Something nagged at me, a feeling that I was being toyed with, but I didn’t know that I had any control over it. As long as the witch controlled Kull, she controlled me. Silvestra turned away to speak to those gathered around her, but even so, I felt her presence as she kept watch over us. More than anything I wanted to escape from her, but I knew that now wasn’t the time.
The floor seemed to move with the music, making the sun, planets, and stars spin along with us. Kull held me close, and as we danced, the spell enveloped us. I no longer felt hunger or fatigue or worry—the enchantment masked all feelings and emotions, and the floor became reality. We no longer danced on a solid floor, but among the stars, with their heat brushing our cheeks.
Excitement tingled through me as Kull spun me away from him and then back again. His hands held me steady as the other dancers whirled past us in colors of deep plum and turquoise. Jewels glittered, mingling with the twinkling stars, and I was certain I was no longer on Faythander, but in a completely new reality. I lost all comprehension of time as I danced through the cosmos, certain I’d never seen anything so stunning in all my life. Twinkling lights surrounded us, and I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but I thought I heard them singing—a melody that conjured images of wind chimes.
Kull pulled me closer, and as I looked into his eyes, my heart pounded. I would never find anyone else like him. He made me happy in ways I didn’t comprehend. I gripped his hand tighter, wanting this moment to last forever. In another place, maybe I would have worried at the prospect of Kull’s bleak future, maybe I would have been nervous about escaping the castle, but for now, I enjoyed the dance.
When the music faded, I wasn’t ready. I held Kull’s hand as he led me off the dance floor, and we stopped underneath a quiet balcony.
“Did I tell you that you look beautiful?” he said.
“You didn’t mention it.”
He cupped my face, then ran his thumb over my cheek, making heat rush through my body. My chest tightened as he leaned toward my face.
“Then let me remedy my blunder. You look breathtaking.”
“Breathtaking? That might be a stretch, don’t you think?”
“It’s the absolute truth.”
“You know I hate wearing stuff like this.”
“But you should wear it more often.”
“Why? It’s impractical,” I picked at the lace on the sleeves, “and really uncomfortable.”
“Olive,” he said, taking my fidgeting hand. “Why do you not believe me when I tell you that you’re beautiful?”
I looked away. “I don’t know.”
He placed his finger under my chin and moved my face to meet his gaze. “Do you believe me when I tell you that I love you?”
“Yes, of course I do.”
“Then why did you leave?”
Because of Theht. Because I’m destined to kill you. I’m destined to kill everyone.
I wanted to tell him but didn’t know how. My throat constricted. How could I be with him when I knew I would kill him?
“I’m here now,” he said. “You can tell me.”
“I can’t,” I whispered.
The hurt shone in his eyes, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he turned away to stare at the dancers as the music began to play.
“Do you know if the witch found my sister?”
“I think she’s still searching, which is a good thing. Heidel is hopefully on the other side of the continent by now. I pray we’ll be as lucky.”
“I agree. We’ll escape right before the last dance. We’ll do it quickly. There will be enough commotion to distract her for a few minutes at least.”
“Are you sure it will work?”
In my opinion, he sounded too confident. Or desperate. Either way, I didn’t share his optimism.
“I’m sure,” he answered, “because if I’m wrong, then it means I’ll become her slave, and I would rather die than become one of them.” He nodded toward the gathered dancers.
They moved without intention, as if they were marionettes in an elaborate theater, guided by others with no thought of their own. They belonged to the witch, every thought and every action, an existence worse than death.
Kull was right—we had to escape. We had no other choice.
Kull took my hand in his and led me up the staircase to the top balcony. This close to the sky, I felt as though I could reach up and touch the stars. The music sounded distant as it drifted from the bottom floor. I leaned against the stone railing. Vines grew up the marble pillars, and large, cabbage-sized roses bloomed in shades of black and red.
Kull and I stood near a set of large, open windows. I tasted the night air, chill and crisp, as a breeze brushed against my cheeks. As we stared out over the mountaintops, the moon rose higher in the sky, casting its silver light over the snow and making it sparkle.
I had to grudgingly admit that it was beautiful here. Kull wrapped his arm around my waist as we stared at the scene in front of us. Somewhere out there was the entrance to the undiscovered land and the cave where I had found Theht. The memory made me shudder, and I closed my eyes, trying to get the images out of my head.
Standing in the desert. Theht’s voice in my mind as I reached up toward the sky, out into the darkness where I felt the asteroid flying through space. Using my magic to change its course. Watching as everyone died… Seeing Kull’s corpse at my feet and
