Page 27 of Hawk & Sparrow

Vesper waited for the fall.

She screwed her eyes shut, bracing for a rush of air and the inevitable crash on impact.

It never came.

She opened her eyes. Overhead, the sun was shining. Multicolored rooftops stretched as far as the eye could see, but Vesper couldn’t make sense of the view. A strand of her hair caught in the breeze; her dress billowed around her. It dawned on her slowly.

She hadn’t fallen. She was … floating.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw the balcony of Francis Gladwell’s hotel room growing farther away as they descended. How?

“All right there, Miss Evans?”

Maximilian was still holding her against him. His eyes were focused ahead, and when she followed his gaze, she saw he was angling for the roof of a warehouse directly across the street from the hotel.

“Just hang on,” he said, voice strained. “We’re almost—” He winced and Vesper’s stomach swooped as they dropped quickly, landing on the roof so hard they both tumbled onto it in a heap. Maximilian’s grip tightened as he pulled her against him, shifting quickly so that his body hit the roof first and absorbed most of the impact. For several seconds, they lay there, breathing hard.

Vesper felt the sorcerer’s chest rising and falling beneath hers. She realized, with a start, that she was lying on top of him. At once, she got to her feet and brushed herself off. Maximilian sat up more slowly.

“Apologies,” he said gruffly. “Clearly my landing skills leave something to be desired. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” said Vesper. She stared at the sorcerer. He was leaning forward and pinching the bridge of his nose as though in pain. “Mr. Kite, are you quite well?”

“Of course. Never better.” Maximilian looked up suddenly, grinning. “Nothing like a bit of fresh air to revitalize the senses.”

Vesper turned. The balcony to Francis’s room was still in sight, and she could now make out police officers combing it. They’d jumped at least a hundred yards. She turned back to Maximilian.

“Can all sorcerers do what you just did?”

“No.” Maximilian stood and brushed his pants off before offering her a hand. “That particular incantation is rather difficult, and requires a great deal of focus.”

“I see.” Vesper looked over her shoulder. “We should probably get down, before someone catches us up here.”

“Right.”

It took a bit of searching, but eventually, they found a fire escape on the side of the building and made their way down. Vesper was more than a little grateful to be on solid ground again.

“Thanks for getting us out of there,” she said. “I’m … I’m not sure what I would have done without your help.”

Maximilian’s dark hair was wind tousled, and there was still a bit of color in his cheeks. He smiled at her, and Vesper felt the strangest hitch in her chest.

“You bring a valuable set of skills to our partnership, Miss Evans.” He gave her a small bow. “But occasionally, I can be useful too.”

“Well, thank you again.”

“Of course.”

Silence fell between them, and Vesper shifted her weight. Maximilian was staring at her with an intensity she’d seen before, and suddenly she wished with all her heart that she could know what he was thinking, what he saw when he looked at her. Did he see an “odd girl,” or something else?

“Well.” Vesper cleared her throat. “Francis’s hotel room gave us a useful lead and at least one suspect to look into, but I’d like a bit more information on his background. I was thinking we might head to the Basalton Library and see what we can find.”

Maximilian nodded. “That’s good thinking, Miss Evans. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you. I’m suddenly feeling a bit under the weather.”

“Oh.” Vesper couldn’t explain it, but she felt a fleeting sense of disappointment. She took the sorcerer in and noted that he was now paler than he’d been on the roof. Perhaps he was sick. “Of course,” she said quickly. “I can go on my own, then.”

“I’ll look forward to a report of your findings tomorrow morning when I pick you up for our next exploit,” said Maximilian. “If you could, be ready by ten. I’ll have Bisan send clothes for you; what’s your address?”

“It’s…” Vesper hesitated. “Just tell her to send things to the Globe’s office. They’ll get to me.”