Calliope clapped for Oliver wildly, her excitement unrestrained. "Wow! That was amazing!" she cheered. "Old man, who knew you were this flexible! Seriously, you're incredible! You could give the lead dancers on Broadway a run for their money! If we put this video online, you'd go viral for sure!"
Calliope's effusive praise rained down on a mortified Oliver, whose face turned a sickly green. "Don't you dare!" he barked.
Calliope feigned confusion. "You want me to post it now? Okay! I'll do it right away!"
Oliver spluttered in disbelief, shooting a desperate look at Silas, who remained stoic, offering no sympathy. Norton, a short distance away, couldn't suppress his laughter. The scene was utterly ridiculous, especially knowing Calliope's hand was in it. His amusement grew; this was typical Calliope, never one to back down. Uriah grinned, certain Calliope had orchestrated the whole thing. Oliver, who usually acted like he ruled the world, clearly hadn't seen this coming. Who knew Calliope could humble him so effectively?
It felt like Oliver had been dancing forever before he finally slowed, wobbling with exhaustion. Then, with a dramatic flop, he did a full split on the hardwood floor, wincing in pain. As the involuntary dancing subsided, he yelled, "What the hell did you do to me, witch? Did you cast a spell on me?!"
"That's right, I did," Calliope replied, deadpan. "And unless you eat a piece of chocolate bunny poop, you'll be dancing like this every day at the same time!"
"What did you just say?!" Oliver looked like he might faint. He stared at Silas, desperately seeking confirmation. Was she serious? But Silas simply took Calliope's hand and led her inside, ignoring Oliver's pleas.
"Get me back to my room!" Oliver shouted at the security guards, who, having also been unwittingly forced to dance and accidentally stepped on Oliver's feet multiple times, finally regained their composure. Dizzy and disheveled, they half-carried, half-dragged Oliver to his room.
"What did she say just now?" Uriah mused, still grinning.
"Callie? She said Oliver has to eat some chocolate bunny poop," Mavis answered, a knowing look directed at Uriah, remembering his pet rabbits.
"The rabbits? I gave them to Silas. I think he passed them along to someone else," Uriah replied thoughtfully. "Does he really have to eat… that?"
"She's totally messing with him," Mavis said with a smirk. She knew Calliope well; she was merely toying with Oliver.
Inside the room, Calliope glanced at Silas. "You're not mad at me, are you?"
"Why would I be mad?" Silas replied, as if it were obvious. "You were standing up for me. Couldn't be happier. Honestly, you're the best person in my life, other than Eamon, of course." He pulled her into a hug, burying his face in her neck. She smelled faintly of vanilla and milk—his favorite. No matter how upset he was, holding her always calmed him. Oliver always reminded him of his mother, which was never easy.
"But I'm your wife. It's my job to have your back," Calliope said softly, ruffling his hair. "Don't be sad. What I used on Oliver was just a mild neurotoxin," she whispered conspiratorially. "It made him lose control of his body for a bit, but it's nothing serious. And the whole 'bunny poop' thing? Total bluff. After everything he did to you and your mom, he had it coming. I just wanted a little payback!"