“Let’s form a circle,” I instruct the couples, taking charge. “Face your partner. Can we get an upbeat tune? Something happy?”

The flutist plays a few cheerful notes, and I’m satisfied. With Keryth, I show everyone the moves. Touching my right elbow to his left, I turn in a half circle before switching arms and going in the opposite direction. There’s some tricky footwork, but it doesn’t take long to learn.

Soon, we’re dancing as a unit, shifting one place clockwise every time we’ve completed the steps. We repeat that until we end up in the same spot we started in.

When it’s done, I clap, and so does everyone else. “That’s it. Who else wants to try?”

Many others are eager to join in, and I decide to let them have the dance floor. Keryth and I walk back to our seats, and he sends me a wink of approval.

At least people are smiling at me now. I feel like I’m one step closer to winning over the hearts of my people.

As we sit, Silas leans toward Keryth and whispers, “You still haven’t filled me in on what went down. I need to know.”

“My sweet.” Keryth draws me near to place a kiss on my temple. “I hate to leave your side so soon, but he’s right. We need to talk privately about what happened. I’ll leave you in the company of Tehya.”

Moving to stand next to me, Tehya smiles warmly at me as the men leave. They disappear through a door under the staircase, and I have no idea where it leads. Probably somewhere no one will overhear their conversation.

“I guess we’re sisters now,” I say, feeling a stab of homesickness when I think of Zephina.

“Yes, we are,” Tehya agrees. “I’ve never had a sister. I’m an only child.”

Not a bad start. I’ve always considered myself a decent conversationalist, so I decide to go for the topic she’s probably most interested in. “So, how did you and Silas meet?”

“Coincidence, really.” She shrugs. “He was visiting the Dream Realm—that’s where I’m from—when he saw me walking along the road. I was just a commoner. A peasant girl. But our eyes met, and the rest is history.”

“That’s all it takes.” I smile, remembering my own moment of love at first sight.

“Have you ever had honeysuckle wine?” Tehya asks as an attendant walks by with a tray of champagne glasses.

I brighten, because I love the stuff. “Yes, many times.”

“You must try the latest batch.” She raises two fingers at the man, and before I know it, we both have glasses of something that’s supposed to be forbidden here.

“How did you get the ingredients for this?” Honeysuckle only grows in Dawn and Dusk territory, and it belongs to the Day Realm.