by Keri Arthur
“What are you thinking?” I asked, once we were outside.
“That’s it’s probably the night manager we should be talking to. I also think it’s about time we had lunch. I’m starving.”
So was I, and not just for food. I squished that thought back into its box and said, “There were a few nice pubs on the ride up here.”
He nodded and pressed a hand against my spine, lightly guiding me back to the Indian. “We’ll stop at one of them and plot our next move over food.”
“You’re buying?”
He glanced at me, eyebrow raised. “Last I heard, the De Montforts weren’t poor. I, on the other hand, am just a struggling foot soldier.”
I smiled. “No one who owns a manor house in Somerset is poor, but never let it be said that this De Montfort is a miser. But you can buy the next meal.”
“Deal.” He handed me a helmet. Once we were on our way, he added, his warm tones so clear over the Bluetooth, “Would it be worth talking to Tristan’s parents?”
“No. You probably know more about his activities in London and who his friends are there than they ever would. I doubt they even know he’s back in Ainslyn.”
“Has he talked to you about his activities in London?”
I half smiled. “Is that your way of asking if we had a long-distance relationship?”
“No.” He hesitated. “Did you?”
“No. We were simply friends who sometimes had sex when he came back home—and you know well enough how often that’s been lately if you’ve been keeping an eye on him.” I paused as he took a sharp left. “Have you searched his London premises?”
“No, but after this, we certainly will. We’ve also put an arrest order on him.”
I frowned. “If you arrest him, we may never uncover the man he’s reporting to.”
“Trust me, the Preternatural Division have the means to make even the most reluctant witness talk.”
“Which suggests they skim the edge of the law.”
“They don’t skim—they crash right through. Anyone working with the dark realm is considered to have waived any right to the laws of this land and is treated accordingly.”
“Which is no doubt why the division remains secret.”
“So secret, few in parliament even know about it.”
“Then how does it get funded?”
He shrugged. “Their funding would be part of the NCA’s overall budget, but I can’t tell you how the division is listed.”
“What about the Blackbirds? Are you government funded?”
His amusement was a warm wave that briefly washed over me, though how that was even possible I had no idea. “No. We are entirely self-funded—always have been, even though we’ve always been responsible for the protection of the Aquitaine line and have over the years received compensation in the form of land and holdings from the various kings.”
“If it isn’t for the money or even the glory, why are the Blackbirds so devoted to the crown? Especially these days?”
“Because it was a duty entrusted to us by Vivienne, a Celtic water goddess who also gave the Aquitaine line the sword.”
“And just what did your ancestors do to receive such an onerous and never-ending task?”
“They were on the wrong side of a war—one that cost thousands of lives. The duty to protect light against all darkness was their penance.”
“Odd that it was given by a water goddess.”
“It’s said that the waterways ran with so much blood and gore that it stained the banks and her for years.” He pulled into the parking area of a small, stone-built pub and stopped. “Will this do?”
I took of my helmet. “As long as they’ll serve me a pot of tea, I really don’t care.”
“A woman with simple tastes, huh?”
My gaze found his. “That depends entirely on what we’re talking about.”
The rather sexy gleam—one that was part amusement, part awareness—made another brief appearance in his eyes. “Food. We’re talking about food.”
“Shame.”
“Perhaps. But it is far safer.”
I raised my eyebrows. “The attraction exists, however much you pretend otherwise. And we’re both consenting adults.”
He opened the door and ushered me inside. “Yes, but there are ethics to be considered.”
“What ethics?”
I scanned the surprisingly busy dining room and saw a table for two down the far end. Luc must have seen it too, because he pressed a hand to my spine and lightly guided me that way. There was nothing light about the effect his touch had on me, however.
This wasn’t normal. It couldn’t be. And I had a sudden feeling that Mo would know exactly what was going on.
Once we were both seated, a waitress bustled over, handing us a menu and then taking our drinks order. As she hurried away, he said, “The ethics of being involved with the sister of a suspect, especially when she’s already been the target of what we call a ‘sleep and steal’ effort.”
I frowned. “Tris couldn’t have stolen anything from me magically, because I’m immune to it.”
“Really?” Surprised edged Luc’s voice. “Since when?”
“Since birth.” I studied the beautiful planes of his face for a moment. “I’m surprised you didn’t know, given you appear to have done your research when it comes to my family.”
“Yes, but that was never mentioned anywhere.”
“Then you didn’t look hard enough—it’s listed on my license to carry.”
He shrugged. “Perhaps it was there and I simply missed it. It was your brother we were more concerned about.” He paused. “Has Max this same immunity?”
“Of course not—he has the elemental ability to control storms, which means it’s impossible to also be immune.”
“Not necessarily. There are some who believe that Uhtric himself had a similar immunity—at least until he drew the sword.”
“The thing I’ve never got is why he even drew the sword in the first place? He wasn’t the firstborn son.”
“No, but he was nevertheless the one the sword chose.”
Before I could reply, the waitress reappeared with our drinks—tea for me, and a black-as-ink coffee for him—then said, “Ready to order yet?”
I glanced hurriedly down the menu and ordered the bangers and mash. Luc settled on the steak-and-kidney pie with a side order of chips. The waitress nodded, collected the menus, and hurried away again.
“I hope you’re prepared to share those chips,” I said with a smile.
“That’s the reason I ordered a large bowl. You look like the sort of woman who’d steal a poor man’s last chip.”
“I’m not that mean—I’d definitely split it.” My smile faded. “How could the sword help choose a king? It’s only ever drawn when darkness rises.”
“It may not be drawn, but it is gripped. The sword reacts by emitting a pulse of blue light when a true heir touches it.”
My heart began to beat a little faster. “That’s what happened up on the knob.”
He nodded. “Unfortunately, whoever was up there used strong concealing magic. I wasn’t aware they were there until I saw that pulse—and by the time I got across to the island, they were gone and you were in trouble.”
“I never did thank you for that, so, thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome. Besides, I could hardly question you about your brother if you were dead.”
“Then why did you disappear so abruptly?”
“I had to follow the distortion of light the concealing magic left behind before it totally disappeared.” He grimaced. “I got as far as that parking area. He’d obviously been picked up by someone, because your car was the only other one in the area both before and after.”
“So why didn’t you come back? Or hang around?”
He shrugged. “Other business to attend to.”
I poured some tea and then added milk and sugar. “There is one major problem with your stateme
nt that the sword only reacts to heirs.”
He raised his eyebrows. “And that is?”
“It reacted to me.”
He sucked in a deep breath. “That is—”
“Don’t say impossible, because it clearly isn’t.”
“I was going to say unexpected.” He frowned. “But perhaps it really shouldn’t be. You’re a twin, and your brother is an heir, however distant. Perhaps it simply reacted to the bloodline’s presence rather than the actuality of gender.”
“Has there ever been an attempt by a woman to draw the sword before?”
“Oh yes. There’s been many a royal maiden desperate to claim the Witch King’s Crown. There’ve been wars fought over it, in fact, and some who did succeed, however briefly. But the sword was never drawn by any of them.”
“Maybe because they were never given the chance, thanks to the fact the dark realm wasn’t threatening.”
“And maybe it was because only males can draw the sword.”
“As Mo would point out, those sorts of grand statements were invariably written by men more concerned about promoting the greatness of their gender than the actual truth.”
He grinned. “That is a truth I cannot deny.”
“Then it makes you a rare man.”
“Possibly. Acknowledging such statements does not change the facts, however.” He paused as the waitress delivered our meals, placed the chips in the center of the table, and bid us to enjoy. I immediately stole a chip, which drew a smile.
“If it is a recognition of blood kinship,” he continued, “then it becomes even more urgent that your brother stops avoiding us. He may yet be in danger.”
“I’ll ring him and tell him, if you want.” Although I could imagine his response, and it wouldn’t be polite.
Luc hesitated, and then shook his head. “I’ll consult with others in my order first, and we’ll go from there.”
“A statement that suggests your lot operates on a consensus of opinion rather than having a set hierarchy.”
“We do. That is why the table is round—everyone there has equal standing and an equal say.”
“What happens if a vote is split down the middle?”
“A very long and tedious debate occurs until a suitable middle ground is found.” He waved the fork at my lunch. “Eat, before it gets cold.”
“Yes, sir.” I grabbed another chip and saluted him lightly with it.
He rolled his eyes and started eating. The sausages were divine, especially with the onion gravy. I grabbed a dinner roll to mop up the last remnants from my plate and then sighed in satisfaction. “That was lovely.”
“There’re chips left, you know.”
“Sadly, I’ve only enough room left for another cup of tea.”
The waitress chose that moment to appear and immediately said, “Coming right up.” She glanced at Luc—who shook his head—then she collected my plate and disappeared again.
“So what’s the plan for this afternoon?” I asked.
He hesitated. “I have to touch base with Gabe—”
“Is he the Blackbird who helped you get rid of the demon’s body?”
“Yes.”
“Why was he in Ainslyn, when you said it was your patch?”
“Why do you think? I can only ever be in one place at a time, and I did warn I’d be your shadow—”
“Only until my brother turned up.” And there was a tiny fraction of me that suddenly hoped Max was his usual obstinate self and decided to stay longer than a week.
“Given recent events and your brother’s reputation for being uncooperative, I dare say my duty will remain exactly where it is for the foreseeable future. Speaking of which—” He got out his phone. “What’s your phone number?”
A smile teased my lips. “I don’t give that out to any old Tom, Dick, or Lucas, you know.”
“It is for professional purposes only.”
“Well, that makes it doubly easy to refuse.”
He didn’t look amused. “If something does happen to you, I can use it to trace you.”
“Mo can find me far easier and faster than a damn app.”
“Perhaps, but it is nevertheless a sensible thing to do.”
“Well, if we’re going to be sensible, you’d better give me yours then, too.”
Amusement finally touched his eyes. “Only if you promise not to abuse it.”
“I promise not to abuse it unless totally and absolutely necessary. Or until all this is over and the ethics are no longer a problem.”
“Fine,” he said. “In the meantime, I’ll have to be strong enough for both of us.”
“Oh, please don’t.”
He didn’t laugh, as I’d half expected. Instead, his expression was briefly consumed by shadows and sorrow. “Things can go badly wrong when distractions happen, Gwen. I’ll not be caught like that again.”
The woman in the red dress, I thought, but resisted the urge to ask who she was. I’d basically stolen that memory from him, and until he willingly shared it, I had no right to mention it.
After we’d exchanged numbers, I poured the last bit of tea into my cup, but my phone rang before I could drink it. The ringtone told me it was Mo. I hit the answer button and said, “What’s up?”
“Fucking everything.” Her voice was filled with a wild mix of fury and sorrow. “I just got a distraught call from Ada.”
My pulse leapt several gears. I knew what was coming. Knew, and feared it.
“Are her brothers …?”
I didn’t finish the sentence. I didn’t need to.
“Yes,” Mo bit out. “Gareth’s been murdered, and Henry is missing.”
Nine
“No.” The denial was torn from me.
“Yes.” Mo’s voice was grim. Unrelenting. Angry.
I closed my eyes, battling the need to scream even as tears threatened.
Gareth dead and Henry missing. It just didn’t compute. It didn’t make sense. They weren’t direct heirs—why would someone want them dead?
I swallowed heavily, trying to maintain composure. Trying to think. The thought that came was one that made my gut churn even harder.
“Both Gareth and Henry were on Jackie’s list. Max and a person named Jules were the next two.”
“I know. I’ve sent Max a message to ring one of us urgently.”
“Let’s hope he actually takes notice of it.” I took a deep, quivering breath. “I take it you’re going to help with the investigation?”
“Ada’s asked me to, yes. I’d like you and Luc to meet me at Gareth’s.”
“I’m not sure what I can—”
“I’ll need Luc’s help if I’m to get entry into the crime scene, and I’m certainly not about to leave you in Ainslyn alone. Not after this.”
They don’t want to kill me, I wanted to say, but that wasn’t really the point. Not anymore. Not if they wanted to get to Max through me.
“I still don’t get why they’re going after the indirect heirs,” I said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
Luc abruptly straightened. “Someone’s been attacked?”
I glanced at him and nodded. He immediately motioned to the waitress and asked for the bill.
“I can’t answer that question.” Mo’s voice very much suggested doing so had hit the top of her to-do list. “I’m leaving within the hour; ring me when you get there.”
“Hang on,” I said, and quickly filled Luc in.
“It’ll take us a good four hours to get up there.” He glanced at his watch. “We won’t arrive until after nightfall now.”
“That’ll do,” Mo said, obviously overhearing.
“I’ll call when we arrive.” I hesitated. “Did Ada say anything else? Give any clue as to how …”
“She couldn’t—wouldn’t—talk about what she saw.”
Meaning what she’d seen was pretty brutal.
“She called the police,” Mo continued, “but it now appears the NCA has taken over the investiga
tion.”
That was no surprise, given what Luc had said about them. “Take it easy when you’re flying, Mo. Don’t kill yourself trying to get to London as quickly as possible.”
“I’m too ornery to be taken down by something as simple as a heart attack, my girl. Besides, there’s too much left yet in this world that I have to do.”
The waitress came back with the check. Luc added a generous tip to his payment, then rose and pulled on his leather jacket.
“Talk soon, then.”
I hung up and stood.
“You okay?” Luc asked softly. He grabbed the jacket out of my hands and held it for me to put on.
“I don’t know.” I hesitated, and then shook my head. “I honestly don’t know.”
I’d just lost one, if not two, family members, and yet I was numb inside. Maybe it was shock. Or maybe it was disbelief. Maybe the reality wouldn’t really hit until I walked into their house.
Luc didn’t reply. He simply caught my hand and led me outside. Once we were on the road again, he said, “Let me know if you need to stop. Otherwise, we’ll ride straight through. The sooner we get answers, the better.”
With that, I could only agree. From that point on, there was little conversation to be had. We stopped once for a bathroom break, but otherwise pushed the speed limits where and when we could. Dusk had faded from the sky by the time we reached South Kensington, where Gareth and Henry co-owned a five-bedroom, four-story terrace house.
Luc wove through the traffic quickly and easily, and pretty soon we were in Thurlough Square. There were cops everywhere. He parked the bike and then helped me off. After the long day of almost constant travel, my muscles were a bit stiff, despite the Indian being built for comfort.
I eyed the official vehicles uneasily. “How are we going to get in?”
“I’ll make a call.” He hesitated. “Do you need to contact Mo?”
I nodded. “She wants you to make arrangements for her to get in.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
I crossed my arms and waited, my gaze scanning the building’s beautiful old façade as Luc organized our entry.
