body as well.”
“No!” says Analiese with uncharacteristic force. “I don’t want my grave defiled. It’s not right.”
“But-,” Konrad begins, looking pained.
“I prefer to wait till I’m gathered,” the serving girl says, more mildly now. “Though, I’m very grateful to you for such kind thoughts.”
In my pocket I feel the vibration of the spirit clock and pull it out.
“Our time’s up,” I say.
“Good-bye,” Elizabeth says curtly to Konrad, and quickly leaves the room.
“I’ll return tomorrow night,” I tell my brother, and wish, as I have so many times before, that we could embrace. In hopes of comforting him I say, “Whatever that pit thing is, it’s been here thousands of years and will be here thousands more. There’s nothing to fear from it.”
He hurries after me to the library door. “Victor, wait just a moment.” He lowers his voice so Analiese cannot hear us. “Elizabeth seems distraught. What’s wrong?”
I almost smile at how thickheaded he is, but I cannot bring myself to lie outright. “She’s jealous, Konrad. She thinks you have feelings for Analiese.”
I expect him to scoff at the absurdity of it, but he looks saddened, and slightly guilty.
“You’ve no idea how lonely it can be here,” he says quietly.
I nod understandingly. “She’s very lovely.”
He looks stricken. “No, listen to me. No one could ever replace Elizabeth in my heart.”
But it sounds to me like he’s trying to reassure himself. “Of course not,” I say. “I must go now. I’ll see you again soon.”
I hurry down the hallway after Elizabeth. Along the way I see a second black butterfly and hold out my hand. As if summoned, it lands upon my palm. I close my fingers gently around it.
Feeling slightly drunk, I enter Elizabeth’s bedchamber and find her lying back on the bed. The very walls pulse with my surging emotions. For a moment I’m giddily confused. I am her lover, on a midnight assignation. Our eyes meet. I start to walk toward her, my desire for her an urgent drumbeat in my ears, but she tears her gaze away from mine and disappears.
With a sigh I check to make sure my butterflies still rest upon me, one on the shoulder, the other in my hand. I take my place on the armchair and***
Returning to my body, I found Elizabeth already sitting up on the edge of her bed, her eyes fierce in the candlelight.
“Did you see the way the spirit went straight for her?” she demanded.
“I hadn’t thought of it,” I replied, perplexed. “Perhaps it sensed our living power and-”
“But it showed no interest in Konrad!”
I frowned. “What are you suggesting?”
“I don’t trust her. From the moment I first met her. All her talk about an evil spirit. How do we know she’s not evil?”
“Elizabeth-,” I began, but she cut me off.
“Why’s she still there at all? Why hasn’t she been gathered?”
With sudden force a thought came to me. “You didn’t open that door on purpose, did you?”
“Of course not!” she said with too much vehemence. She looked away and shook her head. “Honestly, I can’t remember…”
“You might have destroyed us all!” I exclaimed. Even I was awed by such recklessness.
“I wanted to destroy her,” Elizabeth said with the dull incredulity of a dreadful realization. “I can’t control my passions in there, Victor. I was an idiot to go back. All I wanted to do was visit Konrad, on my own, without any distractions.” Her eyes flashed accusingly at me. “I needed to see him, especially after that terrible night with the dancing and fighting, and the way I behaved. And it was wonderful to talk, just the two of us, and I felt so close to him, and then… when he started calling her Ana…”
“You mustn’t be jealous of her,” I said.
“Always stroking her ear, to make sure he notices how pretty she is. She’s been trying to win his heart. And I think she already has.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said with a surge of guilty joy.
“Isn’t it obvious? He wanted to make a body for her! Bring her into our home!”
I exhaled, as if thinking hard. “He was just being kind. And it does seem horrible, to leave someone behind.”
She nodded bravely. “Kindness has always been one of his most lovable virtues.”
“Exactly,” I agreed, but not wanting her to feel too comforted. “And remember, they’ve been each other’s only company for weeks-and to them it might seem like much, much longer. I mean, one could hardly blame him if-”
I bit my lip to stop myself.
“Has he said something to you?” she demanded.
“About what?” I asked innocently.
“He loves her, doesn’t he?”
Slowly I shook my head. “Elizabeth, I don’t know how anyone could love a person more than you. It would be madness.”
In the candlelight I could see that her eyes were wet.
“Please go now, Victor. I’d like to go to sleep.”
“Of course.” I stood, but before leaving I took hold of the spirit clock and flask of elixir. “Good night, Elizabeth.”
And I left her bedchamber, knowing her heart was heavy, while mine was buoyant with unexpected hope.
CHAPTER 12
In my bedchamber I lit a single candle and stripped off my clothes. I set an empty flask upon my desk and sat down. I breathed calmly, my gaze drifting across my naked body, waiting. Before long I saw two small, compact shadows glide over my ribs and pause in the ridges of my abdominal muscles.
Slowly I closed my left hand around the open flask-then struck. It took me three tries to trap the shadow against my tensed flesh. I swiftly sealed the flask, the spirit’s fluid darkness seeping up the inside of the glass.
I smiled.
That makes two.
“Victor? Victor!”
With a jerk I looked up, annoyed at having my concentration broken. Elizabeth stood over me, staring in bewilderment at the collection of books I’d piled around me at the table in the west sitting room. Judging by the light now filling the windows, I’d lost track of time.
Once again I’d woken very early. Hungry to fill my mind, I’d come here to read. I’d been concentrating on the wonders of human anatomy, tomes in all languages under the sun. As I’d devoured the pages, I’d been scribbling occasional observations and questions in a small notebook. I closed it now, put down my quill, and looked back at Elizabeth pleasantly.
“Is it time for breakfast yet?”
“What are you doing?” she asked, and I saw her eyes take in my ink-stained hand, and the lamp I’d lit when I’d first arrived in darkness. “You were turning pages like a madman.”
I shrugged. “Just looking at the pictures.”
“Don’t lie to me, Victor. You have one on you, don’t you?”
