The musicians had already started a slower piece.
Not the bright second dance Aurora had pulled him into, and not the old court waltz he had shared with Seraph.
This one was meant to be a complete slow dance.
Evelyn lifted her right hand.
Gray took it.
His other hand settled at her back, just below her shoulder blade.
She stepped into closed hold as if she had done it a thousand times, which she probably had.
For a woman who ruled the North, she moved with no stiffness at all.
They started in a basic box.
Forward with his left.
Her right slid back to match.
Side. Close. Back. Side. Close.
The pattern was simple, but Evelyn did not dance it like a lesson. She kept her frame firm, chin level; her eyes were completely on him instead of the floor.
Gray led her through two full boxes before turning the figure into a progressive waltz, carrying them down the line of dance along the edge of the open floor.
"You looked like you needed saving," Evelyn said.
"I didn't."
