Page 105 of The Dagger and the Flame
Instead, he went to Lark’s room, knocked twice, got impatient and barrelled inside. Lark cursed as he leaped out of bed, completely naked. He lunged for his robe, and Ransom blinked at another muffled sound of surprise, and belatedly realized there was someone else in his friend’s bed. Another blink revealed Nadia, who had pulled the sheets up to the bridge of her nose, her wide brown eyes peering out over the top.
‘Fuck— Sorry.’ Ransom backed out of the room. ‘I didn’t realize— I didn’t know.’
‘One second.’ Lark turned to mutter something to Nadia then joined Ransom in the hall, shutting the door behind him. ‘What the hell happened to you tonight?’ he hissed, looking him up and down. ‘Don’t tell me you went fishing for bodies in another fountain.’
Ransom frowned at the barb. ‘It’s raining.’
‘No shit.’
There was an awkward stretch of silence.
‘I knew you were taking tonight off,’ said Ransom, slowly. ‘But I didn’t realize you two were…’
‘Living the dream?’ Lark’s tone was teasing but his green eyes were bright. He had been pining after Nadia for years, and now he wore the unmistakable look of a man in love.
Ransom couldn’t keep the shock from his voice. ‘How long have you two been…?’
‘A few months,’ said Lark, his gaze softening. ‘Best ones of my life.’
‘Right.’ Ransom couldn’t keep the hurt from his voice. His two best friends had been sneaking around formonthsand they hadn’t bothered to tell him.
‘Don’t look so bereft,’ said Lark, clapping him on the shoulder. ‘Even best friends lie to each other sometimes. I was going to tell you.’
‘When?’
‘When you came to tell me you were in love with your mark,’ said Lark.
Ransom stared at him. Lark stared right back.
Of course Nadia had told him about the other night in the catacombs, probably sang for him like a canary the second he returned with Dufort. They had probably laughed over what a fucking idiot Ransom was.
‘It’s not like that,’ said Ransom weakly.
‘Whatever itislike, you better figure out a solution,’ said Lark, prodding his chest. ‘Either kill her or get her out of this city. If Dufort catches wind of what you’re doing withourmark, it’ll be your headandhers on a big fucking platter. And I’m not about to join that dinner party. One way or another, she has to disappear.’
Just a handful of minutes ago, Ransom had been teetering on the edge of telling Lark everything – about Seraphine and Dufort, and the life-altering promise he had just made her.
But now, looking at his friend in the dimness and realizing there were things about Lark and Nadia he didn’t know – trust that he clearly hadn’t earned from them – he decided he would say nothing. For his sake. And for Seraphine’s.
Even best friends lie to each other sometimes.
He dipped his chin. ‘Give me a few days, Lark. I’ll figure it out.’
‘You’d better,’ said Lark, before turning on his heel and going back to Nadia.
Ransom went to his bedroom and opened Seraphine’s music box. For a long time, he sat on the edge of his bed, watching that ballerina twirl as he listened to the music of his childhood, this lullaby of freedom. He wanted it now more than ever. Not just the freedom, but the girl as well.
They already shared a lullaby. Why not a dream, too?
He slept fitfully that night, the weight of his promise to Seraphine sitting like a tombstone on his chest. He awoke after midday, emerging bleary-eyed from his bedroom to forage for food.
There was no sign of Dufort anywhere, and short of knocking on every door in the passage or scouring the seedy streets of the city, Ransom could only wait for him to come back. Hours passed in the Cavern with only a deck of cards, a tumbler of brandy and his own addled thoughts as company, until Lisette came to bother him.
‘You look even more haunted than usual,’ she said, perching on the side of his armchair. ‘Are the skulls beginning to frighten you?’ She fingered the tassel of his cushion. ‘Don’t worry, when I become Head of the Order, I’ll give this place a little sprucing up. Maybe plant a herb garden.’
When Ransom didn’t bother to reply, only finished his drink and stared past her towards the door, she poked him in the shoulder. ‘What’s the matter? Farmgirl swallowed your tongue?’
It was an effort not to shove her off the armrest. ‘Go back to your gossip mill, Lisette.’
