anyway,” Louise conceded, frowning slightly. “Come walk with me; I always plan better when I’m moving.”
“But I thought we …”
She pressed a finger against his lips. “Don’t think.”
When they paused on the bridge joining Isle Delanuit—whether the Renier family’s Chateau Delanuit had given its name to the island or the island to the Chateau was not entirely clear—to Craindre Island, Dmitri pointed up into the sky. Although the air held a chill that foreshadowed winter, the sky was clear, and the stars seemed close enough to touch. “Do you know what they call that constellation in Borca?”
Louise pressed her cheek into his shoulder, willing, for the moment, to allow him to instruct her. “No, what?”
“We call it the Broken Heart.”
She tugged him into motion again. “I don’t believe in broken hearts.”
He smiled adoringly down at her, his eyes adapted enough to the darkness to see the pale beauty of her face. “Then you’ll never break mine.”
Under the bridge, clinging easily to the rough stonework, the white wererat followed, shaking its head. She won’t break your heart, you idiot. She’ll rip it out and eat it.
“I think,” Louise murmured as they started along one of the city’s many riverside esplanades, “that your little test was just a bit too simple. It isn’t enough to know that your brother is a wizard; we need to know how much of a wizard he is.”
By now, Dmitri knew better than to ask her why. “I guess I could find out,” he offered doubtfully.
“How? He won’t tell you anything; we’ve already established that.” She felt his arm grow rigid under her fingers and tightened her grip, pleased with his anger. “No, my sweet, you’ve done enough. Leave this to me.”
“But if he frightens you …”
Although her eyes glittered in anticipation, she managed to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “We should face our fears, don’t you think?”
“No. I don’t think,” he continued quickly as he felt her tense, “because you don’t want me to.” Her smile was all the reward he could have desired.
“It would help if we knew what he was searching for.”
“Knowledge.” Dmitri tried not to grind his teeth at the memory of Aurek’s sanctimonious one-word reply. “That’s what he said when I asked him but, as you pointed out, I know he’s not telling the truth.”
Louise ignored him. “What would a wizard be searching abandoned buildings for?” she mused, chewing on her lower lip.
“Abandoned wizardry?” The look she turned on him stoppedhim in his tracks, the soles of his boots slapping down hard against the pavement. “What? What did I say?”
“Exactly the right thing.”
Surprised by her response, he beamed. “So you’re pleased?”
She gave his arm a squeeze and turned him back toward the Renier estate. “Very pleased.”
Her words were a promise, and Dmitri felt his pulse quicken.
While they walked, Louise made gleeful plans. If Aurek Nuikin was searching for magical items in the abandoned buildings of Pont-a-Museau, she’d just see to it that he found a few and, if he survived the finding, she’d know for sure if she could use him.
At the bridge, Dmitri shook his head and looked out over the city. Lights were burning in a number of windows and, though he couldn’t see it, he knew the party they’d left earlier was still going on—would be going on until dawn. “I don’t understand why everyone says this city is so dangerous. Standing here, with you, I feel perfectly safe.”
He jumped as a half-starved alley cat slunk out of the shadows, and then he laughed at his reaction. “Mind you, that’s not to say that some of the stories I’ve heard haven’t made an impression.”
Scrawny body low to the ground, scarred ears flat against a triangular head, tail lashing the night, the cat glared up at Louise and hissed.
Louise glanced down over one slender shoulder and hissed back.
The cat leaped into the air,
“But I thought we …”
She pressed a finger against his lips. “Don’t think.”
When they paused on the bridge joining Isle Delanuit—whether the Renier family’s Chateau Delanuit had given its name to the island or the island to the Chateau was not entirely clear—to Craindre Island, Dmitri pointed up into the sky. Although the air held a chill that foreshadowed winter, the sky was clear, and the stars seemed close enough to touch. “Do you know what they call that constellation in Borca?”
Louise pressed her cheek into his shoulder, willing, for the moment, to allow him to instruct her. “No, what?”
“We call it the Broken Heart.”
She tugged him into motion again. “I don’t believe in broken hearts.”
He smiled adoringly down at her, his eyes adapted enough to the darkness to see the pale beauty of her face. “Then you’ll never break mine.”
Under the bridge, clinging easily to the rough stonework, the white wererat followed, shaking its head. She won’t break your heart, you idiot. She’ll rip it out and eat it.
“I think,” Louise murmured as they started along one of the city’s many riverside esplanades, “that your little test was just a bit too simple. It isn’t enough to know that your brother is a wizard; we need to know how much of a wizard he is.”
By now, Dmitri knew better than to ask her why. “I guess I could find out,” he offered doubtfully.
“How? He won’t tell you anything; we’ve already established that.” She felt his arm grow rigid under her fingers and tightened her grip, pleased with his anger. “No, my sweet, you’ve done enough. Leave this to me.”
“But if he frightens you …”
Although her eyes glittered in anticipation, she managed to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “We should face our fears, don’t you think?”
“No. I don’t think,” he continued quickly as he felt her tense, “because you don’t want me to.” Her smile was all the reward he could have desired.
“It would help if we knew what he was searching for.”
“Knowledge.” Dmitri tried not to grind his teeth at the memory of Aurek’s sanctimonious one-word reply. “That’s what he said when I asked him but, as you pointed out, I know he’s not telling the truth.”
Louise ignored him. “What would a wizard be searching abandoned buildings for?” she mused, chewing on her lower lip.
“Abandoned wizardry?” The look she turned on him stoppedhim in his tracks, the soles of his boots slapping down hard against the pavement. “What? What did I say?”
“Exactly the right thing.”
Surprised by her response, he beamed. “So you’re pleased?”
She gave his arm a squeeze and turned him back toward the Renier estate. “Very pleased.”
Her words were a promise, and Dmitri felt his pulse quicken.
While they walked, Louise made gleeful plans. If Aurek Nuikin was searching for magical items in the abandoned buildings of Pont-a-Museau, she’d just see to it that he found a few and, if he survived the finding, she’d know for sure if she could use him.
At the bridge, Dmitri shook his head and looked out over the city. Lights were burning in a number of windows and, though he couldn’t see it, he knew the party they’d left earlier was still going on—would be going on until dawn. “I don’t understand why everyone says this city is so dangerous. Standing here, with you, I feel perfectly safe.”
He jumped as a half-starved alley cat slunk out of the shadows, and then he laughed at his reaction. “Mind you, that’s not to say that some of the stories I’ve heard haven’t made an impression.”
Scrawny body low to the ground, scarred ears flat against a triangular head, tail lashing the night, the cat glared up at Louise and hissed.
Louise glanced down over one slender shoulder and hissed back.
The cat leaped into the air,
Similar Books
