Page 7 of Lord of Dance and Desire

“You are,” Andrei snapped. “You don’t see yourself. Your body is responding as if you’re Fae. Fae can’t fast, Anah. Neither can you. You’ve lost weight and tone. Think what you’re doing to your muscles. When you go back to the studio, you’ll have to rebuild.”

It was manipulative—which meant effective. I picked at the eggs.

“Lea, put the knifeawayand sit,” Andrei said. “Why is everyone testing me today? Someone get out the butter and toast the muffins. In ten decades has sheevereaten them at room temp? It’s as if I have to micro-manage you all.”

“Obsessive controlling tyrant,” someone—me—muttered under their breath.

Constin slid a fresh plate under my nose, taking the cold food away without missing a beat and returned a minute later with softened butter and a sliced toasted muffin he placed in front of a fuming Philea.

I glanced at her as she stared at it—and realized Con had used fresh blueberries to make a happy face on her plate. He must have been feeling suicidal.

She jerked her head up and glared at me. “You see what you did? Now they’re all going into rut mode.”

Constin loomed over her until she stabbed a half with her blade, holding his gaze, and tore a chunk out with her teeth.

He bared his teeth right back at her.

“Hasannah,” Andrei said.

“I’m eating,” I snapped, annoyed at the melodrama. Distantly pleased I had the energy for annoyance. A part of me realized the depression I’d sunk into was problematic.

I’d never gone this long without dancing, even when I wasn’t in active training or rehearsals. In the normal course of a day, it stressed me to stand still. But I had no reason to think, even now, Andrei wouldn’t carry through on his threat to. . .ground me. . .if I twitched a single muscle.

“There you go,” Andrei said, watching me put bits of food in my mouth. He sighed and stood, glancing at Constin. “I’ll let you know how Court goes. Issahelle won’t be happy about the Ixnie.”

The word gained my attention. Anything that made the High Lord unhappy and even peripherally affected me, I needed to know. “Because of the Arts?”

Everyone looked at me. “What do you mean, Anali?” Mathen asked.

I shrugged. “A couple dancers got kicked out for it already. I told Larry not to smoke that stuff. No one ever listens to me when I’m trying to be nice. I wonder if he was the one dealing?” It would make sense.

I caught Andrei and Con exchange a look. Andrei turned back to me. “I wasn’t told about the dancers.”

“Hmm. The board probably doesn’t want the High Lord pissed off. Everyone knows how she feels about drugs. Oh, crap. I shouldn’t have said anything, should I? I’m such a snitch.”

“Your first loyalty is to us now,” the High Lord informed me, frowning. “You should have said something before.”

“No one asked. Why are you investigating Ixnie anyway, if you didn’t know about the Arts?”

“It’s becoming a nuisance in the city. We suspected it was in the Arts, but had no confirmation. Clearly, the servants I task to report to me—” he cut himself off, expression displeased.

“Andrei, I don’t want anyone to get in trouble because I opened my mouth. I mean it. A few dancers were caught with the stuff, and kicked out. The matter was closed.” I froze.

“What is it?” he asked, a subtle sharpening of his attention.

I moistened my bottom lip, taking a moment to form words. “In the—in the coach when I was being—” I paused. It was hard to think about, hard to undredge.

“Anali,” Math encouraged softly.

“I don't remember exactly, but the man who was. . .said my Lord was interfering in matters and they wanted it to stop. Distribution was disrupted. I probably only remember because I've watched enough television about cartels to understand the context.”

Andrei and Constin exchanged a long look. “Did he say anything else?” Andrei asked.

I shrugged. “Babble about making peace with my maker, and forgive him for causing me undeserved pain but really that’s what I got for associating with High Lords and their ilk in the first place.”

“Did he really say that?” Philea asked.

The High Lord’s eyes narrowed.

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