Page 99 of Death of the Glass Angel
“This is my daughter, Janus. I don’t believe you’ve met.”
“No, I don’t believe we have,” Gemellus said sarcastically as he filled the empty position in Father’s circle.
* * *
Eros had no inkling how to dance, but neither did Janus. They both shimmied around the dance floor, mimicking the lords and ladies they watched. Thuatian dances were done in groups, but some people had adopted Sigillite waltzing, which they attempted to replicate with little success.
Or perhaps to great success. Father and Queen Tauret had their hands clasped together, smiling as they watched. Or, maybe they were laughing at their children. Janus could not tell.
Janus spun Eros at the song’s climax, and he returned to her side with dizzied eyes. “Isn’t the man supposed to lead?”
“You couldn’t lead a beggar to gold.”
“Ouch.” Eros pouted. “It’s my birthday. You’re supposed to be nice to me.”
“Says who?”
“Says me.” Eros declared as they dropped hands and stepped apart.
“And me,” Evander added, sneaking up behind them. He lightly clapped. “Beautiful dancing, Janus. You were like a swan, flitting upon a lake.”
Now, it was Janus’s turn to frown and pout from a fresh insult.
“May I?” Evander extended a hand to Eros. “I’m something of a prodigy at Sigillus waltzing.”
Taking his older brother’s hand eagerly, Eros stuck his tongue out at Janus as he was led away. Janus folded her arms and returned the gesture as she backed away. Now alone, Janus felt the murmurs of the guests against her skin and the suffocating air of the crowd stifling her breathing.
As Evander spun Eros around, the kid’s pink eyes landed on his sister, and he pulled his hand from Evander’s and hurried back to Janus’s side, one hand fumbling in his pocket before removing something from the folds. Something much too large to be in there, judging from how it struggled to emerge.
Breathing heavily, Eros presented Janus with a stuffed dragon stitched with purple and silver yarn. “Here.”
“What’s this?” Janus asked.
“This is my dragon. She’s my guardian. Maybe she’ll make you feel better since you’ve seemed nervous all night.”
Though she knew it was silly, Janus took the soft little dragon, its yarn wings flapping as it was passed from his hands to hers. “Thanks.”
“Uh-huh!” Eros spun around and ran back to Evander.
Tucking the dragon against her side, Janus watched her brothers laugh and spin for a moment longer before she returned to her family’s table, where Father and Tauret spoke with several other guests. Taking a deep breath, Janus rejoined them, hands tightening around the dragon as she sat beside her father.
Dragon clutched in her lap, Janus answered the few questions other guests lobbed at her. When a discussion she did not understand filled the air, she turned in her seat, watching Evander and Eros laugh as they finished dancing. Evander pulled Eros in for a hug.
The embrace lingered. Janus saw Evander’s hands trembling on their brother’s back.
A pair of pretty young women, probably about Evander’s age, interrupted the hug. Releasing Eros, Evander happily engaged them, and Eros grinned like an idiot.
Both of them were perfectly comfortable here. Janus had not inherited the social grace their parents had gifted to the boys.
Ringing from the clock tower sounded the eighth hour of the night; Father sat up and motioned for Raja to collect Janus and Eros and takethem to bed. Rising from her seat gladly, Janus hurried to Raja’s side as the maid grabbed a reluctant Eros and led him from the ballroom.
The journey from ballroom to bedroom was filled with names Janus did not care about. Names of people Eros had met, of people who had been willing to entertain him, names of people he thought were pretty or ugly, mean or nice.
Eros was as puddy in Raja’s hands, hardly helping or moving as she spun him around to remove him from his finery. Once the more delicate pieces of their outfits and the pins in Janus’s hair were removed, Raja closed the door and instructed them to bed.
Pulling her nightgown on, Janus handed the dragon back to Eros. He wandered over to her bed and set the stuffed creature up on her nightstand.
“When did you get that?” Janus asked.
