Page 24 of The Dragon and the Dove

‘Does it matter?’ Val replied. ‘You’re going to make someone else, aren’t you? You have to. That’s your divine calling. And since the rest of you are all doing something—’ She gestured to the scattered knives, the sketches on the bench, the glimmering jars of Lightfire. Then further afield to where Anouk was probably still stacking and unstacking stones in the back garden. ‘I might as well try and make myself useful. So I volunteer for sainthood. Or failure. Whatever my lot is.’

‘But you don’t trust magic,’ said Sera carefully.

It was Theo who answered. ‘That’s probably as good a reason as any to give it to her.’

Val didn’t deny Sera’s claim. And if she was frightened, she didn’t show it. Instead, she flicked her curls, her brown eyes turning fierce. ‘Andreas murdered my oldest friend in front of me. If he’s coming for us, I want to be ready to rip that snake’s tongue from his mouth and shove it up his—’

‘I’m convinced,’ said Sera.

‘This is really unfair,’ groused Tobias. ‘I said it first.’

Val stuck out of her tongue. Then she grabbed Sera’s hand, pressing a measure of confidence into her palm. ‘Don’t worry. This time, you’re going to nail it.’

‘What makes you so sure?’

‘Because I am utterly perfect in every way.’

With a rush of guilt, Sera looked to Theo but the Shadowsmith had turned away, busying himself at his workbench as though the conversation had nothing to do with him at all.

Chapter 6 Seraphine

Sera sat cross-legged on the rug in Val’s bedroom while her friend drew the curtains and lit the pillar candles on her dressing table.

‘How’s this for ambiance?’ she said, scattering a few rose petals.

‘Depends. Are you trying to seduce me?’

‘You wish.’ Val popped the top buttons of her shirt, then spritzed some perfume. A heady lavender scent filled the room. ‘If I’m going to risk my mortal soul, I’m going to do it in style.’

‘No pressure, then.’ Closing her eyes, Sera attempted to quieten the doubt in her mind.

Val sat down on the rug beside her, and in a hushed voice said, ‘Ready when you are, Maker.’

‘You don’t have to whisper.’

‘Sure, I do. We’re hiding from Ransom.’

‘We’re not hiding from Ransom. We’re just not explicitly telling him what we’re doing until it’s done.’

Considering how her last making had gone, she figured it’d be smoother without an audience breathing down her neck. Or a roomful of shadow beasts. And anyway, Ransom was busy helping Anouk work on some version of magical self-control down in the garden.

There was no point in interrupting them.

‘Lie down and close your eyes.’

Val did as she was told, folding her arms behind her head.

Sera smirked. ‘You’re not sunbathing.’

‘I am bathing in the light of your extraordinariness.’

‘Stop sucking up to me.’

‘I’m just trying to better my chances. I want to be a cool saint.’

‘It’s not up to me.’

‘Yeah, yeah, so you keep saying…’