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She was shaking a little and held him close. He was stunned at the contact, even as he pulled her further into the shelter of his tall body.
"Are you okay?" he asked. She looked too pale, her eyes huge and black under the fluorescent light.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said, stepping out of his arms. She was still shaking, so he took her hand, and they stepped onto the train.
"Come on, I promised you coffee," he said gruffly. They found a place near the back, and Augustus used his body to form a barrier between Mara and the crush of commuters.
"Do you need me to tell you why kissing ghosts is a bad idea?"
"Is it because they pull out parts of your life force when they do?" Mara asked, and his frown deepened. "It helped her move on, Augustus. It's worth it, so she's no longer trapped here or trying to trap others."
"It was reckless. She could have dragged you in front of this train with her," he whispered, his arms going to the wall on either side of her and caging her in.
"But she didn't. I'm fine, Augustus, only a little cold," Mara assured him, seeing straight through his pissed-off tone to the worry underneath it.
Augustus rested his palm on her cheek, the chill of the ghost still lingering on her skin. He whispered a spell under his breath that fed warmth into her.
It was presumptuous, but Mara didn't move the hand away. It was entirely inappropriate that his heart beat a little bit faster.
The train stopped at Southern Cross Station, and holding her hand, Augustus pushed their way out onto the platform and up the escalator. The ticket barrier opened for them automatically, and they stepped back onto the windy street.
"One of the best coffee shops in Melbourne is this way. We need to get something warm into you," Augustus said. He was still holding her hand, unable to let it go until his own fear for her abated.
They walked down a small alleyway, and Augustus opened the door for her into a tiny cafe. There was barely enough space for ten people, but the barista gave him a wide smile.
"Usual, Augustus?" he asked, his blue eyes flicking to Mara.
"Yes, please, and anything the lady wants," Augustus said. Finally letting go of her hand as the warmth of the café brought color back to her cheeks.
"I feel fine, Augustus. You can relax," Mara assured him, her hands cradling the takeout cup of her soy and honey latte. He sipped his, not feeling relaxed in the least.
"You should've let me banish her as soon as we spotted her. It would've been safer."
"Safer but less humane. She was confused and in pain. She needed comfort more than she needed to be banished," Mara argued.
"She's dead. She doesn't feel pain. At most, it was an echo," he grumbled back.
"Is that what they taught you in that fancy Academy of yours? To stop caring about people?" she asked, anger flashing in her eyes. "Who are you to say she didn't feel pain?"
Augustus didn't reply. In truth, that was precisely what the Academy taught them. To learn magic, be of service and study it, and not get involved in the messy politics and lives of the supernatural demimondes.
Mara was a saint of grief; easing people's messy pain was her magic, and Augustus didn't know how she lived with it.
"I'm sorry," he said eventually. He rubbed the back of his neck irritably. "I didn't expect it to be that complicated, and you plunging in like that scared me. Be a saint, Mara, but don't be a martyr, okay?"
"I won't, Augustus." Mara smiled slowly, color rushing along her lips which triggered his own tingling again. "I didn't mean to frighten you. It just sort of happened that way."
Augustus nodded and drained his coffee. "Well, that was all very depressing. Want to see something that's not?"
"Lead the way," Mara said, her easy smile staying.
God, he was going to be an idiot for that smile; he justknewit.
Augustus took her to Bourke Street, where the London Plane trees were industriously dropping their leaves. He reached out and snatched one from the air and passed it to her before grabbing his own.
"They are leaves?" Mara twisted the purple and brown leaf in her hand.
"Not just any leaves," Augustus said, sitting down on one of the benches. "In 2003, I attempted a piece of magic that I thought would help mend the hole in the magic. As a result, I got a freak weather event, and when lightning struck Bourke Street three times, we got the wish leaves."
