Page 102 of Thief of Night
Posey’s suitcase was open on a stand. Clothing had been hung in the closet, toiletry bags placed in the bathroom.
Red came down from upstairs. “Two more bedrooms,” he said in that same whispery wind voice. “Nothing in them.”
No shadows here, then. Nothing much else either. Charlie turned to go when she noticed a light blinking on the phone resting on a long desk, beside a domed plate of complimentary bonbons. She followed the printed directions on an attached sticker to get to the messages.
The first was from their personal butler at Solaluna, explaining how to get ahold of her, and several services she would be able to provide, including food at any time, spa appointments, and scheduling activities like archery or aerial yoga.
The second was from a different woman.Please bring the remainder of the stock to room 210,she said with a crisp efficiency.
Stock? Did that mean shadows? Taking out her cell, Charlie texted her sister:Your cottage is clear. No monsters under the bed. Can you find out who’s staying in room 210?
If her sister couldn’t, Charlie was going to have to make another run at the front desk.
Heading out of the cottage through the back door, she found Red suddenly beside her. No longer shadow, he pressed his foot against something, kicking it into the path. Two cigarette butts.
“Smoking at a wellness retreat?” Charlie raised her eyebrows.
“Everyone has habits they indulge in secret,” Red replied, although they both knew it was unlikely to be something so innocuous.
She leaned down and picked up the filter. It was marked with distinctive gold lines. “This guy definitely has some bad habits.” If the former harvester was here, what was he looking for? Immediately she wondered if his presence had to do with her or Red, but since these cigarettes were found outside Mr. Punch’s assigned cottage, it seemed likely he was looking for the gloamist leader.
And considering what he’d done to Rooster, she didn’t want to think about what he’d do to her sister.
“If he spots Malhar,” Red said, loping back in the direction of the golf cart, “then he’ll believe Mr. Punch is staying elsewhere.”
Charlie hoped that was true. “Assuming he knows Mr. Punch’s real identity.” But she thought the harvester probably did. If Mr. Punch was trying to recruit Charlie, then he was trying to keep what he’d been doing away from the rest of his organization.
“You should take the cart back,” he said. “The cold won’t bother me. Leave me here and I’ll watch to see if he returns. At the very least, I can make sure Posey and Malhar return unharmed.”
“I’ll stay for a while with you.”
Red glared. “You’re going to freeze.”
“Distract me. Tell me about Archie.” She shifted closer to him on the cart. “He seems to think the Cabals are a cult, but I think he kind of wants to join.”
“I think he’d rather be the leader.”
Charlie snorted. “Wecould start a cult too. Make everyone wear white and donate blood to you.”
Red gave her a half-smile. “And dance naked under the full moon?”
“In the summer,” she told him, trying to surreptitiously pull his coat more tightly around herself. Watched her own breath fog in the air.
“You’re cold,” he said. “We should—”
“You’recold,” she accused.
Red laughed, then shook his head—maybe at her, maybe at himself. “Were you always like this?”
“Worse,” she told him.
“And I liked it?” But his sarcasm was soft-edged, inviting her to play along.
“You loved it,” she told him.
Catching her gaze, he leaned forward and pulled her into his arms. Surprise stilled Charlie’s movements as he kissed her. His mouth was gentle,but she felt the touch of his lips like a shock going through her. Fork in an electric socket.
She hadn’t expected him to touch her. She hadn’t been sure hewantedto touch her.
