Page 46 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

I snuggle against her, relieved that I found something to cheer her up. ‘Good,’ I say. ‘I like her. You two are sweet together.’

She blushes deeper and gives me a look. ‘I couldn’t help noticing that Leverett came in with you. Invited him in for “coffee”, did you?’

I’m about to sputter a confused mess between a heavy objection and a confession of everything we said and did tonight, but just in this moment, Leverett appears by the fireplace.

He has the nerve to wink at me. ‘We saw the police car and were worried. Or are you offering to leave us alone for tonight?’

I’m not sure who blushes harder—me or Bonnie. I’m the first to regain any semblance of coherent thought.

‘Find anything?’

He chuckles, probably at my attempt to stay calm when my face says otherwise.

‘Unfortunately, no. The smell is strongest inside the house, but that’s normal. The breeze could have blown away whatever it was hours ago.’

Bonnie gives him a look. ‘Unfortunately? You were hoping to find proof of a break-in?’

‘Weren’t you?’ he counters. ‘If I had, we’d have a lead. I could have followed it and found who’s responsible. Instead, we still don’t know anything.’

I think again how suspicious Sunitha’s behaviour seems to me, but I won’t say it in front of Bonnie. Or maybe that’s worse, I don’t know. The best thing to do would be to move on, but my mind is in that in-between place where it’s tired from the evening while also running wild from the same evening. Since I can’t throw myself at Leverett and the police car was an unexpected break to the excitement, all my tired, nervous energy doesn’t know what to do.

I peel myself away from Bonnie. ‘Thank you for having a look.’ I walk over to Leverett and resist the need to kiss him again. He asked me to take a moment to think this through. Kissing him right now would probably go against that promise. ‘Erm... I’ll come by on Wednesday?’

His eyes darken again. Is he struggling to control himself as much as I am? Slowly, he nods. ‘Wednesday.’

Hormone-driven creature that I am, I instinctively lean forwards. I can’t help it, I literally gravitate towards him like he’s constantly drawing me to his side.

But before I can get much closer, he disappears in a huff of fog, and then he’s gone.

Behind me, Bonnie clears her throat. ‘Ahem. Excuse me! What was that?’

I turn around with every intention to look and act normal, but my grin betrays me. ‘What was what?’

‘You two undressing each other with those heavy looks. He wasn’t kidding when he said about me leaving you two alone, was he?’

I sit back down with her and tell her everything, from the two fairies to Anton and Saif, to our kiss. And our promise. I don’t mention Chiara; I’m very ready to put that behind me and never think about her again.

When I’m done, Bonnie’s eyes are huge and her hands cover her mouth.

‘Esta! You might have led with that!’

I giggle. ‘Didn’t seem right to bring it up in front of the officer. How about your date with Sunny? Did you... ?’

She slaps my arm. ‘No. I mean, I think she wanted to, I definitely did, but she also said how tired she was. So no, we haven’t kissed.’ She gives my arm another playful nudge. ‘You totally got there first.’

I laugh. It feels good to see her eyes sparkle again, to talk like everything is fine and we weren’t just robbed.

‘I didn’t know we were competing!’

Bonnie nods to the TV. ‘Stay up with me a minute? I don’t know, I feel weird going to bed right now. I don’t think I can sleep.’

I’m pretty tired since any kind of social event always wears me out, but I know what she means. When I picture myself going to bed, I can’t help remembering that someone was in our house. What if they come back while we’re sleeping, moving through the rooms with us completely unaware? What if someone sneaks through our bedrooms while we’re asleep? The thought creeps me out, so I happily stay up with Bonnie even as my eyes grow heavier. We eventually doze off together on the sofa. Going to bed is a little easier after that, partially because it’s starting to get light outside. Bad things don’t happen during daylight, as we all know.

I don’t know what Bonnie thinks of as she falls asleep—her date with Sunny, her missing necklace, or her internship starting tomorrow—but my thoughts are on Leverett. I can’t believe we kissed. I can’t believe what we made plans for. That I ever thought I could just be friends with him seems so stupid and naïve now. What I feel for him is much too strong—much too violent, in an exciting way—and I’ve no idea how I could ever pretend otherwise.

And as I climb into my bed with the memory of his lips on mine, my biggest worry is how badly Mischief will tease me.

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