Authors: Vanessa Garden
âWhat kind of walk?' he asked, his voice flirtatious and light as we passed through groups of people whose outlandish outfits would have put peacocks to shame.
I spat out a mouthful of pink feathers as a woman dressed as a flamingo backed into me. âOops. Sorry, little golden cat!' she said, before raising her glass and dancing away with a man who was dressed head to toe in a skin-suit of glittering scalesâa snake.
Marko elbowed my arm gently.
âYou were going to tell me about my walk,' he said with a cocky grin.
I rolled my eyes. âWell, if you must know, it's sort of commanding, without being too full of itself; oh, andâ' I paused to take a flute of champagne from a passing waiter's silver tray.
âAnd?' Marko said, seizing his own flute and taking a long gulp of the fizzy drink, his eyes never leaving mine.
âSexy.' I spun around, a huge smile stretching across my face, and watched the revellers tearing up the dance floor.
âSexy?' Marko came up behind me and rested his hands on my hips. âWhat else have youâ¦observed? I want to know every thought inside your head.'
I spun around and shoved him gently on his very hard stomach, laughing. âThat is so creepy!'
He laughed back and drew me up against him. âDon't tell me you've never wanted to know what another person is thinking?' His hands slid up to my waist and back down over my hips. âDo you want to know what I'm thinking right now?'
His pupils, fringed beneath thick lashes, were so dark and dilated in the dimmed room that I could see my own reflection in them.
I nodded. âYes.'
âThat I can't wait until this party ends, so that I can walk you to your roomâ' he bent his head and brushed his lips against my ear, his hot breath making me tingle all over, âand kiss you again.'
Oh God.
I swayed in my heels and clutched at Marko's arm. âAre you trying to make me break an ankle or something?'
He grinned down at me and pecked me on the forehead. I shook my head and grinned back at him, feeling so happy I could have burst into a shower of glitter, and turned around to admire the room. Marko's arms remained circled around my waist from behind.
Light-crystal stars dripped from the ceiling, where a great, glowing moon of light crystal rained a warm, golden light down upon us. Again it brought to mind the beautiful drawings of Kraja's moon in that doorless room. Could Marin's fertility issues be resolved so simply? Just by returning the moon to the Kraja statue?
âBeautiful, isn't it?' said Marko, gazing up at the ceiling as if it were the true sky.
âIt's almost as beautiful as the real one,' I said.
âI knew it! Lion and Lioness!' shouted a tall, gorgeous woman in a fiery-red bird costumeâa phoenix, perhaps. My stomach knotted at the sound of her voice.
Marko kissed both her cheeks and stepped aside to allow me to do the same.
âHappy birthday,' I managedâbut the kisses I just could not.
Her lush red lips parted in a smile.
âThanks for coming, Miranda. I really appreciate it; especially given the recent circumstâ'
âWhich we won't let ruin our night,' said Marko, cutting her off. Marko raised his glass in a toast and smiled at Sylvia. âTo my sister, who manages to defy the ageing process by looking as young as she did ten years ago.' He tapped his flute against Sylvia's and mine before taking a sip.
I watched Sylvia do the same, her face a permanent smile. But behind her mask I could have sworn I saw the shine of tears.
âThe years are still passing, though,' she said, in a low voice just loud enough for me to hear.
I almost felt for her. She was alluding to the fact that her childbearing years were ticking away. But then I remembered Anne, and what Sylvia had allowed to happenâall in the name of reaching her goal of having a childâand my stomach twisted with unease.
âAre you okay?' Marko whispered in my ear.
âYes. I'm fine,' I said and smiled up at Marko, whose lips curved beneath his mask.
A man wearing a frog costume tapped Sylvia on her bare shoulder and she turned on her heel to receive more kisses. Marko and I took this as our moment to mingle, though I was wishing we could have just sat at one of the tables in a darkened corner and people-watched instead.
It seemed to take half an hour to just take ten steps, there were so many people wanting to stop and chat. I had to laugh at Marko's expression each time they called him by his name. He was disappointed his mask hadn't worked to keep him incognito.
When he finally detached himself from the royal treasurer's blushing, giggly wife, Marko leaned in close to my neck.
âNow we dance,' he said. He took my glass out of my hand and set it down on the nearest table, along with his, before leading me to the dance floor, where a special ceremonious dance was underway. We had to form two concentric circles with the other dancersâwomen on the inside, men on the outside. After each verse, you switched partners so that gradually you drifted away from your own only to be reunited again at the last verse. It was fun, but by the time I had gotten halfway around the circle, my feet were throbbing in my eight-inch heels. As my new partner moved towards me, he caught me in his arms, just before my ankle buckled beneath my weight.
Something about the strong arms that were wrapped around me felt familiar. I stared up into the eyes of the man, who wore a white, feather-fringed mask.
âRobbie?'
âFinally it's you, Miranda! I was worried I'd have to keep dancing for hours.' He squeezed my hand. âDon't make us obvious. Just keep dancing.' The feathered mask he wore was tied around his light-brown head with a strip of white silk, which matched his white suit and the feathery wings that fanned out from his back. He looked like an angel.
âI didn't know you were coming. Marko didn't say.'
I tried to keep moving in time with the music as I glanced across at Marko who was now partnered with Sylvia, making a stunning couple.
âI wasn't invited, so he doesn't know. But I needed to see you.' He twirled me around then drew me in close again. âWhen you didn't visit for a couple of days I was worried. Jonathan told me there'd been trouble with some guards and that Damir had been let out several times under Sylvia's orders.'
For the next minute I filled him in about Sylvia's plan to cure infertility and the deal she'd made with Damir, practically handing him a licence to indulge in his sick, mermaid-making fantasies.
âThat's terrible.'
The music was beginning to change. Our time was nearly up.
âI've come here to tell you something important, Miranda.'
The music became lighter. We were about to switch hands.
âTell me quick.' I pumped his hand. He tightened his grip on mine in response, and, when we moved in to face each other as we turned in a spiral, he leant in close.
âLauren came to see me this afternoon.'
âWhat? Why?'
âShe was saying strange things. Somebody has been talking to her.'
My next partner, a platypus, stood beside me, tapping his webbed foot, and the leopard woman waiting for Robbie glared at me furiously before squeezing herself between us.
Great.
I begrudgingly allowed the man to spin me around and away from Robbie. Now I had to continue on in this silly dance for who knew how long before I could speak to Robbie again.
Fifteen or so minutes later, I spun back into Marko's hands with reliefâthe dance would be over soon. I could find Robbie as soon as it finished.
âGlad to have you back,' Marko said in a low voice as I smiled up at him.
As soon as the music stopped, and we applauded our fellow dancers, I decided I couldn't wait on Robbie, who
was nowhere to be seen anyway. I had to go see Lauren right away, and ask her what she'd told him.
âI'm going back to my room to change my shoes. My feet are killing me.'
Marko raised his brows. âI'll send for another pair.'
âNo.' I waved my hand in the air. âI know the ones I want.'
Marko nodded. âI'll come with you.'
âNo. Please, you enjoy your sister's party. I'll come right back.'
Marko's brow twitched with disapproval but he nodded. âSee you soon.'
After three knocks, I entered Lauren's room to find her pacing across it. Her hair was ratty and she looked as though she hadn't slept in days.
âRandy!' She ran to me, like a dehydrated person to water, and wrapped her arms around me.
âWhat's wrong?'
Lauren caught her breath, as though she'd been pacing all day, and dragged me to her bed to sit me down. She made herself comfortable, sitting cross-legged with a pillow resting across her knees, and faced me.
âI've got something to tell you that you're not going to like.'
âIs this the same thing you told Robbie?'
âYep. Have you seen him?'
âYeah. He's at the birthday.'
Lauren nodded and then sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils.
Whatever she was about to say, it was obviously serious.
âMarko is not who you think he is. He's only using you to get you preggers for an heir. He's been sleeping with
somebody else for most of the year, while you've been gone.'
âWhat?' I shook my head. âSays who?' I got up from the bed, my face all hot and thumpy.
âSays Anne. She's also the one he's been sleeping with. Sorry, Randy.'
Anne?
I sat back down, but got back up again.
âYou're wrong. Anne's been seeing Damir in secret. He was going to cut her up into a mermaid in exchange for helping Sylvia out with Marin's fertility issues.' I shook my head, mentally grasping for reasons why Lauren would say such a horrible thing about Marko. âWhatever Anne tells people now is going to be against Marko because she loves Damir. He's probably set her up to say this; you know, to turn people against Marko.'
Lauren said nothing and only stared at me, her eyes bulging with pity.
âStop looking at me like that. I
know
Marko. He is not using me. In fact, I asked him to spend the night with me, earlier today, and he refused.' I paused and caught my breath. âI'm here as a free citizenâMarko has said that to me over and over again. I could leave the castle if I wanted to and go andâ¦live in Robbie's spare room at his cottage and Marko would be fine with it.' Well, he probably wouldn't be fine with
that,
but he wasn't using meâof that I felt one-hundred-per-cent certain.
Lauren shrugged and a small grin curved her mouth.
âSorry. Room's taken.'
âWhat? What are you talking about?'
Lauren's grin widened. âI know, right? Robbie's asked me to move in and I accepted. I move in as soon as I like.' She squealed and fell back against the bed.
âYou hardly know the guy and you're moving in with him?'
âSays she who shares an adjoining room with a man who ordered her kidnapping!' she said, and fell back against the bed, laughing, like some kind of crazy person.
âI'm going to ignore everything you've said tonight and go back to the party. If anything you've said were true, you wouldn't be leaving me in this castle, alone with Marko, who is supposedly using me, just to go and seduce Robbie.'
âWho says I'm seducing him?' She got up off the bed. âI'll have you know that I've been seeing somebody and it's
not
Robbie. Okay? I'm staying at Robbie's so that I can meet my new friend in peace without everybody else sticking their noses in my business.'
I tried to act nonchalant, but curiosity chewed out my insides.
âWho are you seeing?'
âA sexy, sexy man. He's a guard.'
âJustâ¦be careful, Lauren.' I shook my head. âYou've moved on from Jackson pretty quickly.'
âOh, gee, thanks.' Her smile vanished and was replaced by the troubled look she'd had when I first entered her room. âBut, seriously, Miranda, Marko is no good. I know for a fact that he's been lying to you. And if he's been lying to you, and Sylvia, then, who knows, he's probably been lying to all of Marin about a lot of things.'
âWhat things?' It was an odd thing for Lauren to say. How on earth would she know anything about the goings-on in Marin?
She shrugged her shoulders. âAll I'm saying is this: don't trust Marko. And when you find out the truthâthat he is what I say he isâthen come live with me and Robbie.
I think Robbie's a much better match for you. And he's hotter, too.'
I shook my head at her. Perhaps she really was crazy.
âHotness is not how I measure a man.'
Lauren grinned, her eyebrows dancing. âOh, so you measure your men, do you?'
I threw my hands up and sighed. One thing Lauren was good at was easing tension.
She closed the distance between us and gave me a hug, and I squeezed her back, but when she drew away her eyes were filled with tears. Lauren had always experienced mood swings, especially before her time of the month, but this was extreme. One minute she was cracking dirty jokes, the next she was crying.