As usual, his instincts had been correct.
He just hoped that the sleeping enchantment he placed on her would last long enough for him and Cosette to escape.
If only he knew where Miss du Bouir had gone.
He felt a frustrated growl rise up in his chest, as he pierced the occupants in the room, but . . . nothing. Cosette was nowhere to be found.
That’s when he felt it. A surge of magic so powerful that it caused the beast to shy away from it. Strangely enough, it seemed almost . . . familiar.
And that’s when it all clicked into place.
The locket.
The one time he’d been close enough to touch it, the night he’d brought her to Shadowlawn, it had nearly singed him. He realized now that the single adornment from her childhood was much more than that. He had to find where it was leading her.
Davien focused all his energy and concentration to identify that single source.
It was coming from outside.
Not a single person stood in his way as he headed for the door. He burst out into the night—to come upon emptiness. He clenched his jaw and waited for another spark to flare, but this time, it was too light to follow. He gave a curse, and then ran into the alley. He transformed into the wolf, knowing the beast’s keen sense of smell was his only hope in locating her. He just prayed he wasn’t too late.
Instantly, his nostrils flared and tingled. With a howl, he bounded out of the alley and took chase after this phantom.
Over cobblestones, through countless twists and turns, he wondered how Cosette had managed to cover so much ground when he’d only been away from her a few minutes. Either way, he now knew it had been a mistake to take her with him tonight. He should have broken her heart, her growing thread of trust in him, and firmly refused, no matter how much it might hurt if she turned away from him.
Now he might have lost her for good.
If he couldn’t hold Cosette in his arms again, if he couldn’t talk to her, look at her—the thought was unbearable. His heart felt crushed, as if it might actually bleed to death from the pain.
Davien searched all night. Mile after mile he circled the city until the sun started to break out over the horizon, the smoke from the countless chimneys causing a distinct haze to close in around him. At night, the fog was asleep, dormant, but with the dawn it was suffocating—just like his fear. Each time he felt as though he was growing close to the source of the locket’s power, it switched and moved in another direction, almost as if it was taunting him.
He knew that he couldn’t remain as the wolf for much longer, for the sun’s rays were already causing his powers to fade. He was exhausted, but he vowed that he would cross the expanse of London one last time.
Only he didn’t make it that far.
The siren’s call that he’d been chasing all night finally came to a halt.
He summoned Quinn who appeared moments later with the coach. Davien dissolved back into his human form and tapped an anxious finger on his thigh as he returned home to Shadowlawn. He bounded up the stairs, two at a time. He didn’t stop until he shoved open his bedchamber door.
There, lying still and easy upon his bed, still dressed in her gray, serviceable gown, was Cosette.
~ ~ ~
Cosette stretched, giving a yawn that caused her jaw to crack as her eyes fluttered open. She hadn’t slept so soundly in months. Years.
With a pleasant smile on her face, she turned her head—to find Blackburn’s thunderous expression firmly fixated on her. He was seated in a chair not far from the bed; legs sprawled out, his arms folded across his midsection, his dark hair in disarray, as if he’d ran his hands through it countless times.
Instantly, her contentment vanished, followed by a dread that found its way to the pit of her stomach. She sat up and clutched the counterpane on either side of her. “What’s wrong?”
He answered her question with one of his own. “Where were you last night?”
Cosette swallowed. “I went to The Lion’s Share. With you.” She abruptly frowned. “I didn’t appreciate you taking off with that tavern maid, by the way.”
He seemed completely unmoved, his face an impenetrable mask. “Where did you go after I left?”
She wondered why he seemed so angry and unforgiving. “I . . . didn’t feel well, so I stepped outside. When did you return?”
Again, he ignored her. “And after that?”
