respect that.
“A gesture?” The Flame Lord’s voice sounded from the depths of his hood. “That’s not necessary.” My nearness didn’t seem to upset him. Over-confident bastard.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I pulled the glass from my pocket and held it up for his inspection, rotating it so he could see the stylized flame before I set it on the table beside his book. I took a step closer, an alchemically-altered bang snap between the thumb and middle finger of my opposite hand. I held the novelty firework gently. It had been an adventure to get the correct ratio of explosive silver fulminate, but this delivery system provided better accuracy than blowing an alchemic powder in his face. Good thing I’d taken the trouble; the man stood a good foot taller than me.
“Addie?”
I looked up into this hood. “Oh, shit,” I muttered as I understood.
He chuckled and pushed my hood back. “Decided to return it?”
“Rowan?”
He pushed his own hood off his head revealing the man I’d met in the kitchen the night before, except in this brighter light his hair wasn’t brown, but a dark shade of auburn.
Oh, hell. I resisted the urge to start gagging like a cat with a hairball.
He grinned at me.
“Addie?” James sounded confused.
I remembered my purpose, and before Rowan could do more than glance in James’s direction, I raised my hand and snapped my fingers. The paper-wrapped firework exploded and my Perfect Assistant Dust puffed up into Rowan’s face. I held my ground, watching his expression. The Dust had worked fine when I tested it on James, but not every magical person reacted in same way.
Rowan coughed and stepped back. Confusion lit his gray eyes, but not only confusion. An orange ring sprang to light around each pupil and began to spread through the iris. He’d called on his elemental power of fire.
Before I could give my first command, James leapt forward and caught Rowan by the front of his gray robes. The momentum carried them backward, and they slammed into a bookcase, books thumping to the floor around their feet.
“James!” Apparently, he didn’t respect the powerful either.
For a heartbeat, the pair stood toe to toe. I couldn’t see James’s face, but I could see Rowan’s. He didn’t look angry, so when he attacked, he took both of us by surprise.
A couple of rapid jabs knocked James back and a sweeping kick took the boy’s legs from under him. James landed on his butt at my feet.
“Stop!” I shouted.
Rowan froze and his eyes shifted to me.
“No magic.” My voice echoed in the sudden silence.
Rowan’s eyes widened and the orange faded away. It seemed that my Perfect Assistant Dust worked on an Element as well as it worked on a grim.
James sprang to his feet, but I stepped in front of him and passed him my cloak before he could do anything else. I expected a servant or two to come running, but none did.
I crossed my arms and the movement drew Rowan’s attention. It also caused my split sleeves to part and reveal the tattoos encircling my upper arms.
“Shit,” Rowan muttered.
“See? A gesture of good faith.” I waved a hand at the glass sitting innocently on the table beside me. “Have a seat, Your Grace. This won’t take long.”
The cords in his neck stood out, but he pulled a chair from beside the table, the legs scraping across the floor. “What did you give me?” He settled into the chair.
“Do you want the formula?” I asked. He answered with a glare so I continued. “It’s just a little something to encourage your cooperation. I didn’t think you’d be willing to chat with me otherwise.”
“Aren’t you a brilliant girl.”
“Well, brilliant is stretching it.” I gave him a smile. “But I can see where a one-trick pony like you might think that.” I pulled a slim vial from my bodice and unscrewed the lid. A floral scent rose from the viscous liquid. “Drink this.” I offered the vial to him.
A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he took the
“A gesture?” The Flame Lord’s voice sounded from the depths of his hood. “That’s not necessary.” My nearness didn’t seem to upset him. Over-confident bastard.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I pulled the glass from my pocket and held it up for his inspection, rotating it so he could see the stylized flame before I set it on the table beside his book. I took a step closer, an alchemically-altered bang snap between the thumb and middle finger of my opposite hand. I held the novelty firework gently. It had been an adventure to get the correct ratio of explosive silver fulminate, but this delivery system provided better accuracy than blowing an alchemic powder in his face. Good thing I’d taken the trouble; the man stood a good foot taller than me.
“Addie?”
I looked up into this hood. “Oh, shit,” I muttered as I understood.
He chuckled and pushed my hood back. “Decided to return it?”
“Rowan?”
He pushed his own hood off his head revealing the man I’d met in the kitchen the night before, except in this brighter light his hair wasn’t brown, but a dark shade of auburn.
Oh, hell. I resisted the urge to start gagging like a cat with a hairball.
He grinned at me.
“Addie?” James sounded confused.
I remembered my purpose, and before Rowan could do more than glance in James’s direction, I raised my hand and snapped my fingers. The paper-wrapped firework exploded and my Perfect Assistant Dust puffed up into Rowan’s face. I held my ground, watching his expression. The Dust had worked fine when I tested it on James, but not every magical person reacted in same way.
Rowan coughed and stepped back. Confusion lit his gray eyes, but not only confusion. An orange ring sprang to light around each pupil and began to spread through the iris. He’d called on his elemental power of fire.
Before I could give my first command, James leapt forward and caught Rowan by the front of his gray robes. The momentum carried them backward, and they slammed into a bookcase, books thumping to the floor around their feet.
“James!” Apparently, he didn’t respect the powerful either.
For a heartbeat, the pair stood toe to toe. I couldn’t see James’s face, but I could see Rowan’s. He didn’t look angry, so when he attacked, he took both of us by surprise.
A couple of rapid jabs knocked James back and a sweeping kick took the boy’s legs from under him. James landed on his butt at my feet.
“Stop!” I shouted.
Rowan froze and his eyes shifted to me.
“No magic.” My voice echoed in the sudden silence.
Rowan’s eyes widened and the orange faded away. It seemed that my Perfect Assistant Dust worked on an Element as well as it worked on a grim.
James sprang to his feet, but I stepped in front of him and passed him my cloak before he could do anything else. I expected a servant or two to come running, but none did.
I crossed my arms and the movement drew Rowan’s attention. It also caused my split sleeves to part and reveal the tattoos encircling my upper arms.
“Shit,” Rowan muttered.
“See? A gesture of good faith.” I waved a hand at the glass sitting innocently on the table beside me. “Have a seat, Your Grace. This won’t take long.”
The cords in his neck stood out, but he pulled a chair from beside the table, the legs scraping across the floor. “What did you give me?” He settled into the chair.
“Do you want the formula?” I asked. He answered with a glare so I continued. “It’s just a little something to encourage your cooperation. I didn’t think you’d be willing to chat with me otherwise.”
“Aren’t you a brilliant girl.”
“Well, brilliant is stretching it.” I gave him a smile. “But I can see where a one-trick pony like you might think that.” I pulled a slim vial from my bodice and unscrewed the lid. A floral scent rose from the viscous liquid. “Drink this.” I offered the vial to him.
A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he took the
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