Page 40 of Foresyth Conservatory
Once in the hallway, I took a deep breath. It was Sunday, so luckily, no Circle tonight. I wasn’t sure I could handle another mental sparring match with Aspen until I sorted through all his accusations. It was quarter to nine when I found Leone sitting by the door to the lab, a book in hand. He looked up nonchalantly, as if seeing me was the last thing he wanted to do today.
“So, there might be a problem,” he said, pointing to the door.
It was locked, but beyond it, I could see a stairwell leading down to the lab. “From the looks of it, there’s a stairwell.”
“How have you gotten down before?” I asked. In my excitement to show him the light analyzer, I had completely overlooked how Leone would get down there.
“I haven’t. I’ve never needed to with my line of study,” he replied, returning to his book as if the real world didn’t deserve more than five seconds of his attention.
I needed to figure out a way to get him down the stairs. Otherwise, I couldn’t help him date his maps, which he had promised to exchange for advice on how to approach the Council for the Skorn deck.
I groaned in frustration. I was going to need help getting Leone down to the lab, unless I wanted to unintentionally contribute to another murder at the school by clumsily pushing him down the stairs.
“Stay here, I’ll go get some help.”
He muttered in faint agreement. I retraced my steps back to the breakfast room, looking for Richard. He was a stout man, but well-built enough that he could help me get Leone down safely.
“Looking for someone?” Aspen’s voice came from across the hall, from the reading room. Was he following me now?
“How is it that we keep crossing paths today?” I asked with a forced smile.
“We are in the same House,” he replied, over a book I now noticed in his lap. It was well-worn, earmarked, and heavily annotated, as if he had been poring over it for quite some time.
“I’m looking for Richard,” I said.
He considered me for a moment, likely debating whether or not to lie. “Richard is probably upstairs, sorting the rooms, and no doubt planning the menu for tonight. Is there anything I can help you with?” His smile made my stomach twist.
“I wouldn’t want to disturb you. I’ll go find Richard,” I said.
“Nonsense. I know this House like the back of my hand. And you shouldn’t disturb Richard, or he might make a mistake on the menu, and we’ll end up eating Nina’s dead pheasants. What can I help you with?” He closed his book and set it aside. I sneaked a glance at the cover, which readPlaying with Fire.
My eyes flicked upward, drawn to the breadth of his arms—muscles taut beneath the crisp lines of his dress shirt. He was certainly strong enough to carry Leone down the stairs.
Strong enough, too, to push us.
What kind of game was he playing? And how was I supposed to trust him when I couldn’t even tell whether I was a pawn—or a threat—to him?
“You might not believe this, Dahlia, but I’m the most trustworthy person in this House. Let me help you,” he said, rising from the chaise. I instinctively took a step backward.
“Fine, but only if you do exactly as I say.” I faltered. Though I knew Leone would be content to read all day, I didn’t have much time before this week’s presentation to the Council. Forget the research report; I needed to get my hands on a Skorn deck, especially since it was tied to Julian’s case.
“I need you to help me get Leone down to the lab,” I said.
“I was wondering this morning how you were going to do that.” He chuckled, a sly smile creeping up his lips. So, he had been eavesdropping, as I’d expected.
We started walking back down the hall to where Leone was seated. “This is the help?” Leone quipped.
“Oh, come on now, I’m much stronger than this tweed might suggest,” Aspen said, tossing his sports coat on a hanger. The muscles in his forearm tensed as he gripped the handles behind Leone’s wheelchair. I stepped up to intervene.
“We’re going to move slowly, wheel by wheel, but I want you at the bottom,” I said, quickly crafting a plan to get Leone and myself down in one piece. There was no way I was going to let Aspen topple Leone over me to our demise and then easily pin it as an accident.
“Dominant, are you?” Aspen said, wetting his lips. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind my women taking control.” My stomach churned at the way he looked at me.
“Disgusting. Can you two not do that around me, please?” Leone said, half-irritated, looking up from his book. I winced and shot a scowl at Aspen, but his smile only seemed to widen at my embarrassment.
“Let’s get this over with,” I said, unlocking the door with the key around my neck. I flicked on the lights and counted the steps down. “Twenty-two.” I turned and waved for Aspen to go first. He obliged without a word.
“Okay, Leone—let us know if anything feels off. And I don’t mean Aspen’s presence,” I said, rolling him over the threshold to the landing. I angled him sideways and lifted one wheel at a time. My muscles, which hadn’t been exercised in months, strained with the weight until Aspen took over the other side and lifted it with ease. His eyes followed me.
