Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (z-lib.org).mobi

Masked musicians strolled the paths. A man with a monkey on his shoulder
ambled past, and two men covered from head to toe in gold leaf rode by on
zebras, throwing jewelled flowers to everyone they passed. Costumed choirs
sang in the trees. A trio of redheaded dancers splashed around in the doubleeagle
fountain, wearing little more than seashells and coral and holding up
platters full of oysters to guests.
We had just started to climb the marble steps when a servant appeared with a
message for Genya. She read the note and sighed.
“The Queen’s headache has miraculously disappeared, and she has decided to
attend the ball after all.” She gave me a hug, promised to find me before the
demonstration, and then slipped away.
Spring had barely begun to show itself, but it was impossible to tell that in the
Grand Palace. Music floated down the marble hallways. The air felt curiously
warm and was perfumed with the scent of thousands of white flowers, grown in
Grisha hothouses. They covered tables and trailed down balustrades in thick
clusters.
Marie, Nadia and I drifted through groups of nobles, who pretended to ignore
us but whispered as we passed by with our Corporalki guard. I held my head
high and even smiled at one of the young noblemen standing by the entrance to
the ballroom. I was surprised to see him blush and look down at his shoes. I
glanced at Marie and Nadia to see if they had noticed, but they were gabbling
about some of the dishes served to the nobles at dinner – roasted lynx, salted
peaches, burnt swan with saffron. I was glad that we’d eaten earlier.
The ballroom was larger and grander than even the throne room had been, lit
by row after row of sparkling chandeliers, and full of masses of people drinking
and dancing to the sounds of a masked orchestra seated along the far wall. The
gowns, the jewels, the crystals dripping from the chandeliers, even the floor
beneath our feet seemed to sparkle, and I wondered how much of it was
Fabrikator craft.
The Grisha themselves mingled and danced, but they were easy to pick out in
their bold colours: purple, red, and midnight blue, glowing beneath the
chandeliers like exotic flowers that had sprung up in some pale garden.
The next hour passed in a blur. I was introduced to countless noblemen and
their wives, high-ranking military officers, courtiers, and even some Grisha from
noble households who had come as guests to the ball. I quickly gave up trying to
remember names and simply smiled and nodded and bowed. And tried to keep
myself from scanning the crowd for the Darkling’s black-clad form. I also had
my first taste of champagne, which I found I liked much better than kvas.
At one point, I discovered myself face-to-face with a tired-looking nobleman