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I wanted to stay up there forever, surrounded by the flood of wind, watching the tiny, perfect world beneath us But eventually Nikolai turned the wheel and brought us back to the lake in a slow, descending arc

The twilight deepened to a lush purple The Inferni lit bonfires along the lakeshore, and somewhere in the dusk, someone tuned a balalaika From the town below, I heard the whistle and clap of fireworks

Nikolai and I sat at the end of theover the side The Kingfisher bobbed beside us, its white sails tri up a little splash "The dishes change everything," he said "If you can keep the nichevo’ya busy long enough, we’ll have ti"

I flopped back on the dock, stretching ht sky When I turned my head, I could just , its s dark I would have liked the students to see what the dishes could do, to give thehtening, especially when I thought of all the lives thaton a hilltop waiting to die

"Wechance," I said in amazement

"Try not to let the exciteroaned I knew that tone of voice "Don’t say it"

"Vasily is back fro and drown me now"

"And suffer alone? I think not"

"Maybe for your birthday you can ask that he be fitted with a royalstories about the su superiority of the Ravkan racehorse, right?"

I let out a whimper Mal was supposed to be on duty for Nikolai’s birthday dinner the following night Maybe I could get Tolya or Taht now, I didn’t think I could handle watching hiht, especially not with Vasily yaood cheer," said Nikolai "Maybe he’ll propose again"

I sat up "How do you know about that?"

"If you recall, I did prettyI’m just surprised he hasn’t tried a second tiet alone"

"I know," said Nikolai "Why do you think I walk you back fro company?" I said sourly, annoyed by the twitch of disappointhe did was calculated

"That too," he said He lifted his foot out of the water and scrutinized his wiggling toes "He’ll get around to it again, eventually"

I sighed with exaggerated woe "How does one say no to a prince?"

"You’vehis foot "And are you so sure you want to?"

"You can’t be serious"

Nikolai shifted uncomfortably "Well, he is first in line for the throne, of pure royal stock, and all that"

"I wouldn’t marry Vasily if he had a pet firebird named Ludmilla, and I couldn’t care less about his royal stock" I peered at hiossip about your bloodlines didn’t bother you"

"I may not have been completely honest about that"

"You? Less than truthful? I’uess it’s easy to say it doesn’t matter when I’m away froet, especially ed "It’s always been this way There were rumors about me even before I was born It’s why my mother never calls rel"

My heart gave a little pang at that I’d been called plenty of narels," I said "They have cute floppy ears"

"My ears are very dignified"

I ran er over one of the pier’s sleek planks "Is that why you stayed away so long? Why you becauess I never felt like I belonged here, so I tried to "

"I never felt like I fit in anywhere either," I adht away Then I frowned "You knohat I hate about you?"

He blinked, startled "No"

"You always say the right thing"

"And you hate that?"

"I’ve seen the way you change personas, Nikolai You’re alhat everyone needs you to be Maybe you never felt like you belonged, orthat to irl like you more"

"So you do like me?"

I rolled my eyes "Yes, when I don’t want to stab you"

"It’s a start"

"No it isn’t"