“Good book?” He asks.
I cling to it. “Fine.”
“Did you find it in the library?”
The unfamiliar word breaks through a part of my fear. “What's a library?”
“The room with all the books.” His eyebrows bounce a couple times, lips tugging upward. “The room I found you hiding in shortly after coming here.”
My hand flies to my mouth. “You saw me?”
He chuckles. “Yes, but you didn't look like you wanted me to, so I didn't say anything.”
I reach my other hand to cover my whole face. “I can't believe you saw me. I thought I got away with it.”
“Got away with what?”
Being from another country, he might not know the rules, so maybe I shouldn't tell him. Except he did say he knew the laws well enough to keep from getting in trouble. Trouble that would lead to his death. He has to already know about it. Besides, maybe this is a good way to figure out how he'll react if he figures out what I have. “Being caught with a book besides the Woman's Canon.”
“Woman's Canon should be burned.”
I take my hands off my face. His eyes are wide, face pale. He looks...Is he worried about having said that out loud? Does he really feel that way?
He scans the garden. No one is around, yet he casts the salmon-colored spell around us, keeping our words safe. “Please keep it a secret. I shouldn't have even told you. But since it slipped out, I'm hoping I can trust you with it.”
It's been long enough that I feel like I know him. Know when he's telling the truth and when he's keeping things to himself. This feels like truth. If the council found out, the threats on his life would quickly multiply. Why would he want to burn the book that tells women how to act? I know why I do, but why would he?
“I suppose I could keep it secret.”
“Thank you.” He points at the book in my hand. “Is that one I'll need to burn or something else?”
With what he revealed, maybe I can reveal a bit of truth, as well. “It's different. It's writings by the woman who used to live here.”
“Julia.”
“How did you know her name?”
“I made it a point to know.”
None of this seems upset him. In fact, he seems interested. Could he really be fine with me reading? I say, “Then perhaps you will know if her journal entries are based on fact or fanciful ideas.”
“Since I haven't read it myself, I don't really know. From what I've gathered, she wasn't the fanciful sort. I could read it through if you'd like and give you my opinion.”
Though I've already read the whole thing, and am just picking out bits and pieces, I'm not sure I want to give it away. I grip the book tighter. “May I have it back when you're finished?”
“Of course.”
I bite my lower lip and hand him the book.
He takes it and runs his fingers over the cover. “It means something to you?”
Something, but what I'm not sure. Not more than the novel I pilfered from the library, but different. I want Zade to be kind and caring like Jacob, but without us dying. Maybe Zade is? “I'm not sure as of yet.”
“Maybe we can talk about it after I've had a chance to look through it.” As he settles further onto the bench, I contemplate what that may mean for me. For him. For us. Us.
His next words startle me out of my daydream. “I was wondering if you'd like to deliver invitations.”
“I suppose.”
“I can take them if you wish, or we could have them delivered. I just thought you'd want to.”
“I do.” I smooth a wrinkle from my skirt. “It's just that I've never done anything like this before. Mother always said I was too much trouble to go.”
He rests a hand on mine, stilling my nervous action. “You're good with people, I'm sure you'll do fine.”
He's warm through my glove. Sustaining. “How much time do you think we need to get them delivered?”
“It depends on how many we decide to hand deliver. We should at least visit all the council members, a few other prominent warlock households. After that, how about we see if you feel like doing more?”
It depends on how I feel? “That would be fine.” More than fine. “We should get them out in the next two weeks though. Bethany will get after my manners if we don't.”
He chuckles. “I've a council meeting the day after tomorrow, but none next week.”
The garden is silent. With the spell and us not talking, it's an eerie sort of sound. It gets me thinking about the tarnished park. Zade said I could ask anything. Finally, I work up the courage to say, “The other day at the park, Councilman Barkley said something.”
He rubs his forehead. “He said a lot of things.”
“The tarnished law he spoke of.” When he stays silent, I go farther. “What did he mean by that?”
His face darkens. “Some of the unmarried women have started rebelling.”
“Women like my sisters?” What do they have to do with the tarnished? And why are they rebelling? How are they rebelling?