“Here.” Seraphia handed me a small dagger. “It’s clean.”
I took it, then raised it to my finger and pricked. The blood welled, and I dripped a tiny droplet into the hole in the golden clasp. Through the magnifying glass, we watched the blood race along the intricately curved channels. It shot through quickly, and magic began to glow around the book, brighter and brighter, until the clasp was so brilliant, I had to squint. With a pop, the clasp broke open, and the front cover lifted slightly.
“Perfect!” Seraphia picked up the book and handed it to me. “You should maybe read it on your own, if it’s about you.”
“Thanks.” I took the book, feeling the faintest pulse of magic.
She shooed me toward the door. “Now go. I have some things I need to do.”
“Thank you.”
She nodded and led us out, then shut the door quickly behind us.
Grey turned to me. “Let me walk you back.”
I nodded, tucking the small book into my pocket.
“You’ll read it tonight?” he asked.
“That’s my plan. I don’t think I could wait any longer.”
“I don’t blame you. And you found it in the Shadow Guild tower?”
I nodded. “Eve’s raven pointed it out to me. Landed on the box and started pecking like its life depended on it.”
“That’s odd.”
As if it had heard us speaking about it, the raven appeared overhead. It flew below the low-hanging clouds, swooping silently through the air. I thought of the seer’s words: find the raven.
We reached my flat a moment later, and the raven disappeared. I turned to Grey, who stood over me, silhouetted against the moonlight. The glow highlighted his cheekbones and strong jaw, made his silver eyes glitter with warmth.
He was impossibly beautiful, and my gaze moved to his lips.
I wanted to invite him inside. Desperately.
But the book hung heavy in my pocket, a reminder of what was at stake. So much. I needed to focus. If he came up, there’d be only one thing I would pay attention to, and it wouldn’t be the book.
I drew in a breath and leaned upward, pressing my lips to his. I kept the kiss chaste, even though desire pounded through me like a stampeding animal. I wanted to pull him against me and feel the heat of him.
“Carrow,” he murmured against my lips.
His hands gripped my waist, and I gave in, just a little bit. I raised my hands and clutched at his shoulders, pulling him against me. Heat tore through me as his lips moved expertly on mine.
My thoughts began to blur as I became nothing but feeling. I kissed him like my life depended on it, trying to cram everything I could into that short moment.
A bird’s cry distracted me, pulling me from the kiss. I drew back, panting. “This is a bad idea right now. I…can’t be around you if I want to read the book.”
He nodded, his eyes dark, and stepped back. “Of course. My control is…not what it should be.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning and let you know what I’ve discovered.”
“All right.” He nodded and left, and I watched until he disappeared into the night.
Heart still pounding, I looked up, searching for the bird that had ruined the moment. There was something up with that little weirdo, and I needed to figure it out.
I saw nothing but clouds and the moon, so I turned and went inside, taking the stairs two at a time.
As I passed Mac’s open door, she shouted out at me, “Any luck with the book?”