Page 155 of Serpent and Shadow

I stumbled backwards, losing my balance the instant he let go.

He didn’t speak, didn’t wait, didn’t try to catch me.

His tall form melted instantly back into the same wall from which we’d emerged. I gasped out my held breath, trying to reach for him, but he was already disappearing. I saw the wall glow white around his hair and eyes…

And then he was gone.

33

The New Order

I’d landed back in Bones’s closet, in the northwest tower.

The location maybe wasn’t that surprising, but the shock of going from being immersed in his magic and wrapped in his arms to standing, shaking, in a dark closet, adrenaline slamming through my blood, was difficult to breathe past. I stood there, gripping a row of his jackets on hangars as I fought to get my equilibrium back, well enough to understand what just happened.

Obviously, someone had been coming our way.

I remembered why he’d taken me out of the staircase in the first place then, and something in that snapped my mind back on.

I walked out of the closet, adjusting my underwear, which he’d shoved out of the way so we could have sex, and trying to pull part of it out of the crack of my ass. Realizing I needed a shower, I walked to the window first and cast a spell, before walking over to the night table and pulling a piece of parchment and a quill and ink out of the drawer.

I scribbled out a note, and was in the process of rolling it up when a drakai appeared on the windowsill and stared at me, wrinkling its nose.

I ignored the stare, and the nose wrinkle, as best I could, thrusting the scroll I’d just sealed magically towards him, not wanting to take the time to melt wax to keep it closed.

“Forsooth,” I said. “If he’s around?”

“He’s in his office, Missus.”

I flinched a little at what he called me, but didn’t correct him.

“Can you take it to him, errr….?”

“Elwood, Missus.”

“Elwood.” I stifled an impulse to smile. I felt over my dress, realized I had no pockets, and walked back to the drawer. I only found one coin inside, one of the magical-style coins I still thought of like pounds sterling, but were gold, and actually worth about twice that per coin.

“Here,” I said, handing it to the drakai.

“That’s too much, Missus,” the drakai said stoically.

“It’s fine, Elwood. Take it. I need that delivered right away. Bring me back any response he might have, and leave it on the kitchen counter, all right? I’ll leave the window open.”

The creature bowed, its long, red beard rippling in the heat of its flaming body without catching fire. The flames around this one were greenish in hue, and matched the color of its small, round eyes.

I maybe could have used my magic to send a message to Forsooth, but it was more difficult without the monocerus primal. Using drakai was more risky, but I didn’t feel like this could wait. I had the odd feeling like I was being watched, even now.

Maybe I needed to move out of Bones’s tower after all, given the connection to the family. Even as I thought it, I felt a shiver go through me.

Why did it feel like Malefic was closer, all of a sudden?

Was I feeling that from Bones, too?

Somewhere in my musing, the drakai had disappeared out the open window. Exhaling, I ran a hand through my hair and headed for the shower.

I spent too long in the shower, but the hot water felt heavenly, and I rationalized it by thinking it would give Forsooth more time to respond to my note.

My rationalization ended up being oddly true.