Page 96 of Of Fate and Phantoms
I cradled it in my hands. "Where did you get this?"
"A pie shop around the corner. Hungry?"
"Starving." I bit into the pie and sighed. How had I ever coped without the comforts of pies and warmth in my years on the street? I'd been hungrier and colder than I was now, yet I had trouble remembering how I felt in those days of famine and misery. Perhaps I'd blocked it out. I certainly didn't have the nightmares anymore.
"Go home," Lincoln said gently. "There's no reason for you to stay."
"I want to."
"I suspect we'll be here until the rain eases. Harriet doesn't want to come out while it's wet and King is indulging her."
"What do they want to come out for?"
He leaned one shoulder against the wall. "You won't go, will you?"
I shook my head.
He watched me a moment then pushed off from the wall. "It's going to be a long day."
He returned to his position at the far end of the street, where he settled beneath a tree sprouting through the pavement. Seth and Gus stood at the other end of the street, barely visible in recessed doorways.
The day did indeed drag. The rain didn't ease but continued to fall in relentless monotony. Not too heavy; just enough to be maddening. And it was cold. So very cold. I blew on my gloved hands, tucked them under my armpits, and between my thighs. Nothing warmed them. I'd lost all feeling in my toes and ears around midday, and my nose constantly dripped.
There was no respite from the weather, but the occasional movement in King's room alleviated my boredom. The occupants merely talked and drank tea. Sometimes I saw Harriet, or one of the others, but rarely King himself. The faces of those I did see looked frustrated and bored. I knew how they felt. At least they were warm and dry.
As dusk finally settled over the street, and the lamplighter made his way past me, the curtains of King's rooms closed. Damn. Now what should we do?
I went to find Lincoln and was met by Seth and Gus as I headed up Rugby Street.
"Are my lips blue?" Seth asked. "I think they're frozen."
"I can't tell in this light," I said.
"I'm going to have a nice hot bath when I get home," Gus said dreamily. "Hot enough to sting."
"Get in line." Seth squinted up at the sky. "When did it stop raining?"
"Just now," I said.
We met up with Lincoln and I was about to ask him what to do next when the door to King's house opened. He came out, followed by Harriet, another two women and two men.
We fell back into the shadows. I held my breath, not daring to move or make a sound. Thank goodness we were downwind from them, or they might have smelled our presence. We all remained perfectly still as the party approached.
"It's too early," said one of the women, stepping quickly to keep up with King's long strides.
He patted Harriet's hand, tucked into the crook of his arm. "Lady Gillingham cannot wait any longer. She must get home."
Oh, thank God. She was unharmed and in no danger if he intended for her to return home. Indeed, they looked like a couple strolling to the theater. They passed beneath a lamp and I was relieved to see a look of happy excitement on her face, not fear.
But what did King mean that Harriet “cannot wait?” What couldn't she wait for?
They disappeared around the corner. We followed some distance behind, but when we turned the corner, they were gone.
"Where—?"
Lincoln cut Gus off with a raise of his hand. He signaled for us to follow behind him as he continued on. I had a bad feeling about this. There was a small lane up ahead to our left, but it was a dead end. We'd passed it on our way to Rugby Street earlier and had dismissed it as a potential exit point due to tall buildings on three sides. The only thing it was good for was storing things and hiding. It wouldn't have surprised me to find stray animals and the homeless hiding out in there.
But now I realized it could be used for another purpose—to change one's shape in private.
