Chapter Seventeen
CHAPTER
Seventeen
The bells strung on the door trilled merrily.
When Thea lowered Falling in Hate with his Lordship, Zofka and Talibah were standing in front of her counter, wearing expressions as different as their outfits: Zofka in mismatched patterns, her chestnut curls escaping their ribbon as a lick of mischief toyed with her face; Talibah in teal, regarding her thoughtfully.
‘What?’ Thea asked, suspicious at once.
‘Just checking in on you after your . . . visit,’ Talibah said.
Zofka’s mischief deepened. She drummed a couple of fingers on the countertop. ‘Spill,’ she demanded.
‘Zofka . . .’ Talibah’s exasperation was softened by their years of friendship.
‘You told Talibah you had nothing else to read,’ Zofka interrupted, shaking her escaped curls back over her shoulder. ‘Which can’t possibly be true. And you only stockpile books when you’re trying to distract yourself.’
Thea fidgeted, knowing the second she confided in them, they were going to have thoughts. Notions. Many, many opinions.
Zofka narrowed her eyes.
Thea groaned. ‘I kissed Jasper.’
‘Let’s get a drink,’ Zofka said at once.
Outside the Quarter, a thin rain was falling, painting Prague in shades of grey, its streets overrun with water that soaked through the women’s boots and dribbled down their hair.
The women didn’t slow until they reached a noisy tavern, tucked away in a street off Old Town Square, with a glimmering side view of the Orloj, the astronomical clock.
Zofka brandished two goblets of sva?àk, spiced wine, and a ginger tea for Talibah, and slid into her chair, setting them out on the little table they’d snatched on entering. ‘I thought we could use warming up; it’s been a long day.’
The tavern was rowdy, but Thea rather liked it; it distracted from the noise inside her own head. A group of people were gambling on a game of chance nearby, and two women were roaring with laughter at the bar. The air was warm and peaty with hops.
‘Drink up.’ Zofka pushed Thea’s goblet in front of her. Its scent tickled her nose, all cinnamon and clove and citrus, married with a rich red wine. Thea took a long drink. ‘Now tell us everything.’
‘What happened with Malek?’ Talibah stirred honey into her ginger tea. ‘I thought you were fond of him.’
‘I was. I am,’ Thea amended. She buried her hands in her hair. ‘I feel terrible. It’s all his fault!’
‘Malek’s?’ Zofka asked.
‘Jasper’s,’ Talibah countered.
A knowing light illuminated Zofka’s sky-blue eyes. ‘Ah. Of course,’ she murmured, sipping her own wine.
‘Not like that.’ Thea’s frustration burned hotter at the notion of having feelings for Jasper.
She refused to spend any longer dwelling on the single – rather long – kiss they’d shared.
The softer side Jasper had shown, grieving alone in the forest. ‘It’s Jasper’s fault because I cannot love Malek, nor any man. ’
Zofka patted her hand. ‘Well, that, I quite understand. I know it takes some getting used to the idea of being different in this society, but I have trod this path before you and believe me when I tell you that you will not regret it.’
‘I’m not sure she’s telling us what you think she’s telling us,’ Talibah said, with no small hint of amusement.
Zofka raised her goblet. ‘Well either way, I recommend it. Women smell much nicer than men and they have the softest hands—’
‘You know I cannot love anyone.’ Thea took another deep pull from her goblet.
‘That’s why it’s Jasper’s fault. He didn’t need to take my heart, I’m certain of it.
My entire life of memories must have been enough payment for whatever I asked of him.
If he needed more, I could have paid in years.
He could forge a new deal with me now, taking my time in exchange for the safe return of my heart. Yet still he keeps it.’
‘Thea,’ Talibah said gently. ‘You keep telling us that you cannot love, but I can’t believe that that’s true.’ Thea started, but Talibah continued before she could interrupt. ‘You love us, do you not?’
Zofka beamed at Thea. ‘That, is an excellent point.’
Thea frowned into her goblet. These two women had waited up for her safe return from the opera, helped her puzzle through the hardest magical request she’d ever received, and listened to her every worry and concern.
They were her friends, her family, her everything.
And, yes, she loved them. Looking up, there was nothing but kindness and understanding reflected in their faces as they waited for her to speak.
‘I do love you both, very much. But I’m not in love with either of you. ’
‘Romantic love is a different beast,’ Talibah acknowledged.
‘Your spell-heart might carry different capabilities. Or it is perfectly adequate, and you simply haven’t met the right person yet.
You were never told you couldn’t love without your heart, you’ve just always assumed that’s the case. What if it isn’t, after all?’
Zofka snorted. ‘You do have an unfortunate habit of kissing toads.’ Her attention sharpened. ‘Now, tell us about kissing Jasper.’
Thea groaned into the dregs of her goblet.
‘Why don’t you start at the beginning?’ Talibah suggested. ‘Last we spoke about him, you were adamant you hated him.’
‘Oh, she’s going to need more wine for that.’ Zofka spun on her stool, raising a hand and an impish grin at the barkeep. ‘And so am I. More tea, Talibah?’
The barkeep came over to refill Zofka and Thea’s goblets with spiced wine. Steam framed her face as she poured, tossing a wink at Zofka, who blushed.
With the second goblet, it all came pouring out, as inexorable as the moon dragging the tides across an ocean. How they’d been arguing when he’d told her I know exactly what you want. What you need. And then kissed her.
Zofka choked on her spiced wine, her eyes moons. ‘Are you serious?’
An errant giggle escaped Thea, and she laughed into her goblet, making it bubble like an over-brewed potion.
Talibah shook her head at their antics, hiding her smile.
‘How was it?’ Zofka asked. ‘Was it better than your kiss with Malek?’ She sipped her wine like a contented cat. ‘I bet it was,’ she continued. ‘You two have that, that—’
‘Energy,’ Talibah finished, exchanging a smug smile with Zofka.
Thea groaned. ‘It doesn’t matter, it was a mistake and it’s never happening again.’
Zofka’s grin widened, scenting blood. ‘So, it was good then.’
‘Fine, yes, it was good. But we both agreed it would never happen again,’ Thea told them. ‘Then earlier today, Malek brought me flowers and invited me to the Winter Ball.’ Suddenly things didn’t seem quite so funny.
Zofka frowned. ‘Why won’t it happen again?’
Thea took a hearty gulp. The spices scorched a path down her throat.
‘It was nothing, it meant nothing,’ she said firmly, ignoring the doubt reflected back at her from her friends.
‘It can’t mean anything, it wouldn’t be fair to Malek.
’ Dear, patient Malek, who was courting her like a gentleman.
Who was bearing the price to save his sister from a terrible fate.
Talibah nodded to herself, sipping her tea.
But Zofka, a few goblets deep in spiced wine, leant closer. A ringlet dropped down to the table as she hushed her voice. ‘What was kissing Jasper like, though?’
Thea flushed, touching her bottom lip before she realised and stopped.
Zofka swore excitedly, drawing the attention of the gambling table, who hooted and raised their tankards to her.
Talibah laughed. ‘You raised an interesting point earlier.’ Her amber eyes gleamed against the lantern-lit tavern, all honeyed stone and rosy wooden tables scarred from decades of clinking tankards. ‘We haven’t once considered that Jasper might forge a new deal with you.’
‘Oooh,’ Zofka added. ‘Have you ever asked him?’
‘There’s no point,’ Thea said darkly. ‘I doubt he’d go for it.’
‘If he did, would you be prepared to give him back what he’s given you?’ Talibah asked. ‘The power, the apothecary, your home, all of it?’
Slowly, Thea nodded. Giving up her home would be challenging; she adored her cosy little hideaway with its crooked ceiling and windows overlooking the trees of the Magic Quarter, with their foliage that smelt of caramel each autumn, harbouring a parliament of time-telling owls.
But home wasn’t a place, it was her friends, and Cinnamon.
Home was wherever she hunkered down with a book at the end of the day.
And the magic? Well, that would be missed, but if it meant never again having to ask a girl for her memories in exchange for her safety, then she would be glad to lose it.
‘I would return it all in a heartbeat to learn who I really am. To feel my heart beating in my chest. To not be beholden to him.’
Talibah leant over the table. ‘Then ask him for a new deal, on your own terms. You’ve grown . . . closer recently, perhaps he’ll surprise you.’
Zofka swallowed the last of her wine and slammed the goblet down, leaping to her feet, where she wobbled in place. ‘Let’s go.’
Thea tugged Zofka back down. ‘I’ve asked him for my heart before and he’s always refused. I need to think what he might want in exchange—’
‘You overthink too much,’ Zofka grumbled. ‘I’ll tell you what he wants.’
Thea and Talibah stared at her, waiting.
‘You,’ Zofka said simply, looking back at Thea.
A lump settled into Thea’s throat. ‘How is your spirit?’ she asked instead, changing their conversation onto other matters, Zofka’s spirit and Talibah’s next trip, the Magic Quarter meetings and if anyone had learnt anything on the wards.
They had not. Thea and Zofka drank more sva?àk.
Until the tavern lanterns glowed brighter and Thea’s thoughts sank into submission.
Zofka won a handful of hellers from the group playing chance nearby, her ringlets escaping every last pin.
The trees slanted as they marched back through the Magic Quarter, arm in arm, Zofka singing a cheerful festive tune as Talibah shushed her and Thea cackled in delight. Until they saw who was standing outside the apothecary, impatiently waiting.
‘Jasper,’ Thea uttered.
‘Let me speak to him.’ Zofka swung her cloak back and pushed her dress sleeves up.
Talibah held onto Zofka’s cloak, stopping the inebriated witch from lunging at Jasper. ‘I wouldn’t,’ Talibah said mildly.
Footsteps echoed down the cobblestones. Gretel arrived, slightly breathless. She wore a simple gown that nipped her narrow waist, and her large brown eyes softened when she saw Zofka bumbling around.
Talibah cleared her throat delicately. ‘They’ve, er, had a long night.’ She handed the bottom of Zofka’s cloak to Gretel.
‘Thank you, I’ll take her from here,’ Gretel said, holding onto Zofka’s cloak and taking it all in stride as if this was a typical scenario to occur in the middle of an autumnal night.
Zofka sang all the way back home. Loud and cheerfully out of tune.
Jasper stepped into the light under a nearby street lamp.
Snow dusted his dark hair like sugar. Thea wished she could sink her hands into it.
She shook the intrusive thought from her head.
‘I will take Thea off your hands.’ He was dressed in black, as if he knew he belonged in the shadows and darkness.
Talibah hesitated.
‘It’s fine, I’m safe with him,’ Thea told her.
‘Send me a raven before you go to sleep,’ Talibah said, loud enough to make certain that Jasper also heard. ‘I want to know that you’re safe and well.’
Thea flapped a hand in agreement. ‘Of course.’ She brightened. ‘Did I tell you that Biscuit took his first flight earlier? All the way across the apothecary.’
Talibah’s smile was gentle. ‘That is good news indeed.’
Thea smiled back. When she blinked, Talibah seemed to vanish across the snow-strewn street. The witch light blazing through the gourds’ carved faces flickered as if they were laughing.
‘What are you doing here?’ Thea stumbled past Jasper and into the apothecary. ‘It’s been a long night, I need to sleep.’
Jasper gave her a bewildered look. ‘We agreed to meet tonight – I came to bring you this.’ He gave her an envelope. ‘One fingernail, previously belonging to a lake spirit.’
‘Oh, thank you,’ Thea gushed, opening it. ‘I wanted this so very badly,’ she admitted, ‘Meeting a real-life lake spirit does not sound pleasant.’
Jasper’s tone darkened. ‘I can assure you, it is not.’
Inside the envelope was a slip of paper, folded over many times, and a lump of something slimy. ‘What is this?’ she wobbled in place.
‘What is what?’ Jasper took the envelope. A frown marred his forehead.
Thea stared at it. He frowned so often that she recognised his frowns the same way other people might recognise smiles. This particular frown was half confusion, half irritation, with a good dash of frustration tossed in for measure.
‘It’s rotten.’ Jasper’s mouth drew into a straight line. He sighed. ‘I shall have to source you another one. My apologies. It might take a week or so, I am preoccupied with investigating this issue with the wards and—’ He gave Thea a suspicious look. ‘Why are you staring at my forehead?’
‘I’m interpreting your frowns,’ she told him.
His frown drew tighter. ‘I think perhaps you’d better go to bed.’
‘Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?’ Thea asked. ‘But I am not kissing you again, ever, never mind climbing into bed with you.’
Jasper cleared his throat, his frown contorting into something quite unfamiliar.
‘Are you . . . smiling?’ Thea gasped.
‘Absolutely not.’
‘Hmm,’ Thea told him.
‘Do you have any guesses tonight or are you too inebriated to make one?’ he asked dryly.
‘Is my real name Jasper?’ Thea asked.
Jasper was definitely fighting a smile now. She was sure of it. She stared at him suspiciously. ‘Unsurprisingly, it is not. Goodnight, Theodora. Please drink some water.’