Witchful Thinking Part 7

Because you are special, Jolie. Youare unique and someday youall realize the extent of your powers. Youare not like any Underworld creature Iave ever seen before and Iave kept you at armas length because I feel such an incredible need to protect you.

Rand a Itas my own foolishness that has made me unable to tell you, but now we might never see each other again. I a I just want you to know a He paused for such a long time, I wondered if Iad lost him. I was about to prompt him, to make sure he was still there but he beat me to it.

I love you. Iave always loved you.

JOURNAL ENTRY.

Enemies of the State

Diary, Iave been thinking a lot about my vision of the Lurker attack and the fact that Mercedes is convinced that if I hadnat accepted my role of Queen, the Underworld creatures would continue to battle against one another and our society would become more and more vulnerable. Maybe even more important, wead become easy targets and our enemies could infiltrate our ranks when weare at our weakest. The more I think about that somber possibility, the more I realize just how lucky we were that the Lurkers didnat ambush us when we were in the midst of battling Bella and her followers.

Even though I once thought the Lurkers werenat much of a force to be reckoned with, Mercedes has changed my mind. I think the main reason I never really took the threat of the Lurkers seriously was because I didnat entirely understand who or what they were. Sure, Iad heard of them taking out a few vamps, witches, and weres here and there, but they hadnat seemed all that intimidating. And no one knew that much about them.

The fact that no one knows much about them really disturbs Mercedes. In her words: aThe first lesson you must learn as Queen, Jolie, is to keep your friends close but your enemies even closer. The fact that we know very little about the Lurkers is a problem and a problem that could devastate our society.a Needless to say, I got the hint and have decided to outline this great threat to our existencea"to catalog all the things I do know about the Lurkers.

1. Lurkers are human half-breeds, part vampire and part human. Their history dates back to the seventeen hundreds in Graz, Austria. They began their existence as a band of human villagers who, realizing vampires were living among them, decided to act the part of pest control.

The humans attacked the vamps but as you can probably guess, the vamps made short work of them. They fed on them and left them for dead. Apparently, in the chaos of the moment, a few of the villagers ended up ingesting some of the vampire blood, which not only ensured their survival but also endowed them with superhuman traits such as the strength and speed of a vampire and the ability to outlive their ordinary human counterparts. As I understand it, the average age of a Lurker is two hundred years. And Mercedes believes a few of the Lurker elders (who are still alive) were among the original ma.s.sacred villagers, which means they have first-generation grudges in full effect.

2. Their race has been expanding over the centuries while ours has been dwindling. Due to the mult.i.tude of squabbles among the creatures of the Underworld (all the races tend to stick together with very little cross-breeding, and as mentioned earlier, witches have trouble procreating with one another so our race has been hurt the most), our community lacks the unity required to preserve it. Meanwhile, the Lurkers can procreate by breeding like ordinary humans, a huge boon to their power and number.

3. The Lurkers have only ever attacked us in guerrilla-style one-offs, giving the appearance that they lack any sort of accord or sophistication. Mercedes is convinced this attack style was meant to throw us off, to make us doubt them as a legitimate foe. And apparently their strategy worked.

4. Lurkers have attacked all Underworld creatures in general, giving the appearance that they want to banish anything otherworldly from the face of the earth. As to the whys of it, no one really knows. It sounds to me like theyare seeking revenge, and I guess I canat blame them for hating vampires. I do find it ironic, though, that they want to banish something thatas inherently a part of them. I have to wonder if they detest that part of themselves? Who knows. And really, does it matter?

5. The Lurkers possess magic. Even though I can only base this opinion on the vision I witnessed, Iam convinced there is more to the Lurkers than meets the eye. I could so clearly see and feel their magic when I was struck with that vision of them destroying our kind, I know it must be true. And that makes me wonder what their weaknesses are. Do they have any? Furthermore, how do we uncover their weaknesses? Even scarier, what if they donat have a c.h.i.n.k in their armora"what if they are all-powerful? Somehow that seems impossible to mea"if that were the case, they would have obliterated us a long time ago.

Thatas basically all I know. Mercedes advised us to put together a special task force whose only responsibility is researching the Lurkers and I gave this idea my blessing, so sheas moving forward with it.

Really, the only other enemy of our state is Bella. Many of her followers died, and weare not about to reanimate them. Of those who survived, the majority immediately took an oath (accompanied by a charm to ensure they didnat break it) pledging themselves to our side.

What was interesting was the fact that of the twenty or so who seemed more hesitant, eighteen were demons. I donat have much experience with demons. In fact, the first demon I ever saw was on the battlefield, and I hadnat really known what to make of it. But according to Rand, demons can be law-abiding citizens of the Underworld so we had to offer them amnesty as long as they were willing to abide by our laws.

After some time and some gentle prodding, the demons also took the oath. In an ongoing attempt to ensure the loyalty of our followers, we started implementing truth serums. A truth serum is basically a liquid of some kind (we used apple juice) charmed with a loyalty oath. Any creatures in question drink the serum, and if theyare guilty of allying themselves with our enemies, the truth serum begins to burn as soon as it hits their tongues. They usually canat handle it and after gagging, they vomit it all back up again.

Honestly, Iam not sure what I think about the truth serumsa"it seems a bit Clockwork Orange or Big Brother but I guess desperate times call for desperate measures and we need to know who is with us and who is against us. Oh G.o.d, I sound like Mercedes a But back to Bella a Bella is most definitely not on our side and she poses a big risk to all of us. She wants nothing to do with the truth serums or oaths of allegiance and I have a feeling sheall continue to be a problem. Do I think she should be put to death? No, even though there are many among us who think death would be the best solution for her. What do I think should be done with her? I havenat decided.

I actually paid her a visit early this morning. I wanted to make sure she was being treated properly. Although she isnat allowed to leave her room in Pelham Manora"she has a comfortable room, three meals a day, a TV, and plenty of reading material (all Christaas old Vogue magazines, which I found humorous; why, Iam not really sure).

Anyway, Bella was less than friendly and accused me of coming to gloat. Of course I instantly denied it because it just wasnat true. Instead I told her I wished shead join our side and that I bore her no ill will. She turned her back on me and told me to leave, that she wanted nothing to do with me. So I left. But before I went, I made sure to remind her I wasnat her enemy.

Yep, sheas going to be a tough nut to crack. But I really do hope she comes around, because it would go against everything in my being to put her to death. It would not be right. And I know Rand would be opposed to it as well.

Rand.

I donat even like to think about what happened last night when he declared he didnat support the monarchy and intended to be a renegade again, living outside the rules of the kingdom. I know this whole Queen bit is going to drive us aparta"I just donat see any way around it, and it breaks my heart every time I think about it.

I completely understand his angst toward a monarchy. Prior to the war with Bella, head outlined a plan for an ideal republic. It had been a good, solid plan, precluding the existence of a monarchy, since all creatures were endowed with the freedom of choice. Rand had designated covens around the world, and each creature would belong to the coven closest to it. Members would elect magistrates who would represent their interests. Rand even delineated a panel of thirteen elders, each elected by a coven as their representative. These leaders would meet monthly to discuss problems and find solutions. Randas republic was an exercise in weights and measures, everything and everyone being equal.

And really, I approved of this plan and still thought we could put it to use, just with me as the figurehead, since it was still necessary to ensure the creatures of the Underworld were unified. The problem, though, was that Rand couldnat seem to see my point of view or, if he did, he didnat believe it was possible.

Regardless, itas now ten oaclock and Iave got a date with Mercedes and Rand so we can start reanimating our legion. At least weare all in agreement on that subject.

Mercedes decided we should do our reanimations outside since those who needed to be reanimated might be a bit dirty and b.l.o.o.d.y, having died while in the midst of a battle. That seemed to be fine by Rand, who didnat argue. I almost wanted to smile as I imagined us reanimating these first ten in Randas living room and then watching them bleed all over his couch or b.u.mp into his priceless art pieces.

But my sense of humor didnat last long. Things were still strained between Rand and myself. Iad tried to talk to him after our meeting last night but head been barraged by questions from Odran, Varick, and Trent.

This morning I just felt like being alone and writing in my journal. Now I was face-to-face with him and although he was as polite as he always was, there was something hesitant about him, something reserved. Yep, Iad been exactly righta"this Queen stuff was a huge elephant in the room, stomping and showing off her enormous tusks.

aMorning,a I said to Rand with a weak smile.

aHi, Jolie,a he said with a smile that attempted to ignore the situation breaking us apart. aI hope you slept well?a aI slept okay,a I lied and dropped my attention to the ground, hating the fact that we were doing the whole small-talk thing. G.o.d, there was so much I wanted to say to him but I didnat want Mercedes to be our audience. I figured if I tried our mind connection, she would overhear it. Nope, Iad just have to wait for a better time, even though waiting basically sucked.

aSo what do you want us to do exactly?a I asked Mercedes as a cold breeze rustled the elm trees and enveloped me in an unwanted hug. I s.h.i.+vered in the morning air and wrapped my arms around myself, hoping this little adventure wouldnat take very long. However, I couldnat imagine it would be a quick task to reanimate ten creatures, especially when in the past it had taken me the better part of a day to reanimate just one.

I felt a drop against my cheek and glanced upward, watching the dark gray clouds swirl and grumble above me as they threatened to swallow up the sky. A storm was coming, and by the looks of things it was moving in fast. Another cold wind rattled through the trees as two more drops spattered against my cheeks. I had to wonder if this was some sort of signa"it was as if the heavens didnat approve of us getting involved in the cycle of life and death.

aHold Randas hand,a Mercedes said and glanced at me pointedly, like she was annoyed I was so preoccupied with the weather. I didnat say anything; I just nodded and turned to face my warlock. I reached for his hand at the same time he reached for mine and when our skin met, an electric pulse shot through my hand and blazed its way up my arm. It was the same feeling I got whenever I touched Randa"it was basically his energy, his power traveling into me. Sometimes it seemed stronger than others; today it was especially powerful, almost as if the electrons in the air were somehow recharging it.

I felt another drop on my hand and glanced at it, watching it wind its way down my fingers and pool in the crevice of Randas thumb and index finger. I couldnat help but focus on his strong handsa"how large and capable they were, with long, slender fingers and the lightest dusting of dark brown hair at his wrists.

Rand squeezed my fingers, and I glanced up at him in surprise. He gazed at me, looking almost detached, like he was watching a movie.

Donat ever think I donat care about you, Jolie. It was his voice in my head. No matter what happens, nothing can change my feelings for you.

Rand, it doesnat have to be so black and white, I tried, my heart reeling at his confession. I wanted to, no, I had to convince him that the problem of the monarchy was something that could be resolved. It didnat have to be all one way or all the other.

We could still create your republic, I thought.

aAre you ready?a Mercedes asked and glanced at me impatiently. If I wasnat convinced she could magick me into oblivion, I would have b.i.t.c.h-slapped her silly for her bad timing.

aYeah,a I mumbled as Mercedes reached inside a big ziplock bag and produced a handful of cloth sc.r.a.ps. It looked like she was about to give us a lesson on quilting.

aThree for you,a Mercedes announced as she handed me three squares of cloth: one red, one pink, and one black. I glanced down at them and fingered the cottons, figuring Mercedes must have cut the clothing supplied to us by our legion into smaller pieces so theyad take up less s.p.a.ce. These three pieces of clothing represented three lives that were cut shorta"three lives we were about to give back.

aVery good,a Mercedes said, once shead handed Rand his three squares and she clutched the remaining four. aI believe you both know what to do next?a I glanced at Rand as I remembered the previous two occasions on which wead reanimated creatures of the Underworld. Yep, I knew what to do now, and it was the hardest part of the whole process.

aFocus, focus, and then focus some more,a I muttered. Rand chuckled and I glanced up at him.

Youall do fine. Donat worry, Jolie.

I didnat have the chance to respond before Mercedes took my hand and Randas and then closed her eyes. I allowed myself one more drawn-out look at Rand then followed suit.

aYes, focus,a Mercedes began. aEmpty your thoughts and try to concentrate on the emptiness within your mind, on nothing.a I tried but focusing on nothing is basically impossiblea"well, for my mind anyway. In fact, I was concentrating on the blackness of a void when remnants of my conversation with Christa and her s.e.xual issues started sneaking into my heada"images of furry, leopard handcuffs punctuated my thoughts until I wanted to scream. I clenched my eyes even tighter and instead was met with the image of John dressed like a pirate and muttering aAye, where be the warmina liquid?a aI canat do this!a I opened my eyes in an instant, hoping I hadnat been permanently blinded by the images in my mindas eye.

aJolie.a Mercedesa tone was that of a teacher reprimanding an unruly child.

aFocusing on nothing is just dumb,a I spat out, afraid to close my eyes again lest the s.e.xual pirate John make another appearance.

aLet me try,a Rand said to Mercedes. Not waiting for her response, he pulled my other hand from hers. He faced me and, taking both my hands in his, smiled down at me. aClose your eyes.a I did and felt like I wanted to cry, I was so overwhelmed with the need to tell him I was the woman with whom head bonded. It suddenly seemed like a very good ideaa"maybe Christa had been right when she said head be happy to know the love of his life had been me all along. In fact, maybe head be so thrilled, we could put this monarchy stuff behind us.

aFocus with me, Jolie,a he whispered and began ma.s.saging my hands with his much larger ones. His energy seemed to reverberate through me, encompa.s.sing me in a coc.o.o.n of power. aYouare surrounded by darknessa"night is all around you. Picture that darkness, Jolie. Itas limitless. You canat see where it begins or where it ends.a Randas voice flowed through me, seeming to reach out to every molecule of my body and soothe me, blanketing me with his calming baritone. And suddenly I could see the darkness, I was enveloped by it. I felt Rand s.h.i.+ft and my hand was engulfed in Mercedesa much smaller one. Her power rippled up my arm. With Randas on the other side, I felt like the middle of a power sandwich.

Then I heard something fainta"the smallest sound of c.h.i.n.king metal against metal. I opened my eyes. I was still surrounded by darkness, only the moonas glow showing me that I was in the midst of a battle. All around me creatures foughta"the sounds of their screaming and cries of pain thick in my ears. Beyond me stretched flat gra.s.sland, for miles, with only a few groves of trees interrupting the otherwise monotonous green. On my left side, I noticed a few enormous stones, some standing and some on their sides. Beyond them were small rocks piled high atop one another. There were rows and rows of them, creating circular patterns that I immediately recognized as the Clava Cairnsa"the Scottish burial mounds.

We were in Scotland, then, near the battlefield of Culloden, fighting against Bella. I glanced around me in shock, suddenly worried I might be in the line of fire. Then I remembered that in this altered state of reality, I was a ghost; nothing could hurt me.

Recalling that I was here to find the ten people whom we were to be reanimating first, I glanced over both of my shoulders, wondering where the h.e.l.l Mercedes was. Rand never seemed to be able to transport himself whenever I went on one of these reanimation excursions, so it wasnat a big surprise that he was absent.

But I was surprised that I didnat see Mercedes anywhere. I glanced down and noticed I was clutching all ten sc.r.a.ps of fabric in my right hand. I didnat remember Rand or Mercedes transferring them to mea"not that it mattered now. Obviously I was on this mission alone.

Before I could think another thought, it was as if some unseen force suddenly pushed me forward. I found myself walking, then running straight ahead, aiming for two men who were thick in the heat of battle. One was a were, and I could feel his ability to s.h.i.+ft radiating off him. The other was a vamp. The were was fighting a losing battle against the vamp and I could see his skin beginning to ripplea"he was preparing to s.h.i.+ft.

My palm started to burn. When I glanced down, a dark green piece of cloth had begun to tremble as if there were a tiny creature burrowing underneath it. I watched as a light built from underneath the fabric until it engulfed the entire square.

The dark green material began to roll into itself like one of those fortune-reading fish and I realized it was singling itself outa"it had been the object that pulled me toward these two men. And that was when it dawned on me that one of these men was about to die and I had to intervene in order to bring him back to life. I just had to figure out which one a No sooner did the thought cross my mind than the vamp lunged at the were before the were had the chance to shape-s.h.i.+ft. The vamp caught the weaker man in the throat with fangs that glinted in the moonlight. I felt myself lurch forward, and just as the vamp tore away from the were, flesh hanging from his teeth as blood pulsed from the open wound, I grabbed the wereas hand. And instantly he was gone.

As soon as I made contact and the were disappeared, I felt something ricochet through me, something that felt like my magic separating from me. I fell back and hit the ground, panting as my heartbeat raced in my chest. This had never before happened when Iad attempted to reanimate someonea"it was like touching an electric fence, almost as if my magic had misfired. But if that were the case, where had the were gone?

I glanced around, realizing that all of the swatches of fabric littered the earth beneath me. Suddenly afraid the vamp might attack me, I jerked my neck up but then remembered I wasnat really there and was, therefore, safe. The vamp glanced down at the ground beside me and then turned around and disappeared into the throng of fighting soldiers. He didnat act as though head just watched his enemy disappear in front of him, so I had to imagine that in his parallel universe, the body of the were was still lying in the blood-soaked earth.

I forced myself to my knees, trying to shake off the headache that nagged at me. I grabbed the pieces of cloth Iad dropped on the ground and stood up, waiting for the next piece of cloth to lead me to my next creature, all the while still wondering if my first attempt had been successful.

I didnat have to wait long. A piece of pink cloth began to quiver while a dull, pinkish glow emanated from it. I felt compelled to turn to my right so I allowed my feet to follow, to bring me through the throng of fighting soldiers. Once on the other side, my eyes immediately fell upon a woman, a fairy, who was on the ground, battling a creature I had little experience witha"a demon. It had the body of a man but a long red tail extended from its backside a like a coiled snake ready to bite, the barbs in the tail had embedded themselves in the fairy womanas thigh as she wailed in pain.

The creature had her pinned on her stomach, its gargantuan mouth biting into the nape of her neck as she begged for release and blood soaked the dirt beneath her. The demon ripped its barbed tail from her thigh and reeled it around like a fis.h.i.+ng line, only to embed it into the fairyas side. The woman yelped in agony before collapsing, just as the demon prevented her from falling against the ground by wrapping his arm around her middle. With one hand, the creature fondled her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and I realized the b.a.s.t.a.r.d planned on raping her before killing her.

So I did what any woman would doa"I ran full bore at the demon and kicked him in his gut. And of course, it didnat faze the demon at all because I was, for all intents and purposes, a ghost. Instead I just flew right through the demon and landed on my a.s.s. That was when the ugly realization dawned on mea"I might have to witness this creature having its way with the woman before it killed her. After all, the only window I had to reanimate her was at the point of her death. And that reality sickened me.

I stood up and turned around to face the demon as I watched Odran hurl himself into the creature, prying it off the fairy woman with a roar that would scare Satan himself. Odran then lifted the demon above his head WWF style and threw the ugly b.a.s.t.a.r.d about ten feet into the air. Then, bringing his hands out in front of him, Odran magicked a lance in a split second. In a flash the demon hit the ground and Odran wasted no time impaling the demon with the lance, straight into its gut. The creature groaned as a forked tongue snaked out of its mouth; then it collapsed in a dead heap at Odranas feet.

When Odran and I turned to the fairy woman to see if she was all right, she was already dying. Why, I had no idea, but her eyes had gone slack and I could see the pulse in her throat slowing. I had to wonder if the barbs on the demonas tail were poisonousa"or maybe just poisonous to the fae. But at the moment I couldnat be concerned with poisonous barbs. I did what Iad been trained to do and dived down, touching her just as Odran lifted her into his colossal arms. And she disappeared.

And the same exact feeling of electricity pounced through me as soon as I made contact with her. Only now it was accompanied by a sense of weakness, of exhaustion. I leaned over and panted, bracing myself against the ground on all fours. I felt like Iad just sprinted at top speed. I felt like I was going to throw up.

I pushed the feeling aside and rolled onto my b.u.t.t, forcing myself to sit up. Whatever the h.e.l.l was wrong with me, I had more creatures to reanimate, eight as a matter of fact. And how I was going to get through eight more was beyond me.

After what felt like an eternity, I was left with one sc.r.a.p of fabric in my hand and one creature left to reanimate. Iad already reanimated four weres, the fairy woman, three vamps (which was a curious subject because Iad never been sure that the undead could be reanimated considering they werenat alive to begin with), and one witch. And to say I was tired was an understatement. With each reanimation, the feeling of electricity coursing through me was stronger, and after each session I was left weaker. Yet I had no choice but to continue forward, to get through the list of ten.

I took a deep breath and glanced down at the final piece of black cloth in my hand. It glimmered into a subtle glow and vibrated as I allowed it to lead me to my final rescue for the day. That was when I made the mistake of glancing to my right and seeing a myself. It was like I was having an out-of-body experience as I just stood there, watching myself. I glanced down at my legs as if to make sure I was still standing there and not some ethereal being, but no, I was still me, still corporeal.

I couldnat say I heard or felt anything at that moment. Instead I thought I was mired in quicksand, unable to pull myself away from the visual unfolding before me. Gwynn, wearing an expression of agony mixed with pure rage since Iad just cremated her lover and creator, Ryder, pulled back her arm and rammed her blade into my gut. I watched myself fall as my gaze moved down my body to the hilt of the dagger. My eyes revealed only disbelief.

Sinjin stood by my feet and in an instant he was on Gwynn, ripping her head off, not even watching as she exploded into dust before him. Instead his eyes were riveted on me with an expression on his face Iad never seen beforea"something that looked like terror.

Mercedes was also there, standing next to Rand. But all I could focus on was Randa"as he held me and tears bled from his eyes, Rand crooning to me and begging me not to die.

But I did diea"I knew it now as well as Iad known it then. And watching yourself die is the most macabre, bizarre feeling in the world. I literally just slouched in Randas arms as he dropped his head against mine and sobs racked his entire body.

I watched Mercedes lean down, place her hand on my forehead, and close her eyes. Instantly my eyes blinked open, wide with confusion and panic. My chest rose as the breath of life filled my lungs. But I couldnat even focus on myself, not when the smile on Randas face was the most glorious, beautiful thing Iad ever seen.

After watching myself die and Mercedes bring me back to life again, I somehow managed to seek out the last creature on the list, a witch, and brought her back to life, albeit absentmindedly. I mean, I was still reeling over the fact that Iad just witnessed my own death and was sort of in a haze.

Then I observed a bright flash of light followed by a moment or two of total darkness. I must have pa.s.sed out because the next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground outside, my face and cheek up close and personal with the rough dirt. I rolled over to find Rand and Mercedes leaning over me with concerned expressions while the ten recently reanimated creatures looked on in what appeared to be shock, something we had in common.

Surprisingly, I had managed to reanimate all ten creatures in one day, and Iad never felt worse. I was exhausted, but more than that, I still felt nauseous. When I asked Mercedes where in the h.e.l.l shead been during the reanimations, shead replied rather dismissively that this was my gift, not hers a WTF?

Of course, I was quick to point out the fact that shead played the part of the Energizer Bunny well enough when I died on the battlefield and she subsequently brought me back to life. Her reply? Reanimating me had only been possible because I was part of the equationa"I had to wonder if that meant that if I had been someone else, Iad be pus.h.i.+ng up daisies right about now.

Well, Iad just been through h.e.l.l and back so I didnat feel like arguing or digging any deeper into a subject she clearly had no interest in pursuing, so I left it at that. Thinking I definitely deserved the night off, I wasnat exactly thrilled to learn that Mercedes had arranged for my first lesson as Queen to begin that same evening!

Worst of all, my first lesson was ballroom dancing (by default due to the fact that my other tutors werenat available on such short notice) a blah, blah, and blah again. If I could be described in one word, it would be clumsy, so I was looking forward to this lesson about as much as a stick in my eye.

Mercedes took exactly two minutes to introduce me to my instructor, Herr Strauss. Then she promptly disappeared, saying she needed to leave me to my lessons. Really, I think she just wanted to escape Herr Strauss because he appeared to be as interesting as a wall.

aVen you are dancing zee Valtz, you must feel zee Valtz, taste zee Valtz, and zee zee Valtz in order to love zee Valtz, yah?a My instructor (who must have been German or maybe Austrian) had the physique of a flagpole with long, skinny legs and arms; his posture was just as rigid. He was a were but unlike most weres, he wasnat at all burly and his skin was so translucent white he looked like he could be the descendant of a turnip. His hair looked like white straw and matched the white of his trimmed mustache to a T. He looked like a praying mantis someone had doused in flour.

aCome zen,a he said, holding out his long, scarecrow arms, motioning for me to come closer, as I responded by taking a step backward.

We were in Randas ballrooma"yes, Pelham Manor had a ballroom, though this was the first time Iad ever been inside it. The floors were dark oak with cream-colored walls. Floor-to-ceiling windows boasted panoramic vistas that included a grove of elm trees bisected by a running creek. A carpet of bluebells decorated the gra.s.s, making it seem as though you were viewing some exquisite painting rather than the grounds of Pelham Manor. Inside the room, crown molding accessorized the junction of the walls and the ceiling; suspended from the center of the ceiling was the most ornate chandelier Iave ever seen, its prismatic crystals reflecting rainbows all around the room.

aLike zis,a my praying mantis partner said, holding his stick-insect arms out before him as if he were blindly groping for a light switch.

I held my right arm like I was pretending to hug a tree and put my left arm directly in front of me, which Iam sure made me look like I was about to pull a Matrix move on him, Keanu Reeves style. The praying mantis scrunched up his face in what appeared to be disgust and dropped his elegantly draped arms down to aid my less-than-elegant ones.

aZis and zis,a he said as he angled my arms appropriately. aZen you follow mine steps like a box. A one ztep, a du ztep, a tree ztep, and four!a With that he whizzed around me, his feet in a perfect box step while I just observed in wonder.

aNow you,a he said. I tried my best to imitate him but as soon as I saw scrunchy face number two, I realized Iad failed.

Master Strauss didnat get the chance to lambaste me further because we were interrupted by the sound of deep chuckling and clapping. We both turned to face the source. I frowned as I saw Sinjin emerge from the doorway, a smile of amus.e.m.e.nt lighting his handsome face.

aThat is no way to teach a lady to dance,a he said, arching a brow at the stick insect who merely aharumpheda in response. Sinjin strode right past him until he stood directly before me.

aMy Queen,a he said with a lascivious smile. With a quick bow he took my left hand in his and pulled me in so close, my stomach touched his groin. Then, as if the fact that my stomach against his groin was of no consequence to him, he laid the palm of his other hand flat onto the small of my back. He glanced down at me and winked before facing Herr Strauss again.

aYou must hold her closely enough that she can feel your body tightly against her so that she may copy your moves.a Sinjin dropped his attention to me, and his eyes were piercing as he gazed down at me. aYou must glide with her, become one with her.a I swallowed hard. I couldnat help it.