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That night, sleep was impossible I sat on the sofa, then on the bed, the phone at my side Not even a pot of tea and a raft of e-mail took ht haveback those thoughts, I instead puzzled over the spel on Ashmole 782 and Knox&039;s interest in it

Stil awake at dawn, I showered and changed The idea of breakfast was uncharacteristical y unappetizing Rather than eat, I perched by the door until the Bodleian opened, then walked the short distance to the library and took ular seat My phone was in h I hated it when other people&039;s phones started buzzing and hopping in the quiet

At half past ten, Peter Knox strol ed in and sat at the opposite end of the roo a manuscript, I walked back to the cal desk to make sure that Miriary

"Tel me that witch didn&039;t take a seat down there"

"He did He keeps staring at er," Miriam said with a frown

"Somehow I think it would take ave her a lopsided smile

When Matthew ca or sound, no icy patches announced his arrival

Instead there were touches of snowflakes al alongquickly to ripped the table in front of me For a few moments, I didn&039;t dare turn in case it was simply Miriaave a single loud thu inat Peter Knox, his face ferocious

"Matthew," I cal ed softly, rising to ed his eyes from the witch and strode to my side When I frowned uncertainly at his fierce expression, he gavesmile "I understand there&039;s been some excitement" He was so close that the coolness of his body felt as refreshing as a breeze on a su we couldn&039;t handle," I said evenly, conscious of Peter Knox

"Can our conversation wait-just until the end of the day?" he asked Matthew&039;s fingers strayed up to touch a bump on his sternum that was visible under the soft fibers of his sweater I wondered what he earing, close to his heart "We could go to yoga"

Though I&039;d had no sleep, a drive to Woodstock in a ood sound insulation, fol owed by an hour and a half of meditative movement, sounded perfect

"That would be wonderful," I said sincerely

"Would you liketoward

"That&039;s not necessary," I said fire your mind Otherwise I&039;l see you outside Hertford at six" Matthew heldin Peter Knox&039;s direction and returned to his seat

When I passed his desk on the way to lunch, Matthew coughed Miriam slammed her pencil down in irritation and joinedme to Blackwel &039;s

Mattheould see to that

The afternoon dragged on interminably, and it was almost impossible to stay awake By five o&039;clock, I was more than ready to leave the library Knox re with a motley assortment of humans

Matthealked htened as I raced back to col ege, changed, and picked up a s, I aiting for him

"You&039;re early," he observed with a s it into the trunk Matthew breathed in sharply as he helped es my body had passed on to him

"We need to talk"

"There&039;s no rush Let&039;s get out of Oxford first" He closed the car door behind me and climbed into the driver&039;s seat

The traffic on the Woodstock Road was heavier due to the influx of students and dons Matthew maneuvered deftly around the slow spots

"Hoas Scotland?" I asked as we cleared the city li as he talked

Matthew glanced at me and returned his eyes to the road "Fine"

"Miria"

He exhaled softly, his fingers rising to the bump under his sweater "She shouldn&039;t have"

"Why?"

"Because sos shouldn&039;t be discussed in mixed company," he said with a touch of impatience "Do witches tel creatures who aren&039;t witches that they&039;ve just returned fro bats?"

"Witches don&039;t boil bats!" I said indignantly

"The point remains"

"Were you alone?" I asked

Mattheaited a long ti "No"

"I wasn&039;t alone in Oxford either," I began "The creatures -"

"Miriahtened on the wheel "If I&039;d known that the witch bothering you was Peter Knox, I&039;d never have left Oxford"

"You were right," I blurted, needing tothe subject of Knox "I&039;ve never kept theit inI&039;ve been fooling myself for years" The words tumbled from my htened"

His cold hand touchedto do?" I whispered

"We&039;l figure it out," he said calates He scrutinized my face as we crested the rise and pul ed in to the circular drive "You&039;re tired Can you ot out of the car and opened the door for me

This time he didn&039;t help me out Instead he fished around in the trunk, pul ed out our mats, and shouldered both of the curious looks in our direction

He waited until ere the only ones on the drive

Matthew looked down atI frowned, my head tilted back to ing init

What was so awful that he couldn&039;t tel me?

"I was in Scotland with an old friend, Hamish Osborne,"

he final y said

"The man the newspapers want to run for Parliament so he can be chancel or of the exchequer?" I said in a for Parlia with a twitch

"So he is gay!" I said, thinking back to a recent late-night news progralance "Yes

More important, he&039;s a daemon" I didn&039;t knowin huion was also forbidden

"Oh Finance is an odd career choice for a daeood at figuring out what to do with al that s out" The silence stretched on, and Matthew et away and hunt"

I gave him a confused look

"You left your sweater in my car," he said, as if that were an explanation

"Miriaave it back to me already"

"I know I couldn&039;t hold on to it Do you understand why?"

When I shook hed and then swore in French

"My car was ful of your scent, Diana I needed to leave Oxford"

"I stil don&039;t understand," I ad about you" He raked his hand through his hair and looked down the drive

My heart was beating irregularly, and the reduced blood floed h, I understood

"You&039;re not afraid you would hurt me?" I had a healthy fear of vampires, but Matthew seemed different

"I can&039;t be sure" His eyes ary, and his voice held a warning

"So you didn&039;t go because of what happened Friday night" My breath released in sudden relief

"No," he said gently, "it had nothing to do with that"

"Are you two co to practice out here on the drive?" Amira cal ed from the doorway

We went in to class, occasional y glancing at each other when one of us thought the other wasn&039;t looking Our first honest exchange of inforure out as going to happen next