her in orchestra and she watched his hair curl over the collar of his shirt. What could it possibly mean? She now began to wonder if Talia was a fantasy world which her unconscious had created for her to escape to. Horses, flying ones even, and now the resurrection of a boy she had had a huge crush on â it was all too symbolic for words.
But what was she to do? Seeing Lucien was going to be painful â a quick glimpse had convinced her of that â but how could she give up going to Talia? Georgia looked down at the little black horse in her hand. It had to mean something, the way it had come into her life. There must be something she was meant to do in Talia or she wouldnât have stravagated there. Was that what Lucien had done? Why was he there, and did it have anything to do with why he had died?
Georgia felt seriously frightened. In her short experience of Remora, she had been like a member of the audience at a play, watching the story unfold. But seeing Lucien there had felt like being dragged up on the stage and made to participate in the action. From now on, if she went back to Talia, she knew she would have an active role in whatever drama was being played out there. And now she realised that it was dangerous.
In Paoloâs house chaos reigned. Luciano had turned deathly white, Cesare was clearly terrified and both Paolo and Dethridge were completely at a loss. âDo you know her?â asked Paolo, and Luciano had just had time to say he did, when Georgia was back.
Luciano was the only one who understood what had happened. He led Georgia to a chair and asked Paolo to bring her a drink. Georgia sat in silence gulping some rough red wine, letting herself be looked after, enjoying the sensation of having Lucienâs attention focused properly on her for the first time.
She was feeling a bit woozy now and didnât really understand why she had re-entered the same scene she had left so precipitately. It had taken hours to get back to sleep â which was what Paolo had explained that she had to do to stravagate back to Talia. She must go to sleep holding the talisman and thinking of Remora. It had been much easier earlier in the night, before her fright over seeing Lucien.
Back in Talia it was as if someone had pressed a âPauseâ button and the scene had been frozen at the point where she had left it.
âIf you stravagate twice during the same period of time,â Luciano was saying, âthe same day or the same night, you end up back in Talia only moments after leaving it.â
âBut why did she leave us at all?â asked Cesare, looking warily at Georgia as if she were a ghost.
âI think she must have fainted when she saw me,â said Luciano. âAnd she must have been holding her talisman. If you lose consciousness in Talia, while you have the talisman, even if you arenât thinking of home, you will end up in our world. Itâs a sort of default setting.â
He was speaking directly to Georgia now, who nodded; it made a sort of sense.
âGeorgia comes from the same part of our world as I did,â continued Luciano. âWe went to the same school. She knew I was dead. I expect you thought you had seen a ghost,â he said, looking straight at her.
Georgia nodded again, incapable of saying anything yet.
âCan I see your talisman?â Luciano asked gently.
She uncurled the fingers of her right hand. The wings had cut into her fingers leaving red marks; she had been clinging on to it so hard. She let Luciano take the little horse and examine it.
âItâs just like our Merla,â said Cesare.
âIs she safe?â asked Georgia. âDid you get her away?â
âYes,â answered Paolo. âShe and Starlight are in Santa Fina. We trust that the di Chimici wonât find her there. Though there is still a risk. Unfortunately, they have a summer palace in Santa Fina too, but they wonât use it while
But what was she to do? Seeing Lucien was going to be painful â a quick glimpse had convinced her of that â but how could she give up going to Talia? Georgia looked down at the little black horse in her hand. It had to mean something, the way it had come into her life. There must be something she was meant to do in Talia or she wouldnât have stravagated there. Was that what Lucien had done? Why was he there, and did it have anything to do with why he had died?
Georgia felt seriously frightened. In her short experience of Remora, she had been like a member of the audience at a play, watching the story unfold. But seeing Lucien there had felt like being dragged up on the stage and made to participate in the action. From now on, if she went back to Talia, she knew she would have an active role in whatever drama was being played out there. And now she realised that it was dangerous.
In Paoloâs house chaos reigned. Luciano had turned deathly white, Cesare was clearly terrified and both Paolo and Dethridge were completely at a loss. âDo you know her?â asked Paolo, and Luciano had just had time to say he did, when Georgia was back.
Luciano was the only one who understood what had happened. He led Georgia to a chair and asked Paolo to bring her a drink. Georgia sat in silence gulping some rough red wine, letting herself be looked after, enjoying the sensation of having Lucienâs attention focused properly on her for the first time.
She was feeling a bit woozy now and didnât really understand why she had re-entered the same scene she had left so precipitately. It had taken hours to get back to sleep â which was what Paolo had explained that she had to do to stravagate back to Talia. She must go to sleep holding the talisman and thinking of Remora. It had been much easier earlier in the night, before her fright over seeing Lucien.
Back in Talia it was as if someone had pressed a âPauseâ button and the scene had been frozen at the point where she had left it.
âIf you stravagate twice during the same period of time,â Luciano was saying, âthe same day or the same night, you end up back in Talia only moments after leaving it.â
âBut why did she leave us at all?â asked Cesare, looking warily at Georgia as if she were a ghost.
âI think she must have fainted when she saw me,â said Luciano. âAnd she must have been holding her talisman. If you lose consciousness in Talia, while you have the talisman, even if you arenât thinking of home, you will end up in our world. Itâs a sort of default setting.â
He was speaking directly to Georgia now, who nodded; it made a sort of sense.
âGeorgia comes from the same part of our world as I did,â continued Luciano. âWe went to the same school. She knew I was dead. I expect you thought you had seen a ghost,â he said, looking straight at her.
Georgia nodded again, incapable of saying anything yet.
âCan I see your talisman?â Luciano asked gently.
She uncurled the fingers of her right hand. The wings had cut into her fingers leaving red marks; she had been clinging on to it so hard. She let Luciano take the little horse and examine it.
âItâs just like our Merla,â said Cesare.
âIs she safe?â asked Georgia. âDid you get her away?â
âYes,â answered Paolo. âShe and Starlight are in Santa Fina. We trust that the di Chimici wonât find her there. Though there is still a risk. Unfortunately, they have a summer palace in Santa Fina too, but they wonât use it while
Similar Books
