Just as soon as they’d whipped up, though, the winds Cedric had conjured died.
His newly acquired robes of pure darkness settled around him, his form became fully human once again, and his magic calmed, too, the sparks and flares of lightning-like energy fizzling before, like his villain’s laugh, abruptly ceasing the instant he brought the staff of his scythe down hard against the marble with a resoundingclack.
A moment of pure silence passed in which all of us regarded him with skittish terror.
Then a more genuine grin than I’d seen on him before spread across his face.
“I’ve always wanted to do that—withlegitimate reason,” he purred.
I spun to put my back protectively to Grim, who, gripping me by the upper arms, whirled me to face him again before swinging me away from Cedric.
“What are you doing?” he demanded, peering down at me.
“Defending you,” I replied. “And standing up to the bully.”
“Let me talk to him,” he rasped.
“No offense, Grim,” I said, “but that’s not going so well so far. Listen, I’ve got an idea.”
“An idea?” he snarled. “What do you mean you have an idea?”
“Well, I was going to try to barter.”
“Withwhat? Library cards are already free.”
“I know a lot of people with connections,” I told him. “Rare-book people. He seems the type to—ah!”
I jumped to find Cedric at our side. Grim grabbed me and shoved me behind him.
“Are you two ready to go?” asked Cedric as he smirked at Grim, a renegade swoop of that white-blond hair half concealing one more-mischievous-even-than-usual eye.
“Helena’s going home,” Grim said. “And you’re going to let her.”
“I’m going toescorther,” Cedric corrected. “You as well.”
“I’m not going back into that Basin.”
“Frankly,” said Cedric, “thanks to Miss Hart, I’m not so sure it would have you anymore. But that’s beside the point and not really my concern any longer. At least, not for a good long while.”
“What are you yammering about?” snarled Grim.
“Oh, if I must explain it to you,” said Cedric, rolling his eyes. “I’ve decided to punish you with something far worse than death—life. All the rest of the life you never got to live after you took on the cloak and the scythe.”
“What?” barked Grim.
“The Few and I felt that would teach you,” he said. “If you wanted so badly to meddle with the affairs of the living, then meddle you now shall—and must.”
“You’re not making any sense,” Grim growled even while I tilted my head at this, hope springing in my chest, making my heart flutter.
“You’re returning to the land of the living,” said Cedric. “For the foreseeable future. Which means you have to get a new job. A life, while you’re at it. God knows you’ve been in need of one of those for nigh on centuries now.”
“This is a joke,” said Grim, even though I was starting to think… it wasn’t. “You’re toying with me.”
“Not anymore I’m not,” said Cedric. “Just take the gift, Grim. Loxley.Ren. Can I call you Ren? Consider it something of a long-overdue tax refund, if that helps you to compute.”
“I’m not going anywhere without Helena,” he snapped.
“Which works out,” said Cedric, “since I’ve been instructed to escortyouout of the Hallowed Halls as well as her. Humans—livinghumans—aren’t allowed here. You know that.”
