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It wasn't long before Delilah found herself standing at the side of the ballroom with Christopher and Thomas. After dragging Thomas to the centre of the ballroom to dance, Delilah soon regretted that decision as Thomas, no matter how lovely he was, continuously stepped on her feet. He was worse than Christopher in that regard.
The three Lightwood's stood in a small group, chatting amicably between them before Thomas's attention drifted off. Delilah's speech slowly faded out once she noticed Thomas's face and the concerned expression that was creeping onto it. Delilah turned– as did Christopher– to follow Thomas's sightline and found James in Matthew in what appeared to be a serious conversation.
James made eye contact with Delilah from across the room and she stepped forward a little. Just from the look on James's face, she could tell that something was wrong. Before Delilah, Christopher or Thomas could approach James and Matthew however, a yell echoed throughout the room.
"For pity's sake!" someone called. "Someone help her!"
Delilah's attention was diverted to where a group was forming around a collapsed Shadowhunter. From between the gaps of people, Delilah saw a flash of a familiar dress sprawled out on the ballroom floor. It was Barbra Lightwood.
"We were dancing," Oliver Hayward, Barbra's suitor, began, "and she just collapsed."
The crowd of people now consisted of nearly everyone in the ballroom. Thomas pushed his way through the crowd to his sister, Delilah and Christopher following behind him.
"She needs air," Cordelia said. "Her corset is probably tormenting her. Has anyone a knife?"
Anna pushed through the crowd before kneeling down with Cordelia. "I have a dagger. What needs to be done?"
"We need to cut her corset off," Cordelia explained. "She has had a shock, and she needs to breathe."
Delilah felt a presence to her left. The person's scent– expensive cologne mixed with alcohol– gave her all the information she needed about them. Unintentionally, she leant into the person, seeking comfort as she watched her cousin on the floor fighting for breath.
"You might leave that to me," said Anna. She manoeuvred Barbra out of Oliver's lap so she had access to the back of her dress, running the dagger through the fabric delicately. It sagged free from Barbra's body. "Ari–your wrapper–"
Ariadne drew her silk wrapper from her shoulders and handed it to Anna who wrapped Barbra in it, shielding her from the partygoers. Barbra's breath evened out.
"What on earth?" Sophie Lightwood said while she walked through the crowd, Gideon Lightwood following behind her. "Barbra! Did she fall?"
"She just collapsed," said Oliver. "We were dancing, and she fainted–"
