wrapped my cousin in a fierce embrace. I had had no idea the marriage of her father and stepmother was so miserable. I’dgrown up naïvely in a happy household, with parents who’d also grown up in happy households. I’d always assumed I’d have the same happily-ever-after. At least there was still hope for Petya.
“Gracious, Katiya! It’s not quite so terrible!” Dariya said, surprised at my affection. “Oh good, it looks like we’re having oysters tonight,” she added, noticing the
zakuski
table. She picked up a glass of champagne and tipped it toward me. “Here’s to an interesting evening.”
I looked around the reception hall for Alix and noticed her speaking with Grand Duke Sergei. As much as I liked Alix and her sister, the grand duke frightened me with his cruel black eyes. I turned back and found a glass of champagne, sipping it for courage. Dariya had already slipped away to flirt with young men in the grand duke’s regiment. It appeared that Prince Kotchoubey was still her favorite.
I left my half-full glass on a servant’s silver tray and approached Alix. She smiled when she saw me. “Katerina Alexandrovna,” she said. “I’m so happy you’re here tonight.”
Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich frowned at me, his needle-sharp eyes taking in my appearance as if he did not approve. “Duchess,” he said with a crisp bow and a click of his boot heels. “I hope you are enjoying yourself this evening.”
“Of course, Your Imperial Highness. You have a beautiful home.”
He nodded politely. “If you will excuse me, Alix, I must find your sister.”
“He wants every little thing to be perfect,” Alix said. “Sometimes I think he cares more about party details than Ella does.”
“It’s a lovely dinner,” I said, glancing around at the sparklingchina and silver. Delicate orchids and roses bloomed in crystal vases everywhere.
“I dread leaving St. Petersburg,” Alix said. “I feel evil creeping through the streets. And it’s not just the Dark Court.”
She would be overly sensitive right now. It was close to the full moon, when she and her sister roamed the streets as wolf-folk, protecting the innocent from evil creatures. I was grateful and lucky she no longer considered me one of her prey. I wondered what the grand duke thought of his wife and sister-in-law’s feral activities. Rumors circulated in Moscow that he and his soldiers were the ones howling like wolves on bitter cold nights. I wondered if they joined the women in order to keep an eye on them.
Alix frowned. “Is the crown prince still in town? Has he tried to speak to you again?”
I shook my head. Whatever Danilo’s plans were, I hoped they did not involve me. Since the crown prince’s arrest in May, I’d asked Dr. Badmaev to teach me to block him from my mind. Danilo’s ascension ritual in Cetinje had forged a powerful blood bond between us, and now I had a hard time keeping the crown prince from hearing my thoughts. The bond had linked our minds in an uncomfortably intimate way. The Tibetan had told me there was nothing that could get rid of this blood bond except death. But I had finally learned to close my mind off from him. Some of the time, at least. I suspected my efforts mostly amused the crown prince. I didn’t want George to know just how strong my bond with Danilo was. Even I didn’t want to know the depths of it.
We were getting ready to sit down for dinner when the footmanannounced the arrival of the imperial family. The empress and her eldest children had come to bid farewell to Ella and Alix. Perhaps Her Imperial Highness had cut her sons’ party with the ballerinas short.
Everyone pressed forward to pay respects to the empress. George did not look surprised to see me. As soon as the crowd pushed into the grand dining room, he was at my side.
“We need to talk.” His voice was low and urgent.
“About what, Your Imperial Highness?” I looked straight ahead, at the back of Grand Duchess
“Gracious, Katiya! It’s not quite so terrible!” Dariya said, surprised at my affection. “Oh good, it looks like we’re having oysters tonight,” she added, noticing the
zakuski
table. She picked up a glass of champagne and tipped it toward me. “Here’s to an interesting evening.”
I looked around the reception hall for Alix and noticed her speaking with Grand Duke Sergei. As much as I liked Alix and her sister, the grand duke frightened me with his cruel black eyes. I turned back and found a glass of champagne, sipping it for courage. Dariya had already slipped away to flirt with young men in the grand duke’s regiment. It appeared that Prince Kotchoubey was still her favorite.
I left my half-full glass on a servant’s silver tray and approached Alix. She smiled when she saw me. “Katerina Alexandrovna,” she said. “I’m so happy you’re here tonight.”
Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich frowned at me, his needle-sharp eyes taking in my appearance as if he did not approve. “Duchess,” he said with a crisp bow and a click of his boot heels. “I hope you are enjoying yourself this evening.”
“Of course, Your Imperial Highness. You have a beautiful home.”
He nodded politely. “If you will excuse me, Alix, I must find your sister.”
“He wants every little thing to be perfect,” Alix said. “Sometimes I think he cares more about party details than Ella does.”
“It’s a lovely dinner,” I said, glancing around at the sparklingchina and silver. Delicate orchids and roses bloomed in crystal vases everywhere.
“I dread leaving St. Petersburg,” Alix said. “I feel evil creeping through the streets. And it’s not just the Dark Court.”
She would be overly sensitive right now. It was close to the full moon, when she and her sister roamed the streets as wolf-folk, protecting the innocent from evil creatures. I was grateful and lucky she no longer considered me one of her prey. I wondered what the grand duke thought of his wife and sister-in-law’s feral activities. Rumors circulated in Moscow that he and his soldiers were the ones howling like wolves on bitter cold nights. I wondered if they joined the women in order to keep an eye on them.
Alix frowned. “Is the crown prince still in town? Has he tried to speak to you again?”
I shook my head. Whatever Danilo’s plans were, I hoped they did not involve me. Since the crown prince’s arrest in May, I’d asked Dr. Badmaev to teach me to block him from my mind. Danilo’s ascension ritual in Cetinje had forged a powerful blood bond between us, and now I had a hard time keeping the crown prince from hearing my thoughts. The bond had linked our minds in an uncomfortably intimate way. The Tibetan had told me there was nothing that could get rid of this blood bond except death. But I had finally learned to close my mind off from him. Some of the time, at least. I suspected my efforts mostly amused the crown prince. I didn’t want George to know just how strong my bond with Danilo was. Even I didn’t want to know the depths of it.
We were getting ready to sit down for dinner when the footmanannounced the arrival of the imperial family. The empress and her eldest children had come to bid farewell to Ella and Alix. Perhaps Her Imperial Highness had cut her sons’ party with the ballerinas short.
Everyone pressed forward to pay respects to the empress. George did not look surprised to see me. As soon as the crowd pushed into the grand dining room, he was at my side.
“We need to talk.” His voice was low and urgent.
“About what, Your Imperial Highness?” I looked straight ahead, at the back of Grand Duchess
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