He sat on the front steps alone as the rest of the students caroused about. Finally, as the last stragglers were wandering home, he heard the rustling of a crow’s wings. A shadow of a bird landed in a pool of orange streetlight on the sidewalk. Swirls of black mist rose from it, and moments later the bird flew off. Sebastian hurried up the walk, his boots clicking in the stillness, the collar of his long black coat upturned against a cold, clear night. “Sorry I’m late,” Sebastian groaned, checking his watch as they hurried down the street. “Things are particularly busy at work.” He didn’t sound happy about it. They reached a wide intersection, silent at three a.m. save for the hum of the streetlights and the clicking of the traffic signal from red to green. Sebastian checked his watch. “We’ll take a cab,” he said. “I put a call in to Miles. He should be along soon.” A moment of silence passed. A hunched man in a hooded jacket hobbled by, pushing a shopping cart.
