Page 22 of The Shadow Heir

I threw myself into the beginning steps of a familiar dance as every fae turned their face toward me. They had blank, almost bored eyes.Don’t look at them. I glanced instead at the glowing orbs above their heads. And soon, the music and the sound of my feet drew me deeper into the dance. I stomped harder, the echoes rising as the sounds drifted across the water and bounced against the cavern’s walls and ceiling, growing until a deafening, thunderous clamor blocked every fear from my mind.

As I moved outward from the center of the dance floor, the platform beneath me tilted under my weight. I tipped sideways and lost my balance entirely, crashing onto my hip. The floor tilted higher, and I began to slide toward the edge, where large ripples peeled away from the spiny back of a massive creature lurking just beneath the inky surface.

Laughter erupted from the crowd. I scrambled onto my knees as the floor again teetered beneath me. Panicked, I clawed myway toward the center, digging my fingernails into the varnished wood like a cat. The dance floor tilted in the other direction, causing me to crash onto my chest and push the dance floor into an even greater angle. This dance floor was going to toss me into the lake.

No. I would not fall.

The laughter of the fae nearly drowned out the lone guitar still strumming through the song. I couldn’t let them beat me that easily.

My face slid toward the water even as my hands pressed against the wood, desperate for purchase. I wished desperately for a blade to jam into the wood and hold me steady. I’d be in the water in seconds if I couldn’t think of something. I spun onto my back and rolled. The floor slowed and tipped the other way. In the brief moment it rocked from left to right, I pressed backward on my hands and knees, then threw myself onto my rear until the dance floor tilted back the other way.

As the heavy floor wobbled on its fulcrum, I leaned forward. When it tipped forward again, I leaned back, edging a little to the right so I was directly in the center. When the floor stopped wobbling, my heart was pounding so hard I barely registered that the song was still playing. A few cheers rang out, as well as a few boos.

“Keep dancing!” a woman shouted from somewhere in the crowd.

Carefully, I moved my feet underneath me and shifted onto my ankles. The fae were shouting at me now, calling for me to fall, to die. Others were screaming at me with lifted fists todance, mortal!

Blood seething, I stood slowly, arms out for balance. The dance floor wobbled, but it didn’t tilt. Many in the crowd launched into hysterical laughter, but the sound only fueled my rage. These creatures wanted to see me die. That crafty brat ofa prince had put me up here to watch me dance to death. But I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Slowly, I lifted my hands above my head once more, clacking my fingers to the rhythm of the music.

The laughter died down.

It was quickly replaced by boos and the sound of fists hitting tables. I lifted one foot quickly and stomped my heel down. The loud echo reverberated around the cavern. Again, I stomped. This time I was ready for the small way the dance floor trembled. This trial was not over yet.

I placed all of my weight on one leg, adjusting my stance so that the floor barely moved. Then I kicked my leg out and spun, my ruffled dress following behind in an arc.

When I stomped again, the entire place rose to their feet. Some shouted obscenities, while others cheered drunkenly for me. I kept the dance at the center of the dance floor, restricting my movements to stay alive.

The dance was nearing its conclusion. I could feel the ending of the song approaching.Just get through it.

Stomp. Catch my balance. Click my castas. Spin, stomp, click, wobble. This was it. This was when I would normally advance toward the nearest person in the crowd. Several of the creatures had their arms crossed and were staring at me with gloomy, disappointed expressions. They had wanted to watch me fall.

Well, I’d give them something unexpected.

The thought of falling into the water terrified me, but judging by the increasing severity of the jeers hurled at me, these creatures were not pleased. Staying safe in the center wasn’t what they wanted. With a deep breath and a quick halfway-reassuring calculation, I prepared for the final steps of the dance, stepping outward again, and then again. The dance floor immediately tilted. I only had a few more steps before I would fall.

Then I charged directly toward the edge, which clunked down into the dark waters, sending out a wave that splashed against the retaining wall only a step away. With a scream of determination, I jumped from the sloped surface toward the wall. But I hadn’t accounted for how my body would be sinking toward the lake when I pushed off. My chest slammed into the wall, and I clung with aching arms, my feet dangling in the cold water for a second before I hefted myself to the top of the wall. The guitar player strummed his final chord, and I dove forward onto my knees, arcing my head back until it touched the ground, my hair lost in the wet ruffles of my dress.

I was breathing hard, and my knees screamed in pain, but I swept my arm above my head, fingers curled as I clacked the final note of the dance. For a count of five, I held the final position, as I’d been trained. Then I pulled my body upright and rose to my feet. The entire cavern full of fae stared at me, many with open mouths.

Someone began a slow applause, and soon half the cavern was cheering for me. The other half stared in bemused silence. My eyes raked over the crowd and snagged on a single face. The prince stood a short distance away, his dark brow knitted together in a fierce scowl.

10

Zara

My lips curled as I returned the princeling’s stare. I lifted my chin, chest still heaving from the dance, and dipped into a mock curtsy. A few of the nearby fae laughed and pointed at me, amused by my boldness. Well, wasn’t that the point? Toentertainthem? I wasn’t sure if angering the heir was a smart move, but right now, I didn’t care.

I’d survived the little death trap that he’d crafted specially for me.

Someone tugged at my arm.

“The table for the entertainment is this way,” drawled a woman in a servant’s white tunic. It appeared she’d rather be anywhere but standing here talking to me. She was tall and thin, her skin paler than I’d ever seen in Avencia. Her long red hair was tied back behind her head but still hung halfway down her back. I stared at her a little too long, and her brows lifted.

“Sorry,” I mumbled. I hadn’t met many redheads in my life.

“Come on, if you linger here, someone is likely to give you a glass of wine. I don’t want to be around for that.” She walked ahead of me, indicating I should follow.

As I trailed her through the large cavern, I peered at the wine goblets. My mouth was dry, and my curiosity called for the dark red liquid. As the daughter of a man known as much for his wine cellar as for his business dealings, I craved a taste of their wine, to see if it was any better than Father’s. Our vineyards were famous throughout Avencia, and if there was one thing my father and I had in common, it was our fascination with the nuances of flavors in a single glass of wine. But I couldn’t risk an ounce of distraction here, and I didn’t know how strong the fae liked their wine. Better to leave it alone.

---