Page 28
She had never shared her research on the scar removal potion. Mostly because she feared people would laugh at her and tell her it was impossible.
“The Circular Hall?” He looked at her expectantly.
“Sure.”
“Great. I’ll send you a scroll.”
—
When her meeting with the pale Wielder with gray eyes was only a few minutes away, she said good night to Ella and Oliver and took off.
As she walked across the forest to the old cemetery to meet Dawson, the laughter and music disappeared behind the trees until it was silent and cold.
A thin layer of snow had fallen on the graves, and she noticed fresh roses by one of them. The red petals made the grave look like it was bleeding.
Dawson leaned against the gate of a crypt, watching her arrival. The black silk scarf he had draped elegantly over his coat didn’t look very practical or warm.
“Coming from a little Caster get-together?” he asked.
How did he know? The bonfire wasn’t visible from here.
“I can smell the smoke on you,” he clarified, as if he noticed her confusion.
“And what…Wielders hate bonfires?”
“No, we just prefer magic flames, which have the tremendous advantage of being odorless.”
He pushed himself off the gate and held out a hand. This time she took it without a word.
Coin travel with Dawson was no more pleasant the second time around, and when her feet hit the floor of the lab, she pushed herself away from him.
“It would be so much easier if I could coin travel myself. Just tell me where we are.”
The lab looked unchanged, aside from Buckley’s body, which was no longer there. In its stead, a crystal bowl and microscope sat on the table.
“Well,” he said, walking toward an expensive-looking velvet chair. “I can tell you where we are, but I’m afraid that won’t solve your dilemma.” He unbuttoned his jacket and took a seat, crossing one leg over the other. “We are at my estate.”
She shouldn’t be surprised he had a personal lab. “Is every Wielder filthy rich? No wonder I’m the only Dark Magic student who lives on campus.”
He raised his eyebrows. “The only?”
“As far as I can tell.”
A glass containing ice cubes and a clear liquid appeared in his hand. It made sense now that they were at his home, since only close-by items could be conjured.
“Gin and tonic?” he asked.
“I’m working. And why can’t I coin travel to your place?”
“Tea?” he offered, and didn’t wait for a response before a porcelain cup with hot tea appeared in front of her. “And to answer your question, I have a shield set around my property.”
“Since you set the shield, you could change it.”
“I could.”
She inhaled slowly through her nose, feeling like she might breathe fire at any moment. “Where is your bathroom? Or is there a shield around that as well?”
“Down the hallway.”
