He didn’t look like he agreed with that, either, but he reluctantly released my wrist.
Walking to the door, I opened it without hesitation, maybe to reassure myself as much as Alaric.
No one was there.
Even so, I stiffened. I stood there, frozen, like an animal catching a scent.
Or trying to catch one, maybe.
For the barest second, I swore I felt something, a bare whisper of presence. It was so scarce, so faint, I couldn’t convince myself I wasn’t imagining it. Despite how lightly it touched my magic, it had my heart thumping in my chest, my eyes wide.
I stood there, my breath short, listening with everything in me, straining for it.
I stayed even after his presence faded, leaving nothing but an exhale of air.
4
Carriage
Present Day
September 11th
Bridge Street and York Road, London
Ibarely looked around as I pushed my way into the carriage.
It was full to bursting, even more than it had been the year before, or on the ride back to London in July. I could barely see past the row of shoulders, backs, arms, cloaks and coats that greeted my eyes. Unlike last year, I at least knew where I was going, which helped me focus more on protecting the black cat I had harnessed inside my satchel, and less on having to look around to orient myself inside the vehicle.
I knew where to go this time, too.
Luc, Draken, and Miranda were saving me a seat on the upper level. My stop, meaning the one nearest to the Dragon’s Keep, was one of the last on the route to Bonescastle. I would be the last of our immediate friend group to arrive.
I squeezed through an opening between two witches, my satchel and Wraith held out in front of me and protected by my arm. Both witches laughed as a furry creature with wings, its tailwhipping back and forth, landed unsteadily on the shoulder of the shorter, darker-haired witch. I slid around a group of five mages next. They stood talking at the base of the stairs, all of them bent over a newspaper that showed images of the latest Skyhunt match.
Adjusting my satchel so that it rested a little more on my hip once I no longer had any immediate obstacles to worry about, I caught hold of the iron railing with its dragon head design to yank myself up the circular staircase. The end of the railing writhed under my fingers and palm, the dragon’s mouth opening to expel a jet of green fire. It didn’t hurt, or even startle me much, since I’d seen the effect during my last two carriage rides.
I began climbing, and the serpent-like body twisted under my hand, following me up and around in a slow circle to the top floor. The scales provided just enough roughness for me to keep my grip when the carriage lurched into motion, jerking me sideways.
I reached the top floor, seconds later, and looked around.
It was a lot quieter up there.
I’d only glimpsed half the seats when I met Draken’s gaze, and saw his eyes light up at the sight of me. He grinned a bare instant later, then nudged Miranda, who looked up, saw me, and promptly howled my name at the absolute top of her lungs.
“LEDA LEDA LEDA!” she shrieked. “LEEEEEDA!”
I couldn’t help it and burst into a laugh.
“Maniac,” I called back fondly. “Maybe everyone else up here would like use of their eardrums when the term starts…?”
I trailed when I felt eyes shift in my direction, and the hairs on the back of my neck promptly stand on end. I turned before it occurred to me maybe I shouldn’t, glancing at the one section of stuffed, high-backed, carriage seats that I hadn’t yet looked at.
Gold irises met mine, the instant I did.
I felt the immediacy and nearness of him like a punch to the chest, even before my mind put a name to his pale, inhumanly perfect face with its long jaw and high cheekbones. He sat there, lounged really, against the wall of cushions, a pair of feminine legs hung over one of his muscular thighs. Red, sheer stockings adorned the extra pair of legs, along with matching high heels. One of his ring-covered hands rested casually on the witch’s knee.
He stared at me with absolutely no expression on his face. The utter blankness there might’ve been what kept me staring back at him longer than I would have.
