Page 135 of Thief of Night
“The first person I will give this recording to is Fiona,” Charlie said, with a tight smile. “So tell him tonight.”
Adeline took a sip from her coupe glass. “No,” she said, after a long moment. “I don’t think I will.”
As she walked off, Charlie half-collapsed onto a chair. She closed her eyes for a long time and when she opened them, Red was standing over her.
“I’m glad you could come,” he said.
“Malhar and Posey might be robbing you right now.”
Though his smile was wry, his voice stayed soft. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come to your family’s place for Christmas. I needed to get some things in order.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“I spoke to Bellamy,” he said. “He told me about the arrangement you made.”
“There are advantages to not being a gloamist,” Charlie said, notwanting him to worry about her. “Since I don’t have a shadow, I can’t be possessed.”
“But why would you want to do such a thankless job?” he asked. “Alone?”
“Someone has to do it,” Charlie said. “Maybe I can make it a better position than it was when it was foisted on us. And if some Blights never get caught, well, then I have the easy excuse of my own incompetence.”
He didn’t look convinced. “Will you stay, after midnight, after the others leave? It doesn’t have to be for long.”
Charlie thought of Adeline’s helicopter flight out. Was he aware of it? Did he know she was expecting him to accompany her? Was he planning to give some final speech to Charlie just before his departure? “If you want.”
He gave her a smile full of promise. “This house is mine now. Adeline preferred a bit of extra money. It turns out that I’m the sentimental one.”
Charlie refused to let his ownership of the house bother her. He’d grown up here, no matter what horrors he saw. “You ought to have it if you want it. You ought to have whatever you want.”
“Knowing that you will be here when the party is over is the only thing I care about.” He threaded his fingers through hers, squeezed, then let go.
What she needed was another drink.
Charlie found Posey and Malhar sitting together on the stairs, staring at his phone. The satchel resting beside them looked more full than it had when they arrived.
“What’s going on?” Charlie asked.
Malhar turned the screen toward Charlie. An article inVulture: Graduate Student Illuminates Controversial Path of Shadow Quickening. Next to it was a photograph of him, at the Umbral Elevation Retreat, staring intensely into a camera lens, one hand out as though beckoning. Posey could be seen behind him.
As she read, texts were popping up on his screen.
“This broke an hour ago,” he said mournfully. “Why aren’t reporters busy partying on New Year’s?”
“The coverage might get buried,” Posey offered. “If something, uh, really big happens.”
He sighed in a way that made Charlie unsure if he wanted that or not.
“The countdown is starting,” someone yelled from the other room. Staff came out of the bar area with trays laden with coupe glasses, passing them to anyone without a drink.
Charlie, Posey, and Malhar went into the ballroom. There, beside the fireplace, knots of people had begun to chant:thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine…Posey grabbed three glasses of champagne off a passing tray. Together, they shouted the seconds down:three, two, one…
Half the party seemed to have confetti cannons. Popping sounds rang out. Shiny paper rained all around them. Everyone began shouting and hugging one another.
The musicians took up playing “Auld Lang Syne.” Fiona pressed a papery kiss to Charlie’s cheek. Posey pulled her into a hug. Then Red was in front of them, leaning down to embrace her sister, then pulling Charlie into his arms. He kissed her, full on the mouth.
“Happy New Year,” he whispered against her ear. And then, before she could respond, he’d moved on.
After that, the party began to wind down. Cars came. People trickled out. By 1 a.m., nearly everyone had gone.
