Page 24 of The Witch and His Crow

‘Am I wrong not to?’ I asked, chewing on the inside of my lip.

‘Well, no. We’re rivals I guess, but I’d rather keep you close. Until you give me a reason to think otherwise.’

‘Touché.’

Once I was ready to go, my stomach was practically growling with hunger. Romy’s too. The smell from the lower floors had drifted up to us, enticing us down despite the danger. I wondered if that was the point, to get all the witches in the same room together. Regardless, it would work. We all needed water and food to survive the first few days, let alone the full four weeks.

I had to duck slightly just to take a seat on my sleeping arrangements. Springs groaned beneath me, the material as stiff as dried wheat.

Romy took the sheet on the bed and lifted it up with flair. A cloud of dust billowed between us. She coughed as though she were choking.

‘Better,’ she said between coughs. ‘But if we’re going to survive, we are going to really need to brighten up the place.’

‘You say that as though someone hadn’t just tried to kill me. I’ll be lucky to last a week.’ I was confident I still had glass in my hair. The cut across my cheek had stopped bleeding at least, but unless I could find a witch with a healing Gift—and one who wouldn’t make an attempt on my life—I would have to wait for it to heal naturally.

‘Which is exactly why we’re going to stick together.’

I leaned forwards, elbows on my knees. ‘Last time I checked, you didn’t want me to partake in the Witch Trials to… how did you put it… better your odds of winning?’

Romy whipped around, fast as a viper. ‘Oh, Hector. Would you quit with the sarcasm and combativeness? Take me for what I am.’

‘And what are you?’Besides the daughter of a traitor?

From the darkening of her expression, I’d struck a nerve. ‘An opportunity for an alliance. We both know that sticking incovens is what increases the chance of success. Plus, if we both agree, it keeps me from harming you and you from harming me.’

I shook my head before truly thinking. ‘No, sorry Romy. I’m better being solitary.’

‘Not better,’ Romy replied. ‘You’ve just had more practice being alone. Except, you haven’t been alone, have you?’

Fuck. Here we went. My silence was incriminating, but from the winning gleam in her brown eyes, Romy knew she’d gotten me in a corner.

‘Where’s your familiar?’

I swallowed hard. ‘Not here.’

‘Clearly, otherwise that attempt on your life would have failed before it truly begun.’

I stood from the couch, feeling uncomfortable beneath her gaze. Never had someone known so much about me. Well, anyone but Caym. Trust was a new concept, one that was going to take some getting used to. Plus, I had to work out Romy’s true intentions first.

‘Who’ve you told?’

Her brows knitted together, deep grooves spoiling her usually soft forehead. ‘What do you mean?’

‘About Caym. Who have you told about my familiar? Your father… I’m sure he would delight in knowing that I harbour an outlawed creature’

She raised her hands in supplication. ‘No one. Not a soul. Nor do I intend to tell anyone.’

The pause that followed was as thick as the dust in the room. It hung between us, as we each contemplated who would make the next move.

Turned out it was me. ‘Thank… you.’ I stumbled over the words.

‘Hell, that looked almost painful,’ Romy laughed, her expressive brows raising into her hairline. ‘I can see we have some work cut out for us to really build this alliance.’

‘I haven’t agreed to it yet.’ Clearly, my initial thought of using Romy as a human shield was pointless. The attempt on my life had proved that. I wasn’t sure if it was worth the danger, then, of being by her side.

‘Well, you haven’t refused it either. So, think about it. The two of us, facing all those… what, almost two hundred witches?’ In moments, Romy sat beside me, a hand rested upon my shoulder. Her expression softened. I found myself trying to read every line and crease, as though they held the answers to whether she was my…

‘Friend,’ I said. ‘How about we start there?’

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