Shadow
Page 32
They’d carted him off in the middle of the night, his cage rolled into one of our unused horse trailers and hitched to my father’s truck. All while Augustine … while my Uncle Adolár … looked on in smug satisfaction. And then I watched as Quentin climbed in the driver’s seat and drove them away.
Quentin.
I picked up another rose – carefully this time. He’d had them sent to my dressing room, just like he did every night before I performed. I felt a pang in my heart. How could he have changed so much? What had happened to the man I’d always loved – the guy who used to make me laugh when we were children? We were destined to be married. My little fairy tale ending.
There was six years’ difference in our ages – which seemed strange to outsiders when I was younger – but among the Roma our betrothal was natural. It was expected. And I’d always been okay with it, though I’d begged to wait for marriage until after I’d graduated. There was no hurry, not with my aunt reigning comfortably as the Queen of the Outcast clans, and my succession to the throne a secret.
When Quentin pressured me for an official engagement, my father wasn’t opposed. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have minded. I’d always thought he was a good man. His sculpted looks made me the envy of every girl in our clan. I’d caught the biggest fish without even trying.
But there’d always been something about him that bothered me – an underlying darkness behind his eyes; a part of him that he kept closed off from me. Each time it surfaced, one of his gorgeous smiles or a fiery kiss would melt my doubts away and I could pretend it wasn’t there. Our lives had been entwined together so long that I’d never imagined things could be different – that I could feel different.
As I crouched on the floor of my dressing room, holding his wilting rose in my hands, I realized that it wasn’t Quentin who had changed these last few months. It was me. The awareness had taken too long to grow, the process painfully slow. But now, I knew what really bothered me most about Quentin Marks.
He wasn’t Sebastian Grey.
And suddenly, I knew what I had to do. I only hoped I wasn’t too late. Throwing what clothes I had nearby into my bag, I rushed out of the dressing room. Behind me, I could hear Andre yelling my name, but I didn’t look back – not until I was gazing at the diminishing outline of the Circe de Romany from the rearview mirror of Quentin’s SUV.
I tore across town, praying for green lights and no traffic. My heart pounded so hard I could barely breathe. I pressed my hand against the dandelion pendant at my neck. But for the first time since Sebastian had gone before the kris, I felt a sense of peace.
I’d lived in a world carefully planned – my future in the clan, my career, even my relationships – neatly aligned, perfectly balanced. Then my life collided with his – the strange boy with the shy smile and soulful eyes — and suddenly everything changed. I’d wasted months trying to right myself; trying to figure out how Sebastian fit into my ordered life.
But he didn’t fit. He was more than my friend, more than even my guardian. He filled in parts of me I hadn’t known were missing. But I’d been too concerned with upsetting the balance to allow myself to see it. I’d been teetering like an acrobat on a tightrope, scared to move – knowing there wasn’t a safety net to catch me if I fell.
My balancing act was over. It was time to take a deep breath.
And jump.
I pulled into the parking lot, threw the SUV into park, and leapt out. The neon sign in the window cast a weird light over the black door as I grabbed the handle. I burst into the waiting room of the Gypsy Ink.
A group of heavily tattooed men turned to face me. I swallowed hard, feeling my resolve waver as I yanked my robe tighter around my Circe costume. My gaze roamed over the men until I recognized a large brown-eyed man behind the counter.
Hugo Corsi.
I stood there shaking with nerves and trying to find my voice between breathless gasps. He stepped around the counter, intent and suspicious.
‘Josephine?’
My stomach clenched as I remembered the way Sebastian used to say my name and the way it always made me feel. Like I’d been searching for home and finally found it. And I was safe. Warm. Complete.
Loved.
I squared my shoulders. ‘We need to talk.’
Hugo tossed his cleaning towel aside. ‘What’s happened?’
‘A lot,’ I replied, keeping my voice steady despite my trembling body. ‘With Karl, and with our council … and with Augustine.’
His brows came down heavily over his eyes. ‘Where’s Sebastian?’
‘I need you to take me to Savannah.’
‘Why?’ he demanded.
The others pressed closer, but I kept my gaze focused on Hugo.
‘It’s where he took Sebastian,’ I answered firmly. ‘And I’m going to find him.’
Acknowledgements
Thank you God, for giving me this amazing opportunity. I am humbled and grateful. Proverbs 16:3.
Once again, I send out many thanks to my critique group Trail Mix. Your support has kept me afloat. Thank you for all the pep talks, wonderful critiques, and for cheering out loud every time you see a copy of my book.
Thank you to my agent Jill Corcoran for your steady support and dedication.
Thank you to the fantastic team at HarperCollins/HarperVoyager: Janette Currie for your keen eyes, Cherie Chapman for your fantastic covers, and Natasha Bardon for stepping in and being awesome.
So many thanks to my editor Rachel Winterbottom. I cannot express just how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for this project … and for me. Thank you for all the encouragement and advice. Thank you for believing in this series. Thank you for all the lovely geek chats – I will miss them terribly. And thank you, most of all, for loving Sebastian.
Thanks to my family – who’ve been so enthusiastic about this series and talked it up to everyone they’ve met. To my parents, my in-laws, my husband Doug, and my kids. I love you!
Once again, I say thank you to all my students past and present. You mean the world to me, and this series is so much about you.
And finally, thank you to all my readers. I couldn’t do this without you. You are all fabulous. Thank you so very much!
About the Author
Christi J. Whitney is a former high school theatre director with a love for the arts. She lives just outside Atlanta with her husband and two sons. When not spending time with them or taking a ridiculous number of trips to Disney World, she can be found directing plays, making costumes for sci-fi/fantasy conventions, obsessing over Doctor Who, watching superhero movies, or pretending she’s just a tad bit British. You can visit her online at www.christijwhitney.com or connect on Twitter (@ChristiWhitney).
Also by Christi J. Whitney
The Romany Outcasts
Grey
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