Sam, who’d stopped the carriage as soon as I left it, ran over to us, his cheeks more red than I had ever seen them. “Are you  insane ?” he asked, screaming for no reason. “You could have gotten yourself killed! Why did you jump out of a moving carriage , Aurelie? If you did not want to speak, you could have just told me so.”

I stared at him, wondering when he would realize how silly he sounded.

He calmed, taking deep breaths and running a hand through his ginger hair. “Are you…are you alright?”

I would be alright as long as he—and everyone—stopped asking why I would not speak to them.

“Please,” he said, finally realizing what had happened. “I am so sorry. I am. Honestly. I should not have asked such an insensitive question without your permission. It was selfish of me. Your reasons for not speaking are none of my business. Will you please come back to the carriage? It’s warmer in there. And—” he looked around as black swallowed the forest, sharing itself only with the eerie glow of the silver moon. “And…it’s safer. Please?”

It was not safer, but I let him think that. The safest place for any human on a full moon in Lykke was on Vincent’s back. The pyre had only drunk from my veins once. That was enough for him to bond himself to me. And it was his choice. On a night I’d wandered too far, too late, too long. No pyre would try to take me from Vincent.

But I knew he would follow our carriage, and so I got back in. And Sam and I rode the rest of the trip in the best way possible. Silence.

Episode 3: Friends Welcomed (In Part) At The Tower Estate

The carriage lurched to a stop, and I stepped out before either Sam or the footman could reach my side, which I knew bothered Brauns for some reason. But my legs worked just fine, so I watched Sam’s cheeks redden as he met me where I stood outside the entrance to the Tower home.

“Their grounds are to die for,” he said, trying to let go of the notion that he missed helping me out of the carriage. “I am sure you would like to wander them. Of course,” he was quick to add, “with permission, when the sun is shining.”

I’d wandered the Tower grounds without permission and with complete disregard for which heavenly body was where. But Sam did not know this. Only Vincent and I and perhaps whichever pyres Vincent told.

Braun Latimer Tower met us on our way to his front doors. I curtsied, lest the man’s heart falter at my impropriety. And he offered a stiff arm to me, turning a cold shoulder to Sam.