Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

T hree hours after Sir Nigel had departed, Hugo was still stalking around the castle with a face like thunder. I’d left him to it; I had drilling and practising to do, and he would come to me in his own time.

I continued to force my exhausted limbs beyond what I’d ever thought they were capable of. Hugo finally appeared when Slim was taking me through the finer points of using water magic from a distance.

‘It’s all very well conjuring up bursts of water right in front of you, Daisy,’ he told me, ‘but can you do it from the other side of a field? How far can you direct a stream of water?’

I concentrated hard on the opposite side of the disused ballroom where a small tin bucket was forlornly waiting for some magic. There were several puddles of water dotted around it but, alas, there was very little water in the bucket itself. Slim could conjure up precisely directed water magic from a distance of up to three miles; I couldn’t manage it from three hundred feet.

Hugo leaned against the door frame as he watched my final attempt. I narrowed my gaze and focused on a spot directly above the bucket. Sensibly, Hester and Otis had removed themselves some distance away after I’d doused them several times by accident.

‘Listen to your heartbeat,’ Slim advised.

‘I’m listening.’

‘Slow your breathing.’

Yep. I was doing that.

‘Visualise the molecules.’

A bead of sweat ran down my forehead. ‘Gotcha.’

‘And release.’

I flung the magic out of me, giving it all the energy I had, and a cupful of water splashed into the bucket. Another three litres missed it altogether and created a miniature river that ran across the ballroom floor to Hugo’s feet. His mouth tightened.

I sighed and wished the palpitations in my chest would subside.

‘You’re making progress,’ Slim said encouragingly.

Not much progress, but I thanked him anyway. He was a patient teacher and I was lucky to have him. I was lucky to have all of them. I smiled, curtsied – and finally faced Hugo.

‘Can you give us five minutes, Slim?’ he asked.

The older elf was already heading for the door. Otis rose up in the air and prepared to follow him, but Hester yanked him back. Neither brownie was going anywhere; they wanted to hear what Hugo had to say.

He closed the ballroom door and gestured to a few chairs grouped against one wall. I nodded and sat down. When Hugo joined me, I could see the strain etched into his features and the dark tension in his eyes.

I gave him all the time he needed; he’d speak when he was ready. This was a raw, vulnerable Hugo, a side to him that I’d rarely witnessed. He deserved my patience.

After several moments, he inhaled deeply and folded his arms. ‘Daisy, I need you to believe that I’m not a complete bastard,’ he said.

I blinked. ‘I don’t think that, Hugo.’

‘You used to.’

Yes, when we’d first met, but so much had changed since then. ‘That was a long time ago. Everything is different now.’ My feelings for Hugo were now running in a totally different direction.

He continued to avoid my gaze. ‘It’s not that I don’t care about what happened to Lady Rose – whatever happened to her is an enormous tragedy – but it’s been thirty years. Gordon Mackenzie isn’t the first person to search for her and he won’t be the last, but there’s never been a trace of her anywhere. She’s dead, and I don’t believe her remains will ever be found.’

He finally raised his eyes and looked at me. ‘My parents still receive hate mail on an almost daily basis, even though they’re abroad. That sort of thing grinds you down.’

I wanted to reach out and hug him but it wasn’t the right time; Hugo needed to say his piece first. I wasn’t in his position and I could never truly understand it, but I was there for him, if only to listen. Most of our conversations lately had involved banter, training details or treasure hunting; this, was definitely not one of those.

I registered the flicker of anguish in his face. ‘There’s something about Lady Rose that my parents won’t tell me,’ he whispered.

Oh no.

‘I don’t know what it is. Whenever I’ve tried to bring it up, they’ve changed the topic or simply refused to speak to me about it. But they’re my mum and dad and I know them as well as I know anyone. I’m certain there’s something important that they won’t tell me. ’

I selected my next words very, very carefully. ‘Do you think they had something to do with Lady Rose’s disappearance?’

He shook his head, then he nodded. A moment later, he growled with frustration. ‘I don’t believe they’d hurt her, I truly don’t. But…’ He sighed. ‘There’s something there, something they know. What if…?’ He couldn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t blame him.

‘I shouldn’t be complaining,’ he continued. ‘You’ve had far more to deal with – you’re still dealing with far more.’

‘It’s not a misery competition, Hugo. You’re entitled to your feelings.’

‘It’s a wonder to me that I ever thought you were anything less than amazing,’ he said quietly.

From the other side of the room, Hester shouted, ‘Yes, Hugo!’ I pulled a face at her. This wasn’t the time for her commentary, regardless of how well-meaning it was.

‘I tried to find Lady Rose, you know,’ he said. ‘I searched for her for a long time when I was a teenager. I thought that if I could find her then all the nastiness directed at my parents would stop. I broke into her house like you did. It’s one of the few hunts I’ve undertaken where I completely failed. The truth is that there’s nothing to find. She’s gone.’

‘Gordon told me that if this magical skull he’s looking for doesn’t offer up any answers, he’ll put the investigation to bed once and for all.’

‘Others will pick up where Gordon leaves off,’ Hugo said darkly. ‘There are always others – and one of them appears to be your alleged father. His interest alone should be enough to dissuade you from helping Gordon. Athair’s involvement can’t be a good thing.’

We were in agreement about that. ‘Did you notice how Athair talks about her in his letter?’ I asked. ‘The first time he mentions her, he calls her Lady Rose, then she’s just Rose. The last time, he calls her Rosie. What if he knew her? What if he was responsible for whatever happened to her?’

‘And what if he’s pulling your strings because he wants to control you and everything you do? Athair is the most powerful remaining fiend in this country for a reason. He’s cold and vicious and very intelligent. He’s playing a game that you can’t win, Daisy.’

‘But this isn’t only about Athair, or me. It’s about Lady Rose and about Gordon. And it’s about you.’

Hugo grimaced with obvious frustration. ‘Athair wants you to get involved and whatever the reason, it won’t be good. It’s bad enough that he knew you’d sneak into the Assigney house.’

‘I can’t pretend he doesn’t exist,’ I pointed out. ‘Athair is part of my life now, whether that DNA test confirms he’s my father or not. He won’t go away.’

‘And dead or not, Lady Rose won’t go away either.’ That was true. ‘You want to help Gordon find this skull, whatever it is?’ he asked.

I nodded. ‘I do. He wouldn’t tell me what the skull does, although he seemed confident that it would provide answers. I understand what you’re worried about, Hugo. It doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you normal.’ I paused. ‘If you tell me you don’t want me to do this, I’ll respect your wishes.’

‘Why? Why would you do that for me?’

‘Because I care about you,’ I said simply.

His voice was rough. ‘Care? Is that it?’

I didn’t look away. ‘You don’t believe me?’

Hugo hissed through his teeth, stood up and marched several paces away. When he stopped, he didn’t turn around to face me. ‘I care about you too.’ He sounded strained. ‘I know I’ve put you through hell these last weeks.’

‘You’ve been trying to help me.’

‘But it hasn’t worked, has it? You’re no closer to fully controlling your magic, and you’re no closer to weaning yourself off spider’s silk. I’m not stupid, Daisy. I know what’s going on. I’ve seen the way you break into a cold sweat when you’re doing nothing to warrant it. I’ve noticed how you suddenly start shaking. But you’ve done everything I’ve asked and more and you’ve never hesitated. You, Daisy Carter, are the bravest, strongest, and most wonderful person I’ve ever met.’ He paused. ‘I’m not like you. I’m not as strong as you. But you make me want to try.’

My eyes widened. I swallowed hard, stood up and went to him. When I reached his ramrod-straight body, he turned and faced me. ‘We’ll look for Gordon’s little magical skull together,’ he said. ‘We’ll be more successful as a team. Anyway, you desperately need a break in your training. Miriam keeps telling me that the regime is as likely to kill you as save you. Even Otis has pulled me aside to scold me for giving you too much to do.’

I glanced over at the little brownie. A guilty flush stained his cheeks as he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. Hester nudged him. ‘Otis! You did that?’

He mumbled an answer. She flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around him.

‘You should take the rest of the day off, Daisy,’ Hugo said, drawing my attention back to him. ‘Get some proper rest. I’ll convene the Primes first thing tomorrow morning. We can take a good look at all the information Gordon has about the skull and come up with a plan.’

‘Are you sure about this?’ I whispered.

His hand reached up and cupped my cheek. ‘I am.’

I couldn’t help myself: I stiffened. ‘That’s the first time you’ve touched me since London,’ I said. Six weeks ago.

Hugo’s hand stayed where it was. ‘I know.’ His head dipped closer to mine. ‘Believe me, Daisy, I know.’

As his warm breath brushed my skin, something deep and nameless inside me quivered. I gazed into his eyes, then I muttered two words: ‘Fuck it.’

My mouth rose to meet his. For one heart-stopping moment, he didn’t react but then he groaned and curved an arm around me, pulling me closer and kissing me harder. He tasted of cinnamon and cloves, and the heat of his hard body as it pressed against mine almost made me gasp aloud. When his mouth left mine and he trailed a series of kisses down my neck towards my collarbone, I did gasp. And I moaned. Then again, so did Hugo.

‘Um, Daisy?’

I barely heard Otis, and I certainly didn’t pay him any attention. My hands curved down until I was cupping Hugo’s gorgeous arse and then?—

Hester screeched in my ear. ‘Daisy!’

I stepped back, my heart hammering against my ribcage with more force than a dozen confrontations with Athair could invoke. ‘What?’

She pointed downwards.

Oh.

I swallowed hard. Hugo glanced down and his skin paled beneath his flush of lust. Not only had I finally managed to fill the bucket with water, but it also appeared that I’d filled the entire ballroom. We were standing in three inches of tepid liquid that was covering every inch of the floor.

‘If the two of you are going to keep at it and drown yourselves in the process,’ Hester retorted, ‘at least let us leave the room first.’

I thought of the three spider’s silk pills I’d taken a few hours earlier; the drug’s effects on my magic were diminishing day by day. Cumbubbling bollocks.

I drew in a ragged breath. ‘I’m sorry, Hugo. That was a mistake. ’

He gazed at me with hot, blue eyes. ‘No, it wasn’t. It was worth every damned inch of water.’ He looked as if he meant it.

I licked my lips. When I realised I could still taste him on my tongue, something surged through me – and the water level rose another inch. Oops. ‘Just so we’re clear,’ I said. ‘I didn’t kiss you because I’m happy that you’ll help me look for Gordon’s skull.’

The corner of Hugo’s mouth crooked up and his dimple appeared. ‘I know that, Daisy. You kissed me because I’m irresistible and you couldn’t help yourself. I can’t blame you.’ He gestured to himself. ‘It’s hard to say no to this.’ His eyes dropped to my mouth, then they travelled lower.

‘Stop that!’ I protested.

‘Stop what?’

‘Ogling!’

‘Why? Is it making you melt?’ He grinned; he was back to his usual self. ‘You want me so badly right now.’

He wasn’t wrong. I felt myself leaning towards him once more.

‘No!’ Hester yelled. ‘No more! No flooding! No tsunamis!’ She was right. I closed my eyes and stepped away.

When I opened them, Hugo had also moved. ‘Go and get some rest, Daisy,’ he said from the other side of the room. ‘I’ll clean this up.’

I considered arguing then thought better of it. With Otis pressing his hands to his cheeks and Hester pretending to fan herself, I took advantage of the moment and fled the room.