She certainly showed no signs of being put off by the weather, although the snow lay piled up before the house and we had to pace carefully through the narrow paths dug by Lady Cosgrave’sgardeners.
A pale sun shone through the grey mass of clouds overhead, casting its watery light against the thick white snow that balanced on the branches of the sculpted hedges before us. Even more snow fell in a light, steady stream around us as we stepped through the arched opening in the hedge and into the cloistered privacy of the knotgarden.
I might not be a weather wizard myself, nor one with nature, but evenIknew it must have stopped snowing by now in any natural winterstorm.
Thank goodness for the elaborately sculpted knotwork spell in the hedges. Even an elf’s prying eyes wouldn’t see through thosebranches.
Probably.
To take my mind off that disquieting thought, I said briskly, “So, what spells have you learned to cast thusfar?”
“I beg your pardon?” Miss Banks slid me a startled look under her hood. “You know I haven’t beenaccepted—”
“Yes, yes.” I released her arm and pulled my own satin-lined hood more tightly around my face for warmth. “But what spells have you managed to teach yourselfalready?”
There was a moment’s pause as she studied me warily. “You do remember that the Library directs all students to wait until theirarrival—”
I waved an impatient hand. “And?”
Her expression broke into an irrepressible grin. “Look!” Whispering under her breath, she twirled around. The airshimmered.
A rainbow of lights shot up around her. Yellow, red, violet,blue...
They all speared upward and disappeared, leaving her laughing and triumphant in the snow before me. “Well?”
Something caught in my throat as I looked at her bright young face—a knot of emotions formed by pain and piercing envy and an unexpected, fiercetenderness.
I knew that exhilaration sowell.
I wouldn’t let anyone take it away from this girl—not evenherself.
I wouldnot.
I cleared my throat with an effort. “Very good,” I said hoarsely. “Very pretty. Where did you learnit?”
She blinked, looking suddenly shy again. “I...found an old book of my father’s. Well, he was going to be rid of it, actually—he never had a son, and he hasn’t practiced himself in years—I think he never really cared for magic in the first place,so—”
“So you stole it,” I said. “Isee.”
Her face fell. “Ijust—”
“Miss Banks...” I heaved a weary sigh. “Do you haveany ideahow many of my own father’s books I smuggled out of his library over theyears?”
“You did?” Her eyeswidened.
I gave a thin smile, stretched taut by memories. Of course, I’d had it easier than she had when it came to the actual acquisition of my books—I’d had Jonathan on my side, so whenever he’d been home for the holidays I’d sent him sneaking into the family library with a list of items to procure for me. If our parents had ever caught my brother with those books, after all, they would have been only too delighted...whereasI’dhad them confiscated again and again whenever they were found hidden in my room, and I’d lost more than one meal as punishment for myincorrigibility.
Worse yet, after our father had died, his library door had been firmly locked...and only Jonathan had been allowed any access to thekey.
I said, firmly shoving those recollections aside, “You’ll need a better book to work with. That spell comes fromRichmond’s Assortment of Delights, which is only intended for festive occasions. Lovely to pull out for a long evening with friends, of course, but not much use in practical terms. If you want to persuade the Great Library of your abilities, you’ll need to prove them in a way that no one can pass off as a mere partytrick.”
“Oh.” She swallowed visibly, looking suddenly smaller within her cloak. “I...I’m not sure there are any other books in my house. But perhaps...perhaps if I can find a way into Lord Cosgrave’s library,or...”
“Better not steal them from our host,” I said gently. “That wouldn’t put you on the right foot at all. And fortunately, you shouldn’t have to.” As she looked at me in open bafflement, I shook my head at her. “I amsaying,Miss Banks, that I will send you all the books that you require. I have plenty, nowadays...and as you know, I can’t use any of them myselfanymore.”
“But...” She surprised me by frowning with open disapproval. “What if you do need them again in the future, Miss Harwood? If you ever regain your ability to cast spells,or—”
“Trust me,” I said through gritted teeth. “That won’t behappening.”
