‘All right, well don’t stay regular-sized for long,’ I said. ‘We will be in the garden. You make your way to the kitchens.’
‘It’ll be a long walk once we’re tiny again,’ Tom said.
‘So get going,’ I ushered them towards the door.
Once again I watched the Truscott’s shrink to only a few inches high. They slipped through a crack in the wall and were out of sight within an instant.
Straightening up, I caught a glimpse of myself in the vanity mirror above the sink. At first, I thought a stranger had stumbled in and caught me with the miniature Truscott’s. But no, the girl with the shocked expression was me.
There was no other word for it. I looked good. I looked at my reflection from several different angles, before remembering that I was not here to admire myself. I quickly left the bathroom and rejoined my friends.
I saw that the staff member lingered in the hall, waiting to chaperone us. We followed him through the manor, until we came to wide French doors that opened onto a vast balcony.
From here I could see an interesting assortment of people and animals. Women floated about the perfectly manicured lawn, with their spirits sitting on their shoulders, or bobbing along at their heels. Gentlemen swaggered around, sipping brandy and chatting about their lives.
‘Stay close to me,’ I said to Hawthorne. He positioned himself so I could place my hand on his shoulder blade. Jack took my hand and together we stepped onto the balcony.
It took a while for our presence to be noticed, but one by one, the other guests began to stare and point at Hawthorne. I knew they found him impressive. We made our way through the garden, keeping an eye out for Martinez, but he didn’t seem to be present.
‘Oh my goodness, he is large,’ said a woman with a big nose.
‘Look at those wings,’ said her husband, who was an extremely vast man.
Hawthorne stretched out his wings impressively and the partygoers ‘ooh’ed and ‘ah’ed.
‘Show off,’ muttered Jack under his breath.
‘May I pat him?’ asked a young man.
‘Does he fly?’ asked his girlfriend.
‘Can I ride him?’
‘How much does he weigh?’
‘Do you shave him?’
Complete strangers bombarded me with questions. I did not like being surrounded by people, nor did I like it when they touched Hawthorne without permission.
‘It seems your animal spirit has drawn quite a crowd,’ said Martinez, looking over Hawthorne. ‘He is an impressive specimen. What do you feed him?’
Turning around I saw that Nicholo Martinez had snuck up on us.
‘He hunts,’ I said.
‘A true beast, then.’ Martinez looked down his curved nose at me.
I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. I hated this man more than anything and did not know how to act.
‘I do not believe you have told me your name,’ he pressed.
‘Av-Annie Deacon and this is Hawthorne.’
‘It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Deacon.’
‘Mrs.’ I corrected. I nudged Jack who had been otherwise occupied by questions regarding Hawthorne’s stamina. He turned to see what I wanted and stiffened at the sight of Martinez.
‘This is my husband, Adam,’ I lied, pointing to Jack.
‘A pleasure. Is that your animal spirit on your shoulder, Mr. Deacon?’ said Martinez.
‘Is it,’ said Jack, his jaw set. ‘Her name is R?ven.’
‘Very elegant,’ Martinez smiled. His manners infuriated me. ‘I do hope you enjoy the party. Our parade will begin in half an hour.’
‘Parade?’ I asked.
‘Yes. To showcase our spirits. We do enjoy showing-off our beloved pets,’ said Martinez.
I turned to Jack with a pained expression.
‘Oh, how lovely, dear,’ said Jack, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. ‘Hawthorne does enjoy the attention.’
I looked at Hawthorne who was currently enjoying a scratch behind the ear from a young woman.
‘Mmmh, yes,’ I said, rather unenthusiastic about the idea.
‘I do hope you will participate.’ Martinez gave a small bow before leaving Jack and I to socialise with other guests.
‘Smarmy git,’ said Jack, under his breath.
I put a finger to my lips. ‘Careful,’ I warned.
Jack pulled a face. ‘I hope this doesn’t last long.’
‘Why can’t we put everyone to sleep right now? R?ven can take them out,’ I said.
Jack shook his head. ‘It’s too risky. We don’t know everyone’s Powers. There might be some who are immune to her talents.’
I sighed, frustrated. I did not want to bat my eyelashes and be polite to Martinez’s guests. His fortune came from the slave trade. The guests sipped champagne and ate fancy sausages, all paid for with dirty gold. The sight of these strangers made me sick to my stomach.
It was reassuring though, to know that Helena could be mere metres away at this very moment. I wondered what she was doing right now. Probably scrubbing the floors in the dungeon. But for the first time in months, I was close to my little sister. Still, I avoided thinking about what state she would be in when we found her. I wanted to tear through the manor, screaming her name, yet I knew I must be patient.