Page 94 of Hexbound

Verity sat back in shock. At first, all she'd seen had been his fancy clothes and the luxury of his home, and dismissed him as just another Order sorcerer, living in a gilded palace. She'd grudgingly adjusted her view of him, day by day, as he revealed his true self, but she'd never have thought he'd survived worse things than she had.

Perhaps that was why she'd always felt an odd sense of kinship with him? And why he'd set about trying to help her escape the Crows? Bishop knew what it was like to be helpless, and he knew what it was like to have just one kind gesture set you on the right path in life. None of his actions had ever been driven by pity, but by understanding.

"And here you are," the older woman said, with another arch of the brow. "Temptation indeed, if I'm reading matters correctly. He's never looked at another woman the way he looks at you. Never even wanted one.”

The thought both warmed her heart and made her feel remarkably vulnerable. "I don't know what to do."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Lady E said dryly.

There was a pause in the conversation, leaving Verity deep in thought. She'd lost the Crows. Lost Mercy, in a way. Lost everything that had ever grounded her after her mother's death threw her into the workhouse as a little girl.

What did she want now?

A future in the Order? To learn her sorcery, so that she'd never be captive to anyone's manipulations again? Yes to both. But more than that, she wanted something else. Something more.

She thought of her old dreams, of a house and a family all her own. And it was Bishop's broad form that stood beside her. His child in her arms.

Verity sucked in a breath.

It had always been an abstract dream, but this time it had form and shape and it had a name. She wanted him. She wanted him to want her. Everything else could fall into place. Her lessons, her power. Her future as a sorceress. But most importantly, she realized it was Bishop she loved.

Lady E cleared her throat, as though she too had fallen into certain recollections. "I wanted to say thank you. I know I don't say it enough."

"For?"

"For your actions today."

"I lost the Chalice," Verity admitted, her shoulders slumping. "Nearly got you killed, and then handed you directly to your enemies."

"I'm here, aren't I?" Lady E's stare was hard to meet. "When you get as old as I am, you realize that sometimes a campaign suffers small setbacks, but as long as you keep your chin up and keep wading through the dross, eventually you might find yourself the victor. I'm alive, thanks to your swift actions, and the Chalice is out of Elijah Horroway's hands, which can be considered a small win."

"And straight into the hands of the Crows," Verity reminded her. "You don't know them the way that I do."

Lady E snorted. "Perhaps. It's still safer than if it remained with that two-bit necromancer. And now Horroway and Tremayne have to wade through half of Seven Dials before they can get it back. No, my girl, it's not a complete shambles. Just a poorly dealt hand with one or two trump cards left to play, if you're smart."

"You're going to play them off against each other?" Verity asked, slightly impressed.

"Of course. That's what a wise general does. In the meantime, we have an Ascension to deal with. We know Morgana is still alive. Her plans concern me, and with Drake out of action, we need to deal with that. If the relic is secure, if not quite safe, then we can turn our attention to getting a new Prime, one who sees eye to eye with our plans."

"You need to rest," she told the older woman.

Who snorted.

"I mean it," Verity told her. She tucked the covers up around Lady E's chin. "It took a great deal out of Adrian to heal you, and he cannot afford to be distracted by your health right now. He has enough to worry about with his father and the Chalice."

"Where are you going?"

Verity smiled and headed for the door. "To smooth things over with Marie, and bring you up some nice chamomile tea. Then I'll check on Bishop."

"Are you going to bring him tea too?" Lady E asked with an arched brow.

Verity blushed. "Maybe I'll just tuck him into bed. We can discuss this Ascension tomorrow, when we're all rested."

"Verity?"

"Yes," she replied, pausing at the door.

"You have won my vote. Go and seduce that boy and show him what's he's missing out on. A little rush of blood might be just what he needs."