Corvin’s gloves followed several grooved etchings in the onyx wall. “The beauty of Mothlock is that it’s always been ahead of its time. Where there are books and great minds, there are bound to be advancements. And Alixsander was not buried or burned.” Frost-like eyes rose to ensnare hers. “His was never a permanent resting place, but a sacred preservation.”
A preservation.A wash of dread swept down her spine. A pressure built in her chest, and her throat grew tight.The ice. “Corvin—”
“No, it’s not what you think. I know the time constraints.”
“Then—” She couldn’t finish the thought. Her knuckles pressed to her chest, seeking to drive out the threatening sensation.
“It’s not what you think, because none of that matters. Before the twelfth hour, his body was frozen. It hasn’t aged.”
Lux shook her head. It decidedly soundednotbetter, and inside, she fought a yawning panic. “You believe that makes the difference?”
Corvin stepped around the table. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it? The alchemical process we put him through that night ensured his body would remain suspended. It would be no different than what you did for Mistress Lefroy in that inn.”
Lux concentrated on her breathing. This was information she’d searched for all along—regardless of if shewantedit or not. But alchemy? The last alchemist she knew helped bring about a plague.
Corvin reached for her. His hand rested on her upper arm with a steady grip. “Lux. Knowing the book of necromancy was stolen, in knowing Riselda Grimrook had vanished, the hope we harbored for any future revival died. It was a drawn out, labored death. No amount of scouring the country turned up a necromancer. No amount of it turned up the book or Riselda either. Until you. Over a century later with more skill than we have ever beseeched the Saints for.”
Now, he has both the book and the necromancer under his nose, and he doesn’t know aboutThe Risen.
Lux stared up at him. She tracked every broken capillary in his eyes and when she was through, knew the truth.
“I was something to be collected, after all.”
Corvin’s earnestness faded. “I did believe we could help you. Still do. And I’ve meant everything I’ve told you.” His hand lifted to cup the nape of her neck, and she hardly flinched. “At dinner. When I said you could join with us—become so much greater. And here. When I said you’ve been through enough for one night.”
How she’d managed not to jerk from his grasp she’d never know. But her arm lifted, her fingers grasping his at her neck, and when she brought it down, she pulled his hand along with it. She didn’t let him go.
The healer cleared his throat with feeling. “We’ve not ever had a woman with strength enough to join our society. I think there is no one more suited. You belong here, Ms. Thorn. I believe you know it too.”
A sudden cold sweat overcame her. She turned toward him, dreadfully slow. With affected sweetness, she said, “You didn’t tell me there was something other than your experiment to cure me, Lord Artemis.”
Artemis didn’t blink. No guilt showed on his face. “I presented to you the options I had at the time.”
The rage. The rage she felt could not be healthy.
“You realize, of course, that I nearlydiedbecause of your collectors.”
“Forgive us, Lux.” Corvin’s thumb moved against her hand once more. “Forgive me. It’s true, we must follow the order of things, but you will not be restrained that way ever again. Even it was only meant to keep you safe.”
Damn you and your order,she thought. She would never forgive him, that was for certain. “The girl. Is she all right?”
“The child is fine,” replied the healer. “Her laceration was deep and her ankles twisted, but she’s been mended since and a calming elixir provided. She is lucky; the salt-sick can cause the most intense of yearnings. Howdidyou come upon her?”
Lux became excruciatingly aware of every point of contact between her and the ageless boy beside her. “I followed the madness.”
A strained silence stretched. Until Artemis cleared his throat and said, “You look chilled. Perhaps a soak before you retire.”
Lux hadn’t been near the tub since the water had turned thick and putrid on her. She dreaded it now. But shewascold. Inside and out.
They wanted her for her brilliance. One more revival to cure them all before the madness was siphoned from her in some sanctimonious ceremony no one would explain. Lux bit at her cheek to keep her nails from biting into the back of Corvin’s hand. He held it still, the grip light but sure, and together they abandoned the healer’s workroom for the darkened corridor.
Lamplight flickered along the black walls. A fierce whining wind buffeted the manor’s exterior at odd intervals. The effect on her was an ominous one; she didn’t feel as though the night was through.
“It seems you were right,” he said.
Her mind careened off its path. “About what?”
“On Ghadra’s decision to mark a path through the marshes.”
