by Jess Bowen
The two started working on Phoebe’s hair. It took over an hour, but it was eventually smoothed and pulled away from her face, hanging down her back in waves that she never could have done herself. She hadn’t even realized until then that her hair had grown by at least four inches since her arrival. It was nearing the middle of her back.
They then set to work on her face. She usually wore a light amount of makeup—earth tones, nothing flashy—but as Cynthia and Lucy pulled out container after container of some powder or another, Phoebe began to get worried. Beauty was not her area of expertise. Her roommates, on the other hand, probably could have passed for models in the Realm of Non-Magic.
The boys hung out in the sitting room the whole time Phoebe’s hair was being reformed and her face painted, and then they left to get dressed. She was secretly envious; ten minutes and they were ready while she had been standing in the bathroom for most of the day. The sun was starting to set, and soft snow flakes fell from the sky. It wasn’t the first time it had snowed, but the ground had been dry for several days.
Cynthia and Lucy slipped into their dresses. They looked stunning. Lucy’s dress was a soft cream color and floor length while her red hair hung down in soft curls. Cynthia had on gold, which brought out the shining highlights in her hair that was twisted up into elegant knots. Phoebe briefly wondered if they would let her shape-shift one of them into her so they could take her place on the dance floor. It would still look like Phoebe out there, but they moved much more seamlessly and elegantly than she could ever hope for.
Cynthia and Lucy pulled the dress out of the wardrobe that had been made for Phoebe by the dwarves. The dwarves were exceptionally skilled when it came to any and all clothing. Phoebe looked over the floor-length, midnight blue material, and her jaw dropped.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said breathlessly.
A frown wrinkled Cynthia’s otherwise perfect features. “Don’t you like this color?”
“No…I mean…yes, I like the color. I meant, you expect me to wear that?”
Lucy sighed. “I told you she was going to be difficult if we went with that cut.”
Cynthia rolled her eyes. “Come on, Phoebe, just put it on. You’re going to look great.”
Phoebe wasn’t so sure about that. Although, after all the time they’d spent on her hair, she could hardly politely say no. Still, she grimaced and complained all through putting it on, just for effect. Cynthia squealed in happiness when she had it on.
“Perfect! Absolutely gorgeous, just like I knew it would be.”
Phoebe had to admit it certainly looked nice. It was backless, and the sleeves hung off her shoulders. Light danced on the flowing fabric every time she twisted. The neckline was low, but not embarrassingly or indecently so. Still, the overall effect was foreign to her, and she felt uncomfortable. She had been to formal occasions before, but never something quite as formal and elegant as what she was about to go to, and never before had she been the center of attention.
Thankfully, the shoes they had chosen were flat, ballet-looking shoes. Phoebe was a little confused by the three-foot length of silk ribbon attached to each black shoe until Cynthia and Lucy sat her down and each took a shoe and wrapped the lengths of the ribbons around her ankles and calves in a complicated pattern.
“I’m surprised that after everything else, the two of you were able to rein yourselves in with a sensible pair of shoes,” Phoebe commented.
Lucy frowned as she worked. “These weren’t your original shoes, but Cynthia reminded me that this will be the first time you’ll be in close proximity with Kali for quite a while. We thought it would be prudent for you to have shoes you can run in—just in case.”
That was Lucy’s tactful way of saying “In case you feel like murdering Kali tonight, we are making sure you don’t break your ankle in the process.” Phoebe was suddenly looking forward to this ball even less. Cynthia finished her last twist and secured the ribbon before straightening up and slipping on her own shoes and quickly tying them. Lucy finished as well, and as Phoebe stood up, the fabric of her dress obscured the shoes completely. All the artful wrapping seemed to be a wasted effort. Then Lucy straightened a few stray hairs and fixed a smudge or two of makeup. Lastly, they each stood back to admire their work. At least, that’s what Phoebe figured they were doing by the pleased looks on their faces. Sapphire, Bree, Beau, Thor, and Shade all joined the quiet observance.
Someone lightly tapped on the door.
Cynthia jumped and ran to answer the door, and Lucy sat down on her bed to twist the ribbons of her own shoes. Phoebe didn’t need to ask why they were wearing shoes similar to hers. Their loyalty and friendship was more than she probably deserved. Still, her heart warmed at the small, unobtrusive sign of solidarity. These were more than her friends; they were her family. Not her family in its entirety, but if she had to be without her parents, at least she still had strong bonds to support her in her times of need and opportunities to return the favor.
Phoebe could hear the boys in the sitting room. She listened closely, but Dorian’s soft and smooth voice was absent. She also couldn’t hear his deep, even breathing or the steady beat of his heart. He wasn’t here yet. She hadn’t been allowed to see him since that morning, and she ached to hear his voice and feel his arms around her.
Lucy smiled sympathetically as she secured the last twist of her ribbon. “You’ll see him soon. I promise.” She must have noticed Phoebe straining for some sign of his presence.
Phoebe nodded slowly and followed Lucy into the sitting room. The silence that followed their entrance was louder than she had thought possible. The boys stared open-mouthed at them. Ethan only had eyes for Lucy, but Phoebe felt her face flush crimson as she realized that everyone else was staring at her. She glanced quickly at Cynthia, who was standing behind the boys, and silently pleaded for help. Cynthia rolled her eyes before smacking Jared and Evan on the back of the head.
“Quit staring like she’s a piece of meat. You see her every day; she just happens to have a dress on.”
Evan’s mouth flopped uselessly a few times before he decided against trying to speak and turned around to face the door. Jared followed suit and that left only Hector. Except his gaze wasn’t so much shock anymore, but admiration.
He caught Phoebe staring pointedly at him and cleared his throat and blinked a few times. “Well, aren’t you glad I’m not the one who dressed you?”
“No, maybe then everyone wouldn’t be acting like they had never seen me before.”
Cynthia shook her head and chuckled. “So ungrateful. Now, we’re going down, but you’re going to wait for Dorian here, okay?”
Phoebe sighed in relief. “Yes, that’s fine.”
Cynthia nodded and ushered everyone outside. Hector lingered for a minute.
“You look very nice,” he commented once the others had left.
“Thank you. You look nice as well.”
She felt anxious, and she had to fight her nervous habit of running her fingers through her hair. She didn’t even want to think about what Cynthia and Lucy would do to her if she so much as repositioned one strand.
He shifted uncomfortably. “Do you think Dorian would mind if I asked you for a dance later?”
“I can’t see why not. We’re all friends, aren’t we?”
“Friends, yes,” he muttered thoughtfully.
“Was there something else?” she asked after he had stared off into space for a long moment.
He snapped back to reality. “No, umm, I guess I’ll see you in a little bit.”
She smiled. “Okay, then.”
Hector turned and walked out of the room and left her to contemplate his strange behavior. Usually he teased her mercilessly, as she did him, and she had never seen him so uncomfortable.
Phoebe jumped not five minutes later when another soft knock sounded at the door. She didn’t even bother to look in the full-length mirror positioned right by the door as she hastened to pull it ope
n. Dorian looked the same as always—glorious. Phoebe took a few seconds to just stare at him, and she completely forgot where they were going and what she was wearing. Until she caught the awestruck look in his eyes. Her face flushed again.
He brushed her cheek. “What are you embarrassed about? You’re beautiful.”
“I’m just not very comfortable,” she admitted.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t dress like this. I don’t mind going to the ball, but I really don’t want to be the center of attention. Can’t we just hide somewhere until it’s over?”
Dorian’s face broke into an amused smile. “I’m afraid not. You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll be right there.”
Phoebe knew that no matter how she tried to drag it out and plead to stay, she would end up in the training arena eventually. Dorian had a powerful weapon of persuasion. “Promise?”
“I promise.”
Sapphire stepped up majestically beside her. Unlike Phoebe, her companion loved being the center of attention. Phoebe closed the door behind her, and Dorian slipped his arm around her waist as they began walking down toward the training arena, which had been rebuilt for the ball. Dorian stared at her out of the corner of his eye. She tried to ignore it by glancing over his clothes instead. She gasped as she realized he wasn’t wearing black.
His shirt was white while the vest that went over it and his pants were midnight blue, to match her dress. The color was still dark, but the difference was amazing. The blue made the silver in his eyes and the matching highlights of his hair more pronounced, and it made him seem softer, more like the Dorian she knew and less like the image he tried to portray.
“You look amazing,” Phoebe breathed as they walked.
“You sound surprised,” he scoffed. “I was under the impression you liked the way I looked.”
She laughed at his sarcasm. “I do. But I’ve never seen you wear anything but black. The blue looks good. Perhaps in another six months we can try green or even red.”
“Well, you can thank Cynthia and Lucy for the color change. They threatened my life if I refused.” His eyes sparkled as if he was sharing some private joke.
“I’m sure it was terrifying.”
“Very. Are you ready?”
She looked around to see that they were already at the doors to the training arena. Her stomach clenched into tight knots. No, she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready to face the people of this village, she wasn’t ready to come within range of Kali, and she wasn’t ready to dance in front of a few thousand people. She took one last steadying breath, knowing that she didn’t really have a choice.
“No.” She gave her honest answer.
Dorian turned to her and pulled her into his chest. The wonderful scent of his skin assaulted her, and the knots in her stomach loosened. “Trust me,” he whispered.
“I do,” Phoebe whispered in reply.
He laced his fingers into hers, and they both turned to the door as Dorian pulled it open. She was surprised to see the room was darkened. It took her a second to turn her attention from the darker light to the rest of the room. The transformation was amazing. Phoebe stood at the top of an elegant and richly carpeted staircase—the entire room looked like it had been moved down about eight feet. The mats had been removed and dark wood covered the floor instead. Tables and chairs surrounded the dance floor, replacing the tiers.
A band was set up at the far side of the room, playing instruments made by the wood nymphs. Soft snow fell from the ceiling, but disappeared just over the heads of the guests. The room went silent as all eyes fixed on Dorian and Phoebe. She quickly scanned the room and found the rest of her friends standing at the far right corner. They nodded in encouragement. As the doors shut behind them, the tune being played changed into what was clearly a welcoming song. Dorian led Phoebe down the elegant staircase while she tried to remember to make eye contact and smile at everyone.
When they reached the middle of the floor, Dorian spun her around and secured his arm around her waist and clasped her other hand. The welcoming song came to its end, and Phoebe knew it was time to dance. She focused only on Dorian. He seemed confident enough, so she tried to relax. She had no idea why she was so nervous. Did she really still care what these people thought about her dancing abilities?
The first notes of the next song began, and the melody was so sweet and beautiful that it was almost effortless to begin dancing. It felt like they were supposed to dance to this music, that it was impossible not to. Dorian didn’t even seem to be concentrating on the dance steps as he stared into Phoebe’s eyes. His gaze was so intense that she couldn’t look away. They were in their own world, and very suddenly, nothing else mattered.
30. Frozen
Dorian gracefully spun Phoebe on the dance floor as the rest of the guests looked on.
“You’re a very good dancer,” Phoebe said.
He smiled. “As are you.”
“I can see why my mother carted me off to every dance class known to man.”
The comment had just slipped out, and her heart tore a little. Phoebe missed her mother so much. Dorian sensed her sadness, and his look changed to concern. Phoebe had to put a little effort behind her smile, but it was genuine.
“I’m okay. It’s getting easier to think about them. I still miss them, but I have a feeling I will see them again,” she said. She didn’t want to ruin the evening.
Dorian spun her out, and she twisted back in. She silently thanked Lucy and Cynthia for choosing decent shoes. No matter their reasoning, she was glad she didn’t have to worry about tripping. Dorian didn’t say anything in response to her statement. He knew she didn’t want to talk about it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw other couples joining them on the dance floor. She didn’t hear anyone laughing, so she must not have been doing too badly. Dorian smiled again.
“Would you be angry if I told you again how beautiful you look?”
“Well, I wouldn’t be angry, but maybe a little embarrassed,” Phoebe replied.
Dorian’s grin grew. “If that’s all…you look beautiful.”
Her face flushed again, as she knew it would. “Thank you.”
Dorian’s appraising eyes were becoming a little unnerving. Did she really look that different? The song faded off into its end, and they stopped dancing. Phoebe stomach growled.
Dorian’s eyebrow rose. “Did you eat dinner?”
She smiled sheepishly. “No, I was too nervous.”
He squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you go sit down, then, and I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Actually,” Hector’s deep voice cut in. “If you don’t mind, I wouldn’t mind dancing with her until you get back. That is, if you don’t mind?” He directed his last statement at Phoebe.
She shrugged. She was a little hungry, but she wasn’t about to pass out or anything. “That’s fine with me.”
Dorian gave Hector a curious look before he said, “If she doesn’t mind, then its fine with me.” He squeezed Phoebe’s hand lightly. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, love. Could you two please try not to kill each other before I get back?”
Phoebe laughed. She and Hector liked competition, and they were the best match for one another because of their talents, not to mention the endless teasing and insults they used to fuel the fire. Dorian disappeared into the crowd of people, and before Hector was able to pull Phoebe back onto the dance floor, Ethan and Lucy popped up beside them.
“Looks like you were all stressed out for nothing,” Lucy commented.
“Yes, I don’t think anyone wants to follow up that dance,” Ethan added.
Phoebe’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Evan came out of nowhere and slung his arm over her shoulders. He had gotten over his resentment of her beating him all the time when she let him borrow Hector’s talent from time to time. “That was the best dancing I think I’ve ever seen.”
Phoebe rolled her eye
s. “Have you ever actually watched anyone dance before?”
“Well, no, but it was pretty good,” he said.
Cynthia pushed her way through the crowd, closely followed by Jared. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Phoebe knew Cynthia had been waiting for her “I told you so” moment. She had earned it. “I guess not,” Phoebe admitted grudgingly.
“I told you!” Cynthia exclaimed happily.
“Did you two come together?” Phoebe asked Jared and Cynthia.
“Just as friends,” Jared said casually, and Cynthia nodded.
Phoebe turned to Evan, who was still standing, unconcerned, with his arm over her shoulders. “So, who did you come with, then?”
He shrugged. “No one. I was planning on sharing with Dorian and Hector.”
“Oh, really. Did you plan on asking the person to be shared?”
His face contorted in concentration. “Not really. I was hoping she would be willing to help me sort out the worthy from the unworthy.”
Sometimes Evan said things that made absolutely no sense to anyone but him. “What?”
He looked at her like she was some common simpleton. “You know, if I dance with you, then I get to see who’s jealous; those would be the unworthy. Then, the girls who act like they don’t care would be the worthy.”
“Why would the girls who don’t care be the worthy ones?”
“Because they won’t be the annoying ones in the long run,” Evan concluded.
Phoebe burst out laughing, and Evan scowled. “That…sounds…logical,” she choked out.
Jared was staring at his brother in disbelief. He looked like he couldn’t quite believe that he was related to someone that insane.
“It does sort of make sense…in a weird, twisted way. He just didn’t say it right,” Hector said.
Phoebe turned to stare at Hector. He was very seriously considering what Evan had said. Ethan nodded in agreement. Lucy looked completely bewildered for a minute before her face lit up and she, too, nodded in agreement.
