Page 44 of Kingdom of Dance

The compulsion in her stomach was excruciating now, the magic recognizing that she was resisting out of defiance rather than unavoidably detained. She fought the growing pain, looking the lieutenant directly in the eye. All at once, the magic gave a savage slash, like a knife passing through her midriff.

She let out an involuntary whimper and turned quickly away. It was time to give up on her futile attempt to communicate with the enchanter.

“Holly, Ivy,” she said to the girls still eating. “Time for bed.”

“But I’m not finished with my—”

“Now,” said Zinnia, her voice coming out hard and unfamiliar as pain continued to assault her senses.

They stared at her, and she widened her eyes meaningfully. With little gasps, they both shot to their feet, tumbling over each other as they rushed for the doors. Violet, still standing in the doorway, looked from the twins to Zinnia in bewilderment. She seemed to understand from Zinnia’s expression, because her face brightened.

“Your Highness?” Lieutenant Obsidian was watching her more closely than ever, but the pain was too strong for her to indulge her vague hopes of him figuring out her secret.

“I need to go right now,” she said, her vision slightly blurry and her tone far from polite. “Good evening.”

With a swish of her skirts, she turned to the door. In her peripheral vision she noted that Basil had risen and was looking from her to the lieutenant. She’d been far too obvious, she knew it. But Idric’s unexpected summons had blindsided her.

It couldn’t be happening tonight. Not so soon.

By the time she reached the nursery, her sisters were all waiting eagerly for her arrival.

“Is it true, Zinnia? Is it happening?”

She nodded dumbly.

“Already?” demanded Lilac, as excited chattering started around the room.

“Another ball?”

“But it’s only been a week!”

“Thank goodness we have new slippers already!”

Zinnia felt her hand curl into a fist, furious at her own helplessness. She hadn’t even been able to follow Alonse’s information. She was no closer to any kind of change to her situation than she had been last time Idric had called them, and that fact galled her unbearably. At least the pain in her stomach had lessened the moment she started for the nursery.

Everyone readied themselves quickly, the older girls passing through the adjoining doors to their own suites to claim yet another pair of doomed dancing slippers. Within minutes, they were descending into the trapdoor again and climbing into the twelve bobbing boats.

Zinnia’s hands were shaking as she clenched them in her lap, her hair whipped around by the boat’s impossible speed. She wasn’t ready for this. She usually had months to brace herself for a renewed attack. A week wasn’t nearly enough. She still felt depleted from Idric’s last assault, both physically and mentally. Would she even be able to withstand it? What would happen if she couldn’t?

In spite of her fear, Zinnia was first out of the boats into the underground cavern. There was no sense in putting off the nightmare. Better to face it head on.

Idric wasn’t skulking this time. He was waiting for them, his bulk seeming to fill the confined space, his tail flicking back and forth so that the spikes at the end of it left grooves in the rock.

Zinnia swallowed, lifting her chin defiantly. If Idric was irritated before he’d even begun, she was going to need every ounce of her willpower to get through this. There was always the hope that his foul mood might make him more likely to give her information she could use. She hung back as he released her sisters to their delusion, none of them showing any sign of having noticed his irritation.

“We’re not your pets,” she snapped, the moment the others were out of earshot, “that you can call us at will.”

“Certainly not,” said Idric, smoke curling from his nostrils as he spoke. “From what I have observed of humans, pets are generally the objects of some kind of foolish affection.”

Zinnia glowered at him. “It’s only been a week. What can you possibly want with us already?”

“I will not tolerate your impertinent questions.” The dragon’s voice was a menacing rumble, but Zinnia didn’t see that she had a great deal to lose.

“What are you going to do?” she challenged. “Subject me to unimaginable pain while you try to rip the spark from my body? Oh, wait…that’s already on the evening’s agenda.”

She could actually feel the heat when Idric growled. “Smarter than you appear, it would seem,” he said, his voice deep and resonant. “Unimaginable pain, did you say? How limited your imagination is if you think that’s the best I can do.”

A shiver passed over Zinnia in spite of her best efforts, but she kept her head high. “My apologies,” she said curtly. “I misspoke. I should have said, subject me to unimaginable pain while you try withabsolutely no successto rip the spark from my body.”

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