A Study in Silks

Doubt filled his eyes. “But I don’t know how to help. No more than I ever did.”

“Trust me,” she said softly, hoping she wasn’t promising too much.

Even in the few seconds since Evelina had summoned their energy, she could feel how much stronger the power was than the last time they’d called it. They were adults now, not children, with all the intensity that implied. She took his foot and put it back in her lap. “You have to get out of here in one piece. This is the only thing I can think of.”

Her words were matter of fact, but her stomach was in flutters. It wasn’t just fear of discovery, but also the thrill of feeling this addictive power again. And she had the best excuse—Nick’s ankle was swollen and hot. She pushed the energy into it, envisioning the intricacy of bone and muscle, joint and blood and tendon, and directing it to heal.

The silver fire began to glow brighter, the look of it growing solid as she worked. That was part of the danger—when their two bloodlines operated together, it didn’t act like normal magic. It should have been invisible, but anyone, whether or not they had the Blood, could see this power at work. She had locked the door, but a niggle of worry still wound around her heart. Please, let no one come into the room.

Evelina glanced up to see Nick’s eyes drifting closed. Her own head was spinning, the electric sensation acting like strong wine. Sensations were far more acute—the crush of carpet under her knees, the rasp of clothing on her flesh, the scent of dinner seeping up the stairs. Every breath intensified the feeling, eroding caution in the pure delight of her senses. No, no, no—keep your mind on the task at hand.

Of course, Nick himself didn’t help. It was improper for a young lady to touch a man like this, and the strong, supple muscles of his leg prompted all sorts of impure speculation. She found her hand drifting up to his knee, almost of its own accord. And then he was bending down, his hand on her cheek. The silver fire spread, engulfing them in its light.

She let go of his ankle and was suddenly leaning upward, reaching toward him as he reached down, winding her arms about his neck. The splash of power as they touched made her gasp. With each beat of her heart, the silver fire expanded into a nimbus, the edges thinning to a mist that filled every corner of the room, engulfing it in the electricity of their shared emotions. It felt like the most natural and the most wondrous thing in the world, to be moving in for an embrace, to share their powers fully and with no inhibitions.

Evelina felt control—both of herself and of her magic—slide through her grip like satin ribbons torn away by a sudden breeze. Suddenly, she was back at the circus in the simple, constant springtime of girlhood, and Nick was her whole world. She leaned forward, aching to touch her lips to his as if that would seal the past into the present and make her whole.

Then, a handful of the old almanacs shot across the room, pages tearing with the fury of the motion. The volumes hit the wall with a resounding thump, then fell to the floor like birds shot from the air. Nick pulled back with an oath, leaving her bereft. Like Evelina, he was breathless, sweat beading on his olive skin.

A fire burst to life in the grate, rushing up the chimney in a gust of flame—and then a sudden wind snaked around the room, fluttering curtains and tearing at her hair.

Now that a fire lit the room brightly, she could see the emotion in his dark eyes—desire, fear, and wonder. “We’ve called devas,” he whispered. “Dozens of them.”

Slowly, reluctantly, Evelina sank back to her heels and turned to look around the room. Tiny balls of light whisked through the air like sparkling dust motes, intoxicated by the sudden surge of energy in the room. They were beautiful, fuzzy balls of gold and blue and green no bigger than her hand—and yet filled with destructive potential. Normally, devas were too small to throw a book or light a flame by themselves, but the silver fire changed everything. We called devas. Drunk, delirious, devas.

A clump of tiny blue lights pushed a candlestick off a tabletop. It fell with a heavy clunk to the carpet, the mercifully unlit candle falling out and rolling away.

Apprehension turned Evelina cold. She wondered how far away the devas had felt the surge of power. Mouse and Bird were locked safely in her bedroom. Had they felt it? Or had the scent of energy reached the nearby parklands? How many might yet come? This was exactly the kind of thing her Gran had feared would give them away—and why she would have turned Nick out into the cold before the authorities arrested the entire circus for harboring demons in their midst.

Evelina pulled away from Nick entirely, struggling with her skirts as she got to her feet. “No, no, stop that!” She batted at the devas frantically, as if they were troublesome flies. “Stop it at once!”

Or what, little witch? One of them buzzed around her head, tugging at a hairpin.

She clamped down on her power,willing back inside her until she thought she might choke. The silver fire shrank inward, dragging the devas with it. That only concentrated the problem. The tiny spirits buzzed around them like gnats, sucking the last of the energy like sots crowding around the bar at last call. One dove through Nick’s ankle, riding the strongest current of power and making him curse at the sensation as it popped out the other side.

Evelina backed away, putting even more distance between her and Nick, breaking their connection altogether. As the last silver light disappeared, the sudden wind died. As she moved away, the fire in the grate sank back to a dull glow of coals. And that happened only from a touch. What if we had kissed? What if we had lain together, as man and wife? They might start another Great Fire of London.

Nick massaged his ankle. “This feels better.”

But Evelina held up her hand, silencing him. Then she heard it more clearly—the rattle of the door handle. Her mind flew from detail to detail. They’d been speaking in quiet voices. The fire was low now, so little light would escape under the door. But there had been a great many thumps—all the noise must have attracted attention. Both of them remained frozen, playing statues.

But the devas were pushing another candlestick to the floor. Nick looked her way to see the horrified expression on her face.Wordlessly, Evelina pointed. Just in time, he dove to catch the falling object, his feet silent on the carpet.

Evelina’s gut twisted into a cold knot. She fell back another step, as if her body were seeking a place to hide even if her mind had frozen, unable to form a complete thought. The ornate brass door knob turned again as someone pushed against it on the other side. She bit her lip and watched the devas, deprived of their feast of silver energy, drift aimlessly about the room. Nick, still holding the candlestick, looked from the door to the window and back. His only escape was the window, but if he raised it, whoever was outside the door would hear it for sure.

The door handle stopped moving. “Locked,” someone whispered. “Let’s try somewhere else.” The words were followed by a barely heard giggle.

Evelina released her breath. It had just been two guests—or maybe servants—taking advantage of the after-dinner confusion to slip away for a moment or two. As she heard footfalls moving away from the door, her heart gradually slowed. They were safe—for now.

A few of the devas slipped beneath the sash of the window. Another glowing ball turned to a needle of light, sliding between the floorboards at the edge of the room. The rest were fading away like snowflakes, disappearing into thin air.

The crisis was past.

Sharing power had felt so good, but now Evelina’s body ached with the release of tension. She hastily picked up the volumes, shoving them back onto the shelf. Her hands trembled, aching to drop the books and return to Nick, starting the folly all over again. It wasn’t just the power. All of her old feelings had reawakened. She wanted to touch him.

“You should go,” she said softly. Before I give way and fall into your arms and destroy us both. “You see what happens when we’re together.”

“I know,” he said.

She turned to him. His features were perfectly calm. To him, one more peril was just business as usual for a showman, another chance to pit his wits against fate.

She didn’t walk the high wire anymore. “I wish I had your nerve.”

He shrugged. “What did you expect would happen? We’ve never learned to control the power.”

“Exactly.”