Page 58 of Sands of Atonement

I still hadn’t decided whether I wanted my brother to know I was here, and that alone made me sick. I wanted him to know I was alive. I wanted to hold him and to cry and finally grieve properly.

For the greater part of the day, I practiced in Ezra’s private arena. I was surprised he allowed me to use it. I never would have expected that. He had to have known that I lied and that I would not be practicing dancing. No, but that wasn’t right. He wouldn’t have allowed a woman to train if he could help it. But I wasn’t sure, and that annoyed me even more. I could never get a good read on him.

The rest of the day, I bathed and readied myself for the dance I would be performing for the royal family. I wondered if Priestels would be there and if Norrah would be joining. As I entered the back of the main hall, it was surrounded by Priestels in preparation, and I searched everywhere for Norrah. I finally saw her, but she seemed quieter and smaller than usual.

I tilted my head. “Has Elissa been giving you a hard time about timed sequences?”

Norrah whipped her head toward me, and her face lit up. “Mara!” She grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in. The sentiment took me by surprise. “Where have you been? I’ve been so worried about you. Sorrella didn’t know what had happened to you after our last performance! You just disappeared.”

“All is well. I’d rather not lie to you, so let’s just say I’m part of Prince Casimir’s harem.”

Norrah flushed and smiled. “My God, well, that’s still an honor even if it’s partly true.”

My heart warmed when Norrah didn’t judge or question my true reasoning. I realized I missed her even though I’d hardly known her that long. She seemed to be the type of woman who could keep a secret, but I wasn’t there yet.

“How are you?” I gently pulled her to the back, away from the frenzy of women.

Her brows creased, and she remained quiet for a moment.

“I’ve been better. My past is finally catching up to me, and I’m not sure what to do.” Her eyes glimmered in the dark, candlelit hallway. “No matter how far I go, it’s never far enough.”

My heart nearly broke in half seeing a tear fall from her face. “Norrah,” I whispered and pulled her closer to me. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

She shook her head.

“A part of me knew he’d always find me.”

I wanted to ask who and say that I would kill just about anyone for Norrah, but Sorrella’s voice bounced off the hallway. “Ladies, let us begin!”

“Will you come find me after?” Norrah held my hands.

I smiled and nodded.

The dance was spectacular, and Norrah never looked more majestic than she did tonight, swirling in and around the marbled floors. I could barely recognize the twins’ father and how thickly wrapped he was in clothing, but his wife sat near him. Ezra stood nearby, and Casimir sat at the bottom of the dais with his legs spread provocatively, staring at one of the blushing Priestels. Before I was ready, the music slowed, and the Priestels left the floor one by one, and I was pushed to enter my sequence.

The flutes began to pick up, and the drums echoed on the walls of the main hall. I wore red pants and a red fitted top with gold threads and beads at the bottom, hanging from the fabric. I wore no other jewelry around my waist or arms.

My right hip rose high and dipped low, and I swung my arms above my head. Like a snake, my arms moved around me, and my hips were like waves in the ocean, beckoning and releasing. The drums sped, and so did my hips. With each deep-sounding beat of the drum, my hips dipped, and the applause from the crowd began, especially from a tall man sitting close to the dais near Casimir. He had short, thick hair and a trimmed beard and looked beautiful and dangerous. He gave me a smile, and I might have smiled back, accompanied by a quick fluttering in my stomach.

I decided to give Casimir extra time, displaying to the world I was in his harem, swaying my hips low and high. The more I did this, the greater Casimir flushed. The man near him was completely infatuated. I liked his obvious admiration. Suddenly, the air seemed to change into a static and cold calm. The handsome man was no longer smiling, and Casimir was looking away from me. My eyes caught Ezra’s on the other side of the dais, and my lips curved even higher.

Ezra was irritated. I smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. It was one of my favorite pastimes these days.

My dance continued with the flute, and their mother seemed pleased by the time it was finished. I peeked once more at Ezra, who had his hand behind the handsome man’s neck and a finger in his face. Ezra’s face might explode if he didn’t calm himself. The man looked as if his bowels had loosened. I wondered if Ezra was warning him to stay away from me, knowing that I was dangerous.

But I wouldn’t hurt a pretty face.

Well, maybe.

The music changed to a man in a loose linen blouse singing for the crowd, and I snuck to the back to find Norrah waiting for me.

“Will you stay with me?” I asked.

“I would love to, but what do you think will happen when Sorrella finds out? I have a feeling it won’t be pretty. I can’t afford her throwing me out.” Norrah’s eyes dimmed.

I could tell she needed a break from the girls.

“She’ll be angry, of course, but that’s when you ask for forgiveness and swear up and down you’ll never ever do it again.”