“Oh, yes,” Garrick chimed in. “Arielle bakes the most brownies.”
“She knows,” Arielle said with a laugh—then caught herself, the laugh fading into a nervous little breath. “I mean… sheknew. I forgot.” Her smile wobbled. “You don’t remember.”
“It’s fine,” I said, because that was what I had to say.
“We’ll get Sirril to help,” Arielle added quickly, trying to make it sound effortless. “And we can have a feast.”
Although I wanted to say no, I nodded. What harm could it do?
“I’d like that,” I lied.
“Then it’s settled.” Garrick grinned. “We’ll bake and take it from there.”
Right on cue, Sirril swept into the room with several steaming mugs of chocolate brew. The scent hit first, rich and sweet, warm enough to soften even the sharpest edges, and with it came an easy shift in the conversation. Garrick started talking about the events he’d been reading about in his little periodical, and soon, the table filled with voices and laughter that almost sounded normal.
Almost.
While they talked, I bided my time.
We ate. Breakfast ended, plates were cleared, and I waited for the right moment to make my exit.
It came when the staff drifted in to collect the last of the dishes.
“I’ll see you later,” I said, rising smoothly. “I’ll be outside.”
“Sure,” Arielle replied. “Don’t go too far, okay?”
“Just the side gardens,” I promised.
“That’s fine. I’ll come check on you in a little while,” Garrick said, satisfied.
I dipped my head and glanced at them both, already knowing what they didn’t.
And I didn’t feel bad about it.
Calmly, I grabbed a muffin and made my way out, acting as normal as I could manage.
The moment I crossed the threshold, I forced my breath to stay slow and steady, knowing they were watching me.
Tension coiled tightly in my stomach. It didn’t loosen until I stepped into the open air.
The morning breeze slid over my skin, cool and deceptively gentle. By the time I reached the garden, the stiffness in my shoulders had eased, just enough to pass for calm.
I wasn’t far from the stretch of beach where Wolfe had kissed me last night. I set my satchel down and let my gaze drift to the dark line of trees, to the place that had witnessed my weakness. My mind could deny him all it wanted, but my body… my body would remember that kiss even when my memories reset.
The thought should have shaken me. It didn’t.
Wolfe terrified me and fascinated me in equal measure. Neither of those feelings were good. And neither mattered now.
I lowered myself onto a clean patch of grass beside my satchel, crossed my legs, and pulled out my books. I opened one and pretended to read—an innocent little picture for any eyes that might be on me.
A girl practicing. A girl behaving. A girl exactly where she was supposed to be.
Without letting myself overthink or doubt, I decided to take the plunge and cast the first spell. On the shackle.
I held out my wrist, focused on it, and spoke the incantation: “Kythara vel'neth, thaelon mi'dar. Seren'dor kalanis, veridian talar. Al sumas nadai.”
I'd modified the original spell to target the magic keeping me bound to Wolfe.
