Never completely now.
Not for any of us.
“Then I will know,” he said. “And I will do whatever I have to do to protect her.”
I believed him.
That was irritating too.
The corridor at the far end filled with two students coming up from the east rooms. They saw Hale first and straightened. Then they saw me and became very diligent in behaving as if they had seen neither of us.
There were several excellent jokes I could have made about that.
All of them would have made me feel better.
None of them would have amused Hale.
“Fine,” I said.
Hale did not thank me.
A mercy, really. I wasn’t in the mood to be gracious either.
I turned toward the dining hall.
“Marsh,” Jonah Hale called once more.
I stopped and turned around.
Hale’s voice was lower now.
“At noon, do not be far.”
He had already turned toward the salle corridor, shoulders even, every inch the instructor again except for the Mark under his cuff, which I could see burning like a banked coal.
“I’m never far,” I said.
He didn’t turn around, but he heard.
“I know,” he said.
39
Ileft Room 114 without the dress box.
The absence of it felt strange in my hands.
Conversation thinned as I passed. By the time I reached the south wing, even the closed doors felt occupied.
Caswell waited outside Quill’s office with nothing in his hands.
Whatever this was, it did apparently did not require paperwork.
He opened the door and I went in.
Quill stood at the window with his back to the room, one hand resting on the sill. The office was too warm again. The fire had been lit though the day did not need it, and the heat made sweat break out on my brow.
I was sure it was intentional.
