Viera sighed. 'I apologize. I don't mean to burden you with my concerns. I simply thought…'
'If I hear anything that might help, I'll tell you,' Taya promised, just as she'd promised Lt. Amcathra. For a moment she thought again of Cristof's wireferry map, all marked in pencil — but no. Cristof wouldn't have hurt his cousin.
Alister's words returned to her:
'But Caster's a traditionalist. He doesn't approve of Cristof breaking the rules of his caste, and even Vee's a little worried that he'll give Ariq strange ideas.'
No — that's unfair, Taya chided herself. She'd already accused Cristof of a crime once, and he'd given her a perfectly good explanation for his whereabouts. Just because he was eccentric didn't mean he was a killer.
'Thank you.' Viera stood. 'I had better return you to your admirers. I have no doubt that Alister is hoping for a dance after dinner.'
'What's Alister like?' Taya asked, trying to keep her voice innocent as they entered the main room again.
'Oh, he's impossible.' Viera shook her head with affectionate dismay. 'He's an incorrigible flirt. He ought to be married by now, but ever since he became a decatur, he's been locked up with programmers and the Council all day. The girls used to flock around him when all he did was throw parties, but they consider a hard-working man to be a bore.'
'Then he's not…'
'Engaged?' Viera flicked a quick glance at her. 'No. I have never known Alister to be serious about any of his paramours. I don't think he's ready to go wife-hunting yet, although Caster and I would like him to settle down. He needs to, if he wishes to pursue a political career. A good marriage would help balance the fact that he's the Council's youngest decatur.'
Taya sighed. Well, there was her answer, very delicately put. If she wanted a temporary romance, she could have it, but she shouldn't expect anything else. Alister would marry for political advantage, and that meant marrying another exalted.
Disappointing, but… she was an icarus. She could enjoy herself with a handsome decatur, if she wanted. Pyke would be upset, but it would only be offended pride, and he'd get over it. Alister would be fun, she had no doubt, and she also expected he'd accept an to the affair quietly and kindly.
She closed her eyes, shaking her head. Is that all she wanted?
The announcement of dinner saved her from having to make any difficult decisions.
She was seated at the long table between Caster Octavus and another senior decatur, across from Viera, and she hardly had time to think as the dinner conversation buzzed around her. Cassi had been right — she couldn't imagine doing anything more than nibbling at the meal while she was locked into her corset, even if she hadn't been terrified of spilling something on her dress. But nobody seemed to notice that she wasn't touching the dishes that were served in a dizzying array. The conversation whirled around her at an alarming pace, and although Taya did her best to keep up, more often than not it dealt with subjects like paintings and novels and operas that she'd never had the time or the money to enjoy. She fell silent, listening and marveling over how little she knew about the world.
Flight, languages, armature repair, geography, cartography — she knew about those subjects. She knew which gesture would offend a Cabiel merchant but amuse a Demican child, and how to tell when a storm was approaching, and where the most popular assignation house in the city was located. But none of those topics would serve her here.
'Taya, what is it like, soaring over Ondinium Mountain?' Viera asked, catching her eye. 'Is it true that icarii have flown through clouds?'
'Have you ever seen any of the Lady's spirits up there flying with you?' asked another guest, laughing.
Taya smiled gratefully at Viera as she replied. When the talk veered to the next subject, she relaxed, glad that she'd been able to say something interesting, at least.
Alister caught up with her after dinner as the guests left the table.
'I'm here to claim the first dance,' he said, sliding his arm under hers.
'Is that proper?' she asked, suddenly breathless.
'Who cares?' He pulled her closer, tucking her arm under his as they walked. His silk robe was soft and cool against her bare flesh. Taya forced herself to exhale. 'You look beautiful, little bird. I've changed my mind about the flight suit. It doesn't do your figure justice at all.'
'You look very nice, too,' Taya said, taking the opportunity to gaze at him again. 'That green suits you.'
'I'm afraid that next to you I'm going to make people think of a tree, but I'll have to live with it. I should have chosen to wear sky blue, instead.'
'Are exalted dances the same as other caste dances?' she asked as they entered the ballroom. The musicians were playing. The rest of the evening's guests were trickling into the room, their faces flushed from the chill night air.
'Much worse,' Alister confided. 'They're very stately and slow. It's difficult to develop a graceful carriage when one is accustomed to being weighed down by ten pounds of gold and silk.'
'Shouldn't you be that much lighter on your feet once you're free of your public robes, then?'
He smiled down at her.
'I'm afraid you're too optimistic. Do icarii dance in the air, Taya? Do you carry out secret winged ballets over the mountains when no other castes are watching?'
'Uh-oh. Somebody's been telling you our secrets.'
His green eyes widened in playful surprise. 'May I watch, someday? Will you take me dancing in the air with you?'
'Maybe.' She turned away, amused by his persistence. Sometimes groups of icarii would fly out with extra ondium counterweights on their harnesses and engage in aerial acrobatics that were impossible in a normal rig. It was a dangerous sport, since their lighter weights made them more vulnerable to sudden gusts of wind, but every young icarus did it at least once. Taya was considered one of the better skydancers.
Too bad she didn't have a set of dancing wings here.
'The music's starting.' Alister released her and bowed. 'May I?'
She took another deep breath and held out her hand. He took it and pulled her out onto the dance floor.
He had exaggerated, of course. As far as Taya could tell, exalteds danced just as well as anyone else, and the steps weren't very different from those in the dances at icarus parties or her sister's famulate wedding. After the first few minutes, Taya relaxed and stopped thinking about what she was doing, letting Alister sweep her across the floor. The hand holding hers was very proper, but the thumb of his other hand stroked the feathers on her waist as he deftly guided her through the dance.
Lady, it would be easy to fall for him
, Taya thought, as he pulled her closer a moment to sweep past another couple.
It would be just like a story, an exalted and an icarus loving across caste.
Just don't forget how those stories always end up
, she reminded herself.
It never works out well for the icarus. Alister Forlore is a charming flirt. Don't lose your heart to him, and you'll be fine.
'What's wrong?' Alister asked. His grip tightened. 'You looked very stern all of the sudden.'
'Nothing,' she said, becoming aware of the scent he was wearing. It reminded her of the spice markets of the foreigners’ quarter, exotic but appealing. 'Just… a thought.'
'Are you worried about my brother?'
'Huh?'
