Page 23 of The Dagger and the Flame
Lark’s green eyes widened, and Ransom knew he was counting chickens for Mama in his head. Emboldened by the challenge, they both left as quickly as they had arrived. Ransom made to follow them, but Dufort pulled him back.
‘You,’ he said, raising a warning finger. ‘Find the girl and kill her.’
Then he turned from Ransom and stalked out of the Cavern, dragging his shadows with him.
‘What about the dog?’ Ransom called after him.
Dufort’s cruel laugh echoed down the stone passage. ‘I could do with a new rug.’
Chapter 7Seraphine
It was mid-morning at House Armand and Sera was half-asleep, reliving a time when Lorenzo had chased her through the vineyard behind their tutor’s house. She had purposefully tripped over her basket to let him catch her. When he did, she pulled him down to the warm earth, pressing her mouth against his, raking her fingers through his perfect golden curls while his hands slid up her shirt.
How can a person taste like sunshine and feel like the finest silk?he murmured against her lips.
Sera snorted into his collar, always embarrassed and delighted by his dramatics. For her, a kiss was just a kiss – a delicious escape after a day full of lessons. She welcomed Lorenzo’s needy hands on her skin but she never sought a deeper meaning in the shiver of his touch or the caress ofhis tongue against hers. These moments were enough as they were.
Lorenzo! Seraphine! These grapes won’t pick themselves!
Somewhere at the other end of the field, Lorenzo’s mother was calling them. Maria was Mama’s best friend and together they ran a small vineyard. At the end of every summer, all four of them harvested the grapes, although nowadays Lorenzo and Sera always found time to distract each other from work.
Seraphine!Mama called out.Come out before winter or our precious grapes will rot! Sera!
‘Sera?’ Bibi knocked, then after a moment, tiptoed into her bedroom, rousing Sera from the dregs of her slumber. ‘Are you awake?’
‘Just waiting for my brain to kick in.’ Sera sat up in bed, wondering about the Vergas. She had fled in such a hurry, she never thought to go to Mama’s oldest friend, to tell Maria and Lorenzo what had happened. But the flames were so high and the sky so black, they must have known. Did they believe both she and Mama were dead?
A slant of sunlight slipped through the window, bathing the room in a soft honey glow. Bibi was holding a bunch of flowers wrapped in crepe paper: lilacs and irises and forget-me-nots. ‘I picked these up at the market. I thought they might brighten up your… um…’
‘Grief?’
Bibi flushed. ‘I was going to say room.’
Sera smiled, her heart swelling. She might not have Lorenzo, but she had Bibi. And Val, who had come to check in on herlast night with a pocket full of ginger biscuits. ‘Thanks, Bibi. I love flowers.’
‘I’ll get a vase for them. You should get dressed. You have your first lesson with Albert this morning, remember? He’ll be waiting for you down in the gymnasium.’
Sera startled at the clock on the wall, then flung herself out of bed. ‘I overslept.’ She rummaged in her dresser for one of the outfits she had spent her stipend on at Marveline’s Boutique. She settled on a pair of loose cotton trousers and a matching short-sleeved shirt. ‘Do you mind taking Pip out?’ she asked, as she hastily braided her hair.
‘Of course not,’ said Bibi, happily scooping him up. ‘I’m sure he’s been dying to spend more time with me. After breakfast, we might even visit Theo to see if he will sew him a tiny cloak.’
Sera chuckled at the image. ‘He’d certainly make a better thief than me.’
‘You don’t know that,’ said Bibi, with an encouraging smile. ‘Good luck with Albert.’
Sera steeled herself as she made her way down to the gymnasium, eager to throw herself into self-defence practice. It wouldn’t do much for her pressing Dagger problem but it was sure as hell better than nothing. She hated feeling so nervous and uncertain, but that day at the Rascalle had spooked her.
Why did the swan dance?
She had played those innocent words over and over in her head, torturing herself with the memory of that unguarded softness in the Dagger’s eyes. Was he toying with her, like a cat tossing about a mouse just to see what it might do?
Have a nice day, Seraphine.
How the hell did he know her name?
She couldn’t forget those fateful words, even as she tried to convince herself he wasn’t a Dagger. Not with those warm eyes and tentative smile. That low, sonorous voice. No. He was too young to be evil. Too handsome. And yet… her name in his mouth had sounded like a threat.
She should have struck the arrogant bastard right then and there, left the imprint of her hand on his cheek as a promise of more violence to come.
