Samia Dances for Them

Samia hesitated, her jaw clenched, but the desire to join the notorious group and be an expert thief outweighed her ****. She needed this, and not for selfish reasons.

She was no dancer, but she wasn't prepared to leave this room. After all the time and effort she'd put into tracking them down, she wasn't about to leave it all behind.

With a resigned sigh, she stepped onto the raised platform in the corner, casting a quick glance around to see exactly how many eyes were on her. She had no idea how many of them were sitting in the dark, whether there were any women, or if they were all men. As her eyes adjusted to the room, more seemed to appear with each blink.

Music began to play from the opposite corner, some sort of string instrument. It was thin, maybe a violin.

The flickering candlelight cast shadows on her as she began to move with **** grace. Her nimble fingers traced patterns in the air as she danced, her every movement revealing a hint of the agility and finesse that might make her an adept thief. The men watched in silence, captivated by the unexpected display. She kept the hood tight to her head, trying to conceal her face while also trying to move her body in a rhythm. The two felt mutually exclusive, but she did her best.

As the dance unfolded, Samia's eyes locked with Reynaldo's. There was a silent challenge in her gaze, a promise that she could not be subdued easily. She tried her best not to look at Lexo.

The tension in the room grew thicker with every beat of the music, until finally, she concluded the dance with a dramatic flourish.

Samia stood on the spot for a while, feeling even more awkward than she had when she’d been dancing. At least then, there was music to distract her.

There were murmurs of conversation as she danced, comments made about how they rated her face for prettiness, and her body. Though her cloak was a little baggy, they couldn't see much. The comments, were more about what might be underneath it. It made her cheeks a little red with embarrassment for people to talk about her that way. They never did back home, not many would dare.

There was a little applause, but mostly just conversation.

Lexo grinned, nodding approvingly. "Well done, Samia. Welcome to the Shadow Blades."

Samia, though now accepted into the ranks of the notorious thieves, couldn't shake the discomfort that lingered inside her. She had proven her skill, but at the cost of her dignity, a price she hoped wouldn't haunt her in the days to come. Would there be more silly initiations to come?

“You can dance a little,” said Lexo. “Now let’s see what else you’ve really got to offer. Strip for us.”

Samia’s eyes widened. She looked around the room, seeing only men. Now she knew why.