Page 55 of Death of the Glass Angel
A red-headed woman dressed in a complementary pale green gown approached Talon and offered him a curtsy. “You’re the best-looking guy here. Could I steal a dance?”
Talon smiled and bowed. “I’d love nothing more.” He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.
As they stood opposite one another, Valkyrie laid a hand on Talon’s shoulder and leaned in. “Clever, our villain. I haven’t found one clue pointing to who sent those assassins. "
“Neither have I,” Talon replied, watching her dress swirl across the floor. “Did you-”
“Get the impression the attack was meant to send a message?” Valkyrie finished his thought. “Good. So did I. But are they threatening Felsin and Janus? Or someone else?”
“I’m not sure. My instinct is they meant to frame Kahn.”
“But why him?” Valkyrie asked. Talon spun her and pulled her back in. “Sigilus had nothing to do with it.”
“How certain are you of that?”
“As certain as I can be. Paulus is stunned.” She paused. “I wonder if the attack comes from outside the alliance.”
“I doubt it. Why would they target Janus? Why not Dinu or Paulus?” Talon twirled Valkyrie around, pulling them to an isolated corner of the dance floor.
“Let’s switch,” Valkyrie suggested. “You take over the stone quarter. I’ll pursue this line of thought.”
“Why?”
“Oh, Talon.” Valkyrie’s dry voice teased. “You’re not fit to chase assassins. Let me handle the danger.”
“And what if whoever’s vanishing people in the stone quarter kidnaps me, hm?”
“Flash those pretty eyes of yours. It works on most people.”
“But not you.” Talon retorted.
“No, not me.” She smiled for half a moment, then frowned.
“I did find one thing,” Talon murmured. “In the Gaevral maevruthan.”
“Do tell.”
While they danced, Talon relayed everything he could remember about the peculiar memory he had seen. In hindsight, nothing condemning hid in Heras’s words to her companion, but the conversation was undeniably strange.
The unseen voices spoke over one another.
He’s going to trip.They whispered.
He’s going to be overheard. The deep voice added.
He’s not much of a dancer.Another teased.
He left Janus behind.
Valkyrie patiently waited for Talon to finish his account despite the multiple interruptions where he listened to people who were not present, their voices maddeningly loud, pulling his attention in multiple directions.
“What an odd exchange.” Valkyrie’s brow wrinkled. “Why bring up the death of Prince Eros now?”
“Who knows? But she thinks it’s connected to Felsin’s potential death.”
The song wound down. Valkyrie took Talon’s hand and led him from the dance floor. “I wonder if she’s right. Lark was sent to investigate Eros’ death, but he never found anything. I suppose it could have been murder. But why? Whoever did it never followed up on it.”
Talon shrugged. It was the best answer he could conjure.
