great houses of Faerie,” Sancha explained. “Our own house and the House of Weir. You knew our father longed for an alliance with the powerful Dukedom of the North. When Gabriel proposed to you, I think you may have agreed to the marriage partly to please our father.”
“It seemed to me that you were dazzled by the glamour and the excitement of it all,” Cordelia added, overhearing. “But you liked Gabriel well enough, Ibelieve.” She watched him across the room. “He is a handsome man, I dare say, for those who admire such things.”
Suddenly Zara appeared in front of them. “What’s this!” she exclaimed, snatching at Anita’s hands. “Weary already? Fie! The night is young; come, I have called for your favorite dance—Fine Companion. It will blow away all the cobwebs! On your feet, lazy-bones; there is many a measure to tread before dawn!”
Anita gave Sancha and Cordelia a helpless grin as she was towed onto the dance floor by her tireless sister.
It was not until three more dances had passed that Anita was able to escape Zara’s attentions. Slightly dizzy from being spun around and around, she made her way through the courtiers, looking for a place to sit and rest for a while.
Suddenly a hand grasped her wrist and a familiar voice hissed close to her ear. “We must talk.”
She turned her head and saw Edric’s face at her shoulder.
For a split second she was vividly reminded of another time when a boy she knew as Evan Thomas had taken hold of her wrist.
A concert, a few months ago in North London. Loud rock music, battering at her ears, electric guitars screaming through her head, the bass rumbling in the pit of her stomach. The dance floor heaving with sweating bodies. Strobe lights raking the darkened walls. And her in the middle of thecrush, enjoying every frenzied moment of it, until she was caught by a fierce press of bodies as the crowd surged toward the stage. She was trapped in the stampede, gasping for breath, unable to get out. In real danger of falling and being trampled underfoot.
And then—rescue! Evan’s hand, grabbing hold of her wrist, yanking her out of the suffocating pack, towing her to safety.
Relieved. Throwing her arms around his neck. Laughing above the noise. Yelling in his ear. “I think you just saved my life!” And in that moment, awakening to the awesome notion that she just might be in love with him.
The memory only lasted for a moment. Then she was back in the Great Hall of the Royal Palace and the face she was staring at was no longer that of her boyfriend, Evan; it was the face of Edric Chanticleer, the deceitful servant of Gabriel Drake.
“Let go of me,” she snapped. “I have nothing to say to you.” She wrenched her arm free and pushed her way through the crowd, desperate to get as far away from him as possible. The thought of the cruel way he had manipulated her emotions filled her with raw pain, gnawing at her, making her feet stumble. Why did she feel that way? She knew this was only a dream, so why did the sight of him hurt so much?
“Well met, my lady!” She was brought up sharp by Gabriel’s voice. He was standing right in front of her. She had been so intent on putting distance between herself and Edric that she had almost walked straight into him.
“Oh! Sorry.” She gasped, grateful for a friendly face to banish her dark thoughts. She smiled at him. “Are you having a good time?”
“It is a joy indeed,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “But to step another measure with my lady would put all other pleasures to shame.”
Anita raised one eyebrow. “You’re asking me for a dance, right?”
Gabriel bowed. “If my lady pleases.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’m up for it. But nothing too energetic, please.”
“Trust me,” he said. “I shall lead you in a dance like no other!”
That sounded intriguing. She allowed him to usher her onto the dance floor.
They stood facing each other. He bowed and reached out his
“It seemed to me that you were dazzled by the glamour and the excitement of it all,” Cordelia added, overhearing. “But you liked Gabriel well enough, Ibelieve.” She watched him across the room. “He is a handsome man, I dare say, for those who admire such things.”
Suddenly Zara appeared in front of them. “What’s this!” she exclaimed, snatching at Anita’s hands. “Weary already? Fie! The night is young; come, I have called for your favorite dance—Fine Companion. It will blow away all the cobwebs! On your feet, lazy-bones; there is many a measure to tread before dawn!”
Anita gave Sancha and Cordelia a helpless grin as she was towed onto the dance floor by her tireless sister.
It was not until three more dances had passed that Anita was able to escape Zara’s attentions. Slightly dizzy from being spun around and around, she made her way through the courtiers, looking for a place to sit and rest for a while.
Suddenly a hand grasped her wrist and a familiar voice hissed close to her ear. “We must talk.”
She turned her head and saw Edric’s face at her shoulder.
For a split second she was vividly reminded of another time when a boy she knew as Evan Thomas had taken hold of her wrist.
A concert, a few months ago in North London. Loud rock music, battering at her ears, electric guitars screaming through her head, the bass rumbling in the pit of her stomach. The dance floor heaving with sweating bodies. Strobe lights raking the darkened walls. And her in the middle of thecrush, enjoying every frenzied moment of it, until she was caught by a fierce press of bodies as the crowd surged toward the stage. She was trapped in the stampede, gasping for breath, unable to get out. In real danger of falling and being trampled underfoot.
And then—rescue! Evan’s hand, grabbing hold of her wrist, yanking her out of the suffocating pack, towing her to safety.
Relieved. Throwing her arms around his neck. Laughing above the noise. Yelling in his ear. “I think you just saved my life!” And in that moment, awakening to the awesome notion that she just might be in love with him.
The memory only lasted for a moment. Then she was back in the Great Hall of the Royal Palace and the face she was staring at was no longer that of her boyfriend, Evan; it was the face of Edric Chanticleer, the deceitful servant of Gabriel Drake.
“Let go of me,” she snapped. “I have nothing to say to you.” She wrenched her arm free and pushed her way through the crowd, desperate to get as far away from him as possible. The thought of the cruel way he had manipulated her emotions filled her with raw pain, gnawing at her, making her feet stumble. Why did she feel that way? She knew this was only a dream, so why did the sight of him hurt so much?
“Well met, my lady!” She was brought up sharp by Gabriel’s voice. He was standing right in front of her. She had been so intent on putting distance between herself and Edric that she had almost walked straight into him.
“Oh! Sorry.” She gasped, grateful for a friendly face to banish her dark thoughts. She smiled at him. “Are you having a good time?”
“It is a joy indeed,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “But to step another measure with my lady would put all other pleasures to shame.”
Anita raised one eyebrow. “You’re asking me for a dance, right?”
Gabriel bowed. “If my lady pleases.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’m up for it. But nothing too energetic, please.”
“Trust me,” he said. “I shall lead you in a dance like no other!”
That sounded intriguing. She allowed him to usher her onto the dance floor.
They stood facing each other. He bowed and reached out his
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