The Light and Fallen by Anna White Page A

the
dance when Sofia rapped lightly on his bedroom door. "Come in," he
said.
    Sofia pushed the door open, and he could see
Duncan standing in the hall behind her. She drifted into the room
and perched on the edge of his bed. "How are you feeling?"
    "Fine," Lucian said. He gritted his teeth in
frustration. "Except for this stupid tie." He pulled fiercely on
its ends and tried to remember how Samara had gotten it to
cooperate, then whipped it off and threw it onto the dresser.
    When he looked in the mirror he could see
Duncan and Sofia watching with bemused expressions. "I'm nervous,"
he admitted. "I know in the grand scale of things this isn't a
major event, but it feels important to me."
    Sofia stood up and scooped the tie off the
dresser. "It might be," she said. She draped the tie around his
neck and pulled it into a smooth knot.
    Lucian gave himself a final once over, then
turned to face his guardians. "Any advice?"
    "Follow your heart," Sofia answered.
    Lucian sighed. "That's the same thing you
always say. I was hoping you had something a little more specific
to the situation."
    "Nope." Duncan grinned at Lucian's
consternation. "Quit waiting for all the answers, and just go with
your gut. Things'll come together. They might even be working their
way around right now."
    Lucian looked doubtful. "Maybe."
    Duncan glanced at his watch. "Even if they're
not," he said, "you've gotta go." He pushed Lucian toward the door.
"Cinderella might go to the ball without you."
     
     
     

Chapter 37
     
     
    Samara opened her front door before Lucian
even had a chance to knock. She was wearing a pale blue dress that
swirled around her body, and her hair flowed over her shoulders and
framed her face.
    "Ready?" she asked. She stepped out and
locked the door behind her. She teetered on her high heels and
grabbed Lucian's elbow as she reached the first stair. She lifted
the hem of her dress and slowly lowered herself onto the second
step.
    Without warning, Lucian's arms wrapped around
her. He scooped her up easily, like she was a child, and carried
her down the driveway. He opened the door with one hand and slid
her into the seat.
    Samara laughed, breathless. "Are you trying
to sweep me off my feet?" she teased, trying to hide her
embarrassment.
    "Absolutely," he said. He tapped her on the
nose. "I can't have you breaking a leg before we leave the
house."
    He climbed into his own seat and started the
engine, and Samara was surprised to hear soft music coming from the
radio. "Classical?" she asked curiously.
    "You can change it if you want," he said.
    "No, I like it." She listened closely and was
able to pick out the low, resonant sound of a cello. "I've just
never met anyone who listened to classical music for fun
before."
    "This music can tell you everything that
really matters."
    Samara leaned her head back against the seat
and closed her eyes. She relaxed and let the music wash over her as
Lucian pulled out of the driveway. She was listening intently when
she felt the truck swerve. Her eyes flew open, and she realized
that Lucian's eyes were closed too.
    "Open your eyes!" she shrieked. "The driver
always has to keep their eyes open!"
    Lucian jerked the truck back into the right
hand lane, and Samara was seized with uncontrollable giggles. "I
can't believe you just did that," she snorted. She pressed her hand
against her chest and felt her heart racing.
    Lucian glanced at her, then quickly turned
his attention back to the road. "Are you all right?"
    "I'm fine!" Samara took deep gulps of air as
she tried to stifle her laughter.
    Lucian gripped the steering wheel with both
hands and glanced over at her again. "I didn't get a chance to tell
you that you look absolutely beautiful," he said softly.
    "Thanks." She self-consciously smoothed her
dress over her knees as they pulled up to a red light.
    Lucian turned to face her and took one of her
hands in his. "Truly," he said. He pressed her hand against his
chest and toyed with her fingers, "You