Chapter 20 #2
Torin grumbles a curse under his breath and runs a hand over his stubble while Jack scans the hotel lobby, his face lighting up as he makes his way over to us.
“So, what do you think?” He smirks at the expressions on mine and Aster’s faces. “I take it neither of you is from a city? You look like you’ve never seen a building before.”
I shake my head. “Not like this, I haven’t. I mostly try to avoid cities if I can. Too messy. And Aster’s a farm boy.” I smile at him as I translate, earning myself a poke in the ribs.
“Well, if you spent much time here, you’d learn that in this city you’re either in the lap of luxury, or you’re in absolute squalor.
There is no middle ground.” Jack scoffs, taking a step toward the reception desk where two very shiny, very smiley people sit.
“And if my parents discovered we’d stayed anywhere other than this, there’d be hell to pay tomorrow. ”
I blink at him, wondering if they’re insanely protective or something. “They’re—”
“Snobs.”
Ah, I’d really hoped he’d say protective.
“I’m not sure I’m very good at dealing with snobs,” I tell him.
Jack snorts, waving a hand as if he’s brushing off my concern.
“Don’t worry about it. As long as you don’t growl at them like someone—” He gives Torin a pointed look, which is totally ignored.
“—then they’ll probably ignore you. Don’t be surprised if my mother tries to flirt with your mate here.
She’s got a penchant for a ‘bit of rough’ as she calls it.
She used to try flirting with Torin, but she learned her lesson last time. ”
“Hence the growling.”
“Exactly.”
He chuckles as he strides off to the front desk while the three of us watch on.
He immediately says something that has the receptionist smiling at him and then practically climbs over the desk, pointing at something in front of her which leaves her giggling into her hand before showing off perfect teeth in a gleaming smile.
“It’s almost sickening, isn’t it. Charming fuck,” Torin grumbles.
“I’m sure you could be equally as charming,” I tease him, earning me an unimpressed glower that has me grinning.
I don’t know what it is about being here, but I’m feeling positively giddy right now.
Jack doesn’t dally with the receptionist before stalking back to us. Somehow, his hair looks even shinier than usual, and it hits me that he may be wearing a glamour.
“So, you’re a sorcerer,” I say, faking a casual tone as he steers us all out of the foyer to an impressive set of marble stairs. “When were you going to mention that?”
The look he gives me raises my hackles, like he shouldn’t have had to mention it at all. “Oh, Reva.” He tsks in a particularly condescending manner, and I reach up and flick him on the nose.
“Quit looking at me like that.” I prod him on the sleeve, checking to see if the material feels like it looks, and when my hand touches nothing but skin, my eyebrows shoot up. “Are you even wearing clothes?”
He rolls his eyes, ignoring my questions as he guides us over to a glittering platform. “Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.”
“Do you know how annoying it is for someone to only speak in idioms and stupid phrases?” I ask him seriously. “Very. It’s very annoying.”
Torin snorts loudly, failing to stifle his laugh with a cough that has Jack glaring at him.
“I hope you enjoyed the magical lift at the Dry Dock as we’re on the seventeenth floor.”
Instead of heading for the staircase, like I thought, he circumvents it, leading us to a patch of marble floor that’s shimmering with flecks of gold.
“I think I’d rather take the stairs,” I reply.
“That’s not happening.” Jack grips me by the elbow and tugs me forward until all four of us are standing in the middle of the shimmering air.
The floor immediately begins to ascend, surrounding us with a glittering light that’s no less terrifying than the other magical lift. I squeeze my eyes shut while Aster wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. I rest my forehead in the crook of his neck and take deep breaths.
“Let me know when we need to step off.”
I’m surprised when a wall of heat warms my back as someone plucks the straw from my hair. Then I feel another hand on my upper arm, rubbing up and down in a gentle motion.
“Yes, I’m a sorcerer,” Jack says from beside me, and I realise at least one of the hands on me must belong to him.
“A very underpowered and shameful one. My family are of an ancient line who have been interbreeding for greater power for centuries. And all I can do is change into a raven, which is worse than having no magic at all.”
“Oh.” The silence that falls is a little awkward, so I find myself lifting my arms in an exuberant shrug that I quickly cut off when I realise it’s pulling me away from the safety of Aster’s chest. “Well, apart from Aster, none of the rest of us have got any magic, anyway.”
“And mine’s nothing to write home about.”
“Considering most sorcerers are pricks, I don’t think we mind too much that you’re a rubbish one,” Torin adds.
Jack just snorts. “Well, as sweet and uplifting as it is to know I have your support, we should all get some rest. Something tells me tomorrow’s going to be a trial for us all.”
Aster squeezes my hip, and I peel one eye open to see that we’ve stopped in place. Avoiding looking downward at all costs, I step forward and we set off in search of our rooms.
It turns out that Aster and I are sharing again, which I find oddly comforting. Not just because without me, he can’t communicate with anyone, either. It’s also for the selfish reason that I feel entirely out of my depth here.
We unlock our room beside Torin’s and across the hallway from Jack’s and the two of us openly gape at the mixture of opulence and magic that’s on display.
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Me neither.”
There’s the heated stone floor beneath our feet.
The water already mixed with a dozen options for scented bubbles pouring from the tap in the bathroom.
The fireplace which crackles in the very centre of the room with its purple flames and no sign of a chimney, where the flames don’t burn when they touch.
... don’t ask me how I know that last part, Aster wasn’t pleased with my method of finding out. He channeled Torin’s attitude to shoot me a dirty look, shaking his head and silently tutting and then seemed confused when I couldn’t help grinning back at him.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
I shake my head wordlessly. I don’t know how to explain the feeling in my chest. It’s a twisty, burrowing kind of warmth that hits me whenever I think about how different Aster looks now to when Frannie and I found him, curled into himself like he was an abandoned puppy.
It’s only been about a week, but his colour’s back in his cheeks, and he’s already filling out more after enough proper food and rest.
Both of us then take full advantage of the bath, and Aster takes his time testing out the different fragranced water until he works out which one he likes best. Afterwards, the two of us sit side by side with our thighs touching on a loveseat in front of the flickering flames.
We’re both wearing white robes that are the softest, fluffiest things I’ve ever felt before.
And I can’t stop staring at him. Taking quick peeks at the handsome face that’s grown even better-looking from filling out slightly, his cheeks less gaunt after days of Cookie’s huge portions.
“Are you going to be all right here when there’s so much magic around?” I ask softly. “Tomorrow too?”
When we’ll be face-to-face with more sorcerers.
He takes a considered look around, tilting his head from side to side like he’s seeing it all for the first time.
“Strangely enough, I am.” Shifting in his seat until his arm is resting over the back of where I’m sitting, he gently plays with a tendril of my hair, straightening it and then letting it go loose again.
“It’s oddly freeing, knowing that there’s nothing more they can get from me, even if they wanted to. ”
Now that he mentions it, I know exactly what he means. Normally, I’d be doing everything I could to avoid being anywhere near sorcerers of any kind. Now though, it turns out I’ve spent the past week in close proximity to one and I’ll be facing up against his snobby family tomorrow.
I guess that now that my nightmare has already come true, these particular sorcerers can do whatever they like. It’s not as though they can take Noush even further away from me.
And better than that, we’ll be the ones using them for information.
“Plus, I’m not going to be facing them alone,” Aster adds. “It makes a big difference.”
My eyes flick over his face again as I take a deep breath and feel inside me for the dual heartbeats that aren’t my own. Both feel as though they’re tucked away inside my chest for safekeeping.
And I’ll do whatever I have to until we’re all reunited again.