Page 57 of Kingdom of Dance

Zinnia’s eyes took on a calculating look. Glancing up the corridor, she stepped close to him. Obsidian wished her proximity didn’t make his heart race, but he couldn’t control it—after their interactions in the intimate atmosphere of the caverns, he was hyper-aware of her.

“Can I tell you a secret?” she asked quietly. “You have to be careful with this information, though.”

He nodded, curiosity raging. Was he getting somewhere at last? “I don’t think I’ve ever been accused of having a loose tongue.”

A flash of something that might have been humor shot into her eyes, but she didn’t allow herself to be distracted by it. “You’re right about the agreement,” she said, her voice a low murmur. “That’s what it’ssupposedto be. But I know for a fact that some parties are breaching it—onbothsides.”

Obsidian stared at her. “Both sides? You mean, humans and dragons?”

She nodded eagerly. “There are two dragons who we consider friends here. They’re more sympathetic to humans than the rest of their kind. I know of more than one royal who’s asked for help from them. Magical help.” She lowered her voice further. “And they’ve given it.”

Obsidian’s mind was racing. Clearly she wanted him to understand more than she was saying, and he was terrified of missing key information. “Are you one of those royals?” he asked cautiously.

Zinnia gave a bitter laugh. “No.”

He frowned. “Then how do you know? Did they tell you about it?”

She shook her head, but was hampered from answering by the appearance around the corner of a pair of young noblewomen. Zinnia fell silent, stepping slightly back from Obsidian as the two approached.

“Your Highness,” they said, dipping into graceful curtsies, although their eyes were already flicking curiously to Obsidian.

Looking disgruntled at the interruption to their conversation, Zinnia performed introductions. Obsidian bowed slightly, already forgetting the young ladies’ names. He couldn’t care less who they were.

“Welcome back, Your Highness,” said one of the noblewomen, as they prepared to move on. She threw a glance at Obsidian. “And welcome to Tola, Lieutenant.”

The other girl barely stifled a giggle, and the two continued down the corridor. As soon as they passed, they bent their heads together to whisper rapidly.

Zinnia watched them through narrowed eyes, then sent a strange look at Obsidian. “Not just the maids, apparently,” she muttered, sounding unimpressed. With a sigh, she turned her eyes toward the royal wing. “I’d better go. I’ll talk to you later.”

Strangely reluctant to let her leave, Obsidian nodded. “I’ll be the one…what was it? Skulking in the shadows, watching out of dark, brooding eyes.”

Zinnia let out a peal of surprised laughter, loud enough to draw a startled look from a passing servant.

“You won’t be hard to find,” she agreed.

Obsidian turned away, smiling with satisfaction at having been the one to surprise a laugh out of her for once. He didn’t feel the need to follow her—she’d spoken the truth about assisting the younger princesses with their studies. His time would be better spent trying to decipher their conversation about dragon lore. Was she prompting him to ask a dragon for help? That course was much too risky to even consider based on a whim. Even with a clear royal instruction, he wasn’t sure he’d do it. And she’d said herself she had dragon friends. If asking them for help was an option, surely she would have done it herself.

He spent the hours until lunch striding purposelessly through the castle’s corridors, his mind churning over. He was impatient to be with the princess again, and a warning voice in his mind recognized that it wan’t only because his determination to unravel the mystery was growing. He was so occupied by both the princess’s secrets and the princess herself, it was almost easy to push the encounter with his hated grandfather from his mind.

Obsidian was the first at the luncheon table, impatient for the others to arrive. The dowager queen entered first, accompanied by Princess Lilac. Obsidian had noticed that the second eldest daughter seemed to be her mother’s unofficial companion. She hovered around the older woman with much the air of a bodyguard around a senior military officer, protective and loyal.

The rest of the family filed in soon after, the king entering with his wife, a rare laugh on his lips as they came through the doorway. Zinnia came a short way behind them, and Obsidian was so focused on her, he barely noticed the argument happening between Princess Violet and two of her younger sisters.

“But how did it happen? You need to be more careful.”

“Don’t fuss, Violet,” said eight-year-old Princess Cassia, frowning. She touched a hand to her cheek. “It’s not a big cut—I don’t even remember it happening.”

“What’s the matter?” asked the dowager queen, her attention drawn to the discussion.

“Nothing of great concern,” said Princess Violet lightly, clearly not wanting to worry her mother. She ushered the younger girls into seats. “Cassia and Magnolia have both hurt themselves, but they’re not bad injuries.”

“Like I said.” Cassia sounded aggrieved, pulling a bread roll toward herself.

“Let me see.” The dowager queen rose from her seat, coming closer to inspect her daughters. Following her gaze from his own place across the table, Obsidian saw that Princess Cassia’s cheek sported a superficial but clearly visible cut.

“Yes, I noticed that at breakfast this morning,” said the girl’s mother, appraising it. “It’s not deep. Did you fall over, Cassia?”

The princess shrugged. “Not that I can think of.”

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