Gabriel.”
“There is no one else.”
Her corset seemed too tight. She pulled at the bone and cloth entrapping her, breathing deeply to clear the dread swelling inside.
“Hey, K’leef!” Gabriel shouted from down the table. He waved a sausage in the air. “Close your eyes and open your mouth!” He tossed the sausage at K’leef’s face. It smacked the boy on the cheek.
Gabriel howled with laughter. “Did you see that? Give me something else!”
Lily gritted her teeth.
Gabriel picked up a carrot. “Don’t forget your vegetables!”
Lily stood up. She wasn’t going to let Gabriel get away with this.
Pan held her wrist. He looked at her pleadingly. “Please, Lily, sit down.”
Blood raged in Lily’s head as she watched Gabriel’s cronies join in, tossing food at K’leef. She pulled herself free of her uncle. “Stop it,” she hissed.
Gabriel piled peas onto his spoon and flicked them.
“Stop it.”
Gabriel didn’t hear her. He rolled a lump of bread in his plate until it was dripping with gravy.
“Stop it!” Lily slammed her fist down.
The blow burst out like a thunderclap. It reverberated between the stone walls over and over.
Everyone, noble and servant, Solar and Shadow, fell silent. Even Custard stopped barking.
All eyes were on Lily.
Gabriel gazed at her, too. “What did you say?” he asked with quiet menace.
This is how wars start.
Lily pushed her lips into a fake smile. “The servants need to clear the table,” she said. “It’s time for dessert.”
Mary clapped, and the servants leaped into action.
“Music,” commanded Duke Solar. The orchestra hesitated, then started up again. The murmurs returned and soon the guests were all talking. About her.
“I’m proud of you,” whispered Uncle Pan. “That could have gone badly.”
“If he’s like that now, imagine what he’ll be like in three years. In ten.”
Pan cleared his throat loudly as Duke Solar sat down beside her. “You look unwell, m’dear.”
“She’s just excited,” said Uncle Pan.
A servant approached and placed four crystal goblets before them, one each for Lily, Gabriel, the duke, and her uncle. Duke Solar raised his. “Consider these an early wedding gift. I hope we shall be celebrating many toasts for years to come. Of anniversaries. Of children.”
Lily tried not to vomit.
“To peace,” said Duke Solar.
“To peace,” said Lily, and she raised the goblet to her lips.
“W ait,” said Uncle Pan. “Listen. They’re playing the
Danse macabre
.”
The noise of chatter dropped as the orchestra took up the tune. The lute fell to a low, haunting melody, and the drums were steady but soft, the beat of a sleeping heart.
Lily put down her goblet without taking a sip. She knew this tune better than she knew the sound of her own breath.
This was House Shadow’s dance. Legend was, the first Lord Shadow had danced it with his wife, a princess he’d rescued from the land of the dead. It was about immortal love, and Lily’s parents had danced to it at their wedding.
Oh no. They expect me to dance with Gabriel.
She looked down the table.
There he was, smoothing back his hair.
“Go on,” said Uncle Pan. “Dance with him. Show there’s no bad feeling between you.”
“I have…er…I have a pain in my leg,” said Lily. She rubbed her knee. “Ow. It really hurts. I need to sit down or it’ll fall off. Honestly.”
Mary poked her from behind. “Get going, my girl.”
Gabriel waited. Everyone waited.
Mary poked her harder. “Get up. Now.”
Custard sniffed at her plate and grabbed an abandoned lamb chop. He shook it in his jaws, growling.
“I have to take care of Custard,” Lily replied. She reached for her puppy. “Bad, bad dog.”
Mary leaned closer so she was whispering in Lily’s ear. “If you don’t stand up this instant, I am going to drag you onto the dance floor by your ear. And don’t think I won’t.”
Mary wasn’t bluffing. Lily had seen Mary tell off her
“There is no one else.”
Her corset seemed too tight. She pulled at the bone and cloth entrapping her, breathing deeply to clear the dread swelling inside.
“Hey, K’leef!” Gabriel shouted from down the table. He waved a sausage in the air. “Close your eyes and open your mouth!” He tossed the sausage at K’leef’s face. It smacked the boy on the cheek.
Gabriel howled with laughter. “Did you see that? Give me something else!”
Lily gritted her teeth.
Gabriel picked up a carrot. “Don’t forget your vegetables!”
Lily stood up. She wasn’t going to let Gabriel get away with this.
Pan held her wrist. He looked at her pleadingly. “Please, Lily, sit down.”
Blood raged in Lily’s head as she watched Gabriel’s cronies join in, tossing food at K’leef. She pulled herself free of her uncle. “Stop it,” she hissed.
Gabriel piled peas onto his spoon and flicked them.
“Stop it.”
Gabriel didn’t hear her. He rolled a lump of bread in his plate until it was dripping with gravy.
“Stop it!” Lily slammed her fist down.
The blow burst out like a thunderclap. It reverberated between the stone walls over and over.
Everyone, noble and servant, Solar and Shadow, fell silent. Even Custard stopped barking.
All eyes were on Lily.
Gabriel gazed at her, too. “What did you say?” he asked with quiet menace.
This is how wars start.
Lily pushed her lips into a fake smile. “The servants need to clear the table,” she said. “It’s time for dessert.”
Mary clapped, and the servants leaped into action.
“Music,” commanded Duke Solar. The orchestra hesitated, then started up again. The murmurs returned and soon the guests were all talking. About her.
“I’m proud of you,” whispered Uncle Pan. “That could have gone badly.”
“If he’s like that now, imagine what he’ll be like in three years. In ten.”
Pan cleared his throat loudly as Duke Solar sat down beside her. “You look unwell, m’dear.”
“She’s just excited,” said Uncle Pan.
A servant approached and placed four crystal goblets before them, one each for Lily, Gabriel, the duke, and her uncle. Duke Solar raised his. “Consider these an early wedding gift. I hope we shall be celebrating many toasts for years to come. Of anniversaries. Of children.”
Lily tried not to vomit.
“To peace,” said Duke Solar.
“To peace,” said Lily, and she raised the goblet to her lips.
“W ait,” said Uncle Pan. “Listen. They’re playing the
Danse macabre
.”
The noise of chatter dropped as the orchestra took up the tune. The lute fell to a low, haunting melody, and the drums were steady but soft, the beat of a sleeping heart.
Lily put down her goblet without taking a sip. She knew this tune better than she knew the sound of her own breath.
This was House Shadow’s dance. Legend was, the first Lord Shadow had danced it with his wife, a princess he’d rescued from the land of the dead. It was about immortal love, and Lily’s parents had danced to it at their wedding.
Oh no. They expect me to dance with Gabriel.
She looked down the table.
There he was, smoothing back his hair.
“Go on,” said Uncle Pan. “Dance with him. Show there’s no bad feeling between you.”
“I have…er…I have a pain in my leg,” said Lily. She rubbed her knee. “Ow. It really hurts. I need to sit down or it’ll fall off. Honestly.”
Mary poked her from behind. “Get going, my girl.”
Gabriel waited. Everyone waited.
Mary poked her harder. “Get up. Now.”
Custard sniffed at her plate and grabbed an abandoned lamb chop. He shook it in his jaws, growling.
“I have to take care of Custard,” Lily replied. She reached for her puppy. “Bad, bad dog.”
Mary leaned closer so she was whispering in Lily’s ear. “If you don’t stand up this instant, I am going to drag you onto the dance floor by your ear. And don’t think I won’t.”
Mary wasn’t bluffing. Lily had seen Mary tell off her
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