Night had fallen around Elise Grey as she stood outside the Grand Chapel of the Smoky Mountain Sanctuary. The building, crafted from bricks and mortar, was the second tallest in the Sanctuary, dwarfed only by the Star Range. The main floor of the Grand Chapel was styled after European Cathedrals. The windows, however, were clear glass. These massive latticed windows took up almost all of the real estate on the walls, leaving the Grand Chapel looking more like a greenhouse than a church. The peculiar design philosophy had come to be called American Gothic, by the Posse. Through Coven magic, the floor had been transformed into an ornate ballroom. Magical light fixtures of many colors were set into the walls, and a massive projection of the Solar System, brought to the Posse by the inner workings of the Star Range, served as a floating chandelier in the center of the ballroom.

  Elise, nervously standing on solid ground in front of the Grand Chapel, looked around for her date. John had promised he would be back by nightfall to take her in. She didn’t want to look like a loser going in herself. She had gone with Winona that afternoon to get a new dress. Hers, colored with layers of grey and green, was in peak condition. It ended at her ankles, with the elegant stylings of the Green Coven on full display. She had chosen the color palette to the Calhoun family green, which John had told her he would wear. As the wind tossed her frills a bit, she thought about just how much effort she had put into her outfit. It struck her that she had never spent this much time trying to look good for anyone, let alone a filthy Six-Gun. Regardless, the excitement of the night had energized her through all the preparations. Now was her time to shine.

  Mavis sat with Buster on the bench seat nearby. She had gone home to pick out an elegant dress from her mother’s closet. She beamed with delight at the romance of the night, scooted up close to the Rodeo Clown in his best shirt and suit jacket.

  “Hey, Elise… You don’t think that he ran off, do you?” Mavis tilted her head. Her hair was up in a styled bun.

  Buster blinked, stretched out comfortably on the bench. His Gellerite shined on his hip in the light of the street lamps. “John Boy got too nervous to meet you!”

  Mavis nodded an giggled, “He’s not ready for how beautiful you look!”

  Elise smiled, granting them a side-eye. She appreciated the support.

  “Hey, you ready?” Came a voice from behind her.

  Elise jumped a bit and swiveled around. She saw John Calhoun standing there, more handsome than he had ever been. He wore a white Stetson, which his family had been known to wear in ceremonies, his blonde hair styled underneath. John was clad in dress clothing befitting a wealthy household of the Posse, with his dark green suit matching the green of her dress. He even had on a fine leather pistol belt. From head to toe, the young Gun looked appealing in ways he hadn’t before. Elise couldn’t see the stinking boy who had spent the past months running up and down the mountain. She saw a young man, dapper and fresh. A rising feeling came on in her chest.

  “John boy showed UP!” Buster clapped, prompting Mavis to give little claps as well.

  John held out a hand. “Elise, care to join me?”

  Her face flushed, the witch took his hand. She had held his hand earlier that day when he pulled her away from Billy Baird, but now it was different. He held her gently, with just enough firmness to assert himself. John was steeped in the soft confidence of a man raised in nobility. Elise found the feeling of it almost overwhelming.

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  “Wow, John.” Her voice was nearly at a whisper. “I’m impressed.”

  “You’re impressed? How do you think I feel? Look at you!”

  She turned her face away as if to deflect the wave of embarrassment. “Shut up…”

  “Ok, princess.” John said her nickname just a little more genuinely that time, “Let’s go in.”

  John took her into the Grand Chapel, letting the music overtake his senses. An orchestra of instruments floated above the dancers, playing themselves without any human interface. Elaborate waltzes raced along above the dancers in the glow of the magelight. Other members of the Posse twisted and spun as they danced around the floor, others still standing or sitting at the tables. John noticed many he knew, including Smallmouth with a tall Plaid lady in a blue dress.

  He let Elise lead him along, showing him off to the other witches her age who had insisted she was too abrasive to catch the fancy of a Six-Gun, partner or not. She danced with him, letting him hold her as she did. Elise admired his comfortable, confident demeanor, and his steady smile. She let herself be taken in by the sights and the sounds, carrying her off into girlish fancy uncharacteristic of the younger daughter of Shaina Grey.

  “I’m surprised you let me drag you to the Dance.” Elise looked to him while they danced, a catlike grin on her face. “You don’t seem like the kind of guy to enjoy this sort of thing.”

  “You wanted to, and I didn’t feel like arguing.” John smirked.

  She raised an eyebrow, “Is that it, Mister Calhoun? Shying from an argument? That’s unlike you. Maybe you’re starting to know your place.”

  She shot him a playful grin, hoping to tweak his nerves.

  John was quiet for a long moment, trying to find the right words. He simply stared at her with a smile.

  “You know something?”

  “What?” She braced for a sarcastic remark.

  “I think I get it.” John looked her in the eye, “I think you just want to be seen.”

  She blinked, not expecting something like that to cross John’s lips. She had often told herself exactly that, that she wanted for someone to see her for herself. John let out a breath.

  “Elise, I think you want people to see your value to yourself, not your value to other people.” John’s words were low and quiet, for her only. “I think you want people to know you like you know you.”

  “Just when did you become some kind of therapist?” She glowered a bit, feeling called out. Her cheeks ran pink as she was unable to stifle a prick of embarrassment.

  “I’m not. I think this about you because I feel the same way.” His tone warmed as he smiled. “I noticed it when I thought about how I feel with my brothers and stuff.”

  She looked back at him, processing his words carefully.

  “I feel just like you, Elise. I don’t want people to see a Calhoun, or just the littlest brother in the bunch. I don’t want them to look at me for my family. I want to be John to them, and you.”

  “I didn’t know.” She stopped dancing. John picked up his steps, practiced in the halls of his family home by rigid tutors. He kept her engaged in the dance even after she had lapsed.

  “Well, it’s not super important.” John continued to look at her. “I just want you to know that I see you. You are not a helper to me, you’re not just a girl. You’re Elise. I can respect that.”

  Elise could feel the sentiment written on his Resolve. This sent a tremor through her, flaring her magic a bit. She found herself leaning in for a kiss.

  “Are you sure?” John whispered, “I don’t need that, if it’s a throwaway.”

  Elise withdrew a bit, mulling it over. She smirked, feeling a bit like Mavis in that moment. The kiss would have to be more carefully considered. Her peck on Calvin’s cheek did indeed feel like a throwaway, upon closer inspection. She didn’t know if it was right to do that to two of them. It felt a step too far. John had asserted himself, and for once Elise felt inclined to respect his line in the sand. She continued to dance without kissing him. This did not impede her enjoyment of the night or the subtle slipping she felt in her gut. She couldn’t help but feel very close to her partner Gun.