I took a slow breath and when I reached the stage, Constantine bent, long arms reaching down and slender but strong hands wrapping around my waist. There was a charge of energy rushing through me at his touch, but he lifted me from the floor and onto the stage with no effort. Up close, his bone structure was even more unusual, cheekbones too high and jaw too broad. His grip was firm but not painful around my waist, and yet it was as if he'd fastened me in place by fierce pins and I would be unable to move on my own again until released.
