Page 61 of A Tower of Half-Truths
He was in the back room of a dimly lit pub. He could almost taste the sour ale coating the back of his throat, smell the cigar smoke permeating the air. A different pair of arms—leaner, yet stronger—now clung around his abdomen, pulling him into an embrace that had lost all semblance of comfort. Despite the warm breath against his neck, he’d never felt so cold.
What are you doing?
Didn’t you say you wanted me?
Not here, of all places! You know we have to follow the—
Shh. Not another word about those bloody Covenants.
The arms tightened their hold on him.
Ensnared him.
His lungs burned.
Air. He needed air.
“Alain?”
He gasped. The dark, smoke-filled room faded, and he now found himself back on the quad, hunched over the fountain. His knuckles, bone-white, gripped the stone basin. Another set of fingers rested against his forearm. He turned, meeting a pair of green eyes beneath a deeply furrowed brow.
“Alain, are you all right?” Mavery asked.
He blinked slowly as he tried to recall what had happened over the past few…hours? Minutes? No, it must have been only seconds.
Mavery pulled her hand away as he stood up straight, adjusted his robe.
“Yes, I’m fine.” He cleared his throat. “Er…do you recall what I said earlier about decorum?” Mavery nodded slowly. “Well, the University frowns upon displays of affection while in public. Can’t have professors showing any favoritism.”
She opened her mouth, hesitated. “That makes sense.” Shetucked another lock behind her ear. “I suppose I got a bit too excited about those Etherean lessons. Sorry.”
His stomach sank. “You did nothing wrong. I should have told you about the Covenants long before now. I’d give you my copy, if only I remembered where—”
Mavery smiled as she pulled that exact book from her pocket.
Alain’s jaw slackened. “How—?”
“Declan let me borrow his copy.” She shrugged. “It’s a long story.”
Knowing Declan, the man had sought any excuse to offload that book.
“Are you sure everything’s all right?” Mavery asked.
Alain waved a hand. “Oh, you know me. Just lost in thought, especially now that I have this spell tome to pore over.”
Her frown indicated that she didn’t believe a word of it. But how could he even begin to explain what was actually on his mind?
I just relived a moment from what was not only the worst night of my life, but a precursor to my greatest failure.
No one, especially not his assistant, deserved to be burdened with that knowledge; it was his alone to bear. He shouldered his satchel and turned away from the fountain.
“Let’s call it a day and get some rest,” he said. “Tomorrow, ourrealwork begins.”
Twenty
“Please tell me you did something other than study that spell tome all night.”
“That depends. Does eating count?”
