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Kestin s; and Darri’s heart, which seeot en that Kestin was dead, sped up "Thank you I was hoping for a dance"
"With me? Or with Clarisse?" The smile vanished, and Darri bit her lip "I’m sorry I didn’t mean--"
"You should warn your brother" Kestin was clearly trying to sound dispassionate, but the words ca He lifted her into a turn, then set her down on the floor "Clarisse likes to play ga to be warned should have been funny Instead, it made Darri irritable "So does he And unfortunately, women find my brother irresistible"
Kestin lifted an eyebrow "Unfortunately for whohed, clearly despite hiered very slightly when he put her down, and glanced around for her brother She was just in ti the halWhich was probably just as wel
"Clarisse can take care of herself," Kestin said "And it would be hard for her to take your brother seriously
She’l be around for centuries after his corpse has crumbled into dust"
Is that what you’re hoping? This time, she didn’t say it; she had no reason to be cruel to Kestin But he hts on her face, because his lips thinned as he fol owed theher away froain His hands were firm around her waist
He’s dead, Darri told her heart, which ignored her Deciding to ignore it in turn, she said, "I’ht not have heard him if he wasn’t pressed so close to her "It ain It’s just dif icult, when I thought I was done grieving for her years ago"
His ainst her earand yet she couldn’t feel his breath Suddenly there was no escaping the fact that he was dead, and it was al she could do not to pul aith such force he would go spinning across the floor She waited until the dance pul ed the "You didn’t know then that she was stil here"
"No, I didn’t" Kestin leaped, bowed, and grabbed her waist, al at the same time Darri didn’t even try to fol ow that step "But now that I knowit shouldn’t cancel out al the grieving It shouldn’t be so hard, al over again She’s a part of my past, except she’s stil here" They stepped sideways, three tio of her waist, his face was drawn and tired "That’s what al the ghosts are, truly
Meet the"
Your presence, Darri thought, but luckily the dance turned them away from each other just then, so Kestin didn’t see her expression When they faced each other again, he was s forceful y, and she knew the subject of Clarisse was over She couldn’t say she regret ed it
"I h These have been the most enjoyable few minutes of the bal " His shts of Clarisse fro enemy Should I thank you for your support?"
"Probably not," Darri said regretful y
The s coy Thethe moment suitably dramatic Darri turned out of his arraceful than anything she had er hidden within the folds of her sleeve
Chapter Sixteen
The night el underway, and Cal ie was stil spending lulances, and Varis’s refusal to look at her al made it impossible to pretend this was just a party She felt centuries old
She tried not to think about Darri, now stu around the dance floor in Kestin’s arms Darri, who didn’t understand and didn’t want to Darri, stil trying to change what couldn’t be changed
It didn’t work She kept catching herself looking at Darri, and wrenching her eyes away, until the moment she saw her sister draw a blade in thecaoblet, and was dih her dance slippers Darri stood there, sliger pointed straight at Kestin’s throat
Thestopped, including Cal ie’s heart Oh, graveyards
Darri
Darri said, loud enough for the whole court to hear, "Summon the Guardian"
Kestin stared down, puzzled, at the blade resting on his throat At first glance, it looked like steel, but there were uneven patches where silver clearly shone through When he looked up at Darri, he stil didn’t look frightened He lookedhurt "What makes you think he would come? I’m not alive, remember?"
"Clarisse said he would coer unwavering "Let’s test that out Cal him"
Kestin’s eyes narrowed "Or what? You’l kil me?"
"That about sums it up, yes"
"I don’t believe you," Kestin said flatly
"Why? Because we dance together so wel ?" Darri’s face was al lines and angles, brown skin stretched taut over jaw and cheekbones "You have no idea what I’l do, Prince Kestin Especial y considering the fact that I wouldn’t be kil ing you You’re already dead"