Page 99 of Architecti
“That’s interesting,” I say.“Because there’s the faintest hint of a second…”
31
Lucy
It’s so late it’s early by the time Midnight and I sneak back into House Inferos.Tonight was… incredible.Which is why it was also awful.I have to stay strong, keep my emotions locked away, I can’t risk falling for Midnight, not if it means losing my power.
But the way she worships my body, empowers me by giving me control.It’s rewiring my brain.Changing my chemistry and I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.
In the face of my goal and how much closer we are to finding out what Ignatius did, how can I give up because she’s dangerous to my heart?
I can’t contemplate the fact it’s her I dream about, her I wish I drank my morning coffee with and her I wish I fell asleep next to.
She is dangerous, this whole fucking thing is.But what if it leads to my freedom?
Vetch raises his stony judgemental eyebrow at us as the door creaks open.
“I think we need to talk,” Lex says, her hand on her hip, foot tapping as the foyer lights flick on.
Bastien winces behind her, raising his hands in defence.
“Where have you been?”Lex says.“I told you about the rune and you vanished.It’s been hours.And why are you investigating celes?—”
Midnight lunges and plonks her hand over Lex’s mouth.
“My apartment,” I say, resigned to the fact we’ve been caught, but I’d rather it was Midnight’s friends than Ignatius.
We schlep up the stairs and I close us inside, putting the kettle on.We sit around the dining room table, sipping tea and picking at biscuits.
“Is this anything to do with Malifax the other day?”Bastien says.
Midnight hesitates.“We’re not sure.Probably is the best answer.They’re convinced Lu— sorry, Professor Corvine has something to do with the resurrection.”
“Lucy?”Bastien says, a smug expression sliding into his features.
Lex’s gaze flits between me and Midnight, settling on me.“The celestial runes were for you?”she asks.
“It’s…” Oh gods, I can’t tell them.It puts my job on the line, it puts Midnight’s place at Finis in jeopardy.If they were to tell someone, it would destroy everything.
Bastien leans forward.“Look, you might as well tell us, we’ve worked it out anyway.”He slides his middle and index fingers over each other in a scissoring motion.
Vile.
Why are men like this?
Midnight slaps him upside the head.
“Can we focus?”Lex yawns.
I glance at Midnight.“Should we trust them?”
She nods at me.“They have my back.”
“They need to have mine too,” I say to her.
“I trust them.”
“Okay.”I nod.
