As my breathing deepened and my Drake at last was silent, my last conscious thoughts were of her. And my last feelings were those of possession and longing.
She was mine, at least as far as my Drake was concerned—I just didn’t know how I was ever going to claim her.
3
Kaitlyn
I felt tired and worn-out the next morning, almost as though I hadn’t had any sleep at all. Plus, the bright Florida sunshine when I walked outside hurt my eyes.
“Are you feeling quite well, Kaitlyn?” Mrs. Breedlove asked me in that cool, formal tone of hers. “You look somewhat under the weather. Did Allegra have another nightmare and keep you up last night?”
“She did, but it’s all right,” I said quickly, not wanting to get Allegra into trouble. “She climbed in bed with me and went straight back to sleep.”
“Ah yes—it’s such a trial when she has a nightmare on the weekdays.” Mrs. Breedlove sighed in a put-upon way. “I’ve thought about hiring a weekday overnight nanny, but she simply doesn’t want anyone but you.”
“She’s my little sweetheart,” I said, smiling and meaning it.
Despite both of us being up in the middle of the night, Allegra had been as bright and bubbly as ever at breakfast—which was bagged blood for everyone but me, of course. I had a slice of bread and jam—my usual breakfast when I was at the Breedlove’s house. Being Nocturnes, they didn’t like the smell of cooking human food, so I mostly lived on cold sandwiches when I was there.
That morning my bread and strawberry jam hadn’t held much appeal for me, however. The tastes of the food had been muted somehow—like someone had wrapped my tongue in cotton to keep me from tasting it properly. I really hoped I wasn’t getting a cold but between my dulled senses and the tired, draggy feeling that persisted, I thought I must be.
I had thrown the rest of my sandwich away and downed two glasses of cold water instead. Along with a dry mouth, my throat felt parched and I was extremely thirsty—I must be getting a cold.
“Well, let’s get you over to the Academy.” Mrs. Breedlove sighed and I knew she found dropping me off an imposition, even though it was only a drive of a few miles from her stately house on Kings Street to the orange grove that hid the huge castle. Frostproof—the little town in Central Florida where Nocturne Academy was situated—was so small that no place was more than a few miles away.
“Mama, can I come with you?” Allegra poked her head out the front door to say.
“I’m afraid not, Allegra.” Anastasia Breedlove frowned. “Go back inside and tell Mimi to watch you. I’ll be back directly.”
Mimi was the downstairs maid who doubled as a babysitter sometimes when I wasn’t available and Mrs. Breedlove had to run an errand.
Allegra pouted.
“Puleeze?” she wheedled. “I won’t get to see Katy forever, Mama!”
I couldn’t help smiling. When you’re only four going on five, a week can seem like forever. But I knew better than to annoy Mrs. Breedlove.
“Come give me one last hug, Allegra,” I told her. “And then go back inside and ask Mimi to help you find the note I left you—it has a secret message on it.”
“A secret message? Really?” Her blue eyes widened in excitement as she flew down the porch steps and flung herself into my arms.
“Yes, really!” I lifted her up and swung her around, my fatigue momentarily forgotten. She was such a sunny, happy little girl it was impossible to feel sad or down around her. It was one reason I loved her so much.
Allegra covered my face with kisses—the right side of it anyway—the unscarred side. I was careful to keep the left side hidden with my long black hair, which had thankfully somehow grown back thicker than ever after The Fire.
I hugged her close for a minute before reluctantly putting her down.
“Go on now, Allegra. Ask Mimi to help you find the secret note,” I told her. “And I promise I’ll see you on Friday.”
“Okay.” She rushed back up the stairs and barreled into the house shouting, “Mimi, Mimi, Katy left me a note! Help me find it!”
I grinned, knowing she would hunt all morning if need be, to find the heart-shaped piece of paper I had hidden in the bottom drawer of her dresser. It simply said, “I love you, Allegra!” on it but it would make her happy—especially since she was beginning to be able to read and should be able to sound it out herself. I had been doing the “Hooked on Phonics” program with her on the weekends and it was really paying off.
“Well…you certainly have a way with her.” Mrs. Breedlove shook her head, as though mystified by the connection I shared with her daughter.
I wanted to tell her it wasn’t hard—all Allegra wanted was someone to love her and cuddle her and read to her sometimes. All she needed was a little bit of affection. But Anastasia Breedlove—like most Nocturnes—was reserved and aloof. It was as though her emotional temperature echoed her body temperature—and both were about ten degrees colder than what I considered normal.
I thought of my own mother and how she had sung to me and played with me and read to me—telling me with every word and gesture how much she loved me. It made me sad that Allegra didn’t get that from her own mom, but at least I was there to provide it to her.
I mentally blew a kiss to my little charge as I climbed into the passenger side of Mrs. Breedlove’s sleek black Mercedes and buckled my seatbelt.
I’ll see you soon, Allegra, I thought to her.
I didn’t know how wrong I was.
4
Ari
Kaitlyn seemed tired that morning, her slim shoulders drooping in our History of Magic
