“I hadn’t thought about it,” said Lucient vaguely. He sat up and held out his hand for the cloth bundle. “Maybe. I thought he was just keeping an eye on things for Uncle Nate. This family does get itself into trouble a lot.” He untied the cloth and shook the weed inside gently. “Interesting. You can’t tell there’s any Open.”
He took some smokeweed dust on the tip of his finger and dabbed it on his tongue.
“Yes, I can taste something funny, now I’m looking for it.”
“I don’t think you should smoke that. Lady only knows what it will do to you.”
“True,” said Lucy. “Someone should give that Blazeann a good thrashing. What are you doing, darling?”
“I’m going back to my room. You’ll be quite safe from Toy tonight, and it’s been a busy day. Far too busy,” I said, pulling open his window. “Come on. Lower me down, will you?”
“Oh, you want to make a discreet exit. I get it.” He touched the side of his nose. “Got to keep up the pretence. But you’ll stay with me tomorrow night, won’t you?”
“Of course I will, darling.” I wondered what Lady Glisten would do when I ignored her advice. It was none of her business. But best not to tell Lucient what she’d said. He’d only worry himself into a state.
By the time Lucient had deposited me gently on the flower bed four storeys beneath his window, depression had settled on my chest. The garden was cold, but it would be just as cold in my room. I missed my ghost; I could have told him all about everything. But he was Klea’s ghost now. He would probably go up to Elayison with her, and I would stay here as was sensible. And I’d never managed to find out anything about Ghostland from him.
Perhaps Great Aunt was right. I had to stay here with Eff anyway, now. Perhaps this year I’d try and get pregnant and get on with my life as it was always going to be. And never go anywhere, nor meet anyone interesting, nor find anyone to love me.
Katti came bursting out of the bushes and leapt up on me, her feet on my chest, her mind full of joy.
Come, come! It’s hunting time. Her thoughts exploded into my mind.
She pushed off me, almost knocking me over, and loped away into the garden. What could I do but laugh and run after her?
The garden was silver in the moonlight. The limbs of the freshly budding trees were stark black. Tree mice were busy scrabbling and hissing along those limbs. Perhaps it was Blessing time for them also. The young males kept dashing down the tree trunks and scampering across the grass ahead of us in a way that smacked of bravado. Katti knew they were playing with her, but she could not resist chasing them, hunter instincts all aquiver. She bounded from tree trunk to tree trunk, ignoring her bandaged paw and missing them every time. I was caught up in the excitement, wanting them to escape and wanting her to have the pleasure of a capture at the same time and laughing at myself and at all of them. Nature is a thing of beauty and joy even as its teeth and claws are cruel and red with blood. Being out among the trees with Katti always lifted my spirits and filled me with gratitude. But after a while the cold became too much.
You need fur, Katti told me.
“Sometimes I wish I was a cat,” I said to her.
Only sometimes?
She could be so smug.
I looked up at the house. No sign of light in Eff’s room, so no point in going up there to commiserate with her. She would probably be curled up with Auntie Four in the little guest room in the attic arguing about peasants’ rights the way they always did.
I could see the glow of a stove in the winterhouse. This was a kind of doorless shed overlooking the stream, built by an ancestor who wanted a shelter from the rain during winter picnics. I ran over and was glad to find no one in it, which meant I could pull up a bench near the stove and get warm.
But as I headed for the bench, a dark hooded shape rose out of the corner and came at me, reaching out with ghostly pale hands
I squeaked.
“It’s me,” hissed Shadow. He put his finger to my lips.
“What are you doing here?”
“Klea came to check about her letter.”
“Why’d she bring you?”
“I did not want to stay at the hut alone. You were right. It is very strange out there. All these flying mice, glowing and nipping.”
Katti put her head in the door and gave an enquiring chirrup, before seeing that I was unharmed and going away again.
I was so pleased to see him I put my arms around him and hugged him. I could feel him hesitating in my grasp.
“Oh, you’re so nice and warm,” I said, to hide the soppy moment. I pulled him over to the bench by the fire. “How have you been getting on with Klea?”
“Fine,” he said, sounding as if he meant it. “She’s been very good to me.”
“Really?” I said.
“No, not in that way.” He laughed. “No she’s not going to do that. She’s got too much else on her mind.”
“Did she tell you what was in the letter?”
“No,” he said.
“Are you telling the truth?” I felt a sense of being left out. Or maybe it was jealousy at not being the centre of his story any more.
“Yes. But I have an idea, now, of what it might be, and we do need to find it.”
“So, come on,” I said after a little silence. “Tell me what it is.” I was dying to find out what was in this all-important letter. What could Klea have done?
“I cannot. Because I am not sure.”
I whacked him on the arm.
“You are mad at me?” asked Shadow.
I already felt ashamed for hitting him. Childish to be jealous like that.
“I’ll get over it,” I said.
He put his hand through my arm and squeezed my elbow.
“I understand, Shine, I do. Do not worry. I will not let Klea go up to town without you.”
The way he read my mind made me feel happy.
“She’s a mage. You’ve got no say in it.”
“But I think she will keep a promise. You were right about her. She is a good person at heart. Have you got any way of contacting her? She is waiting in your room for you.”
“I’d best go up and get her. Already spent most of the evening running round after mages.” I sighed and stretched out my legs, unwilling the leave the warmth and comfort.
“I begin to understand what you mean,” he said wryly. “Tell me what’s been happening.”
Strangely enough, now he was here I didn’t want to ruin my good mood by whining about Glisten, so I told him about Blazeann’s plot. Halfway through the story, there came a rustle of leaves and a glow of magic. Shadow threw himself back into the dark corner, but it was only Klea dropping down through the trees into the winterhouse. She had her hat pulled down well over her head, but her crystal still gleamed through the felt.
“Any sign of my letter?” she asked as Shadow got up and dusted himself off again. “What are you doing down there, Ghost?”
“He was scared you were Illuminus, and I don’t blame him. Why on earth did you bring him back here?”
That was no way to be talking to a mage, but I was feeling testy.
“Did you find my letter?” she asked again.
Always the letter. What was in that letter? What could possibly be so important?