Page 61 of Muse

“We don’t go on until after the tiger who jumps through the rings of fire, and she’s still asleep, so we have time.” She waved it off, her wrist adornments leaving trails of tiny glittery feathers in the air. She shed them everywhere she went.

"Everyone was watching through the door, and oh my gosh, Izzy, you were so amazing!" Briar beamed at me, then looked over at Soren. "And you, too, Soren! You blew everyone away! Herve is looking nervous."

“He did go overboard on those costumes,” Soren commented.

"I can't wait until I can change out of this," she agreed with a laugh. "I should be getting back before Herve knows I'm gone. But I wanted to tell you how much I loved your conduction in case you left early. Are you staying for the after-party?"

"Um…yes. I think we might," I said because happiness was infectious, and I was still riding the high from the conduction. For a short window afterward, I felt nearly invincible.

“Yay!” Briar squealed and kissed my cheek. “See you later!”

“You want to stay later then?” Soren asked me as I watched my friend’s retreating figure.

“Yes. If you don’t mind,” I said and looked up at him.

“Why would I mind? It sounds fun.” He smirked, and he reached forward and gently rubbed his thumb across my cheekwhere Briar had planted a kiss. “Briar left my lipstick on your face.”

After he finished wiping away the smudge, his hand lingered, cradling my face, and his eyes were the only things I could see in the darkness.

I had never wanted to kiss anyone more than I wanted to kiss him. It was a desperateneedclawing out from the heat in my belly. I would've given nearly anything to feel his lips against mine at that moment.

But I was too afraid to move, too afraid that if I leaned in, he would only pull away. So I stayed frozen between him and the cold wall behind me.

"We should go," he said at length. He dropped his hand, leaving my cheek suddenly cold without his touch, and he offered me his arm so we could walk out together in a respectable fashion. "We don't want to miss the tiger perform."

Chapter 37

Ihad never stayed until the end of a festival in Calida before because Adora had never let me. She considered it unnecessary indulgence after a certain point. That was another comfort: if Soren and I hid in the periphery long enough, Adore would leave before I had a run-in with her.

Although it did end up being harder to stick to the shadows, because people kept running up to congratulate both Soren and me. We had utilized magik and combined it with aerial acrobatics and ribbon dancing in a way that no one had really seen before. None of the parts were especially groundbreaking, but we put them all together in a spectacular, unique way.

Eventually, Soren and I managed to break away from the crowd, and we went up to the balcony, where a dozen or so folks were enjoying the show without all the madness of the floor. From there, we leaned over the railing and watched Briar outdazzle the muses during Herve’s conduction, despite her cumbersome costume.

When she finished, I whistled and clapped, but the audience’s enthusiasm did seem more lackluster than it had been for mine and Soren’s conduction.

Queen Kriselle stood up before her throne, and everyone fell silent. Her gown was slinky and glittering, with feathers adorning the long train. She stepped off the edge of the dais, and her two eldest daughters joined her on either side – the heir apparent, Cosetta, on the right, and Sylvetta, on the left.

Both of them looked like slightly smaller, younger versions of their mother.

Cosetta wore a red gown that was a more elegant, structured version of the one that Briar had performed in. The feathers were clearly of a higher quality, all clean and bright down her hips and into the voluminous train. Meanwhile, Sylvetta – and the three younger sisters who remained back on the dais – wore a variation of slinky, glittery, black gowns. Sylvetta's had two slits that went high up her thighs.

The obvious clash of Cosetta's gown and her sisters' didn't make sense, until I remembered that her husband, Tarian Chaunter, was the nephew of the warlock, Herve. Cosetta and Tarian had chosen to match the muses' performances instead of following the family trend.

The one area where Queen Kriselle matched all five of her daughters was in the crimson lipstick and the royal jewels they were on their heads. As reigning monarch, Kriselle's was the largest of the tiaras, adorned with diamonds and onyx, and then they decreased in size to the tiny one on her youngest daughter, Anabetta.

"Thank you for attending and performing," Queen Krisille announced in her commanding, elegant voice. "I know our ancestors are watching over us all with great pride. Let us celebrate tonight in their honor!"

The crowd let out a cheer, even us up in the balcony. The minstrel band began to play, and the party started in earnest. Hors d'oeuvres and drinks were being passed around the main floor, and I could see Briar dancing with her sister, Dahlia. Wrenley ran over to join them, so all three were dancing together.

"Come on!" Without thinking, I grabbed Soren's hand and pulled him toward the winding stairs down to the main floor. "Let's go dance!"

This was my first time genuinely joining the revelry in Calida. My performance was behind me, Adora was gone, and I was ready to let loose and have fun.

I made my way through the crowd with Soren behind me. He let go of my hand when we hit the main floor, moving his hand to the small of my back. I could see Briar and Wrenley laughing and having a good time.

But I never even reached them.

Baxley Cole appeared out of nowhere – despite the fact that he was well over six feet tall and wearing a costume made of bright yellow plumage – and he blocked my path.

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