The departure of the Absolute Zero from the center of the floor did not end the spectacle. Isadora was still very much present, dragging a mortified Isaac toward a long table filled with appetizers. She was currently picking up small pastries and trying to feed them to him while he looked around desperately for an exit. The crushing frost was gone, but the social weight of her presence remained, forcing the rest of the nobility to keep a respectful distance while they pretended to enjoy the music.
Vane stood near a marble column, watching them.
'She really just wants him to eat,' Vane thought. He looked at the way Isadora smoothed Isaac's hair. It was a simple, repetitive gesture of care. It reminded him of the way Helena used to sit by his bed when he was sick, even when they had nothing but muddy water to drink. He had assumed that high-born families were all cold statues, but Isadora was proving him wrong.
He turned his head and caught sight of Isole.
