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He sat back up. “I’m sure you’re used to the majority of this town having no clue about anything outside their own bubble. But Ihavejust graduated in history from Cambridge. I know about the Dukes of Milan.”
I frowned. “Really? That doesn’t quite fit with my mental image of you. And if it’s true, why did you come back?”
“Good to know you have a mental image of me to call on. And I came back because the town’s in my blood and my blood’s in the town. Surely you of all people can understand that.”
When I didn’t reply, he stood up and held out an arm. I took it gingerly and let him help me down from the bed, though my hands were still shaking.
“I’m not leading you into a trap,” he said. “Just taking you to the library.”
The room was everything you’d hope and expect from a library in a centuries-old house owned by a family of witches. High shelves. Lead-paned windows recessed into the deep walls. Leather-bound books everywhere, some neatly shelved, others sprawled over tables, all giving off a distinctive, comforting scent. Unlike the bedroom, hot from the fire, this room had a chill despite the evening’s warmth, but that only added to the general ambience.
Gabriel led me to a somewhat out-of-place computer desk and pulled out the seat so I could sit down.
“I’ve got some books here you’ll probably find useful,” he announced, then strode over to one of the further shelves.
He could have stayed where he was and made the books come to him, but we traditionally considered it more personal to perform favours we could carry out magically by hand.
He returned a moment later, with a little pile that he deposited on the desk. “Plenitude of Powergives a great overview.Art and Authorityis good on the cultural side of things. AndThe Duke and the Starsis a fun read. Come to think of it, I’ve probably got some old essays on that topic, too.”
I couldn’t stop myself from picking one of them up, but I maintained enough self-control to keep my expression stern. “Just leave me to it. I’ll stay here tonight to honour this debt, but it doesn’t mean I have to talk to you. It certainly doesn’t mean you need to help me with my homework.”
Gabriel laughed. “The deal is still in effect, you know. For now, I’ll be over here, reading. But I might still take you up on your offer once you’ve got your work done.”
I stared at the computer screen as hard as I could, trying to pretend I was in my own room and to block out the sense that his burning eyes with their weirdly shaped irises and coloured pupils were fixed on the back of my head.
Gabriel was toying with me, that much was clear. Not yet claiming my solemnly promised sex and magic, but never quite letting me forget that he could do so whenever he chose. Making me welcome, but not entirely allowing me to relax.
But what did he actually intend? Was this all a bluff and he’d return me unharmed in the morning? Or did he think it’d be all the sweeter to finally make me submit once he’d lulled me into a false sense of security?
Somewhat against the odds, I made good progress with the essay. The books Gabriel had recommended were as useful as he’d claimed.
“I’m going to bed,” Gabriel said eventually. “I’d normally be causing a scene in town at this time on a Friday night, but I can’t let anyone see me when I’m supposed to be taking advantage of you.”
How many of the rumours that swirled around him had been carefully curated for his own purposes?
“And where am I going to sleep?” The words came out in a whisper, the question concerning more than simple logistics. If he were going to make good on our twisted deal, now would be the time to do it.
He hesitated for a moment or two before replying. “With me,” he replied, eventually. “But I’ll take the sofa.”
I bowed my head. “Just stop this, please. You need to keep me here overnight to prove a point, fine. But if you’re going to claim what you’re owed, then get it over with. If you’re not, then put me out of my misery. I’d like my own room, for a start.”
I sounded reasonably calm, but for all my brave words, I once again felt ready to pass out with nerves.
He crossed his arms. “I want to keep an eye on you. And I want to keep my options open. As your family love to tell people, don’t make magical bargains if you’re not prepared for the consequences.”
I followed him back to his room in silence. I tensed when we crossed the threshold. Was this the moment he was going to act?
A gentle surge of magic flowed out of him, and I jumped, but all he’d done was make up the sofa bed.
“There’s an en suite bathroom if you want to get yourself ready for bed,” he said, as though I were a normal house guest.
I did as he’d suggested—dashed to the bathroom, sorted my face and teeth with a simple spell, then conjured up something resembling the cosy pyjamas I’d been wearing when the evening began.
When I got back to the room, Gabriel was laid out on the sofa bed, shirt off, striped cotton pyjama bottoms on, apparently asleep—though I found that hard to believe.
For a long moment, I just stood and stared at him. With his eyes closed and his body still, he was like a beautiful statue. Some of his swagger had fallen away, and he seemed less wild, less dangerous.
I shook my head and turned away. That was probably what he wanted me to think. One more attempt to make me let my guard down before he finally pounced. I shouldn’t let myself relax around him, however tranquil he looked in the moonlight that drifted in through the window. And I certainly shouldn’t admire his body—whatever he did or didn’t intend to do with me, he was still a monster.
