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I was close enough to feel the brush of their skirts and snize h

A chiroupthe ay The talk was still bright but led in again, I all but ran to Casper’s side and took his aruarded, his expression anxious Being around ers, but we had found our equilibriue crowd of his sudden peers for the first ti to find their place in Ravenna’s court, would have been uncomfortable even for a born Bludman But his unsullied costume and face paint told hts, and that was a fine start

We were in pairs now, a long line traversing the white stone through the high, silent forest It felt like a cathedral, like so old and ancient that watched froar Snow Ball: you cah you were free to dance with anyone you chose I had been accoically selected by ht’s end and had therefore never had a repeat date, h to bring the snow, but I couldn’t keepupstart to think hireeable partner, and I could only hope ould live to have an encore

The forest was so thick around us that it was like walking down a dark hallway Past the lanterns, the shadows between the trees becaloo on wood The s froer blud creatures had occasionally been seen lurking beyond the dance floor, their eyes flashing yellow or green froe to our ancient ritual

The path ended at a si upward in the sa quieted I loosed Casper’s arrand skirt of the lady before me When I ran out of stairs at the top of the hill, I looked down on a scene both faar Snow Ball was held in an ancient clearing in the bottom of a bowl-shaped impression, almost as if a mountain had been hollowed out just for that purpose The forest rose infinitely tall around the wide circle of flat white stone, a ballrooe as the palace itself The staircase up the hill had been sirand and twisting I had watched, bored but too well bred to fidget, as the couples paraded down that staircase every year The ladies put on the brightest sht, their chins high Casper’s gloved hand gave ain, step after step in ti in and out like another dance At the bottoether by an old carved statue of Aztarte that rose fro as ifthe last steps in tandeain, anxious for the connection and glad to feel his strength at uided hi that there was no way Alex could seecouples would be at the front, with the next ring of hopefuls jockeying for position behind them Most of the people in back would be elders, troublen semiroyals who knew they would have more fun if they avoided local politics Here, there was no jostling, just be strongly alcoholic

The orchestra hidden under the twining staircases began with the sae, with the galloping crescendo of "Aztarte S Hands went to hearts, and all eyes focused on a long, straight staircase on the other side of the clearing A halo of bright lights glittered, and a couple appeared at the top of the staircase, outlined by the jagged silhouette of the Ice Palace They paused momentarily for effect Myexactly how long to stand, head held high, at the top of that staircase

This tieless, the saar Snow festival The sa black hair The sarace, as if her spine curved back just a little, like a cobra waiting to strike Even fronificence of her costu of her mask

But what struck me most was that she had worn black Black was considered a color of the oppressed In the big cities of Sangland, many Bludmen were forced to wear black so that all would knohat they were As if my people wished to hide! But I had never heard of anyone wearing black to the Sugar Snow Ball After all, it was the opposite color of snow

Just behind her, my brother, Alex, stepped forward to take her arm He was stiff, proud, alert, his costume done in black and white to coordinate perfectly with hers He was just the slightest bit taller than she, his eyes shining the bold red that was usual for hie elsewhere They descended the staircase, slowly to accooose bu deeply disturbing about the ritual, and if the whispers around us were any indication, the people felt it, too

It felt like forever until they reached the floor As Alex’s boots clacked on the stone, a fierce wind began to batter the trees I looked up to find the green boughs swayingtoward the cold white moon in the center, full and round and perfect and still, untouchable and nearly as bright as the daytiht a chill and the welco scent of snow I breathed in deeply and looked into Casper’s eyes I wanted to know if he could smell it, too His face shone with amaze , Alex trailed Ravenna as she walked along a line of crystalline red stone inlaid in the white Her hips swayed, the over-wide skirts of her dress seeently The croaited, breathless and anxious for a show The ball always began with a proclamation, and as said and by as always rather telling

The orchestra ended the song exactly as they stopped before the circular blud altar in the very center of the clearing It was sh down the center that funneled into a hole that supposedly led deep into the earth and to Aztarte herself Ravennathe altar entirely Alex stood to one side,it clear who ruled here