A Breath of Frost (49 page)

The school loomed. The gargoyles peered over the corners, their shadows touching the foxgloves and tulips below. The sun gilded the walkway and the brass knocker in the shape of a lion’s head. It was pretty and tidy and elegant.

And she couldn’t help feeling like it was a trap.

She recited her new favorite constellation:
Leo, Virgo, Hydra
.

She was being ridiculous. She lifted her chin and forced herself to walk calmly into the school. Straight into Daphne.

Who was clinging to Cormac.

Blast
.

“Welcome back, Lady Emma,” Mrs. Sparrow spoke from the doorway to the parlor before Emma could decide how to react. “I trust you’re recovered and ready for lessons?”

“Yes, Mrs. Sparrow.”

“And you, Lord Blackburn. Shouldn’t you be on Keeper business?”

“Of course. Ladies.” Cormac bowed. He sauntered away without a backward glance. It took all of Emma’s inner strength not to watch him go.

“Emma, if you could go into the back garden and clear up that thundercloud threatening our outdoor tea for the parents, I’d be most grateful.”

“Yes, Mrs. Sparrow.” It was a simple task and one she was glad to be given. It felt normal. The headmistress disappeared back into the parlor. Emma turned narrowed eyes on Daphne.

“What?” she whispered innocently. “You know as well as I
do that he can’t afford to be seen with you.” She smiled, flipping her hair off her shoulder. “But he can be seen with the daughter of the First Legate. In fact, it may just save his reputation, don’t you think?”

Emma wished Daphne was wrong about that.

Behind them the staircase was filling up with curious girls. She thought of Ewan Greenwood sacrificing everything to protect her, and of her mother now wandering the forest as a deer. She released the glamour from her antlers and they instantly felt brighter, as if they’d been scrubbed clean of spiderwebs. One of the girls gasped. Several started to whisper loudly. Emma kept walking, heading to the garden.

“Oh go
on
,” Daphne snapped at them. They jumped. “Don’t gape at her. It’s so common.”

Emma couldn’t help a smile as they scattered, terrified of Daphne. She wondered if they were the same girls Gretchen had convinced to bleat like sheep. All of a sudden she felt quite cheerful to be back at school.

And she felt even more cheerful when Cormac tugged her suddenly into the lilac bush.

“Why is one of us always lurking about in shrubbery?” She grinned. Tables were set up under striped tents, set with silver cake stands covered in delicacies made mostly of buttercream frosting. Silver urns of tea waited next to delicate china cups. The sun was making a valiant effort to shine through the clouds, but they were pewter-gray and plum-purple, and hung like overripe fruit, ready to burst.

“I’ve been hanging about for ages, waiting for you,” Cormac
murmured against her throat. His lips were warm and wicked, trailing down to her collarbone. Her head tilted back of its own accord. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

“Me too,” she said, sliding her hands under his coat. He was warm and lean and smiling against her mouth.

“Does the Order suspect?”

“That I’d rather be kissing you than talking about them? No.” He nipped at her lower lip.

“It’s not over,” she said, playing with the ends of his hair. She couldn’t quite meet his gaze.

“I know.” He lifted her chin. His eyes flared, piercing her. “But their hold over me
is
. I belong to
you
, Emma. Not the Order.”

He kissed her with such promise, warm shivers chased down her spine. She pressed against him, kissing him back.

The storm clouds cleared.

The witchcraft in this book is purely literary. It is not intended to represent modern or ancient belief systems.

The Drake Chronicles
Hearts at Stake
Blood Feud
Out for Blood
Ruling Passion
(Bind-up of
Hearts at Stake
,
Blood Feud
, and
Out for Blood
)
Bleeding Hearts
Blood Moon
Blood Prophecy

Haunting Violet

Stolen Away

Copyright © 2014 by Alexandra Harvey

All rights reserved.
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce, or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

First published in the United States of America in January 2014
by Walker Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
E-book edition published in January 2014
www.bloomsbury.com

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to
Permissions, Walker BFYR, 1385 Broadway, New York, New York 10018

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Harvey, Alyxandra.
A breath of frost / Alyxandra Harvey.
pages      cm.      (The Lovegrove legacy; [1])
Summary: When three cousins in 1814 London discover their magical powers and family lineage of witchcraft, they accidentally open the gates to the underworld, allowing the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters to hunt and kill young debutante witches for their powers.
[1. Witches—Fiction. 2. Magic—Fiction. 3. Cousins—Fiction.
4. London (England)—History—19th century—Fiction.
5. Great Britain—History—George III, 1760–1820—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.H267448Br 2014       [Fic]—dc23         2013028809

ISBN: 978-0-8027-3445-7 (e-book)

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