“Please, you need to help me,” I gasped as I entered the room. “I’ve done something terrible.”
My voice echoed in the bare space. The place was abandoned. The table and chairs, the curtain, the mattress before the stove, Hargrove’s treasure chest, all had vanished as if into thin air. Hargrove and the children were gone. Set sail for America, most likely.
I knelt in the now-empty room and wept.
—
AGRIPPA’S STABLES WERE FULL OF THE pungent scent of manure and the sweetness of grain. When I was certain no one else was about, I walked over to the stalls. The horses nuzzled me, searching for a treat.
“What am I going to do?” I said. Perhaps I could transform myself into a horse and stay here. But I wasn’t that kind of magician, and, of course, animals had problems of their own.
“Howel?” Damn. Magnus ran toward me. His hands were bandaged. “Where on earth did you go?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“For God’s sake, I’m sorry. I’d had too much to drink. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“So you’re not responsible for your actions?”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” he snapped. “I’m trying to apologize. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“But it did, and you can’t change it.” I hoped he would disappear. He didn’t.
“You might apologize for trying to murder me,” he said.
“I’m sorry for trying to murder you. Happy?” I aggressively petted a horse.
“What I said about wishing I didn’t have to marry Miss Winslow was true.” He moved close enough that I could feel his breath on the back of my hair. I half hoped, even now, that he’d put his arms around my waist. I hated that. “Really, if I didn’t have this infernal engagement—”
“You think so much of yourself, don’t you?” I turned to face him. “Suppose I had no great desire to marry you? Suppose I found you handsome and charming and wanted to kiss you, but nothing else? Can you imagine a situation where a young woman wouldn’t want to give herself to you, body and soul?”
He flushed and leaned closer. “Nice young women don’t run around trying to get fellows to kiss them.”
“I didn’t try to get you to do anything.”
“Don’t play hurt with me, Henrietta. You enjoyed what happened last night, and if you’re the type who likes to be kissed and nothing else, there are plenty of men—”
Something clattered nearby, startling us. Rook appeared from around the corner, looking ashen. A wooden bucket lay fallen on the ground. Its water crept across the stones.
Magnus cleared his throat. “Rook. Let me explain.”
A wild light came into Rook’s eyes. He threw the mop aside and struck Magnus across the face. The sorcerer staggered backward. Now the boys were locked together and grappling, Magnus with superior strength but damaged hands, and Rook with greater fury. Magnus fought Rook off and held him down.
“Magnus, let go! Rook, stop it!” The harder they fought, the greater chance Rook’s power would be unleashed. “Stop it, I said!” And then it happened.
Darkness rushed from the stables in a wave, a shadowed mass that poured over them. Rook tore himself away from Magnus and rose out of the gloom, letting the other boy scream as he vanished from sight.
“Let him go,” I begged. Rook ignored me, fascinated by his handiwork. I slapped his face in a desperate attempt to wake him. The direction of his anger shifted. Now I could feel darkness growing around me. A chilled sensation formed on my skin.
With a cry, I lit my hand on fire and shoved it toward his face. There was a horrible moment when I thought I’d have to burn him, but it worked. The shadows lifted from me and from Magnus. Rook was himself again.
No, not quite. His eyes had returned to their normal color, yet there was strangeness in the cool way he regarded the effects of his work. The sight of Magnus huddled in terror seemed to please him. Standing with his arms relaxed at his sides, he cocked his head to study the scene from different angles. I recalled the Familiar girl, when I’d fought her at the edge of the ward. She’d tilted her head in a similar way.
“I don’t remember any of it,” he said, his tone distant. “I was so angry.”
“I know,” I said. Slowly, I approached the person who was not really Rook and touched his hand. He crumpled to the ground.
“Don’t,” he cried, his voice thick with anguish. He moaned, clasping his hands around the back of his neck. “The whispering wanted me to tear you apart where you stood. If you hadn’t frightened it off with that fire…What’s happening to me?”
The Shadow’s chosen. That’s what the Familiar had called him on the road at Brimthorn.
“I don’t know,” I murmured. He should never have come to London, I thought. And then, I made him come here.
During all this, Magnus had come out of his defensive crouch on the ground. His hair was wild with bits of straw. I’d never seen him so pale. “What was that?” he said. Then, pointing to Rook, “What in God’s name are you?”
There was no hiding it now.
Footsteps echoed over the paving stones. The footmen grabbed Rook and forced him to his feet. He didn’t protest. If anything, he seemed relieved.
“Stop!” I cried. Magnus held me back.
“Don’t make this worse,” he whispered. All I could do was stand helpless as Agrippa and Blackwood rushed into the yard.
“What on earth is going on?” Agrippa shouted.
“We heard screams, sir,” the footman said. “We came out to find the young master on the ground.”
The others hadn’t seen Rook’s power, but Magnus knew. One word from him and Rook would be in the worst kind of trouble.
“Magnus, how many people are going to try killing you before this day is out?” Blackwood snapped.
“Why, Rook?” Agrippa turned to my friend, now held between two footmen. “Why would you do such a thing?”
Rook shook his head. “I cannot tell you, sir.”
“You had better tell me, or you’ll be out of my household this minute.”
“No!” I pressed forward. “It’s all Magnus’s fault.” Everyone turned to me.
“How is that?” Agrippa said. There was no good way out of this. Even leaving aside Rook’s shadowed attack, by confessing the reason for his violence I would forever damage my reputation. But Rook mattered more.
“Rook overheard Magnus and me talking—”
“Joking, really. On my part, at least,” Magnus said, cutting in with ease. “That’ll teach me, I suppose.”
“Julian, what on earth is going on?” Agrippa said. I held my breath.
Magnus swept back his hair, his confident smile returning. “I was teasing Howel last night about, oh, something or other. She got cross, so I followed her out here, teasing her more. Rook overheard me say”—here he paused and laughed, as if he couldn’t himself believe it—“that I wished I hadn’t kissed her.”
“You did what?” Agrippa said, shocked. I bit the inside of my cheek.
“No, I didn’t actually do it, of course. How could I kiss anything so cold? My lips would get stuck to her. It was a tasteless joke, but poor Rook seemed to think I was being serious. He defended Howel’s honor.” He laughed like it was the world’s greatest gag. Truly, he’d make a fine actor. “Please don’t punish Rook for being gallant. He struck a blow for decent women everywhere.” I realized Magnus wasn’t going to mention Rook’s powers and could hardly believe it.
“You teased her. That would explain…” Agrippa looked to me, undoubtedly remembering what had happened this morning. “You must be more careful with what you say, Julian. One day, there could be dire consequences.”
“I see that now, sir.”
“Very well. Rook, you’re to be locked in your room until after the ball.”
“What? Why?” I cried.
“Do not question me, Henrietta.”
Rook let the men drag him away; he didn’t look as if he could stand on his own. As the crowd headed indoors, Blackwood grabbed Magnus and pulled him beside the stables. I slipped away from the others, waited along the wall, and listened to their conversation. Really, I was getting far too good at eavesdropping.
“You bastard,” Blackwood said, his voice pure venom.