Deception

by A. S. Fenichel

  Drake’s eyes narrowed. “You had a chance to follow those demons last night and see where they came from and you squandered it.”

  Lillian’s temper flared and her chest tightened. “Did you hear us? There were civilians being forced to worship the master.”

  “I heard you just fine, Miss Dellacourt. I heard you tell me you could have bettered our chances of defeating the enemy, and you chose to save two women instead. I should send you both back to Inverness. Your training is sorely in need of a refresher.”

  Dorian ignored the cut and placed his handkerchief on the desk. “We recovered this artifact. It shows the symbol of the master and was on the dais they were worshiping.”

  “I’m very disappointed in the two of you. In the future, I’ll expect you to put our cause above all else.”

  “Would you have had us leave those women to be killed, maybe even while we watched, in order to follow the demon trail?”

  “Why is that so difficult for you to understand? Are you going soft? If that is the case, we can find another hunter.”

  She was sure her face was bright red. Her heart pounded, and the heat of her fury blazed along her neck and cheeks. “Oh, have you suddenly found a slew of hunters who can take my place, Cullum? If I am not needed, I can assure you risking my life day and night is not my first choice in life.”

  Dorian gripped her arm. “Thank you, Cullum. We will return today and investigate the tunnels. Tonight we will continue our search of the archives.”

  Drake’s eyes widened and he stood up. “See that you find a way to right this, Lambert.”

  He practically dragged her from the office.

  Drake’s voice followed them. “By the way, the two women you had sent here last night are doing very well. They will return to their families in a few days. I am amazed at the speed of their acceptance.

  “That is good news,” Dorian said.

  “Dorian, you and I need to have a meeting very soon.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The door closed behind them, and Dorian tugged on Lillian’s arm.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “Lilly, keep your mouth closed for a few moments please.”

  “What?”

  He clutched her arm and pulled her close. His mouth was only an inch from her ear. “Wait until we are out of this building, and then we can talk.”

  Her muscles ached from the strain of keeping her temper in check. She wanted to beat something or someone until she couldn’t lift her arms.

  She climbed inside Dorian’s carriage. They headed back toward the alley where they’d entered the tunnel.

  “You were out of line, Lilly.”

  “I was? He said we should have sacrificed those women. People were counting on us finding them. People love them and want them home.” She had to force away a fleeting thought about her mother and the fact that she had given her only daughter to an earl for a few coin.

  Dorian’s voice was flat and reasonable. “Try to think of it from a strictly strategic point of view. What we did was not the smart thing to do. It did not better the cause. We had an opportunity and failed to take it.”

  “You agree with him?”

  “I did not say that. I could no more have left those women to be tortured and killed than you could. I did what I thought was the right thing. The right thing is not always the best thing in war. It is a hard truth.”

  “Do you also agree that we should have let Belinda die at Fatum and concentrated on the master?”

  “Based on the report, I do not know. I cannot see how you could have stopped the master. We lack the data to make a conclusion.”

  “So cold, Dorian. I had no idea you could be so unfeeling.”

  “I’m a soldier, Lilly. Sometimes it means putting my own feelings aside for the greater good.”

  “If people stop meaning something in this fight, then what exactly will we be fighting for?

  He stared out the window into the busy streets. “For all the rest.

  “And to me each and every one is precious.”

  “I do not expect you to change your opinion in the span of a few minutes, but give it some thought. What if we had waited in the shadow until they were finished with their ritual? What if we had followed them to wherever they came from? Maybe we could have found the gate. Maybe it would have led to a larger cell of demons or even the master’s lair.”

  Lillian nodded. When they arrived near the alley where they entered the underground passage, she pushed the thoughts aside.

  Dorian watched the busy street, and when no one was looking, he gave Lillian a signal by pointing at the open grate.

  Lillian jumped down into the tunnel, and he eased down beside her. She pulled the strings on her skirts, and they slid up her thighs, allowing freer movement.

  They followed the same path down and to the right. The open space where the worship had taken place was just as they had left it. Rotting demons were worse than rotting humans, and the place stank of both. Lillian covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

  The wretched creatures they’d killed the night before had decomposed, leaving oily puddles on the stone floor.

  “If this is part of an old city, I would be very surprised. I’m more likely to believe the demons cut this out to get around unnoticed.”

  Dorian touched the pillar holding up the city above their heads. “Perhaps it’s a bit of both. Wherever these tunnels came from, we need to find out where they lead.”

  Dark red blood marred the top of the altar where Dorian had found the amulet the night before. Demon blood was black. It might have been animal blood, but it was more likely human. Behind the altar were two archways, but they were both bricked in. Lillian drew close and touched the cold stone. She ran her hand over the roughed out arch.

  Dorian approached the second arch. Stone scraped against stone.

  She rounded the space between the arches and pulled her blades, ready for whatever might come.

  Only Dorian stood in the alcove. It was deeper than before. He placed both hands on the stone wall, leaned into it, and pushed.

  The wall slid back farther, revealing a pass-through big enough for a man. Stagnant water and demon filth wafted out.

  “How on earth did they do this?” she asked.

  “It is likely on a pulley system with weights to counterbalance. Quite clever. I did not think our demons had this type of ingenuity.”

  “Nor I,” Fletcher said from the other entrance. He and two of his men managed to follow them and remain unheard.

  “What are you doing here?” Dorian’s voice was harsher than the situation warranted.

  Lillian shook her head at the byplay between the two men. Dorian must know she had no interest in the club owner. He was handsome. There was no denying that. His eyes were an uncommon combination of blue and green. He had an angular jaw and a shock of blond hair. And perhaps the most remarkable thing for an admitted criminal, he was charming. “How long have you been standing there, Mr. Fletcher?”

  “We followed you down, but only a minute or two,” he admitted. “My associates and I were curious about where you first encountered the demons last night.”

  Lillian said, “I have not had the pleasure of meeting your friends.”

  Fletcher stepped forward. “Forgive me. Jamie and Dugan MacGregor, Miss Lillian Dellacourt and, of course, you know Dorian Lambert.”

  Dorian stepped next to her. “The MacGregors are the sons of Ian MacGregor. He has some claim to be chief of their clan.”

  Each one of the brothers in turn stepped forward and bowed over her hand. They were exceedingly tall, with blue eyes and long brown hair curling past their shoulders.”

  Jamie said, “Our da does not make any claims. The clan will decide who is the MacGregor.”

  “And if you are the sons of the MacGregor, will you find a new occupation?” Dorian sounded like their disapproving uncle.

  Dugan laughed. “We shall wait and see. For the present,
we work for Angus.”

  Fletcher asked, “How did you find this place?”

  Lillian said, “A girl was kidnapped close to here. We followed a logical clue, and it led us to the tunnel.”

  He walked over to the doorway Dorian had discovered. “This is remarkable ingenuity.”

  “Until now, the demons did not have this kind of technology. I think the ascension of the master is behind this new intelligence. Either the demons are getting smarter, or they are guided directly by the master.”

  Dorian asked. “Do you still think it was worth saving Belinda?”

  Her stomach tightened, and her cheeks flamed with anger. “If we had known how to stop the master from ascending, I assure you we would have done so. As it was, all we knew was he was using priests and Belinda to enter our world. We killed all the priests, save one who fell into the pit, and we removed Belinda from Fatum Manor. What more could we have done, Dorian? You were not there. Shafton was not there. Read the reports and tell me how we could have done more?”

  “Forgive me, Lilly. I have read the reports and you are correct. I have lived in Edinburg for several years, made it my home. Demons have always been the thing we fight, but at a distance. London is where the demons are, and people, such as yourself, have them under control. Suddenly, my city is under siege. I’m angry and frustrated. I should not have taken it out on you.”

  The heat eased from her face and neck. He wasn’t perfect. He lost his temper. There was something comforting in the knowledge. “I understand.”

  “Shall we see what is down here?” He pointed into the dark passage he’d revealed.

  Fletcher had watched the entire exchange and grinned at the two of them. He walked over to Dorian and slapped him on the back. “I’m happy for you, Lambert.”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

  “Don’t you?”

  “Do all of you know how to fight in the dark?” Lillian asked.

  Dorian nodded and preceded her through the hole in the wall.

  The others shrugged.

  Lillian gave all three a stern look. “If you are going to follow, stay back and do not engage anyone unless you are sure it is not me or Dorian.” She followed Dorian down the tunnel, her blades tucked along her forearms to keep them from cutting him accidentally in the pitch darkness.

  The tinkle of running water filled the space, but no chanting or footsteps other than theirs. Where the first passage had brought them deeper, this one was on the rise. They crept along in the dark for perhaps a mile.

  “This is far longer than I expected.” Fletcher kept his voice at a whisper.

  “I agree.” Lillian’s heart pounded faster with both the exertion and anticipation.

  Dorian stopped.

  “What is it?” she whispered.

  His voice was also low. “A door, wooden with a latch.”

  “I’m ready.” She gripped both blades and waited.

  Light spilled through the door, blinding her. She spun to the side, blades high. Blinking back her vision, the empty room came into focus. Daylight streamed in through a dozen small widows evenly spaced at the top of the walls.

  “In the name of all that is holy.” Jamie looked around the room with wide eyes. They were in a cavernous round space, big enough to hold a hundred men, maybe more.

  Lillian understood how he felt. The room was remarkable and daunting. The stone floor and walls were smooth as if sanded to perfection. Symbols marked the walls. She didn’t know what they meant, but she remembered them from Fatum Manor where the master had ascended and tortured Belinda.

  Dorian walked to the middle of the room. “Come and see this.”

  She spun, taking in the room. Little sound filtered from above. A long set of steps at the far end of the room ran along the rounded walls and stopped at a wooden trap door. At the center of the ceiling hung a long chain with a very large lantern at the end.

  “What is this place?” Fetcher asked.

  The center of the floor had a goat’s head carved in the floor, surrounded by a five-pointed star. At the top of the star, they’d carved a distorted fleur-de-lis wrapped by a hissing snake.

  Dorian sheathed his sword and touched the symbol on the floor. “I think they mean to open a gate here.”

  “Where is here?” The entire carved out cavern sent chills down Lillian’s spine. Something unnatural had built the room, and it gnawed at her soul. It was too perfect, too smooth and symmetrical. From the moment they entered, she had wanted to leave.

  “That is a very good question. Shall we?” Dorian pointed toward the stairs.

  She raced up the steps and pushed the heavy wooden door, but it didn’t budge. She stowed her blades in her boots and put her weight behind it. Pebbles and dirt fell in around their heads as the door moved aside. Choking, she took the last few steps into the open air.

  The ruins of Holyrood Chapel rose around her. Her heart leaped into her throat. Nothing was sacred.

  All four men climbed out, their mouths and eyes wide.

  “Lilly, I have a very bad feeling about this. This is not the evil place Fatum was alleged to be. This is holy ground. How can this be?”

  “I do not know, Dorian. Perhaps holy ground has no meaning to the master. Maybe there is power here and he can tap into it. The chapel has been abandoned since the roof caved in years ago. It may have left an opportunity open to the demons. In London, his minions had taken over an old, abandoned church. They performed sacrifices there and desecrated the place.”

  “That would mean…”

  The number of holy places that were no longer in use was staggering, too much to think about.

  “It’s over a mile back to the castle, gentlemen. We had better get started. Dorian, perhaps we can find something in the archives that will make sense out of this.”

  “I will advise Drake to put a watch on Holyrood. The demons went to a lot of trouble down there. I cannot imagine they will abandon it because we killed a few of their numbers and rescued a couple of women.”

  “This is far worse than I expected.” Fletcher walked along beside them; his hands dug into his pockets.

  “It is worse still, Mr. Fletcher. Worse than any of us know. You should consider that when you make your choices in lifestyle.”

  He frowned in response. He and the MacGregors said nothing on the long walk. Tension hung in the air. At the near corner of the castle wall, they said good night and disappeared down the street and around a corner.

  Dorian left her at the castle door to go and speak to Cullum.

  Lillian went back in the archives. She dug through boxes of papers until she was covered in dust, but no closer to finding any answers.

  Dorian joined her, rolled up his shirtsleeves, and sat across the table reading some tome. “Drake has sent for several new hunters to watch over Holyrood. We will be informed if anything happens.”

  “Fine.”

  “Are you still angry with me?”

  “I will never agree with you and Cullum on this matter.”

  He smiled. “Then we shall disagree, but I do not want that fact to interfere with what has happened between us.”

  “I do not see how that is possible. We have fundamental differences in our view of the world”

  “Look at me, Lilly.”

  She looked up from a paper detailing the best way to kill a trebox dated twelve years earlier.

  “I may agree with Cullum, strategically we made an error, but I still could not have abandoned those women to the demon’s sacrifice.”

  She shrugged. It was unladylike, but her heart had cracked when he’d sided with their superior.

  “What we have together is very rare. I do not think it likely either one of us will find this again in our lifetime. A person who understands and accept. A person who in spite of what we do, still wants to pursue a relationship.”

  “Perhaps I do not need that type of relationship. I only agreed to one day, Dorian.” The lie spilled out with
ease, but a knot tightened in her gut.

  The sorrow in his eyes hurt even more. “I do not believe that, and I told you I would continue my pursuit.” He held up his hand, stopping her response. “We can talk about it another time. Have you found anything?”

  Part of her wanted to tell him he was right. “It’s just a bunch of paper from the trunk in the corner. Most of it is written by Shafton, but I’ve found nothing interesting so far.”

  “I wonder when some of this was placed here. It seems someone should have gone through all of this at some point.”

  Lillian said, “Perhaps you are right. I wonder if the Countess of Shafton can be of any help.”

  “You want to ask his lordship’s wife if she has any evidence against her husband?”

  “No. That would be rude. I want to ask her ladyship if she has any old documents stored in either the London or country estates.”

  “Will you write to her directly?”

  “I thought I might. I have met her on several occasions, though cannot be certain she will remember. It occurred to me to send a note to Belinda, but that might put her in an awkward position.”

  “You mean, if you find evidence damning her father.”

  Somehow, Shafton was the key to all of this. Lillian knew it, but she pointed to a stack of crates. “Perhaps those in the corner. They look as if they have been stacked there for some time.”

  Dorian went to the back corner of the archives and took down a stack of eight boxes while Lillian wrote a letter to the Countess of Shafton.

  Dust and grime covered the crates. They found nothing in the first box, and her shoulders ached from the effort.

  “You two still at it?” Tybee asked from the doorway.

  Dorian said, “I’m afraid so. We will be a while longer. No need for you to wait up.”

  The door-keeper looked down at his feet and shuffled uncomfortably before looking across the room at them. “I’ll be finding my bed then. If you two need to rest, you’ll find some rooms made up with beds down the east corridor. I’ll have fresh wash water put in just in case.”

  “That is very kind of you, Tybee,” Lillian said.