Page 27 of The Dagger and the Flame
Sera clapped a hand over her mouth, turning her scream to a whimper.
‘That was a grave miscalculation,’ he said, removing his cloak entirely and casting it onto a nearby bench. He kicked off his boots, leaving him standing in navy trousers, a pale grey sweater and a pair of stripy blue socks. No cloak, no Shade. He grinned sheepishly. ‘I thought you’d find that funny.’
Sera moved her hand to her galloping heart. ‘Then you don’t know me at all.’
‘Not yet, but I’m up for the challenge.’ He stuck out his hand. ‘Theo Branch. I’m the Shadowsmith of House Armand.’
Sera looked at his hand, broad and tanned golden, and was suddenly keenly aware of how sweaty hers was.
‘It’s just a handshake,’ he said, misreading her hesitation. ‘Cloak’s honour.’
She gingerly took his hand and shook it. ‘Seraphine Marchant.’
‘The smuggler’s daughter,’ he said, though not unkindly. ‘Mercure told me about you. I was wondering when you’d grace me with your curiosity.’
‘Sera is fine,’ she said, taking her hand back. ‘I was just—’
‘Snooping,’ he said, good-naturedly. Theo had an easy smile and a pleasant voice that belied his shrewdness.
‘It was more of a general wandering,’ she clarified. ‘I was admiring your craftsmanship.’
He rocked back on his heels, grinning from ear to ear. ‘Admirers are always welcome here.’
Sera’s cheeks burned. That was not at all what she meant. She turned away. ‘The cloaks,’ she said, brushing her fingers along a nearby sleeve. ‘How exactly do they work?’
‘I mix Shade in with the dye,’ said Theo, joining her at the shelf. ‘And I use it in the stitching too. The cloak acts like a veil of darkness. It pushes away the light, and helps you fold into the shadows.’
‘And the boots, too?’
‘Boots, gloves. Hats. Scarves…’ His eyes lit up. ‘It depends on how invisible you want to be. Then it’s just a matter of folding yourself into the right shadow.’
Sera frowned at the sliver of darkness he had just walked out of. It was so much smaller than it had been a moment ago.
‘It doesn’t matter how big the shadow is,’ he said, reading her thoughts. ‘All you have to do is join with it.’
‘You make it sound so simple.’
‘Anyone can wear a cloak,’ he said, with a shrug. ‘The hard part is in the construction of it. It’s a game of measurement and precision. Of skill.’
Sera thought of Mama, and all the hours she spent hunched over her workbench, surrounded by a mass of decapitated boneshade plants, harvesting and grinding the root until it was just so. It was heavy work, which made for long hours and aching shoulders, and a weariness that lingered long after the day was done.
‘You must be very dedicated,’ she murmured.
‘It’s my passion.’ Theo smiled at her, his face so full of pride that she smiled back. She ignored the gentle fluttering in her stomach and turned to the wardrobe.
‘So, when do I get mine?’
‘Eager, aren’t you,’ he remarked. ‘Right now, if you’re willing.’
‘I’m willing,’ said Sera, far too quickly.
His eyes danced as he pulled a pinned tape measure from his pocket. He placed the pin in his teeth and unfurled the tape, talking from the side of his mouth. ‘Hold still.’
She froze.
‘Don’t forget to breathe, Sera.’
She laughed, awkwardly. ‘Sorry. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.’
