Page 90 of The Sea Witch
He grabbed Alys’s hand once again and tugged her out of the sacristy, down the aisle, and then out of the church. Together, they stood blinking in the bright sunlight as traffic moved around them.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. His breath came quickly. Hers, too. She brought her hand up, fingers lingering on her lips. Currents of lightning shot along his limbs.
Words attempted to form but broke apart before he could speak them.
Finally, she said thickly, “When I looked through the register, I used magic to search out the answers we needed. But they’re not in that register. They’re in the older one.”
“The reverend said it was destroyed in a fire.”
“The register exists,” she said, “but it’s kept hidden elsewhere in the church.”
“We should come back.”
“When there’s no chance of anyone being there.”
“The church should be empty tonight.”
“Until then, we’ll need to find somewhere to hide. Somewhere private.” She let out a shaky breath.
“You’re trembling.” Her tremors reverberated through her hand, all the way up his arm.
Even with her disguise, she looked drawn and tired. “It’s the glamour. I can’t... I can’t hold it much longer.”
Her hair had already begun to shift from blond to red, and her lips were filling out, taking on the shape of her own mouth. God knew what he looked like.
“Come.” He led her hurriedly down the street. “I know where to go.”
He prayed he could get them to safety in time.
Chapter Nineteen
If Alys appeared ill, she’d only attract unwanted attention from the people they passed, so she forced a placid smile on her face and hoped no one could see the clammy sweat beading on her forehead. Standing upright taxed her to the limits of her strength. Yet she made herself do it, holding Ben’s arm.
“Don’t know why...” She struggled to speak. “Done bigger spells than this... never got me this bad.”
“Have you ever held the glamour for this long?” His voice sounded far away, even with him right beside her.
She shook her head, but that made the world tilt, so she kept her head still. “Not alone. Not shared with another person. It’s far, where we’re going?”
“Not far at all. We’ve arrived.” He guided her up a step, past a painted wooden sign that readThe Two Cats Inn. They moved inside, and she had a vague impression of a neatly appointed taproom with a few patrons, as well as a sitting area where a man perched on the edge of a chair as he read a newspaper.
“What might I do for you?” a middle-aged woman in an apron said, coming forward. She had light sepia skin and a few tendrils of tight black curls escaped the kerchief wrapped around her head. “Our kitchen is closed but I could find somebread and cheese and ale, if you so desire, and you can dine in our taproom.”
“My wife and I require a room for the night,” Ben answered.
“Of course, sir. It’ll be a shilling for one night’s stay.”
Ben patted his pockets. “I, uh...”
“Here. And here. For food.” Alys fished out two shillings from her own pocket and handed it to the innkeeper. “Room.”
The landlady blinked at Alys’s terse words. She squinted at Alys’s face, which was no doubt looking a bit wobbly as the glamour slipped away.
“Right away, please,” Ben said firmly.
“This way.” The innkeeper led them up a narrow steep staircase, which made Alys’s normally strong legs burn. At the top of the stairs, they found a T-shaped hallway lined with closed doors. The landlady passed several of them before turning down a corridor and unlocking one.
Ben pushed the door open, revealing a snug chamber with a dormer window. It was full of plain but well-made furnishings, including a dresser, washstand, and bed. The walls had been painted a cheerful yellow, but through Alys’s blurry vision, the color appeared more sickly than sunny. She gripped the doorframe to stay upright.
