Page 99 of Hawk & Sparrow

She took another step forward, and this time Vesper was sure of it. A hairline crack appeared in the ice between them. Sudden panic seized her.

“Ada, you have to stop—”

“Goodbye, Vesper.” Ada’s expression was placid, almost dreamlike. She cocked the gun with a loud click that reverberated across the frozen lake. “I won’t forget you.”

Vesper watched it happen in pieces, like photographs taken in rapid succession. Ada stepped forward and a long crack splintered through the ice and between her feet with an ominous pop. Her eyes widened as understanding and terror dawned on her. She scrambled back at once, trying to get to shore again, but the sudden movement only deepened the crack. Vesper saw what was going to happen a second before it did.

“Ada, don’t!”

Ada’s heel came down hard, and a deep crack splintered through the ice. Vesper felt something give underfoot, and then she was falling. She was plunging into freezing water. She screamed. For several seconds, the world was quiet as she sank below the surface, but something innate drove Vesper to keep her eyes open. Kick. She gathered the last of her strength and forced her body to move, kicking until her head broke the surface again. She gasped as freezing night air stung her skin.

“Ada!”

The young woman hadn’t moved. She was staring at Vesper in terror.

“Ada, please!” Vesper scrabbled at the edge of the ice, trying to find purchase. She wouldn’t be able to get herself out on her own. “Help me, please!”

The girl looked at her for a long while. “I’m sorry, Vesper. I truly am.”

“Ada—”

She watched, pained, as Ada slowly rose and inched back toward the bank. As soon as she was off the ice, she began to run. Vesper watched as her form grew smaller and smaller. New panic seized her. She was alone now, and the temperature was dropping fast. She remembered suddenly that no one knew she was out here. Everyone was inside at the party, and didn’t even know she was missing. By the time she was found, she’d likely be dead. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe, to keep calm as she tried to think of a plan.

“Vesper?”

The phantom voice in her head sounded like Max’s but she knew better than to trust it. She’d read accounts of people who’d nearly frozen to death—hallucinations were a common symptom. Perhaps this was what was happening now; she was hallucinating, freezing to death. Her internal voice told her that if Max’s voice got to be the last one she heard, she was lucky. She took a deep breath in and out.

“Vesper!”

Vesper opened her eyes. That was no phantom voice. She searched the lake’s shoreline in the dark, trying to find the owner of that too-familiar voice. Finally, her gaze locked on something—a silhouette, a single tall form in the dark.

Max.

“Vesper!” There was fear in the sorcerer’s eyes. “I’m coming to get you! Don’t move!” He hesitated, then took a step onto the ice. At once, a series of pops sounded across the lake.

“Don’t!” Vesper rasped. “The ice is too thin, you’ll fall through!”

He was too far away for her to see his face well, but she saw him comb his fingers through his curls. Finally, he seemed to think of something. He dug into his pocket and pulled out something small.

“I’m going to get you to shore!” he said. “Just hang on!” He took a deep breath and extended his arms. Vesper was too far to see his mouth move, but she imagined he was uttering an incantation.

“Max, no!” Vesper’s voice was faint, but she spoke as loudly as she could manage. “Don’t do it, it’ll hurt you!”

Maximilian didn’t answer, but she thought she heard him shout a rude word and shake his head. He held out both hands, palm-down. Then, without warning, he turned them simultaneously, and Vesper felt a surge of air billow underneath her. It lifted her out of the water and carried her across the lake. Her stomach swooped as she started to descend, but Maximilian’s arms were already outstretched, waiting. She landed in his arms hard, and they both toppled to the ground. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“You’re all right,” Max whispered in her ear. His arms tightened around her, holding her against his chest. “I’ve got you,” he said. “I’ve got you, Vesper.”

Vesper held on to him like a life preserver, like he was the last thing tethering her to this world and keeping her from being ripped into the next. She held on to him until the world faded to a hush.

MISSING HEIRESS, REWARD OFFERED

BY V. L. EVANS

BASALTON, Vic. (November 28, 1898)—Authorities say they still have no leads on the disappearance of nineteen-year-old heiress Ada Bickerton. Per the Basalton Police, Miss Bickerton was last seen on the evening of November 25th. Her family is offering a reward of 1 million gild for her safe return.

The Basalton Globe