Magic. He had one job! It’s not as if she’s powerful enough to use transport spells.
“Hey, he found me again,” Eddy defends, though she’s still hugging her soaked cardigan tightly around her. “I said sorry already, okay? I was only a few shops down. It’s not like I was kidnapped.”
True. She had no idea we were even looking for her until she re-entered the Arcanaeum a few hours later, having finished her shopping.
“We should put a tracker on you,” Pierce mutters.
“No need,” she replies, still the calmest of the three of us. “Honestly, I’m fine.”
The only person who has a tracker on them is Jasper, but maybe I should rectify that. When I was young, we didn’t haveto worry about people just wandering off. We had common sense.
Magic only knows how North would’ve overreacted to this whole situation. Thank goodness he’s currently busy keeping Lambert occupied while he heals.
I pace the length of the living room, supremely grateful that it’s only us here. Well, us and the sullen Irishman on the sofa, but I’m studiously ignoring him.
Unfortunately, he’s not so content to be dismissed.
“I still don’t get why you dragged me back here,” Leo grunts. “I told you. I’m not staying?—”
“You’re here because you were meeting with my sister.” Pierce folds his arms, glaring down his aristocratic nose at Leo with contempt. “I heard you both. You’re bargaining with Mathias to break your stupid curse.”
The air leaves my lungs in a rush.
No. S-surely not. He wouldn’t…
I search Leo’s face, waiting for him to deny it. To tell me that Pierce is lying. That this is some kind of Carlton plot.
He won’t meet my eyes. He’s clammed up like a shell, warily studying the other man in the room like he’s a threat. Which he would only do if the accusation was true.
Thankfully, my voice is strong as I say, “Please leave us.”
To his credit, Pierce doesn’t argue, heading for the door and pulling Eddy along with him. When they’re gone, I turn fully to face the man in front of me.
He looks so much worse than he did even a few days ago. The Library bristles around me, but at the same time, the kettle flicks on. A hidden jar of finely ground crystalline powder floats free of the cabinet and spoons itself into the mug, glimmering with the light of infused restoration magic.
Good to know that we’re both stupidly concerned for this man.
I let the false peace linger until his tea is ready, then wave it over to him.
Swallowing back the bitterness coating my own throat, I take a seat on his left and finally muster the courage to ask the question that’s been clawing at me.
“Why?”
He stares into the mug, and my heart sinks. “Why, what?”
“Why would you do that?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes! Obviously.”
“I don’t see how.”
“Leo. You’ve betrayed me.” My voice starts to rise, despite my best efforts to quell my frustration. “Betrayed the Arcanaeum. Betrayed Lambert?—“
His annoyed groan cuts through my accusations. “Argh, yes. I did. And I’d do it all over again, because I’m in love with you.”
My lungs seize, hand rising to cover my mouth, but he isn’t done.
