Dance of Magic - The Books of Beginning [1]

27. The Violin's Love Song

After Dr. Pym's departure, the group discussed plans for a long time (how did one fight a ghost, Michael kept asking) until half of them were falling asleep in their seats. Finally, Kate had the presence of mind to call it a night.

The Countess sent them to a large attic room filled with all the remains of furniture and other items once used in the household, each in various states of ruin. Still, it was something, Kate thought as she and Rafe dragged three musty mattresses and threadbare blankets out of the junk pile and onto the stone floor to make beds for her siblings and Wilamena. Gabriel, ever the restless guardian, was outside the room, just in case the Countess tried anything while the children slept.

Soon as their makeshift beds were dragged out, Michael collapsed on one, not even bothering to take his glasses off. With a sigh, Kate did that, setting them to the side so they didn't break and placing a blanket over him.

Wilamena was also sleeping quickly, exhausted from all that had happened in the past couple days. She curled up in a ball under her worn blanket and drifted asleep. Kate hopes she was having good dreams.

Emma was the part of the three to lay down her head but as soon as she did, exhaustion overwhelmed her. Soon she was snoring lightly, hands curled into fists even while she slept.

And Kate and Rafe were alone together.

They stood there for a moment, eyes locked, before Kate cleared her throat and whispered, "let's head to the other end of the room so we don't wake them."

Wordlessly, Rafe nodded and the two teens went to the other end of the room, on the other side of the massive pile of junk. They put their jackets down so they weren't sitting directly on the cold stone floor, then sat, a peace descending over them. This was their first moment alone together since the night on the roof in Cambridge Falls. Only this time, Rafe wasn't a ghost.

"Thank you," he said, breaking the silence, "for bringing me back to life."

"Of course. It was the right choice," Kate replied.

"However," Rafe sighed, "you should probably never do it again, definitely not any time soon. It could drain your magic too much and shatter your soul."

"I have no plans on doing it again, so long as you don't die," Kate said, and though her tone was light, her message was serious.

Rafe's mouth quirked upward, "I don't plan on dying any time soon. Not now that I'm here, with you."

He took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers, and they fell into silence once more. After a long moment, Rafe once again broke the silence, this time to say, "I broke Roberts nose. For betraying you. For hurting you. I know he did. I just thought I should tell you."

"You punched him?" Kate said, looking, to Rafe's surprise, mildly amused.

"Very hard," he answered.

Kate laughed slightly, "I punched him too. Made his nose bleed. He deserved it, the bastard."

Her voice was joking, but Rafe could sense some underlying pain there. He frowned, "you ok?"

She shook her head, fiddling with her gold locket, her face becoming serious, her gaze intense, "you saw the electric chair. You saw what they did to me. It hurt, Rafe. It hurt like no pain I ever felt before. Even when I got shot - back in 1899 - it was just cold. But this... this was agony. I thought it would never end."

"I know it hurt, Kate. I saw what they did to you. I... nothing has ever made me so angry in my life. I swear, they will never get away with it. I will never let them hurt you like that again. I'll end them all - The Dire Magnus, The Secretary, Robert - before letting them lay a finger on you," he vowed passionately.