Page 16 of The Dawn Chorus

‘I suppose humans can never fully understand each other, either.’ She poured. ‘He healed me. He protected you. He must care. But is he an outlier, or proof of what they could be?’

The question hung between us. Liss handed me a cup.

‘Something to ponder,’ she said.

‘Yes.’ I wet my lips. ‘I wish I could—’

‘Good evening.’

We turned. Julian had propped himself up on both elbows.

‘Jules,’ I said, relieved. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘All right,’ he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. ‘All rightin comparison to what I last felt like, anyway.’ His dark brown skin was glazed with sweat. ‘What about you two?’

‘Paige fell asleep, too,’ Liss said. ‘You’d think the pair of you had contracted a life-threatening infection.’

‘Yeah, you’d think.’

Julian shifted across the floor to sit between us. We both leaned in to him. For a while, the three of us sat quiet in the light of the stove, keeping warm.

Soon enough, there would be no more nights like this. We would be dead or far away. I hoped we could stay together in London. Jaxon would never let two soothsayers into the gang (‘And just what am I supposed to do withthese, Paige?’), but he could find them somewhere to live.

‘We have a month left,’ Julian said. ‘The harlies are with us now. I’ll start talking to more of the white-jackets.’

‘Liss thinks Duckett has enough fuel for the fires,’ I said. ‘If we can wipe his memory, he might be useful.’

I told him about the part I thought Duckett should play. He listened with a sober expression.

‘Good,’ he said. ‘While Liss looks into it, you could ask the Warden about food. People need to be strong enough to run to the train.’

‘I will ask. Food is hard to come by, though, even for him.’

‘They’ll have to give at least some of us more.’ Liss huddled deeper into her shawl. Her jaw flexed before she said, ‘Me, especially. I’ll be sure to share my portion.’

‘No, Liss, don’t. You need it, or you’ll fall.’

‘I never fall.’

That was true.

‘Let’s see what the Warden can do, if anything,’ Julian said. ‘Then we can decide how to ration food.’ A grin lifted his cheeks. ‘Speaking of food – what’s the first thing you’re going to eat when we get back to the citadel?’

‘Roasted chestnuts, hot off the pan,’ I said wistfully. He nodded his approval. ‘And I’ll take you both for a slice of honey pound cake at the best cookshop in London. My treat.’

‘Perfect.’ Julian wrapped an arm around me. ‘Liss?’

It took her a while to reply. ‘I used to like clove rock,’ she said. ‘Ma gave it to me for a toothache once, and I loved it so much that I kept asking for it. She thought it was the funniest thing.’ She looked up at him, a smile on her chapped lips. ‘What about you?’

‘Ice cream.’

‘What flavour?’ I asked.

‘Cucumber.’

‘Och, no.’ Liss wrinkled her nose. ‘I remember that. It’s like eating … toilet water.’

‘I have to agree,’ I said. ‘Half-frozen toilet water.’