Page 101 of The Bone Season

‘Take your forgiveness, and your mercy,’ I said to him, with soft relish, ‘and shove them both where the sun doesn’t shine.’

Before I could so much as breathe, Suhail grabbed my hair again and flung me down the steps. I tried in vain to protect my skull as I went crashing head over heels, landing hard on my ribs at the bottom.

Ireallyneeded to learn to shut up.

Fazal, the day porter, came running to my side. He must have followed us as far as the cloisters. ‘Are you all right?’

‘Don’t get involved,’ I rasped. ‘Suhail is coming. Go, quickly!’

He retreated at once. I braced myself as Suhail appeared, his expression thunderous. Before he could strike, Warden was there, blocking his arm. I looked between them, too winded and shaken to move.

‘I will discipline her in private,’ Warden said, his voice so low I could barely hear it. ‘Have the Overseer deal with the commotion.’

They stared each other down. Suhail wrested his arm free and left without another word, his footsteps echoing through the cloisters.

Warden looked at me, dishevelled and bleeding on the floor. I tensed again, but all he did was offer a hand. I got up without it, straightening my tunic.

In silence, he went back up the stairs. This time, I kept my mouth shut and followed him.

He directed me into his parlour. Even by day, it was swathed in darkness, heavy curtains drawn against the morning light. A fire roared in the hearth, and the gramophone chirped out ‘Mr Sandman’ – unusual in the morning, when Rephs were meant to sleep.

Warden went to the bathroom, returning with a bowl of water and a cloth. He placed them on the low table, locked the door, and sat in his wing chair. I waited for my sentence, still unsteady.

‘Come here.’

I moved to stand in front of the chair. He looked up at me; only a short distance – even sitting down, he was almost my height.

‘Do you have a death wish, Paige?’

I said nothing. I refused to allow him the satisfaction of scaring me.

‘A strict curfew is maintained to keep the peace in this city,’ Warden said. ‘It is a simple rule. Why were you unable to return by sunrise?’

‘I fell asleep. I was tired.’

‘Since no one could find you, I will assume you entered a prohibited area,’ he said. ‘By now, you should have adjusted to sleep inversion. Unlike many keepers, I have provided you with a bed.’

‘If you’d bothered to check, you would know there’s a leak in the attic. It’s freezing.’

‘A leak.’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘How long has it been since you noticed this?’

I shrugged. ‘A few days.’

‘Magdalen is an old residence. The timberwork in the attic dates to the medieval era,’ he said curtly. ‘A leak may have already caused irrevocable damage. Why did you not inform me sooner?’

‘You’ve a key to the attic. I thought you’d notice.’

‘I was attempting to respect your privacy.’

My brow creased.

‘Sit,’ Warden said, still cold as stone. ‘Your aura will renew itself.’ I sank on to the couch, too sore to protest. ‘Are you hurt?’

‘I can’t believe you just asked me that.’

‘I will rephrase the question. Do you require medical attention?’

I took stock of myself. My bones ached where I had been thrown around like a doll, and half my ribs felt bruised, but nothing seemed broken.

---