Page 99 of Born for Starlight

"He's very convincing," she said. "You'd be amazed."

"And Julian." She was already ahead of me. "Julian stays."

"Julian goes home."

"Julian stays. He's my friend, remember? I'm going to ask him, personally, to keep the world updated. Angelica is fine, she's resting, Aurora is taking wonderful care of her." She let that land. "The whole world watching this building, in real time, on that idiot's phone. Costa can't put me in a car looking sick. Costa can't let anything happen to me. And he can't throw out my friend."

Nobody said anything for a second.

"I withdraw the objection," Jase said, after a long beat. "About all of it. Dammit! She's better at this than we are."

I went to the door myself. Costa was on the other side of it with his handkerchief out, and his face when he saw me was a man hoping for good news and braced for the other kind.

"Senhor Grainger. She is… please tell me she is⁠—"

"She's awake. She's resting. She's asked to see you."

He came in like a man walking into a church. Angelica had arranged herself on the sofa, lying flat, a little pale, a lot brave. She held out her hands to him the way she'd held them out on the steps, and he took them in both of his.

"Senhorita. Thank God. I was so, we were all so… I have a nurse, we can⁠—"

"Senhor Costa." Warm. Weak. Perfect. "I am so embarrassed. This happens to me. It's a silly thing, a blood-pressure thing, the heat, my doctor's told me a hundred times. I've already spoken to him. He wants me flat for two hours, and then I'll be right as rain, I promise you. And my brother is on his way to sit with me. He is bringing some medicine from the hotel. You'll like him. Everyone does."

"Two hours. Of course. Your brother, naturally, of course. But Senhorita, this room, it is not, we have a guest suite, so much more comfortable, let my men⁠—"

"Oh, no. No, I can't be moved. That's the whole thing with these spells; the moment you sit up too soon it comes straight back. My doctor would have a fit." She squeezed his hand. "This room is perfect. Truly. And I don't want a hospital. Please. I'd be mortified. The press would, well." She glanced toward the door and lowered her voice. "Julian would have to report it, and you know how he is."

Costa's eyes went to the door too. I watched him see it, all of it, the podcaster and the cameras and a story about the sick American the girls’ school put in a car. Watched him weigh that against two hours. Watched two hours win.

"Of course," he said. "Of course. Two hours. Whatever you need. Aurora is at your service."

"You've been so kind." She let her hands drop. "I'll make sure the world knows how Aurora took care of me today. I promise you that."

He heard a compliment. I heard the blade under it. He bowed, actually bowed, and backed out of the room, and Vargas shut the door behind him.

Angelica let her eyes close.

"Well?" she said. Her voice was soft. Weak for real.

Oh shit. Please don’t let her fall back into the fugue.

I started to rub her hand between mine, and whispering to her low. So did Jase. She would occasionally answer.

Good.

Good.

"Rear gate," Simon said in my ear. "Lights just came on in the west wing."

Seven fifteen. Two hours bought with a lie.

Ten minutes later, through the office window, I watched Beto's sedan come up the drive and a big man get out of it with a plastic bag in his hand. He came upstairs like a man on a mission.

Julian's voice carried all the way from the porch. "Mr. Drakos! Over here! I'm a friend of the family!"

Chapter Thirty-One

"Angelica. Tell me what happened back there. All of it." This time Matthew was demanding, not coaxing.