I turn to the audience and raise my eyebrows dramatically, then give them a shrug. They give me their laughter, and I try not to laugh with them at how easy it is to control them. I bend down and yank another knife from my ankle, gripping it as the heat rushes into it. This throw is easier. All I have to do is hit the air above Xander’s hand. I make the throw swift and neat, and when my knife thunks into the board, an ace of spades sits pinned beneath it.

The audience gasps, and Xander yanks out the two knives and the cards. He strolls back to me and Andy, handing me the knives and Andy the ruined cards.

“Those are your cards, I take it.”

Andy nods. He’s not quick enough to give a comeback like I was.

“His were in better shape.” I say it for him. The audience laughs, and as Andy goes back to his seat, Xander and I bow to their applause. I don’t bother looking at their faces.

When we get offstage, only Reina and Diantha are there. They give me my own little round of applause. I flush. They both hug me while Xander steps back and waits.

“The others were starving. They went down the street for Thai. The twins wanted to eat out. We wanted to congratulate you before we went.” They move toward the door. “Come join us if you want.”

I turn toward Xander with a smile I wish were real.

He smiles back at me like it’s the easiest thing in the world to do.

“Do you want to join the others?” I ask.

He shakes his head and steps toward me. His hand reaches up and brushes my hair behind one ear, drifting down to clasp the side of my neck. My mind jumps to Roman, and I don’t want it to. I need something else to cover up that moment with him. Something that’s not built on a lie.

I thought I didn’t want the fairy tale, but maybe that’s exactly what I need: the charming prince. I don’t need dark and brooding. I’m enough of that all by myself.

So I focus on Xander’s touch. These small touches seem to fill all our time together. I’ve grown used to them, but they still make my palms sweat. Nothing has ever come from it, though, so I swallow down nervousness beating in my throat and try not to pay attention to his bare chest.

“How do you feel?” he asks.

Heat fills my body. Sure, part of it is Xander’s close, shirtless proximity, but most of it is from the show, from having a crowd of people want me, applauding for me. It’s a rush. Roman was wrong about me just wanting to kill vampires. That’s the old me. The new me wants this.