The fae wine was… strong. It hit her fiercely. Her head became lighter and her vision swam. A silly smile played on her lips.
"Ginger!" Lazarus shouted.
Ginger appeared in a second, trembling from head to toe.
"Take her to her room and make sure that she doesn't get out of it," he growled, seeing her condition.
"Sure, m'lord!" Ginger said. She came to help Emma walk back to her room.
When Emma was in her room, she was feeling jubilant. Her chest was warm. She felt like dancing. The fae wine was wonderful. She could have more.
Though Ginger helped her settle down after changing her into a nightgown, she didn't feel like sleeping. As soon as Ginger left, Emma got out of the bed and walked out of her room. She was feeling so light that she thought she could fly in the air.
The night was chilly, yet she was warm. She started humming the familiar tune and walked towards the gardens when in a distance she saw a few guards sitting around a bonfire. They were singing and drinking and a couple was dancing. She giggled. The vampires came to life only during the night. Her feet took her to the group and soon she found herself standing near the bonfire. There were five men and three women sitting and chatting while a man was playing fiddle and another one a small drum. She began swaying on her feet as she watched a couple dancing. They spun so close to each other that it was difficult to make out where one body ended and the other began.
They gasped when they saw her. The couple who was dancing, stopped.
"Do you know me?" she asked with a broad smile.
"We all know you," said a woman. She handed her a glass of wine with a wink of an eye.
Emma giggled. She downed it in a minute. Her insides burned and her head swam even more. "Then don't stop dancing!" She laughed as the world spun around her. The music began. Its tempo increased and she wanted to join them. There was no one to stop her and she got pulled towards it.
She joined the couple dancing around the fire hearth. The woman smiled at her and pulled her in between herself and the man she was dancing with Emma facing the man. The man held her. He stepped back, spinning her. She stumbled but was caught by the woman. The woman placed her hands on her hips while the man placed his hands on her shoulders. Together, their hips and feet moved in sync as the music flowed in the air.
"Emma!"
Emma whipped her head and found Magnus standing there with a surprise on his face.
"What are you doing?" he said with an amused grin.
"Come, join me!" she said with a chuckle. She pulled his hand and started to dance with him, the wine hitting her hard now.
"Lazarus is not going to like this," he laughed.
"Lazarus?" she said, swaying her hips. "That conceited vampire? I hate him! Ever since he has got me here, he thinks that he owns me." Her words came out… slurry. She swayed her hips more and then spun on her heels. "But you know what?" She leaned forward a little and whispered. "I don't belong to him." She fluttered her fingers in the air. "I will ruuunn!" She tipped her head back and laughed loudly.
Magnus shook his head. She was definitely drunk. "Let me take you back to your room, Emma. You are drunk and need to rest."
"No!" she shook her head vehemently. "I will not go to my room!" Then she walked to the place where more drinks were kept. She picked up a bottle and chugged down the contents.
"Emma, no!" Magnus said loudly as he lunged at the bottle. "That is fae wine!"
But she had had a lot by the time he removed it. She swayed more and giggled uncontrollably. "And he is—!" she hiccupped. "He is too controlling!"
"You need to leave, Emma," Magnus argued. "Let me help you." He started towards her when all of a sudden, an angry voice boomed from behind.
"Emmaaa!"
Shocked, everyone in the group got up and the music stopped. Emma turned shakily to look at the source of the voice and saw blood red eyes glaring at her. The man was only in his trousers and wasn't wearing his tunic.
"Ooooo! Are you that narcissistic Lazar?" she said, pointing at him shakily with her index finger. "If you aren't, let me tell you a secret." She swayed and with faltering steps came close to him. She was about to fall down when he caught her in his arms, glaring hard at her. She craned her neck to look at him and whispered, "The secret is that Lord Lazarus is a wretched character!" She paused and stared at him, her head bobbing slightly. "But you are so…" she traced her finger on his jawline and slurred, "so handsome."
"She's been a handful!" Magnus said, raking his fingers through his hair. "Let me take her to her room."
"You don't dare to touch her!" Lazarus said, his words loaded with a warning. He was ready to rip his arm if he touched her. He grabbed her waist to steady her and said, "I asked you to stay in your room. Why did you come out? How dare you not listen to my orders. I am going to chain you to your bed now!"
She stretched her arm towards Magnus and said, "He is rude! But you— you look so pretty. Take me to your room, pretty man. I want to sleep."
Lazarus grabbed her arm and brought it back down, twisting it behind her. Her breasts puckered up against his. "What did you say?" he was seething with anger and jealousy. "You will sleep in his room?"
When she nodded, he caught her thighs, threw her on his shoulders and traced to his room. If she was going to sleep anywhere that would be his room and not anyone else's! However that night—