by C. J. Archer
I bit the inside of my lip until it hurt.
"We combined our magic, weaving our spells together, but the patient's heart rate sped up too much. He died of heart failure. The doctor refused to try again but somehow his guild, and mine, got wind of it. I don't know how. I think he told someone who told someone…you know how rumor spreads. The Surgeon's Guild ostracized him and wanted to report him to the police. He became frightened, so I think he blamed me and told them I coerced him. I did not. It was a mutual interest. But he had a family to protect." He shrugged.
"You had a family too," Matt pointed out. "Weren't you frightened for them?"
"My wife was quite capable of taking care of herself," Chronos bit off. "Indeed, she was probably glad the blame shifted to me because it meant I had to flee the country. She was rid of me, finally, and could operate the shop her own way. Our marriage was not a good one, India. I offer no apologies for it. Your grandmother and I were opposites in every way."
"Then why did you marry at all?"
"We had no choice. Our parents arranged it. They wanted a union between two great horology magicians. The magical lineage of both families was strong and pure, with every marital pairing going back generations possessing magic. I'm a strong magician, your grandmother was too, and Elliot…" He spread his arms wide. "I don't know how powerful he was. His mother begged him to hide his magic from an early age. He could have been more powerful than either her or me, but he was secretive. He refused to answer my questions when I asked. You, however… You…" He chuckled into his glass. "If only our parents were alive to hear you tell of your magic working without spells, and in such a dramatic fashion too. They would rejoice. Of course, you did have four magician grandparents."
"Four!" I blurted out.
"Your maternal grandfather was a magical confectioner and your maternal grandmother was a magical baker before they married. Her specialty was cakes. Your mother inherited the baking magic. Didn't Elliot tell you?"
I stared at him, open-mouthed, until Willie clicked her fingers in my ear. "You still with us, India?"
I nodded. A magical confectioner explained why I liked sweets so much. I was drawn to bonbons almost as much as I felt compelled to touch clocks and watches. "I thought I merely had a sweet tooth," I said.
Matt laughed softly.
"So back to the story," Willie prompted like an eager child. "The guilds chased you out of England."
Chronos nodded. "They would have called the police on me had I stayed."
"And now you're back, and they're still after you."
"Even years later, they have not forgotten," he said. "Abercrombie, the guild master, is the son of the last guild master, the one who wanted to catch and punish me."
"He knows you're in London?" I asked. This was why Chronos hadn't come to my father's funeral. This was why he'd not tried to find me. He was a hunted man. I watched him through half closed lashes. It could also be because he was selfish and uncaring.
"I'm not sure," Chronos said. "I thought you were his people when I saw you at Worthey's factory. I panicked and fled. Cyclops says you found me through that imbecile, Dr. Hale. He was only an apothecary magician, not a doctor. Did you know?"
Matt nodded. "We made the same mistake you did, thinking his magic was in healing. But at least he led us to you."
"How ironic," Chronos said tightly.
"Why did you come back to London?" Matt asked.
"Wait." Willie held up her hand. "You're jumping ahead, Matt. To Chronos, she said, "You left England and went to America after your experiment on the vagrant failed."
"Not straight away. You see, the doctor magician told me about his cousin, who was also a magician. The two had not seen each other in years and lost contact. The cousin traveled to France and Italy, that's all I knew. I followed his trail across the entire bloody continent. He rarely stayed anywhere long. Then I lost him altogether. He'd left Prussia in the early eighties, with no forwarding address. It took some time and considerable money to learn he'd gone to America." His gaze turned wistful. "A pretty Prussian widow finally gave up that piece of information, but it took effort on my part to get it."
"Dr. Parsons is the cousin," Duke guessed. "The man you chased all over Europe."
Chronos nodded. "I found him in that stinking hole, Broken Creek. Took some convincing before he would try combining our magic. In the end, it was you who convinced him, Glass."
"Me? How? I never spoke to either of you before I was shot."
"You were young and in good health, and your death came at another man's hand, not a disease or act of god, as that pious fool put it. You had people who cared about you too." The sweep of his arm took in Willie, Duke and Cyclops. They exchanged grim glances with one another. "I pointed all this out to Parsons and he agreed to try. If you'd been an aged vagrant with no family, I doubt he would have."
"Why did the spell work on me but not the first time on Mr. Wilson?" Matt asked.
"That doctor spoke one of the words incorrectly. The accent was difficult and he pronounced it wrong. Dr. Parsons made no such mistake with you."
"Thank you for convincing Dr. Parsons to try." My quiet voice cut through the silence. No matter what I thought of this man or his experiments, without him, Matt wouldn't be here at all.
Chronos's jaw worked as he stared at me then at Matt. "Afterward, Parsons wouldn't stop muttering about it not being right. I wasted too much time trying to change his stubborn mind. If I hadn't lingered in America, I could be further along in my search now."
"Your search?" Matt echoed. "For the original doctor magician?"
"No. He's dead. But I'm quite sure another exists."
"How do you know?"
Chronos drank then wiped his beard with his thumb and forefinger. "You see, Parsons's cousin, Dr. Millroy, my original co-magician here in London, had a son."
Matt shot to his feet and paced the floor. "He shouldn't be too hard to trace. Have you tried?"
"Sit down, Matt," Willie said. "Why are you restless all of a sudden?"
I swallowed and waited for Matt to answer but he didn't. He merely glared so hard at Chronos I thought his gaze would drill holes through him.
"Where did Dr. Millroy live?" Matt pressed. "His wife and son may still be there. If not, the new residents might know where to find them."
Chronos shook his head. "Millroy didn't have any children with his wife. He had a son with his mistress."
"Hell," Matt muttered.
"Do you know the mistress's name or where she lived?" I asked.
"No," Chronos said.
I pressed my hand to my stomach. I felt sick. The task of finding her all these years later would be near impossible.
Chronos hadn't fixed Matt's watch and it was now clear why—he needed to combine his magic with a doctor magician's again. It was so obvious that I couldn't believe we hadn't realized. We'd blindly believed the dying Dr. Parsons when he had claimed only the original watchmaker was required. Had he deliberately lied? Or simply not known?
"Why do you need the son?" From Willie's high voice, I suspected she knew the answer to her question. "Well?" She stomped across the carpet to Matt and thumped him hard in the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell us his magic didn't fix it? Huh? Answer me, Matt." She went to punch him again but he caught her fist.
She burst into tears and wrenched free. She kicked the side of the sofa then kicked it again and again until Matt put his arm around her. Duke took a step forward and Matt steered her into his arms. She went with surprising meekness.
"Tears aren't going to find the illegitimate son," I told her, my own tears of frustration welling. "If you think about it, we're actually closer to fixing Matt's watch than we were yesterday."
"How do you figure that?" Willie wailed.
"Yesterday we had neither a doctor magician nor Chronos. Now we have one as well as solid information to find the other. We just need to locate Dr. Millroy's mistress. Someone somewhere will know what happened to her
and her son."
"We gotta hope he ain't dead too."
Matt sat next to me and took my hand. He wrung it a little too hard, but I didn't have the heart to tell him to stop. He seemed to need the contact. "You're right, India. You always manage to put things in perspective."
"India's got a positive outlook," Duke told Chronos over Willie's head, which was still buried in his chest.
"As do I," Chronos said, as if he were keeping tally of our similarities and differences. "You find the bastard son and you'll most likely have yourselves a doctor magician, if he inherited the power from his father."
"Millroy taught him the spell?" Matt asked.
Chronos shook his head. "The boy was just a baby when his father died." He held up a finger to silence our barrage of questions. "There's a diary. Dr. Millroy wrote everything in it, including the spell. I know that for a fact because I saw it written in there."
I placed my other hand over Matt's, hardly daring to look at him. I only did when he withdrew his hand and stood. He leaned an elbow on the mantelpiece and dug his fingers through his hair.
"The diary could be anywhere now," he said heavily. "It could have been destroyed."
I stood to go to him but sat again. It wasn't my place to comfort him, and I didn't dare give him a sign that I cared for him. He might act on the sign, and I was afraid my willpower would crumble if he did.
I picked up my glass and sipped. Chronos watched me, a brow lifted in curiosity. Then he grunted a half laugh and nodded slowly. He missed nothing.
"So we start looking for the diary at the widow's house," Duke said. "Any idea where she lives?"
Chronos shook his head. "The diary's not with her. I made inquiries. She said it was not with his things when the police found him, something she thought odd. He always carried the diary." He patted his waistcoat pocket. "Right here."
"So it's gone." Willie sniffed. "Probably burned to keep some old hag warm."
"Or it's with his murderer."
"Murderer!" several voices, including mine, chimed.
"Millroy was killed." Chronos made a slashing motion with his hand across his throat. "According to the police, a witness saw a cloaked man leave the scene with Dr. Millroy's possessions."
It's not often we were all left speechless, but that did it.
"Before you ask," Chronos said, "I don't know who the murderer is. It's impossible to get anything out of the police but no one was arrested."
Matt had contacts at Scotland Yard. It may not be impossible for us to learn more about the investigation. Perhaps their records contained a list of suspects. "Then we will help you find Dr. Millroy's killer." I looked to Matt. "This is something you and I are quite good at."
Matt seemed unconvinced. Indeed, he seemed distracted. "I have a proposal for you, Chronos," he finally announced. "You're in hiding. This is as good a place to hide as any, particularly since my friends and I can offer some protection. Stay here and we'll help you find the diary and Dr. Millroy's son. Agreed?"
"And in return?" Chronos asked.
"In return, you help India understand her magic."
Chronos hesitated for the barest moment then held out his hand. "Agreed."
"Get him to sign something," Willie whispered loudly as Matt shook his hand. "I don't trust him."
"You can trust me," Chronos said. "India has me intrigued enough to want to learn more about her magic."
My magic, not me. A small kernel of disappointment lodged in my chest.
"We'll seal it with a drink," Matt said, pouring another for Chronos and one for himself. "India?"
"No, thank you," I said. "I think I'll retire."
Matt intercepted me at the door, a frown marring his handsome brow. "Are you all right?" he murmured. "Do your injuries from the accident still hurt?"
I'd almost forgotten about the bruises obtained when our carriage overturned, costing our coachman his life. It seemed like it happened months ago, not mere days. "I'm simply tired," I assured him.
His fingers touched mine. Tingling warmth washed up my arm. I pulled away and would have walked off if he hadn't spoken.
"Stay." The word was as soft as a breath. No one but me could have heard it. The plea in his eyes pinched my heart and had me wondering if he was referring to staying for a drink or staying at his house.
"I can't."
Those chocolate brown eyes searched mine and my skin tingled again. I couldn't move. I was hypnotized by his intense gaze; I felt myself falling into it, unable to stop. That one look, both vulnerable yet strong, had me wanting to put my resolve aside and stay where I could see him whenever I wished, could imagine myself lady of the house and his wife.
"Matt," Willie barked. She did not need to add "she ain't for you" for me to hear it in her tone.
I picked up my skirts and rushed out of the room, my heart pounding in my throat.
I'd been a fool to think I could sleep. I strained to hear footsteps in the corridor outside, but no one passed and Matt's bedroom was located further along than mine. He could not sneak that quietly, not with the creaky floorboards. It was almost midnight, and Matt must be exhausted. Even if he'd drawn on his watch's magic again, he still required regular sleep. Perhaps I ought to see that he was taking care of himself.
I threw a wrap around my shoulders and stepped into a pair of slippers. The corridor was quiet but voices drifted up to me from downstairs. I knew my way in the dark and required no candle to navigate the stairs. A lamp glowed softly in the entrance hall where I paused to listen. The voices came from the drawing room not the service area. I put my ear to the door.
"Are you sure?" I heard Willie say. "That's a lot."
"You can match it," Matt said in a somewhat irritated tone. "You've been winning all night."
"That's what worries me. I never beat you."
"I'm rusty."
"That ain't rust. It's just plain bad luck."
"My luck has deserted me of late." I had to strain to hear his words.
"Don't, Matt," came Cyclops's voice. "End this now. You know you shouldn't be playing." Matt had only played poker once for money since I'd known him, and only then to win back something of value to Willie. Why hadn't his friends stopped him tonight it it was so bad for him to play?
"You know you don't like it when you drink this much either," Duke added.
"Don't play nursemaid," Matt growled.
"Let the man drink!" Chronos's voice was clear as a hot summer's day. "A fellow's got to have some vices or what's the point of living?"
"Shut it," Willie snapped. "You don't understand nothing about Matt."
"I have eyes. I can see."
"See what?" Matt asked. I imagined him glaring at Chronos, and Chronos weighing up whether it was a good idea to answer or not.
I put my hand on the door handle to interrupt them and diffuse the tension. Then Chronos spoke and I found I wanted to hear what he had to say.
"I can see that you're angry and frustrated, and that my granddaughter is foolish."
How dare he call me that? He hardly knew me!
"India is no fool," Matt said.
"Then why is she going to live in a cottage on the edge of the city when she can live in luxury here? This is Mayfair, for God's sake. The only way a woman like her can live in a house like this is if her wealthy lover puts her up in it, and even then—"
Muffled sounds of a scuffle followed.
"Christ!" Chronos cried. "I didn't say she was your mistress, Glass. Let me go."
I should have entered then. I should have pretended to have just woken and come in search of my friends. But I didn't, and so Matt caught me eavesdropping.
He suddenly filled my vision. The flush on his cheeks heightened as he looked down at me. I swallowed my gasp as I took in the signs of exhaustion etched into every crease bracketing his mouth, every shadow under haunted eyes. It wasn't just tiredness I saw, however. Misery dogged him too.
Chapter 3
Matt's brow plun
ged into a frown. "How long have you been here?" he demanded.
I drew in a fortifying breath. He was angry but not necessarily with me. I hoped. "Long enough to hear you defending my honor. Thank you."
The muscles in his face relaxed. "Your grandfather has poor manners."
"That's a small price to pay for what he can do for you."
He shifted closer and bent to whisper in my ear. He smelled of expensive brandy and cologne. "If he disparages you again, report it to me."
"I can manage him on my own."
He slowly straightened. "I know you don't need me, India, but you could pretend to once in a while for the sake of my masculine pride."
"I do need you." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I bit the inside of my cheek hard lest I repeat them.
Matt stared at me. His breathing quickened. I wished he'd say something to break the charged silence, but he seemed at a loss.
"Your money," Willie said from behind him.
"Keep it," Matt said without turning around.
I stepped aside to let him pass then studied his stiff back as he headed up the stairs. A numbness seeped into my bones. I wasn't sure what to think or how to react. Could he read my thoughts? Did he know why I had to move out of the house?
"Leaving now ain't a good idea, India." It would seem Willie could read them.
She sat with Chronos at the card table they'd brought in, Duke and Cyclops nearby but not playing. All four of them looked at me with varying degrees of interest. Only Willie had a fiercely determined set to her jaw, however. I braced myself. She was not one to hold back her opinions. She and my grandfather ought to get along well.
"Ordinarily I would want you to move away," she went on. "On account of him going back home to America when his watch is fixed and you being a temptation to stay in London. But not anymore. Now I want you to stay in this house a while longer."
"What changed your mind?" I asked.
"Before tonight, it was seeing how well you and Matt solve puzzles together. Puzzles like who has that diary and where to find the doctor's bastard son."
