Page 83 of The Tenth Muse

But even in this, she was easy. She let me go because I said I wouldn’t be sure of her unless she did. It was heartbreaking, but necessary. She was right, of course, about Lysistrata believing her. I’d been silly not to think of it before now. Silly not to think of the consequences, should Aurelia be caught here, stealing from Geyrion Wyndsal.

Aurelia took my hands in hers. “Good luck, Selene. I wish you nothing but the best in life.”

I fought back the tears that threatened, nodding. Though it was all a ruse, there was, of course, the possibility this might ruin things for good, and that made me incredibly sad. It was worth the risk, but the pain I felt at the possibility of losing her was quite real.

“Same,” I choked out. “Very much so.”

Her movement towards the cab was strained. She opened the door, and it felt as though time might end. She glanced back at me, tears in her eyes. “You are incredible. I wish this had all been different.”

I nodded, but didn’t share the sentiment. Not even a little. She got into the cab, and when she shut the door, I let out a shuddering breath. This was the perfect way for me to meet my pair, the person who might someday become the other half of myheart. As I turned away from Aurelia’s cab, I smiled as I strode into the house. I was going to get her that book, and everything she’d ever wished for.

She wasn’t going to risk a single thing for me.

I knew how to fix this, and I would.

The party was tacky. Belle had hired a bunch of flamingo shifters to wear sequin collars and sing show tunes that were nearly a century out of favor. There was a terrible selection of wine, and she’d made the incredibly gauche decision to have a blood fountain for the vampires in attendance.

I wrinkled my nose at the fountain. The human waitstaff gave it a wide berth, and rightfully so. It was disgusting. I noticed that not one of the vampires in attendance went near it. At least there was that, at any rate. Some people had a healthy respect for humanity, even if Belle did not.

The hostess herself had dressed in a bright pink confection garnished with feathers, paired with a diamond choker. I had the gut-wrenching realization that she was meant to be dressed like the flamingo shifters in their alternae. It was a hideous appropriation for a sorcière of her status, but sadly not surprising.

This was the way the rich and powerful behaved.

This was whyThe Book of Hourscould not stay here, among numerous other reasons. But first among them was the fact that the Wyndsals, for all their vast stores of wealth, could not buy true class.

I swallowed the rude words that lingered on the tip of my tongue and greeted Belle. “Thank you so much for inviting me,” I crooned, my tone obviously false.

Belle, whose pale skin had been overwrought with glamour, made an exaggerated pout. “I thought you were bringing an escort this evening, Selene. What happened to this one, darling?”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “Tummy ache upon arrival,” I explained. “Maybe it was the fountain.”

She opened her mouth to shoot back another barb, but there were other guests waiting to speak to her, so I wiggled my fingers at her and backed away, letting some of her more convivial friends take my place. Absolutely wretched, the lot of them.

I picked a coupe glass off a discarded tray and wound through the party with a glass of sparkling wine, chatting with a few of my parents' friends here and there. The minutes ticked by in a terribly boring fashion. I got stuck in a long conversation with one of my mother’s colleagues about some equation he hadn’t been able to solve, and yawned.

“Oh, goodness,” Professor Velante exclaimed. “I must be boring you terribly.”

I shook my head, covering my mouth with my hand. “No,” I said with another yawn. “Not at all. I just haven’t slept well in days. Too much sea air, I suppose.”

The professor laid a gloved hand on my bare arm. “You should go home and get some rest.”

I smiled, affecting a bit of sleepy sheepishness. “I think I will. Thank you.”

The professor patted my arm again and caught the next passerby. As he chatted away about his equation without missing a single beat, I slipped down the back hallway towards the library. The doors were shut, but thankfully, not locked. I slipped inside, taking my heels off as I went.

The library was silent. I pulled a few threads, testing to make certain there were no unexpected wards in the room. There were not. It was almost insulting how little security Geyrion had affected. I walked through the shelves, wondering where he might hide something as precious asThe Book of Hours.

It was a shock when I happened upon it by chance, shelved haphazardly without rhyme or reason next to a classic romancenovel. I frowned, taking it carefully off the shelf and opening it with care. The threads of the book sang to me. Whenever I had good luck with the books I stole, it was because of my affinity with them. Something in me justfeltcertain books.

The Book of Hourswas one. I hugged it. Finding theBookhad been as easy as finding Aurelia. Once, as a younger woman, such ease might have made me suspicious. Now, I was simply grateful. Life was so hard when you were different from other people.

I knew well what people thought of me. That I was too effusive in moments where I should be calm, too calm in moments when I should be emotional. I never laughed at the right moment, and I was far, far too judgemental. In attempting to fit in, I nearly always went too far.

There had never been a person I felt like I just fit with the way I did with Aurelia. I wasn’t going to question the ease by which she came my way and caught my interest. What was strange for others was perfect for me. I glanced at my wristwatch. It was nearly ten. I had just enough time to get to the hotel and retrieve Aurelia. We could still make it to the train station in time.

ten

. . .

---