. How dare he treat me like some scantily clad wench from a romance novel!

“Oh, I think I know exactly what I’m turning down,” I bit out.

As we turned in a waltz-like series of steps, I picked up my foot and slammed my heel down on top of his boot. He stumbled but recovered quickly. I had to admit I was impressed. Duncan was right; his brother was a strong dancer.

Jamie’s eyes widened in surprise. “You did that on purpose!”

He looked so dumbfounded—and so darned condescending—I couldn’t help sticking my tongue out at him in childish defiance.

To my great satisfaction, he stumbled again. Not wanting to go down with my partner, I grabbed onto his upper arms and gasped. The power I’d seen him wield in the tournament couldn’t compare to holding that strength beneath my hands. Giddy tingles pulled at my belly. In a desperate attempt to keep myself from turning into a spineless puddle of goo, I started talking.

“My good prince, what makes you think I’d ever bait you on purpose? I have the highest respect for you and your position, after all.” I batted my eyelashes up at him, smiling innocently. With a flash of white teeth, a long dimple appeared in his cheek. Momentarily staggered by the force of his blinding smile, it was my turn to stumble.

“You be a fair dancer, Verranica, but I might recommend a lesson or two to help with your ungainliness.”

It was a good comeback. I tried to stop the giggle rising up in my chest, but it was no use. Spinning and whirling, our bodies moving as one to the music, I felt lighter than air, and my laughter bubbled out.

Distracted by my own glee, I didn’t at first notice Jamie’s laugh—a deep infectious sound that lit up my heart. We smiled into each other’s eyes, and for a moment the room and everyone in it fell away.

Realizing that we’d stopped moving, the smile slipped from my face. The song ended but I remained sheltered in his arms. Hyperaware of the proximity of his body to mine, I became shivery and hot all at once. The heart-stoppingly beautiful boy from my visions had returned and as he searched my face, it felt as if we were having a conversation without uttering a single
word. Feeling sure he could hear my heart as it hammered away in my chest, I took a steadying breath and caught my lower lip between my teeth. Slowly his gaze moved to my mouth. As he tilted his head, I leaned into the heat of his body, releasing my lip.

In the space of a heartbeat, Jamie’s eyes narrowed and he shook his head. He released me, stepping fluidly back into an elegant bow. When his eyes met mine again, they’d regained their aloof derision. “Thank you for the dance, m’ lady.”

I lowered into a brief curtsy as he turned away and walked back into the crowd. Immediately, he focused his blinding smile on Sofia Rosetti. Any hopes I had disappeared as I watched him escort her onto the floor.

Mentally kicking myself for thinking I could have been anything other than one of the masses to such an egotistical jerk, I inched my way into the crowd. From in between bodies, I watched my BFF in the arms of Jamie’s younger brother. Smiling and talking animatedly, Kenna seemed unaware that, despite her “two left feet,” she was dancing in perfect step with her partner. I wondered if Kenna would ever acknowledge Duncan was falling in love with her, or admit she had feelings in return. For anyone with eyes, it was more than obvious, but Kenna would most likely ignore the issue until it was forced upon her. Which, by the adoring look on Duncan’s face, might prove to be sooner rather than later.

A slow, soft song began, and Jamie continued to dance with Sofia. An infinite ache filled my chest as I noticed the tender way they looked at one another; the soft smiles, her huge eyes filled with open admiration. Soon the crowd fell back to form a ring around the perfectly matched couple.

As the dance ended, Kenna and Duncan made their way toward me. The sympathetic expression on my friend’s face was
more than I could bear, and I spun away. She meant well, but any kindness would send me straight over the edge.

I picked my way through the endless crowd, intent on reaching fresh air. Once outside I found a spot along the battlement wall and gripped the cool stone, trying to calm my ragged breathing. Several feet away, a couple deep in conversation stopped to stare at me. It wasn’t long before the man grabbed the woman’s arm and they scurried away, casting nervous glances over their shoulders. Apparently being considered a sorceress’s minion had its advantages, because now I was blessedly alone.

Tears burned my throat, but I refused to allow them to escape my eyes. I swallowed hard and concentrated instead on the beauty of the moon reflecting on the clear surface of the lake, as well as the geese swimming lazily in and out of the incandescent-streaked water. A breeze began to cool my blazing skin, and I felt my raging emotions ebb away.

Jamie’s hot and cold act was draining. Every time he started to warm, to let me in the tiniest bit, he’d turn around and shut me out even harder. And why? What had I done? Except be nice to him and adore his kingdom. Even if he didn’t return my feelings—which I couldn’t determine one way or another—it didn’t explain why he treated me like I had a communicable disease.