Chapter 16

 

Unsure whether Jared had ever seen a movie, given some of his oddly archaic behavior, she went with her grandmother’s first suggestion and showed him the library. He stepped lightly across the carpet, his head tilted back, marveling at all the books that lined the walls.

“All this belongs to Mrs. Hale?”

“Yep, and knowing my grandma she’s probably read most of the books in here. She spent a lot of time studying and was a nurse at one time.” Tori flashed a smile. “Her career’s what inspired me to use the stethoscope to hear you talking to me inside the lantern.”

“That idea was a stroke of genius. You and your grandmother are alike. Do you think she’ll let me use this library if I stay here with her?”

Tori’s mouth opened and closed. “I thought you’d already decided—before I came back downstairs from changing.”

“It’s a wonderful opportunity, and I’d be a fool to say no, but what I really want is to stay with you.” He stepped closer and traced his knuckles across her cheekbone.

Tori gulped. “I’d love to be able to see you every day, but my parents would never allow it. We can chat on the phone, but as far as seeing each other in person, the best we’ll get are visits. And that’s assuming my parents don’t find it weird that Grandma’s new employee will be staying with us.” Sensing his disappointment, Tori added, “I’m sure Grandma will work something out to convince them you’re also a travel companion. They’ll probably be excited about that—Dad especially worries about her traveling alone. But, still, that doesn’t give us a lot of time together. We won’t see each other every day, not yet. I have to finish school—”

Jared looked at her, his eyes thoughtful. “Your parents won’t hire me?”

“Oh, no. They can’t—our house isn’t anything like this. Grandma’s situation is...special.” She elbowed him gently. “Besides, you might need to spend some time getting used to Charlottesville, Virginia. I’ll bet there are many things you’ll find different from Havenbrim, Llum.”

“That makes sense; it wouldn’t hurt for us to get to know each other over time as I get acquainted with my new life.” He pulled out one of the high-backed chairs and sat down.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, thank you. I’m still getting used to standing on this new leg. My muscles never ached inside the lantern.”

Tori pulled up a chair next to him. She sat down a little too quickly; her knee bumped the metal prosthetic. “Sorry,” she murmured self-consciously.

“No need to worry. I didn’t feel it.”

“Really?” She reached out a fist to tap the outline of the leg through his clothing. The solid metal made a clicking sound against her knuckles.

Jared clasped her hand in his. “Bumping the metal casing from the outside feels like nothing. But I can sense the gears inside and the sensation of a foot resting on the floor. This, too, will take some getting used to.”

Tori stared at the hand that held hers. The tug of unanswered questions niggled at the back of her mind. “Can you tell me something about when you were inside the lantern?”

“Yes, I remember most of the time I was there. What would you like to know?”

“What happened to you that night I came to visit and the lantern wasn’t lit? Not the first time, but the night when a heart was drawn in the condensation.”

“That was a difficult night,” he said, squeezing her hand. “But you made it better. I was depressed, worried I’d never escape the glass prison. I blamed Machin, I blamed Moretta, I blamed myself... I came close to blaming you for finding me, for making me aware of feelings and life. You introduced me to a life I desperately wanted to join, to be a part of. I needed to find a way to out—to find you, in case you never came back. And yet you came back.”

“You knew I was there?”

“Yes, I felt you were near, but I was too weary. I’d lost too much hope.”

“Is that why the lantern was unlit?”

Jared’s eyes filled, tortured with pain. “I felt your hands on the globe and the pain in your voice when you called to me, but I couldn’t do anything about it. The best I could do was draw you that heart.”

Tori smoothed a loose curl from his forehead, something she’d been wanting to do since she sat down. “You felt all that? Do you remember me taking the lantern back to my room that night?”

“I remember every moment you were near. I couldn’t always see you, but I knew you were there.”

Tori flinched, remembering what he’d overheard from inside her room—her mumbling to herself and to the lantern. It would take a while before she would shake the embarrassment of that. “What happened when I came back to my room to get you? The lantern held an ordinary flame. Was that still you?”

“Yes. You’d returned again; I was feeling better, but I guess I wasn’t all there yet.” He puckered his brow, looking unsure whether he’d explained himself correctly.

Tori lifted her chin. “What was it about the moonlight tonight? Why was it needed to bend inside the glass? How did that set you free?”

“It was a feeling, a guess. Machin taught me that moonlight is light bent from the sun. I didn’t fully understand it then; but the feeling grew stronger when you hung me outside from your grandmother’s porch. The moonlight reminded me of the light Machin used to open the lanterns, of the brightness trapped inside. I didn’t understand it then, but I do now. An explanation would take time, months of studying combined principles of metallurgy and refraction, the bending of light. Thank you for trusting me. You and Machin— Both of you saved my life.”

He pressed his palm to her cheek, smoothing away remaining traces of confusion and doubt. Tori thought of the tiny hand inside the lantern, fingers stretching wide to match the touch of her fingertip. Here, his hands were larger than hers, warm and real. His fingers interlaced with hers as their lips pressed together in a kiss.