Page 68 of Skullduggery
‘I’m fine,’ I said. ‘A bit shaky but fine.’ I looked around. Wherever we were, it wasn’t a hospital, not unless high-elf medical institutions in the nineties favoured baroque interior design.
‘We were planning to take you to hospital,’ Hugo admitted, ‘but our plans changed when Athair showed up. We couldn’t risk him finding us. We’re in Edinburgh, in a flat belonging to a friend of my parents.’
A very grand flat; I was in a four-poster bed, for heaven’s sake. The wallpaper was heavy, flocked damask and there was a lot of dark burnished wood. It was dramatic, overly ornate – and exactly the sort of place where I’d expect the Pembervilles to hide out.
‘Howareyour parents?’ I asked.
‘Shocked.’ He paused. ‘To say the least.’
I couldn’t blame them.
‘They’ve sent my other self down south for a holiday with my nanny to keep him – me – safe.’ He scratched his chin. ‘It’s not something I have any memory of happening.’
‘You were two years old, so that’s hardly surprising.’ I passed a hand over my face. ‘Baltar is still alive, just like in the future. I don’t think anything we do here can change what will happen in the future. And that means we can’t change things for Lady Rose.’
Hugo lowered his eyes and I stared at him, alarmed. ‘What? What is it? Is she okay? Is she here with us?’
‘She’s here.’ He still wouldn’t look at me. ‘She’s fine. She wants to talk to you on her own as soonas you’re up to it.’
Hester drew in a breath and prepared to speak but Hugo’s head snapped up and he glared at her. I folded my arms and switched my gaze between the pair of them. ‘What’s going on, Hugo? What aren’t you telling me?’
‘Rose will explain when you’re better.’
‘Hugo—’
His voice was strained. ‘Please, Daisy.’
Goddammit. ‘I’m better now,’ I said. I was annoyed. Hugo was supposed to be on my side and we’d promised not to keep secrets from each other. What the fuck was going on?
‘Okay.’ He stood up and ran a hand through his hair. ‘I’ll get you some food so you can get your strength up.’ He picked up a glass of water from the bedside cabinet and handed it to me, then dipped his hand into his pocket and held out two pristine pills of spider’s silk. Bless him. I gazed at the pills for a moment, then all-but snatched them from him.
Hugo looked away as I raised them to my mouth. And then I stopped, swallowed hard and handed one of the pills back to him. He stared at me.
‘It worked,’ I whispered. ‘I released all my magic at Baltar and it worked.’ I touched the centre of my chest. ‘I can feel it inside me – it’s different. I can control my magic, Hugo.’
To prove it, I pushed myself up and kissed him full on the lips. My senses swam at the taste of him and my stomach flip-flopped, but no trace of wild magic surged forward. After all these years, I was finally in control.
I drew back and gazed into Hugo’s eyes. Hester and Otis were staring at me, their expressions so desperately hopeful that I couldn’t look at them directly. ‘I can’t go cold turkey,’ I whispered.
He nodded, understanding immediately. ‘It’s too dangerous – you’ll go into sudden withdrawal.’
‘That doesn’t mean I can’t start weaning myself off it.’
He wrapped his arms tightly around me, and for that one moment nothing mattered except the two of us. Eventually, he moved away. ‘I’ll get you some food before I’m the one who loses control,’ he said gruffly. ‘I’ll tell Rose she can come in and speak to you, if you want.’
My stomach knotted. ‘I do want.’ My addiction was not my only problem; I needed to know what else was going on.
Hugo crooked his finger at the brownies. ‘You two should come with me.’
‘No way.’ Otis shook his head firmly.
‘We’re staying here,’ Hester said.
‘Please.’
‘Go with him,’ I told them softly. ‘It will be alright.’
There was a mutinous tilt to Hester’s chin, but she glanced at Otis and something unspoken passed between them. ‘Fine,’ she said and pointed to the door. ‘But we will be right there waiting if you need us.’
