He had imagined this a coincidence – untimely and unfortunate, precisely the way life dealt coincidences out – but the man was a stranger, and had spoken to him. Ari couldn’t help himself: he flinched slightly, first, at the words.
His eyebrows knitted together, trying to fathom what else he meant. Because he couldn’t possibly mean this, could he? Ari hadn’t told a soul what he was planning. The man had been running, though, in these conditions, and had pointed at him as if he had known. There was no way he could just look at him and know it, could he? It didn’t make sense. Unless he was adept at Legilimency, perhaps, but even then –
And Ari’s mind was racing and his shoulders were tense and he was still poised on the edge of it, wondering whether he should just do it, do it now, what did one witness matter? But... it would be safer and surer to get away from this fellow first. So he let his arm drop, the poison held casually at his side, as if it was whiskey or cocoa instead. He schooled his expression, polite confusion, and said calmly, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
His eyebrows knitted together, trying to fathom what else he meant. Because he couldn’t possibly mean this, could he? Ari hadn’t told a soul what he was planning. The man had been running, though, in these conditions, and had pointed at him as if he had known. There was no way he could just look at him and know it, could he? It didn’t make sense. Unless he was adept at Legilimency, perhaps, but even then –
And Ari’s mind was racing and his shoulders were tense and he was still poised on the edge of it, wondering whether he should just do it, do it now, what did one witness matter? But... it would be safer and surer to get away from this fellow first. So he let his arm drop, the poison held casually at his side, as if it was whiskey or cocoa instead. He schooled his expression, polite confusion, and said calmly, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
