After one last stolen kiss in the hallway, Henry made his excuses and left to get ready for his trip. He promised he’d be back before dinner, and I consoled myself with thinking the sooner he left, the sooner he’d get back.
I’d found my room with relative ease, floating along almost on autopilot. As soon as the bedroom door closed, I dropped the book on the bed and flopped down right beside it. There would be no studying now, not for a bit anyway. I was too busy reliving that wonderful kiss out there under the willow. I closed my eyes and ran my fingers over my lips, my skin tingling with the thrill of the memory. I’d waited so long for this moment to come, and now that it had, the wait had been so worth it.
After a little while, I heard a few doors closing downstairs, and I pushed off the bed and strolled over to the window. Sure enough, there was Henry, buttoning his coat and watching the Abbey door. I opened my window to wave good-bye. A rush of cold air enveloped me.
Henry looked up, and seeing me there, he smiled and blew me a kiss.
“You off then?” I said. I was being Captain Obvious, but I didn’t care. Any excuse to talk worked for me.
“Yes. Dinner is about six. We should be back by then, you know Dad.” Henry laughed, and I smiled along with him.
The front door slammed, and the General marched on by him, leaving his son to catch up. I only saw his dad’s face once, but judging by the scowl planted there, he was not in a good mood.
Not that I cared. My gaze returned swiftly to Henry, who I watched diligently until he was lost under the branches of the willow tree. I wondered if he’d be thinking of our kiss as he passed through it. I could think of little else.
I was about to close the window when the door opened again, and this time, Eleanor came through it. I thought she might be going with them, her steps were rapid as if she was hurrying to catch up, but when she reached the willow tree, she stopped.
I also thought she might have forgotten something and was about to call down and offer my services when the branches swayed, and a young man appeared. He was much taller than she was, with a thick mop of curly brown hair and the murky brown aura of a werewolf. He was good-looking, too, in a rugged, Chris Evans kind of way.
The two embraced immediately and kissed. Eleanor hadn’t mentioned a boyfriend, but since she hadn’t known me for very long, I was not surprised by this. Her dating a werewolf was something else. That was ballsy, and I wasn’t sure I’d be up to taking the same risk. Werewolves were nothing if not unpredictable.
After a moment, the two pulled apart, and he spoke, his voice a deep rumble. “Thank Gaia, you know I almost ran straight into your dad.”
Eleanor glanced over at the willow, as if she expected her father to reappear at any time. “He didn’t see you, did he?”
“I don’t think so. If he had, I have a feeling we’d know about it. He’d be running after me with a stick and a spray bottle of Febreze.”
“Yes, you’re right. Anyway, we don’t have long. You’d better come inside before we freeze to death. I swear it’s getting colder by the second.”
The werewolf nodded, and the couple hurried back toward the Abbey. Realizing they would see me, I stepped back—just as Eleanor began to look up. My heart thumped against my chest. Had the curtain moved, betraying me? Had she seen me? She would know this was my room. I hadn’t meant to spy on her, but I felt awkward all the same.
The door closed below, and all went quiet.
I knew I was as free as I’d been before, but not knowing where Eleanor and her friend were hanging out, I suddenly felt like a prisoner in my room. After all, I certainly didn’t want to disturb them. It was clear from that brief encounter outside that their time together was limited. And like she’d said herself, who ever wanted to play gooseberry? Also, I didn’t want to hear growling and snarling and yowling, depending on what might be happening. I’d never be able to look Eleanor in the eye again.
Nope, for the next few hours, I would have to be happy with my memories of Henry kissing me and my magic book. I flopped belly down on my bed and pulled the book close to me. True, I really didn’t feel like studying right now, but on the other hand, I didn’t want to disappoint Henry, after promising him I would.
I flipped the pages, searching for the chapter I had seen on Necromancy and summoning the spirits of the dead.
I studied with interest the pages on so-called black magic. There were graphic images of reanimated flesh, howling ghouls, and— “Oh, yuck!” Hag-like witches simpered over the torn bodies of the recent dead as they tried to glean their secrets. One image had an old woman doing unspeakable things to a corpse, and even though all things gothic fascinated me, I knew I would quit being a necromancer at once rather than subject myself to that.
The images left me with a better understanding of my parents. No wonder Mom had such a fear of necromancy—it was rarely depicted in a favorable light. However, I wasn’t here to mull over grotesque images of the old and recent dead. I had been tasked with learning some spells, so I flipped the pages more quickly, seeking the relevant passages to help with just that.
A little while later, I heard doors closing downstairs and then hurried footsteps across the gravel path. I didn’t get up. I’d been caught at the window already and didn’t want to be accused of snooping.
I’d been reading for over an hour, and my head was crammed full of spells and incantations, so much so I thought I would burst, or more likely fall asleep forever and never wake up again. My brain was so numb now I seriously doubted I’d be able to remember a single spell if Henry asked me.
Mmm, Henry. I glanced at my phone to check the time. It was five thirty. He would be home soon. As I pushed myself up off the bed, there was a knock at the door. I straightened my clothes and went to open it.
Eleanor stood in the hallway. Her cheeks were a little flushed, but other than that, there were no signs she’d had company a few minutes ago. She looked beyond me, as if checking to see if I was alone when she must have known I had to be. “Can I come in?”
I stood aside to let her pass.
My book was still open on the disheveled bed. She sat down and glanced at the open page before closing it. “You must excuse me,” Eleanor said. “Unlike my brother, I wasn’t blessed with the gift, and I find the images disturb me.”
“No problem. They disturb the hell out of me too!” I walked over to the window, and turning, I leaned against the sill. I had a hunch about what she wanted to talk about but thought it best to keep quiet and let her lead. I didn’t have to wait too long.
“Victor and I have been together for a few years now. Pop doesn’t approve of his kind, so we’ve been meeting in secret. It didn’t matter at first—after all, it was just a bit of a fling when it started, but well, it’s much more serious now, and neither of us are sure what to do next.”
“Why don’t you just tell him? Times are changing. People are much more accepting of that kind of thing now than they used to be.”
Eleanor’s laugh was humorless. “You’ve met Pop, right? He’ll never accept him as a werewolf—they have little magic and are frowned upon by a lot of our kind, especially the older magicians.”
I frowned, hating to hear what she was saying but knowing it to be true.
Eleanor furrowed her pretty brow and studied her well-manicured nails. “The only chance we have is if Victor makes it big. He’s been speculating a lot of late. He’s very good at guessing the market, unless it’s a full moon, of course, and then he’s careful not to trade, but he’s slowly making quite a fortune for himself. And if there’s two things Pop loves above all else, it’s fame and money. If Victor’s ship comes in, we might have a chance.”
“Or you could run away together. It’s not like you need his approval.”
“We’ve talked about it, and it might come to that. Anyway, we’ll see.”
She sighed as she pushed herself off the bed. “Well, I suppose I’d better leave you to it. They’ll be home soon, and judging from what I saw earlier, you’ll be eager to look your best.”
I chuckled, a little embarrassed but also pleased. “Sorry about that, it just happened, I never even expected it.”
“Ha, you didn’t? Well, I did.”
Eleanor smiled, and I raised my hand to tidy my hair. I had been lolling about on the bed for a while after all. “Yes, you’re right. I ought to freshen up.”
“I suspect my brother will adore you either way.”
We laughed together this time.
“Don’t worry about your dad finding out about Victor. My lips are zipped. Or Henry, either. Omertà. Nada. Sisters before misters. Pinky promise swear.”
“Ha, I know you won’t,” she said.
A strange smell made my nostrils tingle. What was it? Where was it coming from? I leaned closer to Eleanor, sniffing the air between us.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, frowning.
“Uh, you might want to consider changing your clothes and taking a shower. Victor’s scent is lovely, but he’s all over you. I think your dad might notice. Henry certainly will.”
“Oh. My. GOODNESS.” She turned and sprinted out. I heard her cry, “Thank you!” before her footsteps faded.
Anything for you, dear future sister-in-law, I thought, and I cracked up laughing.
As I closed the bedroom door behind her, I thought about her friendship with Victor and was a little sad for them both. Henry and I were lucky. I could see no reason at all why the General would oppose our relationship, and I imagined Henry couldn’t either. Poor Eleanor. I wandered into the bathroom and turned on the shower faucet. I didn’t have much time, but I still wanted to look my best. I would make dinner if I hurried.
I stripped off quickly and languished for a moment under the hot jets. As I closed my eyes, I forgot all about Eleanor and thought about Henry and that sweet, sweet kiss. I hoped for more. Much, much more.