The Dark Glory War Read Online Free PDF

ladies with a turn about the floor?”
    Knowing Leigh the way I did, the hint of cruelty in his question wasn’t lost on me. While there wasn’t a girl present who wouldn’t be overjoyed to be seen on Leigh’s arm—or Rounce’s, for that matter—most of the girls were from a class that would scarcely spare Nay a look. Even those girls who had learned the skills necessary for a trade would be interested in marrying, and none of them at this age had anything but dreams of bettering herself through matrimony. While all would have said they would marry for love, a title or money or lands makes a suitor very lovable indeed.
    Nay looked over at the blizzard of dancers swirling in time to the music. “Don’t know this step.”
    His voice carried no surrender with it, and Leigh picked up on that immediately. “Name a step, then, and I’ll call the tune.”
    r“Don’t know as how it has a name.” Nay folded heavily muscled arms over his chest. “We dance it to the song ‘Firetoes.’”
    Rounce hummed a moment or two, then nodded. “Firelight Dash is the step, Leigh.”
    “Firelight Dash it shall be, then. Gentlemen …” Leigh waved us in his wake. I let Nay slip in after Rounce and before me, which earned me a frown from Leigh. “I meant you to come as well, Hawkins.”
    “I gathered, my lord.”
    Nay glanced back over his shoulder at me. “Which is it you’re called?”
    “Tarrant when he’s being nice, Hawkins all other times.”
    “Must hear Hawkins a lot, then.”
    “Easier to rhyme than Tarrant.”
    “I heard that.” Leigh turned quickly and stuck his tongue out at me. “Along came Nay and Tarrant, the fearful giant and the ant …” Spinning around again he darted up the stairs and spoke to the chamberlain, who then spoke to the lead musician. Leigh all but skipped back down the steps.
    “It is set.” He smiled and waved a hand at a line of young women. “Gentlemen, choose your weapons.”
    Leigh and Rounce immediately plunged into a cloud of giggling girls. Nay looked back to our left, toward a small knot of girls who were dressed as he was, but I caught his arm. He looked down with his face twisted in puzzlement, but I gave him a reassuring smile. “I have an idea, if you’re game.”
    Nay grunted and nodded.
    I led him over to a pair of twins, May and Maud Lamburn. The flaxen-haired beauties had bright blue eyes peeking out from beneath their moon masks. Though small enough that I dwarfed them, and close as twins always are, they were also known for a keen sense of competition. If I asked one to dance, the other couldn’t stand to be left alone, so she would accept the next invitation offered.
    And, on top of that, both of them danced very well.
    “May, I would request the pleasure of this dance.”
    May took my hand with a smile and a nod. “I am honored.”
    I smiled at her sister. “Maud, this is my friend, Naysmith Carver.”
    “If your ladyship would permit …” Nay offered her his hand and she took it.
    We escorted our partners onto the floor and took up positions behind Rounce and Leigh. Rounce had asked Lindsey Cotter to dance with him, but that was no surprise. He’d been sweet on her for the better part of a year. Leigh, on the other hand, had asked Nolda Disper to join him, though for size she would have been a better match with Nay. Still, with her long hair so blonde it was almost white, and her skin a gentle damask, she and Leigh seemed of a type. Her pale blue eyes proved a few shades lighter than his, and the hard nature of her stare would have chilled me to the bone.
    Our partners knew the moment the first violinist put bow to string that the four couples were in a competition. The Firelight Dash is one of those festive, long-stride galloping type dances, with quick turns and laughter and gay abandon. The full-skirted gowns the girls wore that night were not well suited to it, but there Nay and I had an advantage. As we spun across the floor, whisking our partners around this way and that, we could lift the Lamburn sisters