Page 91 of Kingdom of Dance

Staring into them, Zinnia could almost see his complicated, troubled, beautiful soul staring back. She was suddenly reminded of her imagined dance with a lifeless imitation of Obsidian at the underground ball the night before. How that experience paled in comparison to this moment, this night! Idric’s delusion could never recreate the intense way Obsidian looked at her, the frantic fluttering of her heart when he was near, the beautifully complex, incorruptible glory of him.

And all at once she knew that it had been a mistake to give in the night before. Reality might be painful, but it also included moments like this one. It was infinitely preferable to being duped. She’d allowed herself to become a true puppet, and she wouldn’t do it again.

She felt bolstered by the certainty, but she also felt the return of her weariness, as she remembered the struggle with Idric that was to come. Even now her stomach was growing painful the longer she tarried.

“Princess?” Obsidian prompted, and her eyes flew to his.

He’d asked her something. What was it?

He raised an eyebrow. “Would you like me to accompany you?”

Zinnia came out of her daze with a thud, biting her lip as she searched his face a little anxiously. “Accompany me? To…to my rooms? I hope I didn’t give the wrong impression last night, Lieutenant Obsidian. I…” She trailed off, unsure how to explain herself. Their intimate position—him still holding her as if they were dancing, in spite of the break in the music—didn’t help.

Obsidian didn’t seem flustered. On the contrary, that annoying smile was back. “You gave the impression that you wanted more time with me. Was that the wrong impression?”

“Of course I don’t want more time with you,” Zinnia said quickly. Her voice was steady, but a laugh showed in Obsidian’s eyes, as if he could somehow recognize her words for the lie they were. She didn’t know how she’d let herself become so distracted, but more time with Obsidian seemed to be all she wanted lately.

“I shouldn’t tease you,” he said, a penitent hint to his smile. “I didn’t mean anything untoward. I just thought you might appreciate the escort, given you’re soverytired.”

“That’s kind, but unnecessary,” Zinnia assured him firmly. “I’ll be fine.”

This time she stepped back a little more forcefully, and he let his hands drop to his sides. She’d half turned away when he reached out with startling speed, grasping her wrist.

“Happy birthday, Zinnia.”

She swallowed, frozen for a moment in the beam of those dark eyes. Then she bobbed her head in acknowledgment, not quite able to find her voice.

Obsidian released her wrist and bent in a surprisingly graceful bow, but his eyes never left her. She could feel them on her back as she gathered her sisters and moved toward the door.

In fact, a glance backward showed him striding after them, and she increased her speed, unwilling to engage in another conversation. Idric’s compulsion was painful now, and she didn’t know what to say to Obsidian, anyway.

She snuck one last look from halfway down the corridor, her sisters clustered around her. He was standing in the doorway to the ballroom, watching her unblinkingly. Then she rounded a corner, and he was gone.

When they reached the royal wing, Zinnia helped chivvy her sisters toward the nursery, then told them she would go to her own rooms first to change her shoes. She hurried down the corridor, entering her receiving room with one hand clutched against her aching stomach. She pushed the door shut behind her, fantasizing about just ignoring Idric’s call, refusing to go underground.

But she’d tried that, back in the early months. It always became too much eventually, and she preferred to give in while she still felt like she had the semblance of a choice.

For a moment she hovered in her receiving room, running a hand through her hair to release it from the pins Elizabeth had filled it with. She didn’t really care about changing her shoes. She just needed a moment to collect herself after her dance with Obsidian. She could feel his hand on her waist still, the warmth seeping through the fabric of her dress, and see the intensity of his gaze as he watched her from the ballroom door.

Her setting didn’t help. All she could remember was the spark of emotion in his eyes when she’d approached him in the dancing light of the fire the night before. He’d wanted to walk her back to her room tonight. Was that really all he’d meant? Or had he been hoping for another chance to be alone with her? Maybe even to pursue the kiss that had seemed only just out of reach the night before?

A stab in her stomach brought Zinnia back to the present. She glanced behind her, surprised to see that the door into the corridor hadn’t closed all the way when she’d pushed it. She hastened to secure it, then kicked off her slippers, pulling sturdy boots on hastily as she hopped her way to the interior door.

In moments she was back at the trapdoor, her sisters gathered behind her. Violet followed her down first. Zinnia didn’t immediately step into her boat, turning instead to her sister. She’d been wrestling with something ever since her revelation while she danced with Obsidian. If she was so sure she wanted reality, with all its pain and beauty, could she really justify the continued deception of her sisters?

“Violet,” she said quietly. “If there was something unpleasant that affected you, and you could just choose not to know, would you be happy to be ignorant?”

Violet frowned. “What are we talking about, Zinnia?”

“Just…answer the question.”

Violet thought it over as the other girls descended the stairs. “I don’t think I’d be happy to be ignorant. I think I’d want to know, if it affected me.”

“Ow!” Wisteria’s protest drew both their attention, the sudden sound causing white light to flare around them from the crystals. The four-year-old had reached the stone floor, and she was glaring at one of her sisters. “Ivy, you stepped on my foot.”

“I did not,” protested Ivy.

“Never mind,” Lilac intervened, before the argument could escalate. “The boats are waiting—everyone just be careful and watch your step from now on.”

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