Stolen Skye (Book One, The Skye Trilogy)

by Nina Loard

  We continued on silently through a long gallery, also carpeted in the same royal red. The furnishings were sparse except for gigantic, rectangular tables that lined the center of the room with overflowing floral arrangements. Wooden chairs with claw and ball feet and red cushions stood guard along the side of the room. Ari looked at me every few steps, probably making sure I was holding it together. I was too awe struck to be anything else. This was Buckingham Palace for God’s sake.

  Seemingly content that I wasn’t going to break down and humiliate myself, he escorted me into a grand ballroom awash in gold and mirrors. This is where the people were gathering, and I estimated about a hundred so far. The room was designed for much larger crowds. There were glass cases roped off by red velvet, scattered across the floor, about eight or so which the crowd were circling. It was some type of exhibit. I turned to Ari hoping for some answers.

  “Imperial Crown Jewels from around the world. This is just a scaled down preview for English patrons of the arts to whet their appetites. The entire collection, much larger than this, is going on a worldwide tour beginning New Year’s Eve at the Louvre in Paris. Are you intrigued? His eyes shone with a glint of excitement. He coveted something, and I was very afraid I understood what.

  “What exactly is our purpose here?” I braced myself for a very scary reality.

  “Relax. We’re only browsing.” He walked off toward the first container, joining a throng of others. A waiter clad in white appeared out of nowhere and provided me with a glass of champagne. Ari inspected the first case and I watched him, his face illuminated by the incandescent lighting. He looked almost supernatural in the bluish hue. I glanced around the room at all the security I could see, imagining all I could not. There was no way a theft here was possible, even if he was as talented as the others had said. I gathered my wits and strode forward to see what all the fascination was about.

  The first display was an outlandishly impressive crown with a diamond the size of my fist cradled in the golden band. The case was lined in sapphire blue velvet. The diamond was extraordinary, throwing off sparks of light. A gold embossed card in front named it the Imperial State Crown featuring a diamond called the Cullinan II. It weighed over 300 Karats and was part of the largest diamond ever found. The card offered a brief history of both items. I looked up at Ari, understanding this to be a British crown of the monarchy. He had to be kidding me. I couldn’t remember any history that indicated the theft of the British Crown Jewels had ever been attempted. He rolled his eyes and motioned for me to follow him to the next case. I downed the rest of my champagne and searched the crowd for my waiter.

  Before I reached the next case, I could see the multiple, radiant colors reflected in the faces of the other guests surrounding it. The Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire sat upon a red velvet pillow, with robin’s egg sized gemstones and luminous pearls ensconced within the heavy gold. Above the crown, the gold and gems formed a crucifix. Its note labeled it of German origin during the Middle Ages, around 10th Century, and named it the most important part of the imperial regalia. I moved in closer to Ari, growing more and more dazzled by my surroundings.

  “They’re exquisite,” I whispered up to him, wishing I had a better word.

  “They’re mostly glass.” He replied, glancing down into my eyes, somewhat amused by my look of disappointment. He continued to move through the room, stopping here and there to consider the other cases. Finally, I joined him as he struck a relaxed pose against the far wall.

  “What do we do now?” The purpose of our visit was eluding me. Browsing glass seemed like a waste of time for a jewelry thief.

  “We wait. A friend is joining us soon and I imagine you’re hungry.” He was right, after two glasses of champagne; I was going to need to eat something.

  “Ari, good to see you.” A balding man, considerably shorter than Ari, approached us. He looked up at both of us with genuine happiness in his brown eyes. His dull gray suit and tie lacked some of the finery exhibited by the other men, but it was obvious he was there officially, not socially.

  “Alex, good to see you as well. Thank you for tonight. Are we all set?”

  “Of course, if you two would please follow me.” He led us out of the ballroom and through another gallery similar to the first. After we passed, a guard replaced the velvet rope blocking the entrance and returned to his intimidating stance.

  “Evelyn, it’s wonderful to see you in England again. Ari tells me you were in the States for a few years. Welcome back.” He turned to speak to me as he led the way.

  “Yes. Thank you. It’s nice to be back.” Luckily, I was not put upon to elaborate.

  Through the gallery we passed down a couple of smaller, more intricately decorated hallways. Alex turned the corner and led us into a room beyond anything I’d ever seen. An enormous oriental rug in red, gold and blue covered the wood floor. Crystal chandeliers set low illuminated more gilded portraits and mirrors. Floor to ceiling windows looked out over the ghostly lights of the palace grounds. Stone carved fireplaces, blue velvet cushioned antique chairs and golden sconces encircled us. The ballroom we had been in was clearly designed to house a crowd, this room was almost as large, but much more intimate somehow.

  “Welcome to the Blue Drawing Room. The table is set and the wine is poured. Ari, if you need anything, the doors we came through will have a staff member posted on the other side. Enjoy, and I will check on you in an hour.” Alex bowed his head and left us as swiftly as he had appeared. Beyond all the grandeur, my eyes adjusted and saw for the first time the delicate table for two that had been set in the corner by the far window. Next to it stood a final case illuminated by the same bluish light.

  “Shall we?” Ari bowed to me as Alex had done, extending his hand out before us, inviting me to lead the way.

  Chapter 13. And He’s Gone

  As I stepped toward the candlelit table, I considered what type of person was able to arrange a private dinner in Buckingham Palace. My memories were very important to me, but this evening made discovering who Ari really was my priority. A part of me was almost afraid to look into the case, but that part was overruled as I got closer. Sparkling diamonds and deep pink stones captured my attention. The center of the case showed an elevated crown with twenty or more of what looked like watered down rubies, all surrounded by brilliant diamonds set in platinum.

  The curves of the stones and the gentle tips of the crown gave it a very feminine grace. Below the shimmering crown was an equally stunning necklace with the same gems surrounded by diamonds in the collar, and nine or so diamond pendants that hung along the fall. To one side of the necklace and crown was a pedestal holding an enormous pair of matching drop earrings. On the opposite side was an elaborate hair comb set with diamonds and large, rectangular pink stones in the center. About the time my nose touched the case glass, I realized how close I had gotten. I looked up at Ari to see if he was as mesmerized as I was. He was watching me from just beyond the glow of the case light.

  “Are they rubies?” I had never seen stones like them before.

  “Pink spinel and diamonds. It is called the Royal Rose Collection. You stole it once. Well, you helped anyway. Sit, please.” He stepped over to the table and held a chair out for me. I tore myself away and obliged numbly.

  “I don’t understand. Why is it here if we stole it?” He wasn’t making any sense, and the whole evening had me off-kilter entirely.

  “We stole it for the Queen, technically.” He took the seat across from me and placed his napkin in his lap.

  “Ari, it would help me tremendously if you would explain. The mysterious answers are exhausting.”

  “That’s why we’re here. Please, eat and have some wine.” He glanced out the window searching for something, perhaps a place to begin. “Alex, who you just met, and his parents were a part of my life back in Blackheath, another Roma family. We were the largest community of our kind in Europe at one time. He and I grew up together. Like me, he went off
to school, but unlike me, he never returned to Blackheath and continued his education. Now, after much work, he is the head of the Royal Collection Department for the British Monarchy. His full name is Alexandru Remus. About five years ago, the Royal Rose Collection, a favorite jewelry set of the monarchy, was stolen from an exhibit that he sponsored and helped plan in Brussels. There were no leads and the authorities were at a loss.

  “Out of desperation, he called to see if my uncle or I had heard anything about it. We hadn’t. As a favor to him, since he believed his career to be on the line, the six of us went to Brussels to see what we could find out. Through the underground, we got a tip about a boasting pair of Frenchmen. We stole the set back from them before they could fence it properly. I never understood how they got it in the first place, considering how stupid they were in every other way, but even thieves get lucky.”

  “So, we stole it back from them in Brussels?”

  “They were actually hiding in Bruges, not too far away, held up in a hotel. A charming place, overlooking a canal.” He stopped to take a sip of the wine. Sadly, none of it was ringing a bell. “Two Frenchmen staying together wouldn’t stand out that much in Europe, but they were spending too much money and drinking heavily while they waited for the rest of their team or the buyer, I suppose. We were going to plant Raven in the bar to get better acquainted with them while we searched their room and the surrounding areas, but you captured their attention before the plan was set, much to your own surprise.

  “With you distracting them in the bar, Finn and I searched their rooms, and found a key which led us to where they stashed the set and the other pieces they had stolen. We returned the set to Alex. He had me knighted out of gratitude. The names of my colleagues who assisted in the recovery were kept out of the story. Alex knowing my history is one thing, but I didn’t want to expose the rest of you. He told the Queen that I’d discovered the criminals and had given safe passage to the set. She called me her Dear Purveyor.”

  “I don’t remember any of it.” Disappointed, I sat and pondered the idea. All of us in Bruges, stealing from thieves for the Queen. “What’s the Royal Rose Collection worth, just out of curiosity?”

  “It was made for royalty. It’s priceless.” He sliced into his chicken, seemingly done with his story.

  “Are the police or Scotland Yard, or whatever you call them, not very skilled then when it comes to high-dollar theft?”

  “It’s not that they aren’t, it’s just that thieves almost always talk and more quickly to other thieves. I’ve helped in a few instances, where it was best to keep the loss of an item out of the press. One thing that is very important to any respected establishment is the appearance of being impenetrable. Some institutions would rather explore all private means possible to recover precious items before involving the authorities and the insurance companies. The forensics process takes so long that a piece can be broken down and shipped around the world before they have a lead.”

  “So, you help recover stolen items?” Suddenly being a criminal was sounding almost noble.

  “I’m no saint, Evelyn. No, we’ve helped Alex some because he is a brother of sorts. We are very much criminals, but we have an agreement with my friend to never steal from the crown and help him should he ever need my expertise. The Royal Household for the monarchy runs as its own private nation, in a sense. They are an excellent client. You wanted details of our time together. This was the first theft you actively participated in, made successful by your convincing seduction of two Frenchmen in Bruges.” He shook his head with a grin.

  “Why did Alex call your uncle, I thought he was against the criminal activity? I met him by the way, with Raven this morning.”

  “My uncle lobbies for rights for gypsies and other persecuted people. It is not something you will fully understand, but he was given the title, Voivode, or protector of all the gypsies, about five years ago. Alex thought he might have heard something since he has acquaintances, — both honorable and dishonorable — throughout Europe.”

  “What does that mean exactly?” I was at a loss in trying to understand the foreign world he was describing to me.

  “Men in my culture have declared themselves ‘King of the Gypsies’ or even ‘Emperor’ for centuries. For most, it is an act of self-entitlement. There could be fifty kings all over Europe and beyond for all I know. However, his title was given to him by the people in my community as a tribute to him and his good works. He made something for himself out of nothing and protects his people. It’s complicated.”

  “So, is he grooming you to be the new Voivode or something?”

  “He’s closer to my older cousins, so that can be something they worry about.” He placed his napkin on the table and adjusted his chair to cross his long legs. The meal was over and I felt the hour must be as well. I didn’t want the open exchange between us to end.

  “Why did you let me be a part of this in the beginning?”

  He regarded me for some time before answering. “You were loyal to Bounce. You knew our secret. You wanted to know more. You became… a friend.” His face softened, and for the first time I felt a warmth and openness from Ari that surprised me. Staring at him across the table, I gathered strength to ask the question that burned the brightest.

  “Why didn’t you tell the others the truth — that I was alive?”

  “I wasn’t sure this was the right life for you. I thought it was best to let you go — for everyone.”

  “Why did you bring me here then?” I gestured to our palatial surroundings.

  “I thought seeing the collection in person might help. I promised you that I would try. Though I know it’s a bad idea, there’s still a part of me that wants you to remember as well. Tonight, I decided to give into it.” He smiled reluctantly at me. It felt reassuring to know he wasn’t completely against my presence anymore.

  “Right life or not, I want to know my past. I want to know the truth.”

  “Your determination doesn’t surprise me.” We sat silently, finishing our wine. He kept his eyes on me, as if trying to decide which course of action to take. Abruptly, he stood and blew out the candles. After pulling out my chair, he went to let the staff person know we were done. I walked over to the case to say my goodbyes. I wondered if I had worn the jewels at all. Holding them would have made that very hard to resist. I wanted to ask, but Ari’s cool demeanor was back. It was time to go.

  “Friends, how was dinner?” Alex returned, warmly greeting us by the door.

  “It was very good. Thank you for the arrangements and the private showing. I trust it wasn’t too much trouble.” Ari shook Alex’s hand and they began walking back toward the gallery.

  “No, with the private viewing for the others, we just requested the Royal Rose as well. The dinner was no trouble, of course. Our cooks are desperate for something to do when her Highness is elsewhere.”

  “Good. I’ll connect this week and let you know about New Year’s Eve.” Alex nodded to Ari in response and took a detour down a less impressive staircase, leading to a door just beyond the portico we parked near.

  “Evelyn, it was a pleasure seeing you again. You be kind to Ari, he’s a good man.” Alex patted him on the back and shook my hand. Ari looked away from us to his car.

  “Thank you for tonight. It was truly lovely. I hope to see you again.” I wished him a sincere farewell and joined Ari as we walked to the car.

  “He believes I brought you here to impress you. A favor for a man in love,” Ari said sardonically as he opened my door for me.

  “When did I meet him before?” I was somewhat staggered at the idea of Ari claiming any frivolous human emotion.

  “At my knighting ceremony. You were all there as my guests, along with my uncle and eldest cousin, Marko. He assumed you were with Finn then, so he probably thinks you’re a heartbreaker now. All the same, I didn’t have a better reason for making the additional arrangements.”

  We pulled out into the lane of other cars wai
ting to exit the grounds. I turned to watch Buckingham Palace fade into the night. The last couple of hours had passed like a dream, only parts really registering in my mind. Ari was a personal thief to the crown. His uncle was like a king. I had posed as a seductress to steal priceless jewels, resulting in Ari’s knighthood. Finn and I had some unidentified relationship. It was all so much more than I could imagine, but infinitely fascinating.

  “So I was with Finn?” I really didn’t want to talk to Ari about my love life, but he offered it up and I couldn’t resist the confirmation of it. I asked the question so quietly, it must have been hard to hear over the roar of the engine.

  “You seemed to be close.” He kept looking ahead, driving us back to reality.

  “I don’t remember it. He kissed me, but I don’t remember.” I felt the powerful car accelerate. Ari made no other response. Minutes passed and the familiar flags of the hotel came into view. He pulled in front and stepped out, without a word, striding toward my door. Finn stepped into the lamplight to greet us. Ari stood motionless for a moment and then opened my door to help me out.

  “Evy, you look incredible.” Finn came to stand beside Ari after they acknowledged each other with a curt nod. Finn took my hand, spinning me around for the full view. I laughed and greeted him, turning to Ari to thank him for an extraordinary evening. He was in the car and gone before I had the chance.

  “And there he goes,” I said, troubled as I watched him pull away.

  “I’m sure he’ll be back tomorrow. Let’s get you inside, you must be freezing.” He put his arm over my exposed shoulders, still watching Ari’s car disappear down the block.

  “Why are you here? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but why exactly?” I walked into the hotel tucked into him, with my body heat and nervousness on the rise.

  “Neither of you answered your phones. I couldn’t get a hold of Brinks. I just came by to see if you were back and then you pulled up.” We reached the elevators and he paused, waiting for something.