House of Salt and Sorrows - Erin A. Craig Page 0,97
Astrea?”
He blinked once, his pupils suddenly impossibly large, like the flat, dead eyes of a shark.
“Tell me, Annaleigh, why do you ask me things you already know?”
I pushed him away from me. “I never told you my name.”
The dragon man laughed. “No, but she did.” He nodded toward the center of the room, where Fisher swayed back and forth, letting Verity stand on his toes.
Knowing this stranger had spoken to Verity made me want to cry. “Stay away from my sisters.”
He grabbed my elbow, drawing me close. “We’re taking up space on the floor just standing here. Dance with me.”
His grip was too tight, and I couldn’t free myself. Before I could raise my voice to protest, Camille and a new partner spun by.
“Isn’t this exquisite?” she called out.
My stomach churned as I watched her swirl away. Why couldn’t she sense the danger I felt? She looked as carefree as a butterfly, fluttering from partner to partner.
“Dance, Annaleigh,” the dragon man urged, bringing me back to the present. He drew his thumb across the curve of my jaw, running it over my lips. Stuck in his grasp, I leaned as far away as I could, but I still felt the heat of his breath on my cheek. “Dance for me.”
This man had something to do with my sisters’ deaths, I was sure of it. I had to find Cassius. Had to get help. Had to escape this ballroom and the smoke clouding my thoughts. Had to run from the music. It was a half note off, too sharp, setting my teeth on edge and making it impossible to hear, let alone dance to.
“Get away from me!” I screamed, and shoved at his chest with all my might. As I turned to run, I expected noises of surprise and concern, gasps from onlookers as I created quite a loud scene.
But there was no reaction.
I stopped in my tracks, staring at the couples on the floor.
None of them had noticed my outburst. It was like the moths. I’d seen them, but later Papa had not. Tonight, I was seeing and hearing things that crowds of people in the same room as me were not.
First that macabre statue and now this music—no one but me noticed anything wrong with it. I whirled around, searching for Cassius. Why couldn’t he see how much I needed him?
A young man in a sparkling gold vest stepped into my path, interrupting my train of thought. “May I have this dance?”
I shook my head, turning in the other direction. “I’m through with dancing.”
“But the party has only just begun.” He darted in front of me, surprisingly agile.
“I’m tired. Perhaps another time.”
“One dance.” He linked our elbows, twirling us in a circle.
“I’d really rather—”
“Come.”
He navigated us farther into the crowd with a series of steps I struggled to keep up with. The orchestra played a lively mazurka, and the couples around us moved too quickly for me to break free.
The opening note of another song rang out, hitting the wrong pitch. I felt as if my ears were about to bleed.
“Oh, I do love this song. Pretty, pretty lady, might I tempt you into another round with me? It would be my honor.”
“I’m afraid she’s spoken for,” a voice said from the side of the room.
I turned, hoping to see Cassius, but it was a short, stalky man smoking a cigar. He exhaled a strange cloud of lavender-colored smoke into my face, making my eyes water. After one last drag, he stomped it out and whisked me away.
I wiped my eyes, trying to clear them and gather my thoughts. There was something I’d needed to do, but I couldn’t seem to remember what it was. I swept my gaze over the room to jog my memory. The ballroom was so lovely. So sparkly, and sumptuous, and…exquisite.
The short man and I danced past Camille, and her partner said we ought to switch after the waltz. I readily agreed. I danced two numbers with him before a little boy all in saffron, looking very much like the son of the house, asked if he could cut in.
Charmed by his impeccable manners, I ended up dancing three times with him. He told such funny jokes, the time flew by. Then a blond man tapped my shoulder and asked so nicely, I accepted his offer for a quadrille.
“Do you know where the refreshment tables are?” I asked mid-dance. “I’m not accustomed to such warm weather.”