Nine Shillings

Return to The Rooftop

London - 1842

I should've known Tessa would pick the rooftop she'd thrown me off; the place she'd learned how much power I had, and how much more Josef did. I suspected she'd let me go that time, I doubted she intended to again.

Josef gripped my hand tight and his ring bit, whether it was out of nervousness or his fear of heights I wasn't sure.

Tessa jumped the gap between rooftops and landed with a thud of boots and snap of fabric. 'Hurts knowing you're second best, doesn't it?' she said to Josef.

Josef's grip held me back. He was right, I needed to hold my temper.

Tessa wrinkled her nose. 'Or did you choose this yourself for "love"? Lot's good at getting what she wants from people then tossing them aside.' She put out her hand. 'This'll be less painful.'

Josef hissed when my nails cut into the back of his hand. I didn't want to let go, anxiety was strumming a tune on my spine. I itched to put myself between them.

'There are people who could help you,' Josef said.

'Except they won't, will they? Help isn't free and the price isn't worth paying.' She flexed her fingers. 'You're prolonging the inevitable. Impatience might make me impolite, Lottie.'

The air crackled with Josef's energy. 'You don't need to.'

Tessa closed her eyes in rapture.

I stared. I should've thought, using his power was a reflex for Josef.

Veins of purple light unfurled across the back of her hand and up her face.

Josef froze, threads of energy spread through him, his eyes clouded.

Time started again. I shoved him aside. He fell. Tessa's spell snapped like a whip crack. I dived for her.

Our magic clashed, sparking and singeing the roof around us. I pushed, her feet slid back. Her hands rammed through my wall of energy, glowing with stolen power. I shuddered under the pressure. Her hands closed on my wrists. It burned. My nails melted from onyx to grey. Energy wrapped around my legs, turning my feet hot in my boots. My pendant disintegrated and dropped off.

My heart quickened. Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic.

I dug my mental fingers into her magic and pulled.

Her eyes went wide. The glow stuttered.

She pulled back. We tugged and struggled. Veins of energy moving down my hands then retreating and moving down hers. Burnt skin stung my nose.

'You can't win,' she said through gritted teeth.

Total calm settled over me.

'No.' I dropped to my knees.

She frowned.

She grunted and hunched. Blood marbled with grey ran from a hole in her chest. She fell to her knees, my face stung from the proximity of quicksilver.

She looked me in the eyes. 'I don't want to die,' she whispered.

Her head snapped back. Silvery threads spread across her forehead from a hole between her eyes. Her grip on my energy released. Mine jerked inwards. My energy followed. So did hers.

The force knocked me over. I rolled across the rooftop and tipped over the edge.

Josef grabbed my arm and it shrieked in its socket. My every nerve was on fire.

'I've got you.' he lifted me back onto the roof and onto his lap.

'Too much.' The onyx of my nails was spreading down my fingers like frostbite. 'Too much.'

'Remember before?' he asked.

I nodded as I shook.

'Just breathe it out.'

He kissed me. I exhaled the energy into the fathomless well inside him. I wrapped my arms around him and straddled his lap focusing on the touch of his lips. Energy bloomed across his face and his brown eyes brightened.

My shuddering lessened, my frostbitten fingers melted back to pasty.

Josef pulled away. 'Enough.'

I rested my head on his shoulder, gasping. Energy buzzed in my veins, it was bearable. Just about

Josef licked his lips and his face touched the side of mine. 'I've never been kissed like that before.'

I slid off him and flopped onto the roof. A thump vibrated through the roof followed by running feet.

'Charlotte?' Bran appeared in my field of vision, one of his pistols still in his hand and his hair coming loose. 'Are you alright?'

I flicked my fingers vaguely. 'I should say something romantic but what I really want to say is "ow".'

His smile was strained, he tucked his pistol into his belt, and got down beside me.

I let him help me into a sitting position. He and Josef exchanged silent nods, whether agreeing I was alright or they both were I wasn't sure, my mind was running so fast it didn't want to settle.

'Is she dead?' I asked.

Bran and Josef looked over at where Tessa should be.

Josef's nose wrinkled. 'I'd say she's dead.'

My heart was humming. 'Do you think if we leave her there Freyja will turn up and feed her to something?'

'Probably best not to leave her,' Josef said.

'Damn.'

Bran lifted me to my feet and I didn't object, he needed to feel useful after being so far away while we were in danger.

I patted his chest, there was a blistered handprint on my wrist. 'You saved the day.'

He made a vague sound.

'Forgot what heroes get?' I drew him down into a deep kiss and he gripped my waist tight as a corset.

Josef got up and dusted off his trousers, he seemed slower than usual. 'I don't think she's coming back from that.'

Bran and I broke apart.

Tessa was lying on her back, threaded with silver, her skin grey and mottled as a tombstone, her eyes clouded over, and her hands burnt to charcoal.

We looked at each other.

I flicked out one of my knives. 'Better safe, as they say.'

The fellas nodded.