like hers, letting her gaze fall on the elegant, full-length black satin evening gown that now hung on the outside of her huge oak wardrobe. Miranda certainly worked fast. And although Donna might have liked to shop for the dress herself, having never before had the opportunity to pick out a ball gown, it was hardly a priority.
Quietly crossing the room, she slipped into the dress. It had an off-the-shoulder cut and fell in graduated folds to her ankles, the satin material shining like polished onyx. It made her feel very grown up, even though she wished there was more color in the outfit. Well, I can fix that with my favorite pairs of gloves , she thought with a slight smile. She didn’t see any evidence that they’d bought her a mask. Of course, Miranda had said not to worry—it was all “under control.” That wasn’t very reassuring, but hopefully they wouldn’t get her anything too crazy.
Somebody knocked at her door.
“Donna, are you up?” Miranda called. “Your training session with Robert is still on for today. And then I’ll need your help in the library. Somebody appears to have damaged the antiquarian cabinet, and I have to reset the wards … ”
Donna grimaced. Oh, that. “I’ll be there in ten minutes, Miranda,” she called. At least helping her mentor would keep her mind off whatever was coming her way tonight. And she could also make amends for breaking into the private collection of alchemical texts. Miranda obviously knew it was her, but she was being amazingly cool about the whole incident. She certainly handled breaking-and-entering better than Simon Gaunt did.
Gazing at her elegant silhouette in the mirror, Donna tried not to think too much about what Demian had meant when he’d said she would be an important part of “negotiations.” She was way past tired of being used as a pawn in games she didn’t understand—didn’t want to understand. The ball loomed ahead of her like a storm threatening the sky.
The only positive part about the upcoming event was that she might actually get to see her mother. Donna didn’t know how Demian intended to bring everybody together in such a short space of time, but he could probably just snap his fingers.
And there was definitely something specific that the Demon King wanted, something far greater than he was letting on. Demian was full of trickery, of course, but Donna suspected he was after something that only the alchemists could give him. And from what he’d said during their encounter last night, she felt pretty sure that she was somehow part of it.
This slice of knowledge filled her with sickly dread. She did her best to push it out of her mind, but that was an impossible task. At least she’d find out the answer soon—which wasn’t exactly a comforting thought, either.
But right now she was late for yet another training session with Robert Lee, and she didn’t want to give him an excuse to be any tougher on her than usual. Donna changed into some comfortable clothes, hastily tied her hair back, and ran downstairs to meet him.
Donna hit the mat hard, biting her tongue in the process. Tears of pain burned her eyes, but she blinked them away fast.
“Holy crap,” she said, tasting blood in her mouth. “You’re like a ninja.”
Robert put his hands on his hips and gave her a look that clearly meant she was a moron. “Ninjas are Japanese,” he said. “I’m half Chinese. There’s a difference, you know.”
“I know. I was just kidding.”
“L O L,” he deadpanned.
“Sorry,” Donna said, feeling bad for making such a dumb joke. “Help me up and we’ll try again.”
“Sure.” Robert grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, but he didn’t stop there. He sort of twisted his body to the side—still pulling—and then flipped her over his hip so she went crashing down again. She wound up on her hands and knees, gasping for breath.
“Oops,” he said. “I put a little bit too much into that one. You okay,
Quietly crossing the room, she slipped into the dress. It had an off-the-shoulder cut and fell in graduated folds to her ankles, the satin material shining like polished onyx. It made her feel very grown up, even though she wished there was more color in the outfit. Well, I can fix that with my favorite pairs of gloves , she thought with a slight smile. She didn’t see any evidence that they’d bought her a mask. Of course, Miranda had said not to worry—it was all “under control.” That wasn’t very reassuring, but hopefully they wouldn’t get her anything too crazy.
Somebody knocked at her door.
“Donna, are you up?” Miranda called. “Your training session with Robert is still on for today. And then I’ll need your help in the library. Somebody appears to have damaged the antiquarian cabinet, and I have to reset the wards … ”
Donna grimaced. Oh, that. “I’ll be there in ten minutes, Miranda,” she called. At least helping her mentor would keep her mind off whatever was coming her way tonight. And she could also make amends for breaking into the private collection of alchemical texts. Miranda obviously knew it was her, but she was being amazingly cool about the whole incident. She certainly handled breaking-and-entering better than Simon Gaunt did.
Gazing at her elegant silhouette in the mirror, Donna tried not to think too much about what Demian had meant when he’d said she would be an important part of “negotiations.” She was way past tired of being used as a pawn in games she didn’t understand—didn’t want to understand. The ball loomed ahead of her like a storm threatening the sky.
The only positive part about the upcoming event was that she might actually get to see her mother. Donna didn’t know how Demian intended to bring everybody together in such a short space of time, but he could probably just snap his fingers.
And there was definitely something specific that the Demon King wanted, something far greater than he was letting on. Demian was full of trickery, of course, but Donna suspected he was after something that only the alchemists could give him. And from what he’d said during their encounter last night, she felt pretty sure that she was somehow part of it.
This slice of knowledge filled her with sickly dread. She did her best to push it out of her mind, but that was an impossible task. At least she’d find out the answer soon—which wasn’t exactly a comforting thought, either.
But right now she was late for yet another training session with Robert Lee, and she didn’t want to give him an excuse to be any tougher on her than usual. Donna changed into some comfortable clothes, hastily tied her hair back, and ran downstairs to meet him.
Donna hit the mat hard, biting her tongue in the process. Tears of pain burned her eyes, but she blinked them away fast.
“Holy crap,” she said, tasting blood in her mouth. “You’re like a ninja.”
Robert put his hands on his hips and gave her a look that clearly meant she was a moron. “Ninjas are Japanese,” he said. “I’m half Chinese. There’s a difference, you know.”
“I know. I was just kidding.”
“L O L,” he deadpanned.
“Sorry,” Donna said, feeling bad for making such a dumb joke. “Help me up and we’ll try again.”
“Sure.” Robert grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, but he didn’t stop there. He sort of twisted his body to the side—still pulling—and then flipped her over his hip so she went crashing down again. She wound up on her hands and knees, gasping for breath.
“Oops,” he said. “I put a little bit too much into that one. You okay,
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