Free Freed by Berengaria Brown Page A

Sort of like accountability, in a way, she thought.
    “It’s time for our dance,” said Niall, as he and Mas moved up to stand beside her.
    “I just know I’m going to fall flat on my face,” moaned Mas.
    “Nonsense. The dance instructor was very pleased with our dress rehearsal yesterday,” said Aurelia.
    “Yeah, right. What he said was he didn’t think he’d be totally ashamed to have his name mentioned on our program,” argued Mas.
    “Shut up, and concentrate. This wasn’t my idea either, but Aurelia wanted it, so we’re doing it,” said Niall.
    Aurelia hid a smile. Neither of them had wanted to dance, but both of them had mastered the steps of the pas de trois perfectly. Niall was fit and well coordinated from his years in the Marines. Mas had a very intelligent brain that made learning the steps and the patterns easy for him. They’d be fine.
    The music began, the guests stood around the edges of the dance floor and watched, and Aurelia began the slow, stately steps that took her from man to man, up and down the length of the floor, around and around the space, until, after dancing with one, then the other, being passed back and forth, she ended up in the arms of both of her men.
    It was an old-world sort of dance, but the ending was highly evocative, and the guests clapped hard. And neither man had put a toe out of place.
    Trevellyan made a speech, and seeing him there, so blissfully happy, with Evelyn looking stunning in palest-green and Merrick, Vaughan, and Trevellyan in matching cummerbunds, almost made her cry. If it hadn’t been for Trevellyan, helped by Merrick and Vaughan, then aided by Evelyn, she would never have met Niall and Mas. Never found the true joy that filled her to the brim. And possibly she’d still be enslaved in that call center. Her one wish was that she knew the ending of that story. But she wasn’t going to think about it today. Today was her commitment ceremony, her day of complete happiness.
     
    * * * *
     
    Aurelia, Niall, and Mas held hands and ran to the waiting limousine, piling into the back, laughing as friends threw rice and flower petals at them. The driver took off smoothly but quickly, driving through the city to an area Aurelia wasn’t familiar with. “Where are we going?” she asked.
    “It’s still a secret. It took us two weeks to think of the idea, and we aren’t going to spoil it by letting you know until after we arrive,” said Mas.
    “Just be patient, my sweet,” added Niall.
    Aurelia harrumphed, but inside she was still bubbling with happiness. It didn’t really matter where they were going. The point was the men had worked together to think of something they’d all like. She was sure it would be wonderful whatever it was.
    The limo stopped at the end of a street, and the driver handed the three of them full-face masks. Obediently, Aurelia put hers on, smiling at the men. Niall was, predictably, an ancient warrior. Mas, equally predictably, was a cartoon hero. She was the fairy princess. Well, it suited the dress she was wearing, that was for sure.
    When their faces were covered, the driver stepped out of the vehicle and opened the door for them. As they stood on the sidewalk together, a flat metal door in the building beside them opened a few inches, and the driver waved them to enter. Holding her breath, Aurelia let the men lead her up the three steps and into a completely black entryway. A sharp turn to the left, then another to the right, had them standing in a foyer filled with gray light from a few low-watt ceiling lamps.
    “Welcome,” said a disembodied voice.
    Aurelia twisted around but still couldn’t see a person. Just as she decided it was an intercom of some sort, a gray hand extended from the wall, holding out a huge iron door key.
    “Dungeon four awaits you,” said the voice.
    Niall took the key, and Mas turned the three of them to the left, where the light seemed less dim. They walked past a door numbered seven, and then the