Page 28 of The Fury She Holds
“What?” she whispered back, incredulous.
“For once, just listen to me, and dance with him.” The vein in his forehead bulged.
Tal gave him one last glare, ate a heaping scoop of pudding, and stood, throwing her napkin down. The surrounding guests whispered with renewed vigor as she passed. She skirted the table and took the arm of her new dance partner who guided her to the marble floor. When they reached the middle, the music switched to a livelier tune. The man turned to face Talwyn, placed his hand in the middle of her back, and held her other hand in his own.
“I warn you,” she started before he guided her through the first few measures, “I don’t know any of the steps.”
He smirked down at her. “Then it’s a good thing you’ve had plenty of wine to loosen your feet.” Sparkling blue eyes met her own. For a moment, Tal forgot why she protested.
He pulled her through the first spins, and she stumbled along with him. His hand at her ribcage guided her in the correctdirection, and he used a tilt of the head to hint at any turn or spin. “I’m afraid I didn’t get your name.”
“Is it necessary? We’ll likely never see each other again.” She stepped on his foot and mumbled an apology.
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” He ignored her misstep.
“I can almost certainly guarantee it.” She let him pull her into a spin that left her dizzy, and she cursed herself for having to lean into him to keep from falling over.
“I’d love to see what sort of fun you get up to when it’s of your own choosing.” His eyes gleamed in the shadows behind the gold mask. They weren’t the cerulean of Daire’s irises, but a deep storm of cobalt that held too many secrets in their depths.
“I doubt you could handle my type of fun.” She gave what she hoped was a wry smile, but she may have lost control of the muscles in her face.Damn that wine, she thought.
Her partner leaned in close as the song came to a close and whispered, “Why don’t you give me a chance? You may be pleasantly surprised.”
Tal blushed. She realized they’d stopped moving. The music had paused between songs, and the whole of the dance floor had their eyes on her. She let go of his hand and took a fumbling step backward. “Thank you for the dance. My apologies for your shoe.”
“It was a pleasure, my lady.” He bowed.
Tal turned and stepped right into Daire who swept her up into his arms and pulled her into another dance without giving her the chance to refuse. He led her stiffly, and she stumbled more under his guidance. “Daire, I need to sit.” She felt hot. The dancing only made it worse. Her head spun.
“Just one dance,” he said, more a command than a request. “You aremyguest after all.”
Tal ignored his tone because the wine sloshing in her stomach suddenly demanded her attention. “Daire, I’m serious. I don’t feel well.”
“Well, if you hadn’t had all that wine, then maybe—” He stopped abruptly when the aforementioned wine forced its way out of Tal’s stomach and onto the front of his jacket along with pudding, cake, pastries, and bits of her dinner as well. Tal heaved twice more and met the horrified captain’s gaze. Guests all around gasped and backed away, murmuring about Tal’s disgraceful behavior. The music stopped, and everyone stared at the couple and the mess between them.
Tal grabbed a handkerchief out of the front pocket of Daire’s jacket and wiped her mouth. She attempted to give it back to him, but the disgust on his face had her dropping it in the puddle growing between them. Servants hustled into action, surrounding the pair with rags, pitchers of water, and buckets. They cleaned up the floor and Daire’s jacket the best they could.
A hand reached into the fray and pulled Tal out. She stumbled into Rain’s arms, and he whisked her toward the great hall. She didn’t see the disgusted faces as they passed, nor did she listen to the whispers of how abhorrent her behavior was. Her stomach churned before they reached the grand doors to exit the palace, and she retched into a potted plant.
Outside, Carrick called out to them.
“I don’t think Daire will be inviting her to any more balls,” Rain said when Carrick reached them.
In a footman’s suit, all black with gold stitching and buttons, Carrick was striking. It was a stark contrast from the cheap cotton he normally wore. For a moment, the world stopped spinning. “Hells, Tal. You reek.”
She attempted a stabbing comment back but had to clamp her mouth shut around another wave of nausea. She let her head fallon Rain’s chest, and he held her upright when her knees gave out.
“We’ll take the coach,” Carrick said. “I’ll bring it back before everyone needs to leave.” He scooped Tal into his arms and placed her into the covered coach. Getting through the narrow doorway proved much easier with Carrick’s muscles forcing the billowy fabric through. Rainier stayed inside and produced a small vase for Tal just in case. The coach lurched forward with Carrick at the reins, and Tal blacked out shortly after. She didn’t wake until mid-afternoon the next day.
9
“Idon’t see why you guys are mad. Tal created the perfect distraction for me to snoop around the palace,” Sybil said around a mouthful of her dinner. She flipped a gold coin in the air then turned her attention back to one of the two books she’d stolen from the king’s library.
They ate food from the nearby tavern within the privacy of their tunnels. Talwyn had avoided the crew until early evening when Rainier returned from checking on Evania and Janin. The baker’s wife happily kept them a few days longer. Everyone agreed they couldn’t just send the children back to the streets, and the tunnels weren’t suitable.
“More king’s gold?” Carrick asked.
Sybil nodded. “Hidden within the pages of a ledger.”
