Ginn Hale - Lord of the White Hell book Two

"No idea," Kiram responded. "I always flee before they can inform me."

Javier smiled at this, looking far more at ease than he had earlier.

"What kind of dance is this?" Javier asked.

"It's called the red hands dance" Kiram said. "You just join one of the lines and clap the hands of the person across from you and then cross to the other side but two places down the line."

Javier frowned.

"Come on, it's fun and easy to pick up," Kiram assured him. "It's certainly nothing as tricky as ice skating."

Javier joined the dancers in the left line. Kiram joined those on the right. The girl next to Javier blinked nervously at him but the speed of the dance didn't allow for gaping. Javier picked up the simple steps easily. As the tempo of the dance increased, so did missed claps, collisions and embarrassed laughter. In the midst of the giddy chaos, Javier's mistakes were hardly notable.

Each time they passed, Kiram could see him relaxing into the movements more and more. His straight, squared stance gave way to loose strides and easy grace. His smile took on that familiar edge of arrogance and of course he began to show off. He added quick flourishes to the line crosses and bowed to the little girls who clapped his hands.

"How long does this go on?" Javier asked as he and Kiram rushed together to clap hands.

"One more pass at double time," Kiram replied. Then they both ran to their new partners, clapped hands and dashed off again. By the end of the dance Kiram's palms were hot and tingling. Javier's pale hands blazed red from all the slapping. He held them up and grinned at Kiram.

"Red hands dance," Javier said.

Kiram led him to the heavily laden banquet table where Javier sampled a few dishes cautiously and accepted a cup of warm mulled wine with a relieved expression. Kiram wanted to ask him what he thought of the vivid red pepper eggs but he didn't get the opportunity. Almost at once they were surrounded by Haldiim men and women, who all desired to be introduced to Javier and to engage him in discourse of some kind. Kiram made the introductions, perhaps a little more curtly than he should have, and Javier pretended to grasp almost nothing of the Haldiim tongue.

Soon several mothers realized that Kiram could serve as the ideal translator. So over and over, Kiram explained that Javier would be staying in Anacleto to attend Nestor Grunito's wedding and that he had never been to the Haldiim section of the city before, but that he found it charming so far. No, Javier didn't have any trade partners in the Haldiim district. Yes, he found Haldiim clothing comfortable. No, he hadn't been to the cloth market yet. Yes, he loved Kir-Zaki candies.

Kiram shot a pleading look to his sister Dauhd but she just raised her hands in a helpless shrug. Next to her Siamak stood, looking amused. But Majdi appeared troubled as he studied Javier, clearly understanding that this must be the Cadeleonian he had taken up with.

After a few niceties the majority of people moved on. They wanted to meet Javier but had no idea of how to engage him in a conversation of any depth. For his part Javier smiled but kept his responses short and polite. Soon only Hashiem remained.

After Kiram made the introduction, Javier studied Hashiem briefly and then gave him a hard smile.

"You sent the candied fruit," Javier said and Kiram translated his response, since Hashiem didn't speak any Cadeleonian.

"Early in the winter, yes." Hashiem looked just a little nervous. Kiram wondered if he was thinking of the poem he had included with the gift.

"It was a little too sweet for someone like Kiram, but then you probably don't know his tastes quite as intimately as I do," Javier commented and Kiram almost choked on his mulled wine.

"Kiram was kind, enough to share a little with me and it was delicious. Thank you so much for sending it," Kiram offered as a translation. Javier stepped on his foot. But Hashiem smiled broadly and clapped Javier on the shoulder.

"Kiram and I were discussing Cadeleonian pair dancing just before you arrived." Hashiem stepped a little closer to Kiram and touched his hand. "Now that you're here we really ought to perform one."

"Hashiem wants us to have a Cadeleonian dance in your honor," Kiram translated.

"That's not exactly what he said, is it?" Javier raised a dark brow. "He said your name."

"He'd love to," Kiram told Hashiem and Javier stepped on his foot a second time.

While Hashiem went to the musicians to arrange the music, word spread through the room that they would be having a Cadeleonian pair dance in honor of the Lord Tornesal. Javier moved close to Kiram with an annoyed expression.

"Who the hell am I supposed to dance with?" Javier whispered.

"Well, I'm standing right here," Kiram pointed out. Javier looked shocked and shook his head.

"That girl there." Javier indicated Dauhd. "She's a relation of yours?"

"My sister," Kiram said. "Dauhd."

"She resembles you a little." Javier studied her for a moment longer and Kiram felt a sudden flare of jealousy, seeing the way Javier's expression softened. "I'll ask her to dance," Javier decided and then he strode across the room to do just that, leaving Kiram holding both their drinks.

When Hashiem returned, Kiram drained both his and Javier's mulled wine and then set the cups aside.

"Thank you for arranging the dance" Kiram smiled flirtatiously, hoping that Javier would notice. If he did, he gave no sign of it. Out of the corner of his eye Kiram watched Javier lift Dauhd's hand and politely kiss her fingers.

"It was no trouble at all." Hashiem's words brought Kiram's attention back to his own dance partner. "To be honest," Hashiem's voice dropped and he stepped even closer to Kiram. "I had the ulterior motive of claiming you for myself on the dance floor."

Kiram had to stop himself from laughing at the husky confession. Did Hashiem really think he hadn't known that?

"I'd be glad to dance with you." Kiram took Hashiem's hand. "Though I should warn you that I really haven't ever participated in a Cadeleonian dance before. I'm going to be pretty bad out on the floor."

"Don't worry." Hashiem squeezed his fingers. "Just follow my lead and you'll be fine. You're far too handsome a young man to fault for a few missteps."

Kiram found the assurance a little annoying, since he would have preferred a few instructions. But he still followed Hashiem onto the dance floor. His mother gave him an encouraging smile and Siamak nodded at him as if he'd made a very good choice. Javier and Dauhd partnered only a few feet away. The mulled wine rolled in Kiram's stomach, reminding him suddenly of the night he'd gone to the Goldenrod.

Other couples quickly filled the space. Some were pairs of men and women, a few of women and women, but most were eligible young men making the most of each other's company and Kiram's party. Kiram saw the confusion in Javier's face as he took in the pairs of men all around him.

Then the woman leading the musicians announced that they would play the quaressa and music filled the air. Kiram concentrated on the footwork that Fedeles had shown him. Left foot out, back, and then a little kick. He was a taken off guard as Hashiem slid his arm around his back and pulled him so close that their faces almost touched.

"There is no need to look so startled, Kiram," Hashiem whispered in Kiram's ear. His breath was hot. "I know that you haven't had many suitors but I will be gentle with you."

Kiram would have rolled his eyes, but the combination of Hashiem's foot crushing his toes and the sight of Javier lifting Dauhd to his chest rendered him watery-eyed with pain and flushed with anger. Hashiem seemed to take this as a sign of desire or consent. He pressed against Kiram and sighed contentedly against his neck.