Page 10

Still, leaving her sitting on the steps outside felt wrong. She looked so small. So alone. I wanted to sit next to her and put my arm around her and just listen to her talk.

But now isn’t the time.

Maybe it’ll never be the time.

Maybe putting my arm around her will lead to me thinking about how fucking good she smells, and how soft her skin is, and how Lucien is the luckiest man alive and he’s not even alive. The bastard.

At the end of the hall, the conservatory doors are open.

I find Thornfield bent over a row of orchids that look impossibly pure against his dark clothing. His back is to me, but I know he heard me coming.

“Never knew these things could grow without daylight.” I look up at the ceiling. Only conservatory I’ve ever been in that’s got blacked-out windows.

Lucien doesn’t reply.

“Are you ignoring me on purpose?” I say, stopping at the threshold.

Thornfield straightens slowly, examining a spray bottle in his hand. Slowly, he turns to face me. “It is no different from the pool house. I open the blinds when I’m not in here.” He raises his eyebrows. “I’d have thought that much was obvious.”

“Nothing about you is obvious.” I perch on a small white metal bench and lean forward onto my knees. I’m exhausted. I need coffee, but if Trent’s dead he won’t be bringing us some any time soon.

As Thornfield sets down his gardening stuff, I’m struck by how on edge he looks. His usually perfect composure is fractured – hair slightly dishevelled, shirtsleeves rolled unevenly, that muscle in his jaw twitching.

“I had to climb the wall to get in,” I say. “Luna told me what happened with Trent.”

“You saw Luna?”

“Mmm hmm.” It surprises me he didn’t know where she was.

“She was outside?”

“Walking. Said she needed air.”

Thornfield glances up at the blackout blinds, which I can now see are electric. “I killed him.” He puts his hands in his pockets. “Trent.”

“You okay about that? I know you liked him.”

“He tried to hurt her,” he says quietly. Then he glances at me. “And I never liked him. He was loyal and useful, and now he’s not.”

I nod slowly. “How did Luna take it?” I ask, changing the subject.

His eyes narrow slightly. “Take what, exactly?”

“Whatever you told her about The Covenant. About why she’s really here.”

Thornfield folds his arms. “She took it as well as can be expected. She’s processing the information. But I feel you know that or you wouldn’t be asking me about it.”

“Processing.” I let out a short laugh. “That’s a polite way of saying she’s completely freaked out, but trying not to show it.”

“She’s stronger than you think.”

I know exactly how strong she is. But I don’t say that.

I circle around a large fern, keeping my distance. Something about Thornfield’s energy feels unpredictable today. “Parking that for a moment, I’ve got news.”

Thornfield’s attention sharpens. “Tell me.”

“I followed your friend Nix to a graveyard. Very atmospheric. Moody sky. Long black coat. Crowd of unhinged supers cheering like he’s the demon king they’ve all been waiting for.”