The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game, #1)

by Evelyn Skye

“What are you doing?” she asked, but her voice was steady, her eyes large and curious rather than afraid. Nikolai untied a peacock feather from one of the garlands and gave it to Renata. “Hold this.” She clutched it to her chest, and he pointed his fingertips at it, then lifted his right hand up and pressed his left, down, as if stretching the feather to Renata’s full length. “If you are going to be here at the ball, you might as well enjoy it,” he said. Renata looked down. “Oh, Nikolai!” Her plain tunic had metamorphosed into a green lace bodice and a skirt composed entirely of peacock feathers. Her shoes were patterned to match. “And of course you’ll need gloves and a mask.” He clasped his hands, and when they opened, white gloves and a mask of green, gold, and blue glitter appeared. She picked them up as if they would vanish if she handled them too roughly. She slipped on the gloves, and Nikolai helped her fit the mask on her face. He bowed and offered her his arm. “May I have the honor of dancing with you?” “I—I don’t know how.” “I will show you.” The shroud covering them faded away, and the harlequin led the peacock to the center of the ballroom, where the floor manager was filling the next set of dancers for a waltz. They took their places, and Nikolai rested Renata’s left hand on his right shoulder and wrapped his arm around her. With his other hand, he clasped hers and pulled her close. She held her breath. “The beat is one-two-three,” he said quietly. “But don’t w...