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.Am I fickle or self-destructive?I am not going through this again.But she’d come to look forward to their twice-weekly meetings more than she cared to admit.Often they continued beyond the agreed-upon two hours.Raisa had tried to enforce the deadline at first, but gave up.Han Alister could always charm her into staying longer.This evening, when she arrived, sandwiches and cider were set out on the table.Along with a beautifully enameled and jeweled music box.“This is lovely,” she said, opening the lid and examining the intricate mechanism with her trader eye.It was clanwork, probably an antique.She looked up at him, puzzled.“What’s it for?”“It’s for you,” he said, gesturing awkwardly.“A gift.”“I can’t accept this,” she said, feeling the blood rush to her face.She tried to give it back to him, but he put his hands behind him, so she set it down on the table.“I brought it for selfish reasons,” he said.“I want you to teach me to dance.”Raisa looked up at him, startled.“What? Why?”“There’s always the chance I’ll be invited to a party,” he said.“I want to be ready just in case.” The blue eyes were wide and innocent.“There are so many other topics we haven’t covered yet,” Raisa protested.“Officers of the court, appropriate dress for social situations, protocols of the hunt, correspondence guidelines —”“I hear lots of business is done at parties,” Han said, sticking out his chin.“I know some clan dances, but I need to know how to dance city-style.”“What kind of dances do you want to learn?” Raisa asked, rolling her eyes.“The kind where you hold your partner,” he said, winding up the music box.“What’s that one called?”We call that trouble, Raisa thought as the music began.It was a northern song, “Flower of the Mountains.” A rush of homesickness overwhelmed her.“Oh!” she said.“I love that song.Where did you get this?”“There’s a music store on the Mystwerk side, close to the Temple School,” Han said.He stood in front of her, holding out his hands, waist high.Raisa pulled her hands back.“First, let me show you the footwork.This one’s called High Country Step.” She demonstrated.“Now you try.” She watched as he attempted it.“That’s almost it, but it’s step-step-back-step-slide.” He tried again.“And then forward.”After a few more practice steps, Raisa held out her own hands.“Let’s try it together now.Follow me.” She placed his right hand on her left hip, keeping hold of his left hand with her right.The magic in his hands was well controlled, subtle, and potent.It went to her head like Bruinswallow wine.“Now, step-step-back, good, good, forward —” They practiced over and over, recranking the music box when needed, snatching gulps of cider and bites of sandwich in between.It’s a good thing I like this song, Raisa thought.When Han had mastered the High Country Step, they moved on to Square Round, If My True Love Would Just Be True, and Rose Among the Thorns.The last one was complicated, and even though Han seemed to be a natural dancer, they repeatedly got their feet tangled up.“Wait! Wait!” Raisa said, when they seemed in danger of toppling over.“Stop, stop, stop!”They ended up holding on to each other to keep from toppling, flushed and laughing, panting from the exertion.“I think I need more practice,” Han said, shaking his head.“Nobody ever gets that one right,” Raisa replied.“Never mind.I think you’re ready for dancing.”“Good,” he said, grinning.“Now ask me to the Cadets’ Ball.”“Cadets’ Ball! Who told you about the — ?” Raisa said, baffled, and then it came to her.“Talia told you! I know it was her.” She shook her head.“I’m not going.”“Please, Rebecca,” he coaxed.“There’s more to a dance than dancing.It would give me a chance to practice everything—table manners, blueblood talk, the whole lot.And it’s not just that.I want to go with you.” He put his hands on her shoulders.“Unless you’re already walking out with someone.”Raisa thought about lying, but knew Talia would have spilled the truth already.“No.” She shook her head, avoiding his eyes.“I’m not walking out with anyone.”Don’t you dare, she thought.Don’t you dare tell me you’ll make me forget Amon Byrne.But he didn’t.Instead, he put his fingers under her chin and lifted her head so she was looking up at him.“Lucky me,” he murmured, and kissed her.Slowly and thoroughly, like someone who knew what he was doing.Raisa had loved kissing Amon Byrne, but it seemed they’d never had an uninterrupted kiss [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]