The Binding
Aiden pulls me deeper into the dark, but I'm holding back because it isn't until we're past the first fire that it's easy to pick out people spread through the large clearing—and the glow of more fires in the distance, hidden by the trees. The people around us are fewer and quieter than the partiers outside, but it's because these people are all somewhere else. Apart from the chain of dancers weaving around and between the fires, in one spot a couple embraces in the light, in another a woman dances alone, her eyes closed and arms to the sky. Over in another area a guy lays on the ground, his hands keeping time with the drums, the rest of him slumped. Bound.
Saliva surges in my mouth, along with the twist of desire that spirals through my insides. I want the binding so bad, I can taste it.