“Thank you for trying to save me.”
And he bent his head and kissed me, soft and gentle and tangled in starlight. I kissed him back, despair unfolding inside of me, my hand wrapped around the packet of matches waiting in my pocket to free him, or destroy him, or maybe both.
THE WOLF WAS WAITING FORme in the hall when I left the library, the print of Hal’s kiss still warm on my lips. I wanted to tell him that I knew his secret, that I was going to free him.
I love you, stranger I met in a book. I love you, Wolf who once was human.
“My Lady Echo,” he said, his voice slow and rough. “Will you walk with me in the garden? One last time?”
My heart pressed hard against my rib cage. There was maybe an hour left until midnight. No more. “I would be happy to.”
I followed him out to the garden and we rambled quietly through it, the stars gleaming cold over our heads, me bundled once more in the fur cloak. The wolf paced beside me and I lay one hand on his shoulder, trying to give him what comfort I could.
We sat behind the waterfall for nearly half an hour, the fire warm at our backs, and my hand went frequently to my pocket, checking that the matches were still there. I pondered telling him what I was planning to do, but what would that accomplish? There was a bond laid on him—he couldn’t talk about “her” in the house. And what if my attempt to tell him nullified everything? Or worse, what if he grew wild again and tried to stop me? No. It was better if he didn’t know.
“I will miss you, Echo Alkaev,” said the wolf, gruff and sad. “More than you can imagine. I am sorry. For everything.”
Tears swam before my eyes. “You won’t have to miss me, Wolf. I’m not going to let you go. Do you hear me? I’m not going to let you go.”
But he sighed and laid his head on my knee.
It was almost midnight. I wondered what would happen if we both stayed in the room behind the waterfall. If that would be enough to break the curse.
But the wolf rose wearily to his feet. “It is time, my lady.”
I nodded, and asked the house to bring us to the bedroom. A door appeared in the back of the cave, and we walked through it into the corridor just outside of my room.
It was strange, getting ready for bed for the last time. I dressed behind the screen, fumbling to transfer the matches from my skirt to the pocket in my nightgown. Snow fell soft outside the patch of window. I sent the screen away and crawled into bed. I blew out the lamp.
I heard the wolf crawl up beside me, his breaths uneven and quick, matching my heartbeat.
Did he know what I was planning to do? Would he stop me if he did?
“Good night, Wolf,” I whispered into the darkness.
“Good night, Echo,” he said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
ILISTENED TO HIM BREATHE BESIDEme, quieting my own breaths, trying to quiet my heart. The compass-watch ticked away the minutes against my breastbone and I waited, the packet of matches pressing sharp against my palm.
His breathing evened out, after a long, long while. I felt sure he was asleep, but still I waited, doubting my resolve.
At last, when the night was half spent and I couldn’t wait any longer, I reached quietly for the lamp on the bedside table.
I freed a match from the packet, and struck it. There was a flare of light and a smell of sulphur, and I lit the lamp with trembling hands, then shook the match out.
My heart was a tumult in my ears. I could barely breathe.
But I turned in the bed, and lifted the lamp to illuminate who lay beside me.
A little cry escaped my lips, and the hand holding the lamp shook.
ItwasHal, lying there. He slept deeply, his face pressed into the pillow, his eyes shut tight. He looked different than he had in the books, lines in his face and threads of silver in his hair, but he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
I wanted to set down the lamp, crawl into his arms and fall asleep with my head tucked under his chin. But I didn’t, just watched him, the lamp quivering in my hand.
Hal shifted in his sleep, and the movement startled me. The lamp wavered, and, shining like a spot of amber, a drop of oil spilled onto his cheek.
