Page 24 of Research with Rivals
I tried not to stare, but she didn’t seem to have the same restraint. She seemed to study my arms, which were exposed since I had given her my sweater. At least I still had an undershirt on.
“You don’t look cold.” It was more of a statement than a question.
If the wolf in my head were a representation of my inner thoughts, he would be licking his lips at this perfect opening she’d handed me. “Vesten fire can warm from the inside.” I tried to state the fact with no hesitation. If I left no room for interpretation, maybe she wouldn’t see the information as a condemnation of her upbringing. My following words were more hesitant. “I could explain it if you haven’t read about it.”
She looked cautious, like a wild animal about to bolt from a hunter’s carefully laid trap. Then her nostrils flared, and I knew the part of her that craved information had won out. “If you don’t mind.” She gestured to the distance between us and the shore. “We don’t have anything else to do.”
I pulled a hard candy from my pocket. They were bright red and tasted like cinnamon. I used them with my younger siblings to teach them about our magic. “Are you familiar with this candy?”
Something in her eyes lit up. “I’ve never had one.”
The part she didn’t say but was there in her face was that she’d always wanted one. I handed it to her. “Something about the taste, the cinnamon and sugar, is a good training tool forVesten fire magic. I had them all the time when I was learning to control mine.”
She took it carefully, sniffing in a way that screamed Vesten. I didn’t know if it was whatever had brought me to her this morning or the wolf in my head, but either way, I was enthralled with the action.
“Have one, and you can feel the heat build here.” I pointed to my chest. “From there, you can do all sorts of things with it. Like spread it out to your limbs for warmth.”
Her attention was still fixed on the candy. Briefly, she glanced at the nearing shore, then back to me. “Thank you.”
I nodded, hopeful she would test it out later. We’d dock soon, and it occurred to me that I didn’t want to separate. The awareness inside me seemed intent on her presence. While my wolf agreed with the sentiment, this was a new development.
“Hey—Ambrose.” Her words pulled my focus. “You weren’t … looking for me … were you?”
Was I?I considered it, but I didn’t think it was that simple. The question didn’t feel like a trap, like she wanted to know if I was stalking her. If it were, there would probably be a lot more teeth and claws and a lot less of me standing here like an idiot as I tried to determine my reply.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
She took a final, deep sip of her tea, emptying the cup. “I see.”
“Yes. Well.” I should have realized then what she was asking—why she was asking.
The captain’s voice echoed across the deck, asking everyone aboard to disembark as the boat docked in Sandrin.
“I should get home and change.” She looked down at my sweater again. “Is it alright if I bring this to you at the library today?”
“Of course.” I didn’t have a chance to say more before she slipped off the boat and into the crowd of people near the docks.
The pang in my chest returned, the same as it had on the path. It tightened with each step she took away from me, telling me I was in trouble.
9
Evelyn
Something was wrong, and I was sure it was Ambrose’s fault. The crowd thinned as I escaped the busy docks and walked toward my and Mom’s apartment. The city was quiet; most still hadn’t started their day. Unfortunately, that left only my thoughts for company.
I had tried to keep it together when he approached me on the ferry, arm outstretched with an offering he knew I could use. My entire body had shivered at the scent of the sweater. I might have asked what he was doing there, but the rapid beat of my heart suggested I already knew the answer before he shared it.
He was the wolf.
He hadn’t seen me shift, had he? Judging from that slightly furrowed brow and the too-relaxed pose he held the rest of the cruise across the bay, he wasn’t buying my morning walk excuse. He might not have seen my shift, but he suspected that I had.
Maybe it would be alright. Maybe the Vesten Library’s golden boy, who wanted me and my method of blood magicgone, would let this go. I shook my head at the thought, even though he hadn’t pressed for information when he clearly knew I was lying. Even more confusingly, he’d slipped me information about Vesten. He had been more than kind to not only share his sweater, but to teach me how to warm myself in the future. Surprisingly, he’d managed it without condescension.
His apparent kindness didn’t make sense. Although if he hadn’t seen my shift, he had nothing to hold over me. It wasn’t my fault everyone assumed I didn’t have one. I’d be in real trouble if he knew what I was. No matter how things had seemed between us last night, no matter the crush I couldn’t seem to tamp down, if Ambrose Yarrow knew I was a veil cat and that I was unable to control my shift, he would use the information against me.
I focused on this because I didn’t want to acknowledge that the twisting in my chest was back. It had returned the moment I left Ambrose’s side. The wolf, my secret, Vesten magic—all these issues paled in comparison to the fact that my body was physically reacting to something, and I was afraid that something was Ambrose’s presence.
For now, the sensation was uncomfortable but not unbearable, so I decided to ignore it as I arrived at our apartment and let myself in. Everything was as I had left it. Mom was still sleeping in her bedroom. I was glad, since I hadn’t had a way to leave her a note before the change happened.
