Page 87

On top of that, my research colleague had disappeared overnight without warning, and I was now working on our project with two of my most critical students, without my boss knowing anything about it.

I was insane to gamble with my luck like that. And I was gradually losing track of all my problems. It was a miracle that the influential megalomaniac I worked for hadn't figured out what I was up to yet.

Miles cleared his throat and I looked at him again.

Next to him, on my black carved coffee table, rested the ten Vacutainer tubes filled with his blood.

Legacy blood that would help me make progress. Hopefully.

I twirled my ring again and my thoughts drifted back to J.

Only now did I notice that I was pacing back and forth, even though I had actually wanted to pour Miles and myself some whiskey.

I stopped, then walked over to my vintage side table next to the fireplace and the elegant, matte-black, wooden support beam with the plant holders and the olive-green kentia palm sprouting from one of them.

Lost in thought, I filled two crystal glasses.

I wanted to drink with J, wanted to sit with her next to my fireplace and talk. About myths, about questionable philosophers and about fairy-tale legends that were too abstract to be true.

No matter what we talked about, I would lose myself in her presence. And when she looked into the flames of my fireplace, I would watch the flames through her eyes.

My God, I wanted to rediscover the whole world through her eyes, hoping deeply that the world didn't seem half as gray to her as it did to me.

The mere thought that Julie knew my Charis made me angry.

I didn't make empty promises. If she threatened me with J again, I would make her life a living hell.

“I'll take the glass that's half full,” came a voice from diagonally behind me, and I looked up.

Miles studied me with a raised corner of his mouth before stepping next to me and pulling the second glass from the table. The one I hadn't almost made overflow.

For God's sake, Quentin. Pull yourself together.

With my lips pressed together, I turned around and brought the glass to my mouth, taking a tiny sip to drink down the first couple of millimeters.

The sharp pull in my throat was a welcome pain.

“What's bothering the grim-looking professor?”

Miles was strolling – once again – through the ground floor of my house and touched the black-brown ceramic vase I had brought back from Southern Italy.

I would have loved to have the water from the small decorative fountain on my dresser shoot at him so he would keep his damn fingers off these expensive treasures, but I had no control over my element, even when I wasn't wearing the Umbra ring.

But I wouldn't let it get that far. It was enough that Julie Blair and David DeLoughrey knew about my powers.

I had practiced for three weeks for this ridiculous water trick this afternoon.

Three damn weeks.

I gripped the crystal glass more tightly in my hands, felt the ring grind against the glass, and automatically loosened my grip, as if I could hurt J with it, even though that was nonsense.

Francesca

Hozier

J wasn't here. She had done the most sensible thing and was now keeping her distance from me. But I was unreasonable and selfish. I wanted her for myself. Completely.

“Is it the woman who stole his heart?”