Page 38 of Death of the Glass Angel
Sitting upright, Janus accidentally flung her pillow off the bed, narrowly missing her maid. “Raja! Good morning.”
“You’re late.” Raja snapped, flinging something at Janus.
Janus caught the bundle of cloth clumsily. “Late for what?”
“Your hike.” Raja stormed away.
The door slammed. A hike? Janus hopped on one leg, pulling on her trousers and kurta. She wiggled into the beaded collar Raja had laid out and hurried out the door.
Talon stood outside her chambers, coat draped over his arm. “Morning. . .” He trailed off, gaze drifting to her hair.
“Hey,” Janus said, wringing her hair into a bun. “There’s a hike? Who’s going?”
Talon’s eyes widened in surprise before quickly sharpening. “Felsin invited you on a hike. You said yes.”
“I did?” Janus rubbed the sleep from her eyes. What happened? Last she could recall, they had only just arrived in the city. If she concentrated, she could vaguely remember a fancy ballroom and a frigid night, but. . .
Oh, no.It happened again.
Talon straightened her hair, sweeping a loose bang behind an ear. His fingers lingered on her cheek. “Calm down. It’s just a walk through beautiful mountains. You’ll like it.”
Frozen, Janus watched his hand slide off her face.
A man had just swept her hair behind her ear. She’d dreamed of that sort of thing happening for years.
Heat rushed through her cheeks. She stared at him, trying to figure out what to say.
A humored smile touched Talon’s lips. “You should hurry. Kalid’s waiting outside.”
Stepping around him awkwardly, Janus slammed into a decorative pillar. Rubbing her nose, she flew out the door.
“There she is,” Kalid said fondly. “The Altanese don’t appreciate fashionably late.” He joined her side, escorting her. . .
Somewhere.
Janus followed her guard, resisting the urge to ask for details. She hated the look people gave her when, in their eyes, she was acting like a forgetful ditz. Something an evoker could not be, though few stopped to consider that.
Gemellus was the only soul who treated her with patience. He’d calmly explain, no matter how many times she asked, no matter how many days she’d forgotten.
Janus wished her mentor were here right about now. Having such a talented evoker at her side would assuage all of her fears.
Kalid brought Janus outside the city, though not through the main gates. Trees grew thick around the stone roads, and grass poked between the rocks. A colorful crowd gathered around a troupe of horses and hunting hounds, with nary a familiar face among them.
A blonde woman approached, dressed in full armor with a blue surcoat overtop. She bowed, braid swinging over her shoulder. “Lady Janus. So glad you could join us. I was worried you’d miss the festivities.”
Janus stared at the woman, wondering who she was and how they’d met. “The festivities?”
Another stranger approached, and everyone else might as well have disappeared.
Janus recalled telling Talon cefra were pretty, but too slim for her tastes. At least one of their kind was tall with broad shoulders, and had soft, black waves and entrancing, golden eyes smudged with black kohl, and. . .
And though it was freezing out here, his loose tunic was undone to reveal his well-muscled chest.
He smiled at Janus like they’d met before. Oh, gods, she hoped she hadn’t said anything embarrassing.
“We’re not going, Avalon.” He said. “Just heading out at the same time.”
“That’s a shame.” The woman frowned. “I’d rather die than miss an Altanese hunt.”
