Part 16 (1/2)
Evelina stopped walking to stare at him. They'd pa.s.sed quickly through the building, meeting no one along the way. Now they stood in the chill night, the smell of rain and dying leaves thick in the air. ”Actually, that's not true. A sorcerer has to learn how to do those things.”
”You studied with Magnus.”
”For a very short time.” Enough to infect her with a taste for stolen life, but not enough to learn how to satisfy that craving. Regret and relief clamored inside her, but mostly relief. Mostly, but not always.
”And yet even his prize automaton knew how.”
Shock coursed through Evelina. ”How did you know about Serafina?”
Tobias made a sour face. ”I read the diary of the man who built her, but I didn't understand it at the time. Not until Im told me about the soul trapped inside her.”
”How ...?”
”Magnus left Imogen in Serafina's care. It was Anna.”
”Anna?” Imogen's dead twin. Horror slammed into her, stealing her breath. Evelina's lips parted, but she couldn't find her voice. Her mind was too busy linking facts together, rearranging everything she'd believed. Dear G.o.d! There had been something childlike and endearing about the doll at first. Had that been some echo of Evelina's love for Imogen? But then she left me bleeding to death. She would have torn me to pieces if she could.
”I'm sorry,” she said softly into the darkness.
”It was a foul business,” he muttered. ”I hope to G.o.d she's at rest now that she's free from Magnus and his d.a.m.ned spells.”
”There was nothing left of the Wyvern when it went down.”
”That was the only good thing to come out of that night.”
Tobias gave her a narrow look. ”You didn't know he'd given her Anna's soul?”
”Not at all!”
”Are you telling me the truth?”
Another sting-and now Evelina was too upset just to swallow it. Her eyes burned, but anger blocked any tears. ”Would I lie about something like that?”
”I don't know.”
”You used to value my honesty. Have I changed that much?”
His answer came back sharp with resentment. ”To be utterly frank, I don't understand why you had anything to do with Magnus, much less why you gave yourself up to Keating. What game are you playing? I try to figure you out, and that stops me every time.”
She felt an almost physical jerk at the change in topic. ”We talked about this already.”
”Tell me again.”
A lump clogged her throat, and then melted into rivulets of pain. ”I traded myself for the Red Jack. It didn't work.”
Tobias swore softly. ”For Nick?”
”You gave yourself to Keating for your family. I did the same thing.”
”And still Nick died.”
She nodded, unable to say more. Tobias shook his head, as if he still didn't believe her, and stalked toward the carriage he had waiting a dozen yards away. The set of his shoulders was like a door slammed shut.
She tried to guess the cause of his mood. There was a sliver of jealousy, but surely some of it was nerves. He didn't like magic, and they were up for an entire night of it. And then there was the simple fact that they were forced to be together. They hadn't learned how to manage that yet.
Evelina followed, recognizing the vehicle as one of the Gold King's black victorias. A pair of gray horses waited patiently in the damp night, flicking their ears as the first raindrops fell. The driver was nearly invisible beneath the thick, dark folds of his caped coat.
Tobias handed Evelina into the vehicle and then joined her on the opposite seat. ”I'm sorry,” he said.
”I know,” she replied, her voice husky. ”But I can't talk about Nick anymore.”
”It's just that I never knew you loved him.”
”Neither did I until it was too late. At least, I didn't realize how much.” And she hadn't known that the wild magic that flared whenever they were together could be tamed. Nick had learned to handle his power, and when they'd finally made love, it hadn't been simply with their bodies. Their union had been far more profound.
She had no idea what showed on her face, but Tobias gave her a look that might have been pity or anger, but she couldn't read it. The carriage was picking up speed, and bars of illumination from the streetlamps flashed through the carriage. They were on the border of the Scarlet King's territory, and the red globes turned the gaslight b.l.o.o.d.y. She turned to the window, looking for some sign of where they were going. She thought she saw the edge of Highgate Cemetery. It would at least be peaceful there.
”I should have fought to marry you,” Tobias said into the darkness. He spoke so softly, the words were barely audible over the rattle of wheels on the road.
”You didn't love me enough,” she answered.
”I should have.”
She shrugged. ”These things don't always come out the way you expect.”
Tobias sank back against the seat cus.h.i.+ons. There wasn't anything to say. And so they rode in silence, sitting far enough apart that they never touched, even when the victoria lurched on the uneven roads. The silence began to oppress Evelina, whose mind reeled with everything he'd said about Anna, and about them. She might have tried to speak, but Tobias stared out the window, one hand clenched in his lap. It didn't seem the time to prod at his misery.
After a half hour, they pulled up before a tall, narrow house. They still had to be somewhere at the northern edge of London. As the driver folded down the stairs and helped Evelina descend, she looked around in search of landmarks.
It was too dark to see far, and the meeting place turned out to be an ordinary house on a very ordinary-looking street. A wrought-iron fence surrounded a modest front lawn much like every other lawn in view. The bland neighborhood looked like one of those built in haste when the expanding railways made commuting from the suburbs practical. Evelina felt a pang of disappointment. As far as adventure went, the night was lacking.
The interior was slightly more promising, with an eclectic collection of pictures and shadowboxes crowding the walls. They were shown at once into a parlor done in red velvet. Evelina paused on the threshold, getting a first impression. Five other guests-two men and three women-sat in the ample chairs, guarded by a trio of cats that lounged bonelessly on the empty seats.
Evelina reached out with her senses, questing for magic, but all she felt was mild chaos-and that had more to do with the housekeeping than with the company. With the exception of a square table in the middle of the room, every surface was crammed with pictures, sh.e.l.ls, comfit boxes, clocks, bits of lace, and curiosities so that Evelina had little idea what the furniture beneath looked like. If there were any actual psychic vibrations at work, they were buried in the clutter.
Tobias was already making introductions. A wiry woman with upswept gray hair nodded graciously. ”I am Emily Barnes.”
”Our hostess, I believe,” Tobias said with his most winning smile. ”I trust our credentials are in order?”
”Yes, that's right. I received your letter of introduction to our little society. Thank you so much for sending it in advance. We have to be careful, as I'm sure you understand. And I'm so delighted you were able to bring your lovely cousin.”
Evelina started a little at that, but it made sense. A man could accompany a relation without a chaperone-and cousin sounded far better than prisoner. She tugged the cuffs of her sleeves over the silver bracelets and made her how-do-you-dos.
Miss Barnes pressed her hand warmly. Her fingers were strong, her movements brisk and efficient, and Evelina recalled something Tobias had said about the woman having an interest in nursing. From her age, she would have been among the first wave of gentlewomen who had chosen it as a profession. That made Evelina curious about her.
”Please have a seat,” said Miss Barnes. ”We'll be starting in a very few minutes.” With that, the woman bustled off to do something in another part of the house.
Evelina ventured into the room, glancing at the faces of the others. Their hostess had introduced them all, but she'd already forgotten most of the names. They all looked ordinary, and she was certain none was Madam Thala.s.sa. She sat down gingerly on a settee coated in enough cat hair to knit another kitten.
”It's very lovely of Miss Barnes to let us use her house,” said a blond woman with a round, rosy face.