Vow of Deception: Ministry of Curiosities, Book #9

by C. J. Archer

  She pouted. "Charlie, we went through this. I am your friend. You know that. Please say you do."

  I turned my back on her.

  "Sir Ignatius," she called out. "Come now, be reasonable. Charlie has the upper hand. They greatly outnumber you. Have Lincoln released and everything can be as it was before."

  "Why would I?" he said. "Why should I?"

  "Because your pack is in danger!" I cried. "What sort of leader lets them die because he's too proud to admit when he's beaten?"

  "The sort of leader who will get a new pack."

  Ballantine expelled a breath. His pack mates murmured among themselves, too far away for me to hear their words.

  "You don't deserve them," Harriet said. "They would die for you—some already have. And yet you will toss them away. I knew you were a weak man when I met you. An upstart, that's all you are. A ridiculous little sailor who cares for no one but himself."

  "Enough!" Swinburn bellowed. "Kill them all. I don't care."

  He went to shut the door but Jenkin grabbed him and pulled him back outside. He threw Swinburn down the steps to the pavement. Swinburn groaned but lurched to his feet.

  "You damned fool," he growled at the footman.

  Harriet clapped her hands. "Well done, Jenkin. Now, I have a task for you."

  The footman stood to attention. "Yes, ma'am?"

  "There is a necklace in Sir Ignatius's possession that belongs to Miss Holloway. It's an amber orb pendant. Please fetch it."

  Jenkin's gaze darted to his master.

  Swinburn bared his teeth and emitted a low, animal growl. "You will no longer be welcome in my pack if you do."

  "You will be welcome in mine," Harriet said. "I will also employ you. I can always do with a handsome shape shifting footman."

  Jenkin disappeared into the house.

  I glanced at Harriet over my shoulder. She smiled at me and I gave her a nod. It was all I could manage.

  "You will not be safe anymore, Harriet," Swinburn snarled. "I will come for you and for your offspring."

  Harriet's lips quivered, her chin wobbled. "Oh, Sir Ignatius, how could you say such a thing? Did you hear that, my lord?" She appealed to Ballantine. "He has no care for his own kind. No care at all. I can excuse his murder of Gawler by telling myself it was self-defense, but this threat is horrid. Simply horrid."

  "He admitted to murdering those people in the East End too," I said, playing along. It would seem this fight wasn't going to be won with weapons or claws, but with words. "All because he wanted to put the blame on Gawler so he could remove him and become the leader of both packs."

  Harriet gasped. "Ignatius, how could you."

  "Not only that," I said, "but he has put all of you in danger by telling the newspapers and Mr. Yallop about the ministry. You are all named in our records, and those records are now in the possession of the police."

  Ballantine dragged a hand over his mouth and jaw. "Why?" he growled at Swinburn. "Why did you do that?"

  "I didn't inform the papers!" Swinburn cried. "Christ, man, she's lying. She's trying to turn you against me."

  "Who else would have done it?" Seth snapped. "We know you used Julia to get as much information about us as you could, and then you killed her too."

  "She killed herself!" Swinburn said.

  "Not according to the police."

  "Mr. Salter admits that you gave Gawler's name to him," Harriet said to Swinburn.

  I frowned. Lord Gillingham had given Gawler's name to Salter. It would seem she was going to cast blame onto Swinburn to keep her husband's name out of it.

  "You dog," Ballantine snarled.

  The other pack members prowled toward Swinburn, their shoulders hunched forward, their attention on their prey. I'd seen packs of stray hungry dogs stalking rats in such a manner, their focus so intent that they didn't notice me.

  Swinburn stumbled back into the iron railing behind him. "Come now," he said, his voice shaking. "Stop this. I am your leader."

  "Gawler was one of us," Ballantine snapped.

  "And a good man," Harriet agreed. "You've betrayed our kind, Ignatius. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

  "She's lying," Swinburn warned the advancing pack.

  "I am not," she said crisply. "For goodness’ sake, Sir Ignatius. Stop pretending. You do not care for your kind, or for your pack. You only care about yourself."

  "How dare you!" Swinburn stepped forward and stabbed his finger in her direction.

  "Seize him." The general's command was laconic in comparison to Swinburn's tirade. Yet his men obeyed him without question.

  Two of them grabbed Swinburn but he easily shook them off. Another two joined their comrades, but he pushed them away with two pounding swipes of his arm. Then he got down on all fours and howled.

  The four soldiers scrambled backward out of the way, but they weren't fast enough. Swinburn pounced, grabbing one of the soldiers and wrapping his big hands around the man's throat. The soldier's eyes bulged and his face turned purple. The other three soldiers went to rescue him, but Swinburn once again batted them away.

  The general drew his sword.

  "Change!" Swinburn shouted at his pack. "Now!"

  "No!" Harriet cried. "Everyone, be calm! Please!"

  But it was too late for calmness. One of the other shape shifters began to remove his clothing. The others followed Swinburn's lead and readied to pounce. It would seem they would still take his side, despite everything. It was pack law.

  Soldiers crowded closer, their blades drawn. Their general barked orders, setting out a formation to surround the enemy. The poor soldier in Swinburn's grip lost consciousness and went limp, enraging his comrades.

  I looked to Alice, trembling on the cart. Gus tried to comfort her but he could do nothing if the general shifted his attention to her. And he would, as soon as Swinburn was dealt with.

  "Seth, see to Alice," I said. "Don't let her surrender."

  "What about you?" His voice cracked. He was not looking at me but at the advancing army, drawing closer to us with each step. Every soldier had his sword drawn. "I can't leave you."

  "I can take care of myself. Alice can't."

  "Jesus, Charlie…"

  I shoved him in the shoulder but still he didn't move. He was torn.

  The general raised his sword, ready to swipe it down and order the attack.

  Seth swore. Then he grabbed the sword from the nearest soldier and surged forward so quickly that the soldiers didn't have time to react. The pack did not see him coming until too late.

  "No!" I screamed. "We need him alive!"

  Seth cut horizontally through the air and sliced Swinburn's head cleanly off. It rolled away.

  The general lowered his weapon. The army stopped. The wolf pack stared at the body of their former leader, now lying on the pavement covered in blood.

  And I watched the spirit of Sir Ignatius Swinburn rise. His ghost hovered above his body, a look of vile hatred cast in Seth's direction.

  "Good lord," Harriet said. "Seth, I didn't know you had it in you."

  He stood there, hands at his sides, blood dripping from the blade. He looked more terrible than I'd ever seen him. If I didn't know his past or situation, I would think him a powerful lord, confident in leadership, the world at his feet. Part of me felt pride, yet I was disheartened too. Seth's soul wasn't as gentle and affable as I'd always thought it.

  "I should have done that months ago," he said.

  Ballantine stormed toward him but halted at a barked order from Harriet. "Sir Ignatius's time is over. He committed terrible crimes. He will be mourned in our way and then he'll be forgotten. Is that understood?"

  Ballantine nodded. The other pack members followed suit.

  Jenkin emerged from the house and shook his head at me. He was empty handed. I closed my eyes. Damn it. Damn it to hell.

  "Charlie?" Seth said. "Charlie, don't say that was your only plan."

  A lump formed in my throat. Lincoln was stil
l in jail with no hope of release now that Swinburn was gone, and my bargain with the general had come to an end. I wanted to fold in on myself and cry a flood of tears.

  Sir Markell Ironside held out his hand to Alice as if he were asking her to dance. "Come, Miss Alice. It's time to go home."

  "No!" Seth shouted. "She's not yours! She doesn't belong with you, she belongs here!"

  "With you?" Sir Markell shook his head. "This is not her home. You are not her people." He stretched his hand out further. "You know this, Miss Alice. Come home and answer the charges against you with your head high."

  "You're leading her to certain death," Seth choked out.

  Sir Markell ignored him. He only had eyes for Alice.

  Seth's lips drew back and he surged forward.

  The general flicked the point of his sword in my direction. Four of his men quickly drew their weapons on me and Seth halted. The color drained from his face, taking all his determination and anger with it. He threw down his weapon.

  "Charlie!" Gus cried. "Don't move."

  I put my hands in the air. "I'm sorry," I said to Alice.

  She bit down on her quivering lower lip and nodded. "I know," she whispered.

  She took Sir Markell's hand.

  "Ha! Good!" said Swinburn's ghost. He smirked at me. "You lose, Miss Holloway. You lose everything."

  Hot tears slid down my cheeks. He was right. I'd sold my friend to her enemy and I had not helped Lincoln's plight. I was a fool to think I could effect change, a naive, pathetic fool.

  The general tugged on his gold watch chain. The device! It was the same one the rabbit had used to come and go from our realm even though Alice was awake. All it would take was one click on the watch's button while speaking the words of the spell, then they'd all be gone, Alice with them.

  The general began the strange words that I'd heard the rabbit speak.

  Chapter 17

  "No!" Seth pushed toward the general. He even managed a few steps before one of the soldiers smashed his fist into Seth's face.

  "Seth!" Alice cried as he fell back.

  He regained his balance, and tried again. This time he struck the soldier first. Another two caught him. He could not get to the general in time to stop him speaking the spell. Not with so many against him.

  But his actions had achieved one thing. It had bought me time. And in those few seconds, I'd realized something.

  "Sir Ignatius Swinburn, I order you to tell me where you hid my necklace."

  My command interrupted the general. He looked around, searching for the spirit perhaps. How long would it be before he resumed the incantation?

  "Tell me!" I shouted.

  The ghost swirled. It was neither human nor animal in shape, just gray and white streaks whipping about me. "In my pocket," whispered the breeze.

  I dove for the body and rummaged through his jacket pockets. His blood smeared my hands, my dress. I didn't care.

  "What is she doing?" Sir Markell asked.

  I finally found it in the breast pocket. With shaking fingers, I clutched the orb. "I release you, imp!" I shouted. "Come out, imp!"

  It did not come out. It had done this on the Isle of Wight too. I suspected it went into deep sleep between summons, or perhaps it was becoming ill.

  "Markell!" the general shouted. "The prisoner!"

  Alice had taken the moment's distraction to get out of Sir Markell's reach and scuttle to the other side of the cart. Gus pushed her behind him but he was unarmed. Sir Markell leapt from his horse onto the cart. He had not drawn his sword.

  "You! Men!" the general shouted. "Stop Miss Holloway from whatever magic she is conjuring."

  Three soldiers showed no fear in advancing on me. Two of them put away their swords, but the third did not.

  I turned and ran up the steps toward Jenkin. His expression told me precisely the moment my life was in danger.

  "Imp! Now!"

  Light burst from the orb, forcing me to turn my face away. My attackers had to do the same. By the time they turned back, the imp had grown to its largest size, higher than the windows of the house. It wasn't a pretty creature with its wrinkled skin, oversized ears and lack of fur, but it was the best sight I'd ever seen.

  Not so those who'd never seen it before. The soldiers fell back, stumbling down the stairs, horror imprinted on their faces. The shape shifters, including Harriet, retreated to Ballantine's house, and the army fell into disarray. Some at the back scurried off. Others simply stared up at the cat-like beast towering over them as if it were the devil incarnate.

  The general barked orders at his men but they were largely ignored. Those who did draw their weapons were swiftly swiped by the imp's massive paw. They scattered like skittles along the street.

  "Miss Alice!" Sir Markell cried. "For God's sake, run! Get away from here!"

  Alice did not run. She had never seen my imp before, but she must have known it wouldn't attack her. Perhaps because neither Seth nor Gus looked worried. She did, however, clutch Gus tightly and stare with a mixture of horror and wonder at it.

  The imp took a giant step forward. Neighbors who'd come out when the army arrived screamed and shut their doors. More of the army ran away up the street. Sir Markell returned to his horse, giving up on Alice.

  "General, we have to go!" he shouted at his father.

  "Not without Miss Alice." The general charged forward, the watch still clutched in his hand.

  The movement caught the imp's attention and it went after him.

  "Say the words!" Sir Markell cried.

  "No!"

  Damn him. Why was he so intent on retrieving Alice for his queen? Did he need to bring her to justice so badly that he was prepared to risk his own life and that of his son?

  "Seth," I hissed. "The watch. You must get it."

  "You want to keep them here?" He shook his head. "Charlie—"

  I clicked my tongue in frustration and stormed down the steps. The imp leapt in front of the general and his horse reared. He caught hold of the reins in both hands, but dropped the watch.

  "Father!" Sir Markell cried. His frightened horse wheeled about, ears flat, but he managed to control it. He drew his sword and aimed it at the imp. "Say the God damned words before it kills us all!"

  "I can't," the general said. "I lost it."

  His horse reared again. Its hooves came down, aiming straight for the watch lying on the road. If it broke, they would be stuck here.

  I dove for the watch. Pain burned my hands and knees as I hit the ground. Several voices screamed my name. I looked up just in time to see hooves descending toward me. I closed my eyes and threw my arms over my head.

  There was a thud, then another, and the squeal of a frightened horse.

  I lowered my arms. The imp stood by me on all fours, panting heavily. It was growing weak. Two riderless horses took off down the street, reins dragging on the road.

  "Father? Father? By the Gods, are you all right?" Sir Markell helped his father to sit up.

  The general blinked dazedly at his son. Then he turned to stare at the imp. "What beast is that?" he murmured.

  "It's her pet," Seth snarled. "And it's going to tear you apart if you don't leave."

  "Not without Miss Alice," the general said.

  I pulled out the piece of paper I'd tucked into my pocket after retrieving it from Lincoln's safe earlier. Then I chanted the written words, the same ones the general had begun moments ago, and clicked the watch button.

  By the time Sir Markell and General Ironside realized what was happening, the final words left my lips. They vanished. Their horses disappeared and so did the army, the watch, and even the cart. Gus and Alice fell unceremoniously onto the ground, and the street became oddly quiet, like the morning after a fierce storm.

  Seth rushed to Alice's aid and crouched before her. She gave him a wobbly smile. He smiled back then pulled her into a fierce hug.

  "Come here, Imp," I said, clutching the orb. "Sleep now."

  Li
ght flashed and when I opened my eyes, the imp had disappeared. The orb pulsed once and I could just make out the tiny creature settling inside it. I placed the necklace around my neck.

  Harriet waddled over to me and drew me into a hug. I hesitated then hugged her back. "Oh, Charlie, you are so brave! That thing…" She touched the amber nestled against my chest. "Sir Ignatius described it to me, as it was described to him by Lady Ballantine, but I didn't believe him. It seemed much too fantastical to be real."

  "I've seen a lot of things that seem too fantastic to be real, and yet they are. Are you all right, Harriet?"

  She pressed her palm to her belly. Her features were pinched and her eyes huge in her pretty face. "I think I ought to go home. I feel…different. The baby seems to have moved lower and the most awful pain ripped through me just a few moments ago. Besides, Gilly will be frantic. I forbade him to come with me. There are some things a husband shouldn't know about his wife, and seeing me with my pack is one of them."

  "Then go. We'll talk later."

  It wasn't until after Lord Ballantine had assisted her into her coach that I realized she'd said "my pack". Her pack wasn't here; Swinburn's was. But he was gone, and Lord Ballantine was bowing to her as she drove off. It would seem the two packs might combine after all under the one leader.

  I watched as her coach turned the corner, a peculiar thought taking root in my head.

  "Is anyone going to hug me?" Gus asked.

  I smiled and threw my arms around him. "You can get a hug from me any time you want."

  He kissed the top of my head. "You all right, Charlie?"

  "Fine. You?"

  "Seems like I got through this fight unscathed."

  "Miracles do happen."

  He chuckled. "How long before the army comes back?"

  That was a very good question. There was another good question, however—how were we going to explain the presence of an army, a giant hairless creature, and their subsequent disappearance?

  Up and down the street, neighbors emerged from their homes, scratching their heads and shrugging at one another. Some pointed at us, or at Lord Ballantine. He ushered his pack inside his house and shut the door. Only Jenkin, Swinburn's footman, remained. He stood by the body of his dead employer and pack leader.