Page 63 of Spark of Sorcery

“I know,” he mumbles, “Dray is an idiot.”

We walk in silence back to my room, him following several paces behind me. It’s the same up the staircase. If his presence wasn’t so dominating, his magic heavy in the air, I’d have to keep checking he was still there.

On the landing, he waits while I unlock the door and follows me in. His gaze skips around my plain room once we’re inside and I tuck my keys away and chew on my cheek.

Am I doing the right thing? I haven’t trusted anyone with this secret. Not even my own dad. Not even Fly.

But I don’t know what is happening to the stone. I don’t know what will happen if it splits. If it is a firestone as I suspect, then is this bad?

Thorne risked banishment to help me in the maze. Banishment means death. Which means he risked his life for me. If I can’t trust him, I don’t believe there is anyone in the realm I can trust.

“I appreciate you coming,” I say.

“Is this about who attacked you in the maze?” he asks.

“You must know who it was,” I say. “Your magic was right there.”

“No,” he explains, “once I sever it from me like that, it acts independently.” He rubs at his head. “It’s difficult to explain. It’s still a part of me, it still acts in my interests, but it isn’t a part of me as well. I don’t know what happened to you in the maze. But I’d like to know.”

I consider telling him. But what would it achieve? He and the others would go after Madame Bardin – I’ve no doubt about that. And she’d know it was one of them that helped me – I suspect she has her suspicions as it is. And then what? Thorne would be banished, banished because of me. And no matter how powerful he may be, he wouldn’t last five minutes out there unprotected against the demons and the monsters.

“I can’t tell you. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Nothing will happen to me.”

I smile at him. “We both know that’s not true. You protected me, let me protect you in return.”

He looks at me and something like astonishment shines in those dark eyes. After a moment, he nods, rather reluctantly.

“There’s something I want to show you. Something I’m trusting you to keep a secret. Do you promise you will?”

“If that’s what you want,” he says, lingering by the door.

I rock backward and forward on my toes. “In the maze, your shadow made my attacker promise not to harm me again.”

“A sacred promise,” he says.

“What does it do?”

“Such a promise is extremely hard to break and, if it is broken, there are consequences.”

“Consequences?”

“Fate doesn’t look kindly on a person who breaks a sacred promise.”

“Will you make one of those promises for me now?” I ask him, a little nervously.

“Briony,” he scoffs – and the way he says my name makes my insides melt just like before, “fate has already looked down on me with scorn. It would be no consequence for me if I chose to break a sacred promise.”

I inhale and exhale. Looked on him with scorn? Is he joking? He’s a shadow weaver. One of the most powerful in the academy. Bonded to two of the most powerful shadow weavers in the realm. Fate has clearly blessed him.

“I’d still feel better if you did it anyway.”

“Fine,” he says.

He closes his eyes and his mouth moves, speaking words silently. I notice for the first time how sensual his lips look, how soft.

A thin slither of shadow dances from his fingertips, and now I see that it is so similar to the one in the maze. It hovers in the space between us and he opens his eyes.