'He's staring at you.' Alister swung her around. For a moment Taya caught a glimpse of a dark figure in the middle of all the extravagantly dressed exalts, and then they turned again and he was gone.
'You said he never came to parties!'
Alister chuckled. 'I believe you've made another conquest, Taya Swan.'
'I doubt that! Although I'd like to talk to him.'
'After this dance,' he promised, pulling her closer again. 'Right now you're mine.'
She couldn't help glancing over his shoulder, seeking out Cristof's slim, severe figure every time they turned. Why was he here? To celebrate Viera's survival?
She hoped so, for the family's sake.
After the dance Alister waved off the other men who tried to break in.
'Back, back. The lady will dance with you as soon as she's had some refreshment,' he scolded them. 'Give the guest of honor a chance to rest.'
He steered her toward Cristof, who was holding a glass of wine and regarding them gravely.
He really does look like a crow in a flock of fancy songbirds
, Taya thought, remembering Gwen's characterization. His somber clothes and sharp-featured face made the comparison even more apt. Anywhere else in Ondinium, she might have thought that he looked striking. Up here he just looked out of place.
Maybe as out of place as me
, she admitted to herself as they approached.
'Why, Cris, what a delight to see you at a party at last,' Alister said with mock surprise as they drew up to each other. 'I noticed that you were staring at Taya while we were dancing. Could it be that my big brother's mind is finally turning to something other than clockwork?'
Cristof scowled, looking away. 'I was studying the architecture of her dress.'
'Architecture? Is that what they call them down on Tertius?' Alister teased.
Color rose in Cristof's cheeks.
'I was trying to figure out how the dress was fastened,' he elaborated, with stilted dignity. 'Dressmaking is as much a feat of engineering as bridge-building. More so. A bridge doesn't need to be comfortable.'
'My dress isn't exactly fastened,' Taya admitted. 'It was sewn on.'
Cristof choked in mid-swallow and set his glass down. Alister roared with laughter, making heads turn.
'Oh, Lady save us! That leads to all sorts of interesting lines of speculation, doesn't it?' He grinned at his older brother. 'Are you all right, Cris?'
'I'm fine,' Cristof said in a strangled voice. 'Excuse me.'
Alister watched him go, then turned and swooped Taya up and kissed her on the cheek.
'What was that for?' she gasped, holding on to his arms as he swung her around and set her back down again. His eyes danced.
'That was for flustering my brother. I don't get the opportunity to see his gears slip nearly often enough.'
Taya shook her head with mild disapproval, but she didn't try to break away from his grip as he held her. Instead, she leaned on his arm and searched the crowd for Cristof.
She spotted him at once, because he was so tall and dark. He was still coughing into his handkerchief, and light gleamed off his wire-rimmed spectacles. She remembered how carefully he'd held Alister's toy bird and how he'd given her half of his poor lunch. Suddenly she felt sorry for him.
'Don't make fun of him, Alister. It's not nice.'
'Nonsense. I'm only teasing. Cris takes everything so seriously. Sometimes I think his heart is nothing but springs and gears. I'd be the first to approve if he ever got his mind off his machines and started thinking about something as healthy as a pretty woman.'
Taya sighed. As she was about to turn away, a footman approached and murmured something to the clockwright. Cristof's shoulders tightened, and he strode toward the ballroom door.
'I don't know,' she said, troubled. 'I have a feeling he thinks about a lot that doesn't have to do with machines.'
'You believe the best of everyone, don't you? Now, tell me, was that what you wanted to say to him? That your dress was sewn on? I presume it will have to be dismantled before it's removed.' Alister stroked the feathers over her shoulder and down her back. 'What lucky soul will have that privilege tonight, Taya Swan? I hope your dressmaker was female.'
She moved away before his finger could descend too far. 'He's not, but he thinks I'm too boyish to be attractive.'
'Only a madman would call you boyish.'
Taya smiled, glad to hear it, even if it was blatant flattery. 'Will you excuse me? I need to… check my hair.'
'Of course. Over there.' He pointed the way and she slipped away.
The foyer was empty of guests, although the candles and endless rows of reflecting mirrors made the room seem crowded as soon as she walked into it. The front door was open. Taya glanced at the door to the ladies’ parlor, then turned and stepped outside. She didn't really need to relieve herself. She just needed a moment of solitude, before Alister's flirting could get any more suggestive.
The stone walls and iron gate blocked the light from the street, but the mansion's broad front porch was lined with small lanterns that provided a festive air. Taya shivered in the cold air and took a deep breath, leaning against the low porch rail. Tension uncoiled from her back and shoulders, and she realized how uneasy she'd been inside, despite Alister's charming company.
Or maybe because of it.
She looked up, hoping to see an icarus silhouetted against the stars or moon, but the night sky was empty.
This isn't me
, she thought, looking up at the stars with a touch of regret.
I'm not meant to wear elegant dresses and flirt with handsome exalteds. The Lady forged me to wear leather and ondium and ride the wind.
There was nothing to stop her from enjoying herself with Alister Forlore. Nothing but her own vague sense of unease.
Maybe it's because he outranks me
, she thought, testing the idea. Despite what Cristof had said, icarii didn't really stand outside of the caste hierarchy. Not as long as exalteds ran the city and owned their wings.
Perhaps she should borrow a pair of wings and take Alister into the air. Caste differences wouldn't matter once she was in her own element.
Or maybe I'm just getting too old for casual affairs
She'd never been as carefree as Cassi and so many of the rest of her peers. That's why she hadn't been able to sleep with Pyke. He'd been kind enough, but it hadn't seemed worth the effort of starting something that was doomed from the start.
'…got them from Pins,' someone murmured. Taya looked toward the voice and saw three men standing in the garden shadows, next to a small marble bench. Faint lamplight reflected from a small metal packet that changed hands. The man who took it shoved it into his jacket, and Taya bit her lip as she saw the silver circles
