A Poison Dark and Drowning (Kingdom on Fire #2)(35)

“Lavender oil, verbena, water, and gingerroot to strengthen Rook’s body.” She rubbed her stomach. “Flush out the poison.”

There was a small racket by the window, startling me. A cage that I’d not noticed before hung from the rafter, and inside the cage a cream-colored turtledove flapped its wings. Maria made a shushing sound as she got up and unlatched the door. The bird hopped obediently into her hand, and she sat at the table again, stroking the dove’s soft head with the tip of her finger. She trilled and whispered, and it watched her with shining black eyes.

“Where on earth did you get a turtledove?”

Maria shrugged. “There was a man selling caged birds, wandering up and down the street. This one called to me.” Maria didn’t take her gaze away from the creature. “This city is too hard. Soothes me to have something pure and alive near at hand.” She cradled the cooing dove against her chest.

Maria whistled gently, the sound like a soft, rushing wind. That bone-deep energy flooded the room again, the kind I’d felt the night I’d seen her rid herself of the Familiar’s venom. This was gentler, though.

“Did you have pets when you were little?” I reached out a finger to stroke the dove. It ruffled its feathers in response; it wanted only Maria.

“I don’t remember much of my grandmother’s coven, but I recall the animals. The turtledoves flocked to us especially. I’d many before the burnings started.”

Her warm brown eyes darkened as she placed the dove on the table.

“I don’t understand how the sorcerers could be so savage against your kind,” I said, unable to help myself. Dimly, I realized I’d said “the sorcerers”—not we.

“We celebrate life, yes. But death as well.” Maria took another purple flower from her hair and twirled it between her fingers. “You saw what I did with that shrub. For one to live, one must die.” Maria’s voice dropped once more to that strange, womanly tone. “That’s a dangerous power to have.”

The door opened, and Rook entered. His eyes were so bright and his face so flushed that for a moment I was afraid he was feverish. But the wide, brilliant smile on his face told me he felt no pain.

“Where’ve you been?” I asked as he slid onto the bench beside me. His hands were trembling, but he looked excited.

“Wonderful day at work.” He leaped up and walked around to Maria. “Have we anything to try yet?”

Well, at least I could be here for Rook’s first treatment. Maria handed him the odd-colored square of paste. “The taste’ll be strange, but you must have no water for at least ten minutes.”

Rook ate the thing in one go. His face puckered.

“Will it work soon?” There was such hope in his black eyes. He sat down beside me again, and his hand found mine.

“We’ll find out, won’t we?” Maria said. “For now, don’t worry.”

That seemed enough for Rook. But until the shadows receded, I would keep worrying. There was no way to make me stop.

—

FOR THE NEXT WEEK, THE BOYS and I met in the barracks’ courtyard and practiced with the weapons. We avoided the flutes and the lantern but did our best sparring with the blades. Dee gave up on using the scythe when it wouldn’t stop making that horrid noise. Every night when we disbanded, I wondered if we were using them properly. I would read Strangewayes’s journal and grow more puzzled. His mind had been a fragmented mess. None of us could be sure.

Then, on the seventh day, the bells rang at dawn.

Before I opened my eyes, I knew these weren’t the standard morning bells. Every church tower in London rang at the same time, using the same pattern. Dong. Dong. Ding ding ding.

A warning. A call to battle.

I sat up in my bed, my heart hammering. Rubbing my eyes, I tried to remember what the pattern meant. The two solid, long tolls said that it was an attack. The three rapid bells indicated the eastern edge of the barrier. But it didn’t include the pattern that announced which Ancient we were to fight.

That was odd, and troubling.

Lilly rushed into my room and threw open my wardrobe without a word. She knew what those bells meant as well as I.

“Did you sleep well, miss?” she asked, sounding a bit breathless. She pushed open the curtains. “It’ll be a cool day, I suspect.” Lilly hurried about the room, pouring hot water and handing me my wrap. Her face was white, but other than that she showed no panic. I wished I had her courage.

Dong. Dong. Ding ding ding. The bells continued as we got me laced into my corset, tied my boots, and threw on the dark gown Madame Voltiana had designed for me. “Battle ready,” she’d called it. It had loose sleeves that let me raise my arms over my head without difficulty, and a less voluminous skirt. Frankly, trousers would have been best, but I couldn’t imagine having that conversation with Whitechurch.

When I was dressed, I hurried downstairs to find Blackwood pacing by the door. He’d a sword and dagger strapped to his waist. Without a word, I took the other dagger, put the two-inch-long blade up my sleeve in a sheath, and hung the bone whistle about my neck.

There. We were both prepared. Really, it had been lucky London had not faced a direct attack in the months since the ward fell. We couldn’t have expected to stay that lucky forever.

Before we left, I looked for Rook but couldn’t find him. The whole house was awake and hurrying up and down stairs, preparing to flee in case…well, just in case. Nowhere was safe any longer.