The Enchantress stood in the doorway, face pale in the moon and starlight, apart from her purple-tinted lips. Her narrowed eyes held no warmth. Despite how sexy she was in a flimsy black ensemble that revealed far more than it hid, her posture and demeanour were cold and untrusting.

Arwin fought to keep a guilty blush from rising to his face. He hadn’t actually been trying to escape — yet. But he’d certainly been thinking it. He stepped towards her, glancing over his shoulder, but thankfully saw no further sign of the giant spider. He turned back to his hostess. “Am I contemplating escape? No, of course not. Just studying the castle. It’s very interesting.”

“Studying how best to climb down?”

He protested, “Not at all!” Curse it, it was like she could read his mind! “I saw some flowers growing on the wall. I was just trying to get a better look.”

“You mean flowers like those?” She cocked an eyebrow and gestured to the walls on either side of the terrace. Both were thick with orchids of various colours. Oddly, now that he noticed it, every orchid plant in the castle appeared to be sporting fresh flowers. Given that most orchids naturally only blossomed periodically, she must have been using magic to induce constant blooms.

Arwin gulped. “Yeah. Um, guess I didn’t notice those.” He recovered swiftly and tried to be suave. “When I came out here, I was totally absorbed in the view. It’s wonderful, even at night.”

“Funny, you seem a little nervous. Maybe you’re too scared to get a really good look. Perhaps I should give you a push so that you can get a closer view.”

Looking right at her, he responded, “Actually, I prefer to be close up to this view.”

“Hmm. I wonder if you’re just pretending to want to be here.”

“I do want to be here.”

“You could be lying.”

“I could be telling the truth.”

“Why?”

“I told you: I like you. You’re smart, beautiful, and different from anyone else I’ve ever met. I want to know you better.”

“Do you, now?” The fingers of her left hand idly twisted and flexed. A purple nebula cloud filled with lightning and sparks coiled around those fingers.

Arwin tamped down his rising apprehension and grinned, projecting confidence he didn’t entirely feel. He mock-sternly admonished, “Come on, don’t be like that. Weren’t we going to have wine?”

She hesitated a moment but seemed to relax. Or maybe she was just pretending. The nebula faded away. She flicked her freshly brushed hair with one hand and then joined him on the balcony.

“You have beautiful hair.”

“Thank you.” A half smile flickered over her lips and then departed as quickly as it had arrived. She sashayed as she walked towards the couches, accenting lovely hips and that very delectable backside. The moons seemed a little brighter in her company. The ones in the sky that is. Though, her moon was a heavenly body with no compare.

They lowered themselves into a couple of ornate wrought-iron and wood couches padded with red, paisley cushions.

She flicked a finger. Flames softly rose in three standing torches nearby.

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