Page 45 of The Shadows Between Us
“I experienced all three for a time.”
“And which was worse? Watching him with another woman or knowing he was dead?”
She snaps her fan closed, a hard line set to her mouth. “The former, dear. Definitely the former.”
She turns from me, picking up her skirts in one hand and stalking away.
What a horrible woman.
My eyes catch on a spot of color in the room. Rhouben is dancing with his fiancée, his lips barely concealing a grimace as she prattles on about something. When they turn, she sees me and pulls Rhouben closer, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
I need to speak with Rhouben anyway, and insulting Melita is just a happy bonus. She’s been allowed to go far too long unchecked.
I approach the couple, waiting until they reach the outskirts of the dance floor before tapping on Rhouben’s shoulder. He stops, and his eyes light up with relief when he sees me.
“May I cut in?” I ask. “You’ll be married to the man soon, Lady Xenakis. It’s not sporting of you to keep him to yourself before then. And surely you would not deny the future queen?”
Before she can utter a word, Rhouben extricates himself from Melita’s clutches and twirls me into the dance.
“You’re a goddess,” he says into my ear. “You saved me.”
“Consider it a mutual saving. No one will dance with me. They all fear the king’s ire.”
“I don’t. And right now, I’m too bored to care about Melita’s ire. Or my father’s. We should sneak away.”
I give him a mischievous grin. “And do what exactly?”
“I should say something naughty, but I honestly don’t care as long as it gets me away from that woman. By the way, I have the money you requested in my rooms at the palace. I can get it to you as soon as we return.”
“That’s wonderful! And I have something that should help us. Eliades sent me a love letter. We can now imitate his handwriting. All I need is to get my hands on his seal to authenticate the letter we send Melita. I’m told Orrin will be back in the palace in just over a week. He no doubt has his seal with him, so we will have to wait until his return to steal it. Have you heard from your father?”
“Not yet. He has a habit of putting off reading my letters, but he’ll come once he reads it. I told him I withdrew five thousand necos from my account. That will have him here in no time.”
“And what do you intend to tell him when he arrives in a fury?” I rest my head on Rhouben’s shoulder as soon as I spot Melita glaring at the two of us.
“That I’m purchasing something spectacular for Melita, of course. But I needed something jarring to prompt his journey to the palace. Once he arrives, I think I can keep him here until Orrin is back from business.”
“Good. We need to be careful. Timing is everything.”
Another couple sidles up next to us. It’s Petros, dancing with a new man I don’t recognize. “Are you hogging the king’s beau?”
“I’m merely trying to escape mine,” Rhouben says.
“You’ve had Alessandra for two dances already. If it’s a third, people will talk. Here, let’s switch.”
Suddenly I’m pulled into Petros’s arms, and Rhouben finds himself holding Petros’s partner.
“Hi,” Rhouben says awkwardly.
“Would you rather dance with a man or dance with Melita?” Petros asks, as he sweeps me away.
The last thing I see is Rhouben enthusiastically engaging in the dance with Petros’s old partner.
Then my eyes are on Petros. I’m laughing at the whole exchange, heady with taking Melita’s dance partner, giddy with the relief that there are men still willing to dance with me. Drunk on the thought that Myron will be out of the picture soon enough.
Petros regales me with stories of his recent escapades. Lord Osias and Lord Banis apparently got into a fight over him. They’re both nursing mild wounds this evening, so he has had to find other partners to entertain himself with.
After a total of two dances, Petros twirls me outward, sending me into another man’s arms.
