‘“Close your eyes,” he said.
‘Aaron’s words slipped into my ears like the cleverest knife. Not the velvet gunshot of that darkling boy’s command in Skyefall. Something subtler, and more frightening. It was forbidden for palebloods to use their gifts on each other, and part of me raged that he’d dare to do so. But for the rest of me, it seemed the most reasonable thing in the world. Aaron is your friend, came a whisper within. You trust him. You like him.
‘And so, I closed my eyes.
‘His punch took me right in the belly, and all the breath left my lungs. I sank to my knees on the Armoury steps, holding my aching gut.
‘“You h-hit l-like a lord,” I managed.
‘“I don’t like you, you ill-bred little bastard.”
‘“You m-mean this isn’t a … m-marriage proposal …？”
‘Aaron loomed over me, sharp teeth at the corners of his mouth. “You made a fool of me in front of Greyhand. I owe you fucking blood for that. Our master might be content to have you swing a shovel for a while, but I surely won’t be. Now that he’s not around to watch your back every minute, you’d best sleep lightly, frailblood.”
‘Aaron spat onto the steps beside me, stalked off to the Barracks. He’d broken the laws of San Michon using his bloodgifts on me, and I was half-tempted to throw a parting jab about his cowardice. But truth told, I was just glad he’d left me the fuck alone. I’d caught that glance Greyhand and Talon had exchanged, and I wondered if the seraph knew something of the wound I’d inflicted on the de Blanchet boy.
‘With Aaron’s eyes off me, I aimed now to find out. So, I simply flipped the Fathers at his back, and holding my bruised belly, stole back inside the Armoury.
‘My heart was racing, but all those nights I’d spent stealing out to Ilsa’s bedroom came back to me in a flood. I could still be a stealthy bastard when I chose, even without warm lips waiting for me at the end. I crept through the weapon racks, low honeyed lights shining above. And soon enough, I was crouched back outside the Foundry doors.
‘Peering inside, I saw Greyhand and Talon beside little Claude’s body. Sister Aoife was on the other side of the room now, busy at the Foundry’s workings.
‘“… large infestation considering the time this maggot spawn had to hunt,” the seraph was saying. “It only turned two months ago, you say?”
‘“Almost three,” Greyhand nodded. “But, oui. The blood runs thick in this one.”
‘“Interesting that the leech who made it abandoned it?”
‘“She may not have known the boy Became. Apparently, she departed in haste.”
‘“Mmm.” The boything shrieked behind its gag as Talon slid one of those silver-tipped tubes into its skin. “And this burn on its arm? Archer’s message said it was of import.”
‘Greyhand glanced to Aoife, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “The boy did that with his bare hands.”
‘“De Coste?”
‘“De León.”
‘Talon scoffed. “That water-blooded little cockgobbler?”
‘“Those wounds were inflicted two weeks ago,” Greyhand said. “They should have healed at next dawn, and yet they linger. When I burst into the room, I could still see the blood boiling under this leech’s skin where de León touched it.”
‘“… Boiling? You’re certain?”
‘“I saw it. I smelled it. You know what this is, Talon.”
‘“I know nothing of the sort.”
‘“Damn you, open your eyes, man. This is sanguimancy.”
‘Crouched at the doorway, I felt my whole body tense. I’d no understanding of the word’s meaning, but the way Greyhand whispered it sent a chill through my aching belly. I could hear wonder in my master’s voice now. Wonder, and fear.
‘“Impossible,” Talon hissed. “That line is extinguished. Centuries past.”
‘“Centuries are nothing to these creatures. What if the stories are wrong, Talon? Or lies?” Greyhand glanced to Aoife, lowering his voice further. “De León failed every testing in the Trial of the Blood, but we never tested him for this. What if the leech who seeded his mo—”
‘“Then we should take him to Heaven’s Bridge right now,” Talon growled. “Cut his throat and give him to the waters.”
‘Again, I felt a surge of butterflies. I’d been taught there were only four kith houses. Voss. Chastain. Ilon. Dyvok. Had I heard aright?
‘Were they talking about a fifth bloodline?
‘And was I … one of them?
‘I pressed back against the doors. I wasn’t sure if my chest had fallen into my gut, or my gut had leapt into my chest. My master had lied to me when he said he’d no idea what I’d done to the de Blanchet boy. And Talon was talking about ending me. I wondered if I should run for it. Just head back to the stables, saddle up Justice and bolt.
‘“We should do nothing rash until we’ve spoken to Khalid,” Greyhand whispered. “I am the boy’s master. He’s impatient. Arrogant. Far too keen for glory. But he’s one of the finest swords I’ve trained, and he took down this highblood alone, drugged to the eyeballs on rêvre. If what I suspect of his line is true … he could be the greatest of us, Talon.”
‘“Or the most terrible.”
‘“Is that not for God to decide?”
‘“God helps those who help themselves, old friend.” Talon leaned on the slab and sighed. “You are the boy’s master, and I’ll not gainsay you. But if Khalid bids we end him …”
‘Greyhand nodded, grim. “So be it. We shall speak to the abbot after duskmass.”
‘The taste of iron and adrenaline was heavy on my tongue. I slipped away before Greyhand could spot me, stealing back across the Armoury. Out the doors, dashing across the rope bridge to Barracks, my head swimming with all I’d heard.
‘A hidden gift named sanguimancy.
‘A fifth bloodline of the kith.
‘What did it all mean? Why did Greyhand speak of them with fear? And could I really be born of this mysterious line, and not the frailblood Talon had marked me for?’
Jean-Fran?ois dipped his quill in the ink jar, chocolat eyes on his tome.
‘Could you not simply ask Abbot Khalid?’
‘Fuck no,’ Gabriel scowled. ‘All I’d heard, I’d eavesdropped. Greyhand had lied to me in Skyefall. God Almighty, Talon was willing to take me to the Bridge over this. Besides, it wasn’t in my nature to go bleating to adults when the road got rocky. You grow up with a stepfather like mine, you learn to solve your own fucking problems.’
Gabriel’s thumb traced the small, raised ridges of the sevenstar in his palm.
‘So solving my own problems was exactly what I set out to do.’
VII
A LIBRARY OF GHOSTS
‘THAT EVE, I did something I never imagined myself doing when I first entered San Michon.’
‘And that was?’ Jean-Fran?ois asked.
‘I broke the rules.’
The vampire’s eyes widened in alarm. ‘Scandalous.’