Page 17 of Tales of a Monstrous Heart
A clatter from the bookshelves made me turn sharply to consider the dark beyond us, wondering if William would emerge, or Alma. But there was nothing there.
‘The house doesn’t like to sit still,’ Blackthorn said, a reluctance in the reassurance he offered.
Mad Lords, manic houses and clutter. Alma was going to kill me when she returned to human form.
‘Those other compendiums, they’re here?’ I asked carefully, looking back to him. Surely he couldn’t trust the Council to keep them contained, but I didn’t know what to think of a man who kept such close quarters with evil things.
‘The house wards keep them contained, as well as a multitude of other spells.’ His words weren’t much, but I forced myself to remember that Master Hale trusted this man. That this was part of some plan.
I sighed, holding out my hand for my artwork he’d stolen, eager to excuse myself. ‘Well Lord Blackthorn. I’ll let you continue with—’
Unexpectedly, he rose. The sheer size of him blocking out the weak fire, casting us in shadow as he held out my art folder to me.
‘Emrys,’ he corrected. His eyes seeming pitch-black in the darkness.
‘That’s improper.’ I was startled by the request. Especially after having such small rebellions beaten out of me.
‘Partner mages call each other by their first or last name. I thought you were here to be one?’ he challenged and I hated that he was right, but I swallowed down my unease.
‘Emrys.’ I nodded.
It felt strange on my lips, too intimate, but something about it made him withdraw, turning his attention back to the fire in dismissal.
I clutched the art folder to my chest like a shield, deciding it was best to make a quick exit. However, I’d only made it a few steps to the doorway before he spoke again. As if curiosity had gotten the better of him.
‘Why did you use an Insidious spell?’ The question startled me, but then again, so did everything about him.
‘How did you …’ I flushed, stumbling over my words. ‘They’re the strongest.’
‘And the most difficult.’ His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ‘They don’t teach Insidious Theory at the institute.’
‘No, but they have books on it, if you know where to look.’
‘In forbidden places I assume?’ His lips twitched. I was unsure if he was amused or mocking me.
‘Curiosity isn’t a crime.’ If the Council cared that much, they should put better concealment spells on the ruins, or fill it up once and for all.
‘You taught yourself how to cast a centuries-old spell on a gobrite from reading a book?’ Blackthorn seemed to take in every inch of me as he considered the weight of his own words.
Gobrite, an Insidious creature of blood bargains. That was what Commander Ainsworth had locked in that book. I was annoyed I hadn’t figured it out myself.
‘I explained the method in a paper …’
‘… the Myth of Insidious Curses.’ He finished my sentence effortlessly.
My lips parted with shock.
‘You’ve read it?’ It had been one of many papers I assumed the Council had burned upon submission, left to rot in a drawer or, worse, allowed to be plagiarised by an idiot.
‘Why did you save him?’ His voice was soft, as if we were sharing a secret.
There was no threat or menace in his strange crystalline eyes. Just genuine curiosity. I didn’t know what to do with that.
‘Letting him get soul-snatched is a harsh punishment for stupidity,’ I replied easily. For once not ashamed of my weak heart.
‘It would have taken yours.’ He frowned
‘I had a spell ready for that.’ Perhaps my confidence could be mistaken for arrogance. Those dark eyes moved from my slippers right to the top of my head, dipping to focus on the sharp tip of my ear for the longest moment before coming to meet my gaze once more.
