Page 104 of The Falconer

In the dressing room, peeking from underneath a pile of soft, pastel silk dresses, is my mother’s tartan. Derrick must have removed it from the trunk last night.

My eyes prick with tears as I bend to pick it up. I admire the plain fabric, the simple design of light and dark wool, as I draw it to my face and inhale its scent. I swear I catch the faint sweetness of my mother’s perfume. Lavender with a hint of rose. I hug the tartan hard and shut my eyes. I drag in another breath, but the scent is gone. Maybe I imagined it.

Carefully, I fold the woollen shawl and place it back inside my wooden trunk. Though I’m tempted to take it with me, I’m still not worthy enough to wear it.

As I make my way downstairs, I try to ignore every detail of the house I grew up in, the house that contains so many reminders of my mother and father. But I can’t. I pass the paintings of Scottish shorelines my mother hung in the hallways because she missed the sea. The scent of pipe smoke and whisky still lingers near Father’s study as I walk by. I can’t remain here, no matter how much I want to.

I close the front door for the last time and head for the centre of Charlotte Square. Derrick and Kiaran are waiting next to the ornithopter and the locomotive, glaring at each other. Apparently they’ve agreed on some kind of grudging truce.

I tilt my head to the sky. The clouds are thick, dark, except the ones that surround the moon. My senses are so enhanced that I can see every crater and mare that darkens its surface. The rust colour presaging the eclipse has begun to envelop its white glow. Soon, it will be consumed. A blood moon.

As I near the ornithopter, Kiaran scans me quickly, head to toe, and almost smiles. I know that look. He likes what he sees.

‘Aileana!’

Gavin runs across Charlotte Square. He comes to a halt in front of me, clad in gentlemen’s finery, with fitted trousers, waistcoat and a perfectly tied neck-cloth. I wince at the reminder – he’s dressed for the ball at the Assembly Rooms, to which he’s supposed to be escorting me. Our engagement will be formally announced to our peers tonight.

Gavin blinks at my armour. He’s certainly not as appreciative of it as Kiaran. ‘What the hell is that?’

‘Armour.’

‘Looks heavy.’

I smile and clear my throat. ‘Catherine – is she—’

‘She’s fine,’ he reassures me. ‘In a bit of a shock, but she managed to convince Mother to leave town with her. I don’t know if you’re aware, but Catherine is a very skilled actress if the occasion calls for it.’

‘Oh, I am. Why didn’t you go with them?’

‘I’m here to help,’ he says. ‘I’m at your disposal.’

Derrick lands on my shoulder. ‘Oh, sonowyou’re interested in helping?’ he says. ‘What was that business you were spouting yesterday about being useless before you ran off like a miserable coward?’

Gavin glares at him. ‘Don’t bother with the bloody lecture, pixie.’

‘Gavin,’ I say, ‘you should leave Edinburgh. Any Seers in the city will be at greater risk than everyone else.’

He reaches out and clamps a hand around my vambrace.

‘No,’ he says. ‘I know I can’t fight for you.’ My eyebrows rise at the way he words it. He must notice because he quickly amends, ‘I can’t fightthem, I mean. But you can’t expect me to go to that blasted ball alone and twiddle my thumbs all night.’

One more goodbye. The last one. But somehow, I can’t bring myself to say the words again, not when I stare into his eyes. They plead with me, brimming with the same determination I saw the night he chose to leave the ball and stand by me.

My voice is shaky when I speak. ‘All right.’

‘Kam,’ Kiaran says sharply.

I can practically hear his reasoning in his tone. If the faeries sense Gavin, they’ll be drawn to him. They will kill him.

‘Watch the battle from somewhere safe,’ I tell Gavin. ‘If this doesn’t work out, I need you to try and save as many people as possible. Get them out of the city, if you can.’

‘How?’

‘Take my ornithopter. You can spread the word faster and cover more ground that way.’ I step back from him. ‘Kiaran and I will take the locomotive.’ I reach to my shoulder and stroke Derrick’s wings once. ‘Derrick, you’ll go with him.’

‘What?’ His wings flutter. ‘I’m not leaving you.’

‘Aye, you are,’ I say. ‘Stay with Gavin.’ I swallow, so the next words don’t come out choked. ‘Protect each other.’

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