dance with me

Tanza’s pulse was thrumming so hard, he could feel it in his palms.

The party was ablaze; the pavilion was full of dragons coated in gold and clementine sheen. Laughter, cheering, clapping wings and talons filled the scene. It was a perfect night to party.

And it was a perfect night to die.

Tanza could’ve sworn he saw Limba in the crowd, sulking around and his beady eyes following Tanza around. He wasn’t hallucinating; only one wrong move, and he could end up in the ReefWing’s claws.

Tanza felt his breathing labor, a soft whine in his throat. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to get out. Get out as fast as possible.

But as he was turning to go, a pair of talons snatched his and dragged him away. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus on his captor as dragons around him gasped, seeing him and the crystals protruding from his body. His heart jumped significantly, fear tightening his muscles.

But then he looked down into a beaming green face, wings spread up in a dance but also to shield him from other dragons, as well as a glimpse of Limba’s outraged expression. He saw other dragons in the corner of his eyes; Honu’s friend Feli with a stunning blue Xube, Litho standing off to the side with a smile on his face as he watched Tanza.

But Tanza’s eyes found hers again; Honu, her talons resting over his, her eyes shining. Her snout was only inches from his, gentle breath on his nose. His thundering heartbeat substituted the shocked whispers around him.

“No matter what they will do,” she whispered to him above the clamor, talons squeezing his. “Keep dancing with me.”

Tanza could barely breathe, could barely think with everything going on. All the eyes on him, Limba’s eyes on him, Honu’s eyes on him…

But her eyes were trusting, promising. So he took a deep breath, feeling it flush his chest out. Then he nodded.

And then they started to dance.