A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire #1)(18)

Palehook nodded. “Of course. No matter what the cost to us, Miss Howel, we will do most anything to please you.” His words didn’t feel as nice as they sounded. “For women, as we all know, are the most simple and tenderhearted of God’s creatures.”

My temper rose. I gripped my glass as the fire practically danced under my skin. Palehook seemed the sort to subtly draw out another person’s anger. Everyone had their eyes fixed on us, looking back and forth as if we were characters in a play.

“Women are tender, of course,” Cellini said, lifting his eyebrows. “Much more tender than men. But women can also be wise. Don’t you find, sir?”

“Oh, certainly,” Palehook said with a nonchalant wave of his hand.

“Many sorcerers choose an area in which to become an expert,” Agrippa said, desperate to steer the conversation to a safer shore. “Isaac wants to be a warder, as successful as our dear Master here.” Palehook nodded at the compliment. “And Julian seems to think going into the navy would be a good option.”

“What’s wrong with the navy? Pounding Nemneris the old Water Spider herself into submission? I think it’s brilliant of me,” Magnus said, humble as ever.

“What about you?” I asked Lambe, seated beside me. He had barely touched his dinner, preferring to arrange and rearrange the vegetables and meat on his plate into odd shapes.

“I’ll become a Speaker, a soothsayer,” he whispered. I knew that prophetic ability was rare in the sorcerer community. Lambe was probably the only boy here who’d tested positive for those skills. Honestly, I should have guessed it before. He seemed a bit detached from everything going on around him. He spoke to people as if he were half asleep.



“Mr. Lambe has quite a talent,” Palehook said.

“Speakers live in a monastery in Northumberland, on the border of Scotland,” Lambe said. “It will be a quiet life.”

“There’s no need to go all the way up north,” Wolff said. He frowned. “There’s plenty of work to be done in the Order’s service down here, you know.” It sounded like an argument they’d had several times before. I noticed that whenever Wolff spoke, Lambe lost that dreamy, unfocused look.

“I must go where I’m needed,” he said. Wolff began cutting into his food with a vengeance, as though his chop had done him some serious wrong.

“Would nothing compel you to remain in our society?” Palehook asked. Lambe considered this.

“If the slab of obsidian breaks,” he said slowly, “I will remain.”

What an odd thing to say.

“Another toast,” Magnus said, lifting his glass. “To lady sorcerers, and the spirit of change.”

At the word change, Palehook nearly spit his wine. Magnus winked. Apparently, he had chosen my side. I hoped he’d chosen rightly.





Gentlemen and ladies spent time apart after supper. Being the only lady, I was forced to wait in the drawing room for fifteen minutes by myself. I paced and stared at portraits. One young woman’s image caught my attention. She was a lovely yellow-haired girl in a blue gown. A placard at the bottom of the frame read GWENDOLYN AGRIPPA.

There was something familiar about her, though I couldn’t place it. Then I realized that the gown in the painting was the same one I wore now. I flinched and looked away. Poor Agrippa.

“Sublime, wasn’t she?” a voice behind me said. Palehook helped himself to a glass of brandy. I didn’t like his watchful gaze, and hoped the others would arrive soon. “I always thought Miss Agrippa to be among the brightest lights in our society. Her death was an incalculable loss.” He sipped. “You have much to live up to.”

“I’m not here to replace Miss Agrippa,” I said, a bit stiffly. “I’m here to become a sorcerer.”

“Mmm,” he said. “Of course.” He moved away as the others entered the room. I turned back to the portrait, glad to have Palehook’s attention off me. I kept thinking about what he’d said regarding Rook and the colony in Brighton. They wouldn’t send him away, would they? I tried my best to appear at ease, but I doubt I succeeded.



Twenty minutes later, Palehook mercifully left. We bid farewell at the front door, and I had to let him kiss my hand. He smiled. “Until we meet again, my dear,” he said, taking his hat and coat and walking out. At last.

Magnus stood beside me. “What’s wrong?” he whispered. Damn. I wasn’t hiding my feelings as well as I’d hoped.

“I’m worried about Rook.”

“Well, we can’t have that. I’ll take you below stairs this instant.” He smiled.

“Is that really proper?” It wasn’t that I thought the downstairs an unseemly place, more that going anywhere privately with a young man could be bad for my reputation. I had to worry about reputations now. London was not Brimthorn.

“We might cause a scandal, a young lady and a gentleman going to the kitchen without an escort. We should shock them by baking something together.”

We slipped down to the servants’ dining area and found them almost through with their supper, the butler and housekeeper at each end of the table, the footmen and the housemaids and Lilly along the sides. They got to their feet as we entered, Lilly with a napkin before her mouth to disguise her chewing.