“Yes, but the feeling was more precise than missing.I missedtellinghim things.I had so much to think about when I was up there, and every new thought, every revelation, I wanted to spill into his ears.And I realized it had been that way for quite some time.When I learned something new or when something exciting happened, he was the first person I wanted to share it with.I looked forward to seeing his reaction, to sharing it with him.I think that is part of love, at least for me.Finding the person you cannot wait to share all of life’s little achievements and sorrows with.A true partner.”
Queen Victoria looked thoughtful, then she gave a stout nod.“I shall take that under advisement.And you should, too.”Her pointed look was for Sybil alone.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The queen stood and two guards materialized out of thin air.They must have been glamoured and standing behind her the whole time.They followed her out of the conservatory, and some seconds later, Sybil followed Diana out, too.Temple met them at the doors, and soon they were back in the carriage.
“How did it go?”he asked, settling into the bench at Diana’s side.
Sybil hugged the corner of the carriage.“Congratulations, brother, on your new project.”
“She told you about the transmutation project.”Temple rubbed his jaw.“It’s a hopeless cause.A waste of time.”
Say it, princess.Don’t let them tell you who you are.
“What if”—she clenched her hands in her lap—“I helped?”
“I’m sure your notes will be more useful than Stone’s, but?—”
“No.Not my notes.Me.In the forge.Your”—she held her breath, not sure where any of this was coming from, only that Apollo’s voice wouldn’t stop chanting in her head, goading her on— “apprentice.”
She’d told him almost nothing about her journey to Yorkshire, about what she’d learned about herself, about metal, about heat, during her time there.She must tell him now.Or Apollo would never let her alone, and… she didn’t want to be a coward anymore.
Temple blinked.Then he blinked again, his mouth opening slowly.He rubbed his ear.“Pardon.I think I misheard.Say that again?”
Diana nudged his shoulder with hers.“Sybil wants to be your apprentice, Temple.”
“I… but I…” His face was growing red.He ruffled a hand through his hair.“But you can’t!”
The carriage grew quiet.Sybil wanted to sink through the seat and onto the street.She’d never told anyone what she wanted.She’d always known how it would go.Just like this.
Across from her, Temple kept his voice low and soft.“You’ll get hurt, Sybil.”
She had gotten hurt.Many times in the past weeks, but a bit of aloe and honey and caring hands had set her right.Those same hands had always set her back toward the forge after healing her.It could not have been only for his own selfish reasons.But then… perhaps it was.
“You don’t even have heat,” Temple said.“How can you work the flame?”
She reached into her pocket, found half of Apollo’s gold there.where she’d kept it since finding it on the stable floor after his departure.She was such a silly, foolish woman.But this metal would be proof of her power as well as of her weakness.
She held it up on her palm, closed her eyes, and reached for the heat.It didn’t want to come at first.She didn’t want it to come.To show such evidence so brazenly that she was not as she should be.
But still Apollo whispered.You can do it, princess.Send the world to hell.
The heat shot through her like a bolt of lightning, and the gold melted in her palm.
Temple cursed.Diana gasped.
And Sybil saw the gold through tears.Apollo felt so close, as if his breath were across her cheek, as if his frustration were evident in the cross of his arms over his chest.As if his pride were puffing that chest out.She wanted to tell him about all of this.Tell him and cry on his shoulder, tell him and scream her victory to the heavens.He would scream with her.
“Can you shape it?”Temple asked, voice gruff.
Slowly, Sybil swirled it, puffed it out, segmented it.
“A sheep!”Diana laughed.
Sheep were no laughing matter.They led to kisses that killed.
“Hades hellfire,” Temple hissed.“You can… but I thought… Well damn.”
