over there.”
“Is that okay with you?” I asked her.
“Okay?” she asked bemusedly.
“Is it good?” I corrected, remembering that she didn’t understand modern slang.
She nodded, her lips pressed flat into a line.
Grey led us through the crowd, which parted easily for him. The garden was indeed relatively private, tucked back behind a locked iron gate covered in vines. Grey reached for it and yanked, breaking the lock.
“Well, that was easy,” I said.
“No magic protecting it.” He shook his head. “Humans.”
We walked into the small garden, and he shut the gate behind us. It was about five meters by ten, vines covering most of the iron fence and gate that separated it from the bustle of dreary, gray London. Inside, the lush plants and flowers dampened the noise, making it feel like a peaceful retreat. A small, square pond sat in the middle with benches all around. I pointed to one. “Will that do for you?”
She nodded and walked toward it, clutching her baby close. Questions raced through my mind as I followed her. She had no luggage. Was this all she owned? Did she have money? Why was she leaving?
To get away from Rasla, I had to assume. I’d seen the bars on her awful room. But she was running with nothing, it seemed.
She sat on the far edge of the bench, and I joined her, leaving a small spot for Grey at the end. Silence stretched between us for a few long moments, until her gaze met mine.
“We must be family,” she said, her voice questioning. “Three hundred years into the future?”
I nodded. “The year 2020.”
“Oh, my.” Her eyes widened. “It took you so long to find my book?”
“You left it on purpose?” I asked.
She nodded. “May I hold it again? It helps me remember what has been stolen from me.”
“Remember?” I handed her the book, feeling Grey come to sit at my side. He stayed silent, tucking himself back, likely so that Evangeline could focus on me. “You mean your memories were taken like everyone else’s?”
She nodded, a bitter laugh escaping her as she pressed her hand flat to the book, cradling her sleeping baby in her other arm. “My father did not spare me, of course.”
“So you remember what he did? Hiding the Shadow Guild and erasing everyone’s memories of it?”
“Oh, yes.” She nodded her head. “I believe that only I and the housekeeper, Mrs. Birch-Cleve, know the truth. For different reasons, of course.”
“Why were you running?”
“It is all quite a story.” She looked down at the book. “But I believe we should start with this.”
16
Carrow
Evangeline rubbed the book with her fingers. “It is not a simple book, as I am sure you’ve found.”
I nodded. That was an understatement.
“This is a guide,” she said. “A talisman. A holy relic to our family. It has been imbued with the magic of our blood. Not only did it bring you back in time and help you find me, but it is immensely valuable to both you and me.”
It hit me hard, then. Harder than it had previously. This woman was my great-grandmother six or seven times back. My throat tightened. It wasn’t quite like meeting my mother, but it was the closest I would come.
Grey gripped my hand, as if he could feel the turmoil inside me. I clung to him.
“I left it for you,” she said. “Before my memory was taken by my father, I hid the book in the Shadow Guild tower, hoping that down the line, one of my children or their children would find it.” She smiled. “It seems to have taken a while, if you are from the year 2020.”
“It’s helping you remember the memories that were taken,” I said.
She nodded. “It is partially my magic, which is the same as yours. And partially the book itself, reminding me of what has led me here.”
“Please tell me more. I want to understand what happened to you.”
“I believe you know my father, Councilor Rasla, and what he has done,” she said. I nodded, and she continued. “After using great magic to hide the Shadow Guild tower, he erased the memories of the townsfolk, including mine. No one can remember that there was a guild by that name. I remember feeling something lost inside my head. It became worse when he locked me inside my room, along with my baby.” She rubbed her head. “It is all a bit of a mess in my memories. But my power allowed me to see glimpses of what he had