32
Rook leads me down the walkway bordering the canal as we pass through several groups of people heading home for the evening.
“Where are we going?” I ask as he turns around and jogs a few steps backward.
He stops and pulls me against him, drawing me into an embrace while the flow of bodies moves around us. He presses a hand to my lower back and the other against my cheek. “I want to wish you a proper happy birthday. Will you let me?”
He’s so earnest that I have no choice but to agree. “That sounds nice.”
“Good,” he says with a grin before we’re on the move again. We turn down a few streets and end up in a plaza with a fountain gurgling in the center.
“Sit here,” he says, directing me to the edge. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“It’s a surprise,” he says, then backs away, tipping his head to confirm I’ll stay put before he turns and disappears through the crowd.
I lose him in the crush and resign myself to waiting.
A gentle spray of water from the fountain mists my cheeks as I look up at the sky, which is churning with clouds.
I notice a man and a woman, both wearing Extinguisher red, standing at the end of the plaza. They’re studying the crowd, obviously on the lookout, and I turn away before they notice me.
It’s been about a week since I’ve touched Spark, but the prospect of heading to the outskirts grows more dangerous by the day.
The alternative is to wait for Sol to take us out of the city again, but it didn’t sound like we’d hear from her soon.
I wish I had access to a truck like hers so Rook and I could find somewhere safer to hide.
I lean forward, planting my elbows on my knees and my chin in my hand as I wait, thinking about the conversation with my father, more puzzled than ever.
He wanted me to keep quiet about what I saw in the Tiera Frais, even within the walls of his home, but I can’t decide if it’s to protect himself or me.
I wonder if I really will hear from him so we can talk.
A part of me is sure he’s planning to avoid me.
What is my father hiding, and what is he afraid of?
Rook emerges from the crowd, now carrying a pink box tied with a string.
“What’s this?” I ask as he holds out his hand and draws me up.
“Not yet,” he says with a wink and a soft kiss.
We wind through the streets until we reach a quiet canal where a gondola drifts lazily past. Streetlights illuminate the water, reflecting off the surface like rivers of rippling starlight.
When the city is like this, quiet and peaceful, it’s easier to forget the darkness that simmers beneath the surface.
“Almost there,” Rook says, gesturing me toward a ladder leading up. “After you.”
I arch a brow, but he’s having none of my reluctance.
“Let’s go,” he says. “I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“Fine,” I say, stepping up onto the ladder and looking back at him again. He taps my butt.
“C’mon, Graves.”
I relent and climb up the ladder that leads toward a stone balcony a few stories up.
“Here,” Rook declares. I jump off the ladder and then stand at the railing, realizing I can see the main canal winding through the city and the buzzing canopy of the Central Park Tree Farm lit up in purple. Amery stands in the distance, lit like a towering beacon, illuminating the sky.
“Wow,” I say, taking in the view. “How did you find this?”
Rook moves beside me, laying a hand on the railing. “I spent a lot of time exploring the city during my first few months here.”
“Were you supposed to be asleep in bed?” I ask with a coy look.
He smirks. “No one seemed to mind when I left.”
“Or they didn’t know about it.”
“Or that.”
I laugh. “They didn’t consider you a threat,” I say, and he shrugs.
“I’m just one person. What could I possibly do?”
“A lot,” I say. “One person can do a lot.”
He offers me a careful look. “Maybe.” Then he holds up the box. “But I brought you here to enjoy this.”
“Don’t keep me in suspense.”
He cracks it open, revealing a small, round cake. It’s like a work of art with its curls of pink frosting and a generous dusting of gold sprinkled on top. It’s so pretty I almost don’t want to eat it.
“I hope you like chocolate,” he says. “You seem like a chocolate girl.”
I laugh. “I definitely love chocolate.”
“I just realized I forgot to grab forks,” he says with a sheepish grin.
I giggle and shake my head. “Are we supposed to eat it by hand?”
“Could be kinda hot?” he suggests.
“Or messy.”
“Who says those are mutually exclusive things?”
“Fair enough,” I say as I adjust the collar on his jacket. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
“Your mom is nice, but she’s—”
“What?”
“It’s maybe not my place to say, but she’s . . . haunted.”
I bite the inside of my lip, then reply, “You’re right.”
“I’m sorry. She deserves better. You were the same when I first met you.”
I tip my head. “Was I?”
I know it’s true, and I’m not surprised that he noticed.
He nods. “It’s what drew me to you, I think.
You were this beautiful ray of light, but I could sense something darker inside you.
Now I understand that it’s the secrets you carry.
The reminder of the things your father has done.
Now I know that your bright heart had been broken.
That you were trying to hide among shadows, but that isn’t where you belong. ”
Tears burn the backs of my eyes. “And now?”
“Now you understand that darkness. It’s still there, but it’s different. It’s honed. It’s stronger. You’ve learned to use it as a weapon instead of allowing it to control you.”
I exhale a short, surprised breath, stunned at how clearly he sees me.
“I think I have you to thank for that,” I whisper, but he shakes his head.
“No, that was all you, Poet. You’re stronger than you’ve ever given yourself credit for.”
He digs into the box and holds up the cake.
“Want a bite?” he asks. “You’ll have to deal with my fingers.”
I nod as he lifts it to my lips, and I sink my teeth in with a moan. It’s delicious. Sugary and sweet, decadent beyond description.
“I discovered this bakery while I was exploring the city,” he says. “Chocolate isn’t something we get a lot out in the Veil, but it’s one of my favorites. This was easily the best thing I’d ever tasted.”
My lips brush against his fingertips as I do my best not to make a mess. I think I feel him shiver, and his eyes darken as I look up. I pull away, chewing slowly, savoring every flavor.
“It’s incredible,” I agree as he sets it back in the box. “Your turn.”
“I bought it for you.”
“I’ve known you almost a year . . . Surely you’ve had a birthday, too? One you never told me about.”
His gaze flicks to mine. “A few months ago,” he confesses.
“Then it’s settled. Besides, it wouldn’t be a proper birthday if I didn’t get to share my cake with one of the most important people in my life.”
It feels like he stops breathing for a second before he nods. I retrieve the cake and hold it up to his mouth. He opens wide and sinks his teeth in, and I can’t be sure if it’s intentional, but he licks my fingertip in a move that has my stomach dipping.
Then we’re kissing. The flavors of chocolate and icing melt together with the heat of our tongues and our lips.
I drop what’s left of the cake back into the box, and Rook sets it gently on the floor before he wraps me in his arms again.
We kiss feverishly, hands roaming, seeking the edges of our clothing before tracing our fingers over slivers of feverish skin.
An explosion overhead has us pulling apart.
A burst of green, blue, and red sparkles in the sky. Fireworks.
“What’s that?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Someone must be celebrating.” His expression turns sly. “Probably your birthday.”
“Right, that’s just for me.” I laugh. “Not sure how you managed to plan the perfect evening when you didn’t even know it was my birthday.”
He offers me a coy smile. “What can I say? I’m just that good.”
I giggle and then kiss him again as we get lost under the glow of the lights.
A moment later, I feel Rook’s phone buzz. He doesn’t normally carry it with him, but as he pulls it out, I realize it isn’t his standard-issue Amery device.
He must have brought it with him when we returned from the Veil.
He slides it open, then scans the screen before looking up.
“Cloudspire has been attacked.”