Chapter 2: A Walk in the Park
The Golden Lotus Lounge, London, England. Alternate World: B-395.
Kai arrived at the Golden Lotus well in advance of the appointed time—a move designed to demonstrate his eagerness for the job. Huang Shao, the owner of the lounge, hadn't been present during the raid and could claim ignorance of the gambling. Singh wasn't inclined to prosecute. The inspector was satisfied with the show of force the previous night, believing it proved that the police were not to be trifled with.
When Kai entered the lounge, the morning sun was harsh on the tawdry, worn furnishings. The faded red hangings had streaks of grime. The glass lanterns suspended from the ceiling were in desperate need of a thorough cleaning. Chen had told Kai he'd be able to identify Huang by an elongated scar on his left cheekbone. Kai spotted him sitting at a table in the main room, a ledger book in front of him.
Kai approached with his head bowed as a sign of respect. He stood silently before his new boss, waiting until he was addressed. His father had sent Kai away from court to be trained under his uncle Ao Shun's direction when he'd been a mere stripling. Kai was younger than his uncle's sons. They'd considered him their personal servant or whipping boy, depending on their mood. It had been a rude awakening. His uncle eventually found out and forbade the worst of the excesses, but in general, he'd left Kai to fend for himself. Kai called on those memories to maintain the proper deferential attitude.
Mei Song was also in the lounge. Gone was her embroidered silk cheongsam. Like him, she was clad in a gray cotton Tang jacket and loose pants—the uniform of workers in Chinatown. Her hair was casually swept up into a loose knot with tendrils hanging around her face. They got in her eyes as she scrubbed the floor on her knees. Kai had tied his hair back into a neat tail.
After he'd stood frozen in place for twenty minutes, eyes cast to the floor, Huang glanced over at him. "You've been recommended to me as a hard worker. You'll need to be in order to repay the losses you incurred last night."
"I'm grateful for you giving me the opportunity, sir," Kai said submissively in a low voice. A vicious smile flitted across Huang's face—a signal to be on his guard.
Huang gave him a long list of chores which including restocking the bar, cleaning the furniture, and polishing the lanterns. He ordered him to check with Mei Song on where the cleaning items were kept, inadvertently playing into Kai's wish to talk with her.
"You shouldn't have come back," she murmured as she showed him around the combination storeroom and kitchen behind the lounge. An ancient coal-burning stove had been installed in one corner.
"It can't be that bad if you work here," he protested.
"Trust me, it is."
"Then why don't you leave?"
"I'm trying to save up enough money to go to Edinburgh. A cousin owns a restaurant there. He's offered me a good job if I can work off my debt."
"Do you owe money to Huang Shao?"
She nodded. "He'd purchased the cheongsam I wore yesterday along with my other clothes. Until I can pay him back, I have to stay on." She slanted him a glance from under her eyelids. "Do you have a girl back home?"
He hesitated. Was Mei developing feelings for him? He didn't want to hurt her—
"You don't have to say anything," she added softly. "I can tell. I bet she's beautiful."
Was Irene beautiful? Captivating was a better word. "She won't have anything to do with me," Kai admitted.
"She may change her mind."
"That's my hope." He switched to a less sensitive subject. "You must have many admirers."
Her face grew sad. "Only the ones I don't want."
"You shouldn't ever have to settle."
She said nothing but gave a slight shake of her head. His heart went out to her. She might not have any choice. He resolved that no matter what happened, he'd provide the funds for her to go to Edinburgh.
They worked together on cleaning the lanterns. Neither one of them took a break for lunch. Huang had ordered Kai to serve as bouncer and night watchman. If the police staged another raid without warning, it would be on his head. The lounge opened to the public at five and remained open till three in the morning. Kai hoped he'd be able to escape for a quick bite before the public began to arrive.
Shortly after midday, two men entered the premises. One of them was Chen Wu. He glanced at Kai briefly and gave him an almost imperceptible nod. The man with him appeared to be a Westerner, although his brown hair was much longer than the norm. His charcoal-gray jacket and pants had been made by an expert tailor. He carried an inlaid ebony cane topped with a brass head in the shape of a stylized stag's head.
Kai's pulse quickened. The man was Fae. Could he be Lecerf? His presence could indicate a connection to the Triad and the Chinese novel. The men appeared to take no notice of Kai and Mei. They were greeted by Huang who came from the back to welcome them and ushered them behind a beaded curtain to a private room.
Kai dismounted the ladder to get a clean rag from Mei who was rinsing cloths in a basin. "Do you know who he is?" he murmured, not that he needed to ask. She'd become uneasy when the men entered the lounge.
"Count Lecerf," she murmured. "Stay away from him."
"Why? Do you have personal knowledge?"
She didn't reply, and Kai didn't know if he should press harder. He lingered next to her and wrung out the rag, hoping his presence would make her feel more secure.
She flicked him a quick glance. "With your looks, he may desire you too. If Huang orders you to go to him, refuse. No job is worth that." She shuddered. "I didn't know better. Huang sent me on an errand to deliver a message. When I arrived at his rooms, I don't know what came over me. Lecerf suddenly was the most desirable man I'd ever known."
She must not be familiar with the Fae if she didn't know the power they wielded. Kai felt waves of anger rise up over her being victimized.
His face likely betrayed his emotions for she quickly added, "He didn't do anything I didn't want him to. He had a book he was proud of. It was in Chinese, and I swear it was magical!"
"Did you notice the book's title?"
"It was one of our classics—Dream of the Red Chamber. He showed me some of the illustrations." She bit her lip, her eyes downcast. "You'll think I'm crazy."
"No, I won't," he insisted.
"The count held my hand and asked if I'd like to visit another world. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled me into the book illustration with him." She brushed back a stray lock of hair with a nervous hand. "I don't know how else to describe it. Suddenly we were inside the room pictured in the book. It was the most elegant bedchamber I've ever seen. The hangings and walls were all of red silk. The furniture was inlaid with gold. Incense burners perfumed the air with sandalwood. We spent hours making love. I felt a bliss beyond my wildest dreams." She swallowed and cast a quick glance to the beaded curtain behind them. "Then, without my being aware of how it happened, we were back in his room. He paid me a tuppence for delivering the message and sent me back to Huang. That's when the nightmares started. I could remember what he did to me . . . how he violated me." She looked at him with anguish. "Don't let it happen to you. You won't know how you'll despise it—and yourself—until it's too late."
"Has Huang sent you back to him since then?" he asked, sickened by how she'd been treated.
"Not yet. Don't worry. If he does, I'll flee. I'll find some other way to get to Edinburgh."
"I can help you." He couldn't tell her he had ample reserves, but he could claim he'd stolen the funds. "Do you know the count's address?"
"Why?" she asked warily. "You're not going to try to approach him?"
"No, but Huang sent you there without supplying any details. He could treat me the same way." He hated lying but that was the only plausible excuse he could think of. Irene was much better at spinning tales on the spur of the moment.
"A wise precaution," she agreed, her face relaxing. She gave him the address. The count was staying at a hotel on Clarendon Place, a block off Hyde Park. Kai wished he could leave now. With Lecerf at the lounge, he might be able to sneak in and get the book. Blast this alternate for not having cell phones. There was no way to communicate with Irene, and if he left, he could arouse suspicion. His only hope was to pay someone to get her a message, but there was no one around he could send.
The tinkle of the beaded curtain alerted Kai he'd have to wait. He jumped back on the ladder and resumed polishing a lantern as Lecerf walked out with the others. He and Chen left the building immediately afterward. Huang went into the kitchen.
Kai spun through his options while he worked. He'd have to be careful not to get Mei Song in trouble. She'd mentioned she'd leave midafternoon to dress for the evening. Realistically, Irene wouldn't allow any action without casing the premises, and that was a task best performed at night.
Huang came out of the kitchen, carrying a teapot and two cups made of black stoneware. He sat down at one of the gaming tables. "Boy, come here."
Surprised at the invitation, Kai descended the ladder and placed his rag in the rinsing bowl, wiping his hands carefully before approaching.
"Take a seat," Huang said jovially. "You've earned a cup of tea. Your work ethic is impressive. I don't mind telling you that your sponsor Chen Wu speaks highly of you." He poured the tea and set one of the cups to his right.
Before sitting down, Kai placed his left fist over his right and executed a bow in a traditional sign of respect. The spicy tea had a heady fragrance. He took a sip and tapped with two fingers on the table to acknowledge his gratitude.
Huang appeared familiar with the custom and nodded approvingly. "Chen Wu has a job for you tomorrow, and I've granted permission for you to work for him that day. He'll come back later tonight and give you the details. You've made a powerful friend. Soon you'll be able to pay off that debt."
Huang proceeded to draw him out on his family background, making Kai curious about what precisely Chen had told him. Kai launched into a repetition of the tale he'd told Mei Song about his youth in Shanghai. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mei take the bowl of rags into the kitchen.
A couple of minutes later, she rushed out. "The stove has caught fire!"
With a curse, Huang jumped up. Kai followed. As he brushed past Mei Song, she grabbed his arm.
"Don't drink the tea!" Her voice was so low, it was barely audible. "It's been poisoned." The frantic urgency in her voice drove the message home. "I'll stall him. Run while you can!"
She raced after Huang, while Kai stared at her retreating back in shock. He'd already taken a few sips. He felt fine. Well, not precisely fine. His heart was racing, but that was natural. He'd just been told he was poisoned. Not an everyday occurrence, but no reason to panic. Superior dragon genes would likely be immune . . . probably. Clamping down on the urge to immediately transform into a dragon, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out one of Vale's vials to take a sample of the tea. In recent years, there'd been no dragon sightings in London. This wasn't the time to start, and it might not help.
He dashed out of the lounge and ran down the street, his mind in a whirl. Had his cover been blown? Was it Chen or Lecerf who had targeted him? He had to get back—tell Irene. She needed that address. He'd brought along enough money for a hansom cab, but there weren't many which bothered cruising in Chinatown. He ran for three blocks before he finally spotted one.
The driver wasn't inclined to stop. Who could blame him? In his workman's clothes, Kai didn't look like he could afford the fare. But Kai commanded him to stop, using the authoritative tones he seldom uttered in his role of apprentice, and either that or his panicked look appeared to convince the chap to take a chance on him.
Kai jumped into the cab, barely taking the time to shout his address in Warren Mews. So far he hadn't seen anyone following him, but the cabbie was driving far too slowly. Kai could have walked faster. He stuck his head out of the window to urge more speed while planning his next twenty moves. He'd notify Irene then take the poison to Vale. The detective was an expert chemist and routinely analyzed drugs. He could tell which one it was then he'd give him the antidote. Kai would then speed back to the Golden Lotus and save Mei Song. Was she even now being threatened? Wasn't there something else he was supposed to do?
When Warren Mews came into sight, Kai leaped out, flinging coins at the driver. Barely taking time to thank him, he raced to their lodgings and pounded on the door while fumbling for his key. Why was everything taking so long? He could have screamed with impatience. He needed to save Mei Song. No that wasn't right. He needed to save Irene. Or did she need to save him? His mind ricocheted from one thought to another.
He'd been poisoned, but he was alive. How had Lecerf recognized him? He wasn't dead yet. Maybe he didn't know Kai was a dragon. Was there a police informant? Finally, he got the key in the doorknob. Why wasn't the key turning? Idiot, the key wasn't inserted properly. Kai groaned aloud. He realized he was panting. Was that from frustration, exhaustion, or something else?
"Irene!" he called out. "Are you here?" Stupid question. With all the banging he was making, she would have heard him. Don't fall apart. She'll never let you go on a solo assignment again. It was just a mild case of poisoning. He was okay.
His foot caught on the oriental rug runner and he stumbled. Losing his balance, he crashed ignominiously onto the floor. Blast. If he had to die from poisoning, couldn't it be melodramatically splendid? Instead, he'd become an awkward buffoon.
By now his head was spinning so fast, he yearned to stay sprawled where he was. Wasn't there something he was supposed to do? He dragged himself to his feet. Vale. He'd analyze the poison. Give him something.
Kai rummaged through endless drawers before he remembered where he'd stored some extra crowns. He'd drop the poison off then rescue Mei Song. If he just kept repeating that, he was bound to remember it.
Kai wove his way back through the increasingly wobbly parlor to the front door, giving himself extra points for remembering to lock it. Somehow he managed to secure another hansom. The details escaped him. The next thing he knew, he was in front of Vale's lodgings, pounding on the door.
He must have waited for hours before the door opened. Mrs. Cavendish's eyes widened when she saw him.
"What happened to you, dearie? You best come inside." Not waiting for him to say anything, she slipped an arm around his waist and guided him in.
He was shaking so much, he could no longer stand upright, but Mrs. Cavendish was a tiny woman. It was unconscionable to lean on her. He was much taller than her. He'd hurt her. "Is Vale in?" he blurted out. He should use Vale's title but his tongue was too muzzy to croak out anything but a couple of words.
"No, his lordship's out, but you can wait in his parlor."
Kai gazed up at the seemingly interminable staircase. Visiting anyone was suddenly a very bad idea. "I'll just wait here." He was burning up. No, he was freezing. His teeth chattered as he sank to the floor.
#
After a fruitless search to locate Davy Roscoe, Irene was ready to call a timeout. The weather had turned blustery. She'd need a heavier coat if they intended to continue the search. It would have been helpful if Lord Silver had provided an address for Lecerf. He may have deliberately omitted it in the hopes she'd be forced to return and plead for more information. In the Librarian's Handbook, the admonishment against being under obligation to the Fae was crystal clear. Don't. Do. It.
When they returned to Warren Mews, Vale stopped her as she was about to insert the key into the door. Whipping out his magnifying glass, he scrutinized the lock.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"Those scratch marks"—he indicated two faint lines—"weren't here when I arrived this morning. Curious. For anyone who has a key, it's unlikely a scratch would be made. For someone using a lock pick, any scratches would most likely be in a different location. I presume you weren't expecting anyone?"
"No. Kai warned me that he'd be gone all day."
"Perhaps an acquaintance of Lord Silver's? We should proceed with caution."
Irene opened the door slowly, remembering a time not so long ago when a Fae had booby-trapped a room with snakes. But no living object, slithering or otherwise, attacked her at the entrance. Still, there was something off about the parlor. A drawer half-closed. An end table out of alignment. A tilted lampshade. She pointed out the objects, not that Vale wouldn't have noticed them. "The Hong Triad may have conducted a search. Somehow Kai's identity could have been discovered." Her inner mentor siren once more began blaring an alarm.
"I doubt it was someone from the Triad," he said, pointing to a ripple in the carpet runner, "unless it was an unusually clumsy one. Someone tripped and fell." He crouched down. "The carpet pile indicates a person of approximately my height sprawled on the rug."
Irene scanned the room for evidence. The mail had already arrived with several envelopes having been pushed through the mail slot. One of them was from Vale's housekeeper, Mrs. Cavendish. It must have been hand delivered as there was no postmark.
Slitting the envelope open with a letter opener, Irene read the enclosed card aloud. "Mr. Strongrock is at his lordship's. He arrived at approximately two o'clock in considerable distress. Please come at your earliest convenience. Yours very truly, Imelda Cavendish."
"Ah, that explains it," Vale said with satisfaction.
Maybe to him, but not to her. She tossed the key to him to lock up while she ran outside to hail a cab. When they arrived at Vale's address on Baker Street, Mrs. Cavendish greeted them at the door.
Clasping Irene's hand with both of hers, she said, "Your young gentleman arrived in a terrible state. He may have the grippe. He's running a fever and his words made no sense at all. He wasn't able to manage the stairs on his own. I prevailed on Mr. Fitzhugh who lives on the first floor to assist me." Irene was already racing up the stairs before she finished. Vale was at her heels. Mrs. Cavendish called out after her, "Don't worry, dearie. I've been checking on him. He's resting comfortably now."
Normally Irene flinched at the housekeeper's insistence on linking them romantically, but not this time. She'd known Kai wasn't ready for solo work. She never should have permitted it.
It had to be poison, the murder tool of choice in this alternate. Kai had come here because of Vale's expertise. Irene combed through her memory of poisons and their symptoms. Most either rendered the victim unconscious or acted gradually. Kai supposedly had neither of those symptoms. Was that a good thing?
They found him sprawled on Vale's rosewood sofa. An ice pack was on his forehead, but his eyes were open.
Irene crouched beside him. "Hey, this wasn't part of the strategy," she said, taking his hand. Kai's slender fingers were hot to the touch. His eyes were glazed, the pupils blown wide. It wasn't clear he understood her. He squinted his eyes as if trying to focus.
He then dissolved into a sloppy smile. "Irene! I've been waiting for hours! Where were you? Why are there three of you?"
Add loopiness and blurred vision to the symptoms. "Did you have anything to eat or drink?"
He made a face. "Tea. Never drink the tea at the Golden Lotus." His head fell back as his eyes closed.
Vale gave him a sharp slap on the face. "Don't close your eyes! What did the tea taste like?"
"Hard to describe," he mumbled. "Got ya a sample, though." He waved vaguely in the direction of the left side of his jacket.
Irene unbuttoned the frog fasteners while Kai gazed at her misty-eyed. "I was dreaming of this moment, but I thought I'd be the one," he mumbled.
"That's okay. This isn't exactly how I imagined it either." She opened up his jacket, trying not to panic at the heat radiating off his chest. He was wearing a padded cloth belt around his waist. Inside it, she found a pair of small vials. One was empty, but the other contained a greenish-colored substance.
"That's it!" he exclaimed happily. "It was green tea. I didn't take a sample of what I hurled," he added mournfully.
Vale clasped his shoulder. "This will be adequate."
He took the vial and strode over to an alcove which contained his laboratory equipment.
"Who gave you the tea?" Irene asked, rearranging the ice pack on Kai's forehead.
"Huang, the owner." He scrunched his eyes closed.
"Are you in pain?"
"No, there's something important I was supposed to tell you."
Besides that you were drugged? In the future, any plans would include the order Do Not Get Drugged.
His face cleared. "That's it! Lecerf was there! He was with Chen Wu, the head of the Hong Triad."
"You're sure?"
"Positive. Mei Song confirmed it." Kai's face flushed as the words began pouring out. Irene was confronted with the challenge of sifting out the actual facts from fever-induced embellishments. The tale of what happened to Mei Song in Lecerf's suite was particularly incredible. Irene had never heard of any Fae using a book as a portal to an alternate, but supposedly that was what the woman had described. On a theoretical level, Irene was willing to concede it might be possible. On the other hand, Lecerf could have simply charmed her to make her believe she'd been transported to another dimension. Perhaps he thought it would make her easier to be seduced.
Vale rejoined them in the parlor as Kai was describing Lecerf's cane. "Drink this," he ordered and handed him a glass. "It contains activated charcoal and should help neutralize the poison."
Irene helped hold the glass steady as Kai glugged down the mixture. She doubted it would do any good. It appeared increasingly likely that he'd been given a type of roofie. Flunitrazepam was unavailable in this alternate, but Lecerf could have brought it in from another one. That raised ominous questions, but they'd have to wait. Even allowing for possible exaggerations, Kai had managed to procure an address for Lecerf and information about the book.
"Mei Song needs to be rescued," Kai pleaded. "I was going to give her money tonight so she can escape to her family in Edinburgh—"
"Calm yourself," Vale urged, interrupting. "I'll make sure she gets it."
"I'll check out Lecerf's suite," Irene said. "When I return, Vale can go to Chinatown."
Kai propped himself up on one shaky elbow. "You can't go alone. It's too dangerous."
"Clearly not as dangerous as letting you go alone to Chinatown," she countered.
"Vale, you need to go with her," he said, blowing away her remark.
"I was already planning to," he assured. "I'll ask Mrs. Cavendish to keep watch. We shouldn't be gone long. I'll tell her not to let anyone in."
Irene hated to leave Kai alone, but if she was right about the diagnosis, there wasn't much of anything she could do for him. The best remedy for him was sleep, and now that the excitement of telling them what he'd gleaned was wearing off, Kai's eyes were closing on him despite his effort to stay awake.
#
During the cab ride to Lecerf's hotel, Vale expounded on the most effective way to reconnoiter Lecerf's lodgings. Elaborate disguises, feigned accents, careful monitoring of the hotel guests—all were excellent suggestions in an ideal scenario.
"My personal preference," he said, "is to assume the guise of a visiting maharaja. You could be disguised as one of my wives. We'll tell the management we need to inspect the suitability of the quarters for our needs."
"Or I could knock on the door," Irene pointed out.
He shrugged. "It lacks finesse."
"But wins high marks for efficiency. Lecerf must have told Huang to drug Kai."
"On that we agree. It's illogical to believe that Chen arranged for him to work at the lounge then, on the spur of the moment, decided to kill him. Lecerf likely recognized Kai as your assistant. We should assume he is also monitoring your movements."
"In which case he may know we're heading his way," she said gloomily, not liking the associated corollary that the suite was a trap. Were more scorpions awaiting them or something deadlier? She glanced out the window. They'd yet to pass Grosvenor Square. Plenty of time to fill Vale in on her suspicions.
"You believe that Kai was singled out," he said quietly before she could start.
She nodded. "You heard about the trap in Montmartre. The scorpions weren't interested in me. They were all targeting Kai."
"Because he's a dragon or is there something else which makes him a threat to Lecerf?"
"Perhaps both. I questioned Kai after the first attack, and he assured me there was nothing he knew of which would make him a target. But after this incident . . ." Her words trailed off. Her theory could be partly caused by guilt over not having supervised him more carefully. If she'd been the one in the lounge, the result would likely have been the same.
The hansom cab rolled to a stop in front of a patrician hotel of Georgian-style architecture. A liveried doorman promptly opened the door for them. Kai had obtained the number to the suite, allowing Irene and Vale to breeze past the reception desk and up the broad staircase.
"This is one of the most expensive hotels in London," Vale commented.
"It's also not far from the Lichtenstein Embassy," she murmured back. "A further source of irritation for Lord Silver?"
Vale nodded. "He could be concerned Lecerf will establish a permanent residence here."
No one responded to her knock on the door, and they were the only ones present in the carpeted hallway. A simple command in the Language eliminated the need for a lock pick. "Lock on the door in front of me: open."
Once they were inside the elegantly-appointed suite, Vale arched an eyebrow. "I assume you don't need my help to find the book if it's here. I'll keep watch. From the windows, it will be possible to monitor the street below."
Vale was right. The Language would make quick work of what otherwise could have been a protracted undertaking. She stood in the middle of the room and said in a loud voice, "All books written in Chinese come to me." It wasn't the natural sort of thing a book did, and the strain of the command made her head ache. The brand on her back began to burn as a book sailed out of the bedroom to land at her feet.
Vale darted forward to examine it with her. Irene's Cantonese might not be up to snuff but she had no difficulty in reading characters. It was a copy of Dream of the Red Chamber, but was it the correct one? Editions containing only the author's text had eighty chapters. Most editions added an additional forty which had been written by later editors. It would take an expert to verify this book. Irene knew of one who already had—Chester Smedley—and he was now dead.
"Is there a library or large bookstore nearby?" she asked.
"There's a bookstore along Bayswater Road, a couple of blocks west of here."
Temporary Traverses were dicey to use. One never knew where in the labyrinth of the Library one would wind up. But the book was too valuable to risk the extra length of time it would take to go to the permanent Traverse in the British Library. Irene's brand continued to smart. She suspected a spell was causing the discomfort. A powerful Fae could have warded the book in some way.
She flinched at a furious swishing on the window and spun around to see an immense bird the size of an eagle ramming itself against the glass.
"An osprey in London?" Vale stared at the creature in astonishment. "They're not normally aggressive."
"This one clearly is. The glass is about to break!" Irene tucked the precious book in her purse and fled, Vale at her heels. They dashed down the staircase and through the lobby before anyone had time to stop them. They made it to Hyde Park without any giant birds swooping down on them, but with every pigeon which flew overhead, Irene jumped.
When they turned onto Hyde Park Place their luck ended. Striding toward them was a man taller than Vale with long flowing brown hair. Charcoal-gray jacket and pants as Kai had described, check. Ebony cane with stag's head, check. And he didn't come alone. With him were three men with unusually hairy faces. Their eyebrows were one long streak of bristling hairs. The werewolves hadn't transformed yet but they were dangerous enough in their human forms.
The way to the bookstore was blocked, but the park had potential. "Head for the trees!" Irene yelled and took off at a mad dash. Those groves ahead could be turned to their advantage.
Vale didn't challenge her but followed her lead. He was fully aware of the danger posed by werewolves. They didn't usually reveal themselves in broad daylight, but these must be acting on Lecerf's orders which meant they could be more vicious than the run-of-the-mill werewolves which lurked in London's underground.
Although Irene and Vale had a half-block advantage, the werewolves were catching up to them as they gradually assumed more of their wolf appearance. Park visitors screamed in terror and fled. Lecerf was matching their strides with a steady lope.
"In here," Irene urged, plunging into the center of a hornbeam hedge. "Quick!" As soon as Vale was through, she turned to face the hedge. "Hornbeams in front of me: seize all werewolves!" The hornbeam branches untwined from each other and reached out for the werewolves, who were just approaching the hedge. The sight of them struggling to free themselves from their straitjackets was gratifying.
Vale rewarded her with an approving smile as they ran toward the center of the park. "It's a pleasure working with you, Winters."
But they weren't home free yet. Powerful Fae were resistant to the Language, and Lecerf was nearly upon them.
With a lurch, Irene was stopped dead in her tracks. She looked down to see the meadow she'd been running through had turned into some sort of quicksand. This was Fae devilry, but she was helpless to extricate herself. Vale was similarly ensnared.
A rapid whirring of wings made her look overhead. The osprey plunged in front of her. With one yank, it ripped her bag away with its claws as if it were a fish and then flew back to Lecerf. He was standing at the edge of the quicksand, smirking at them. The osprey hovered in front of him and dropped the bag at his feet before flying off.
"This book is not for you," Lecerf sneered. "Tell your masters at the Library, they are impotent against me." He removed the book from her purse, opened it, and placed it on the ground. There appeared to be an illustration on part of the page.
Lecerf flicked his cane in their direction. "Till next time." With that, he dove into the book and vanished. The book snapped shut and disappeared a second later.
#
Vale poured a generous amount of brandy into a cut-glass snifter and passed it to Irene. "It's a victory of sorts that you found a book possessing characteristics for which even the vaunted Library doesn't possess examples." He shrugged. "Eventually delivering the book to them will be all that much more meaningful."
Kai gave a plaintive sigh. "When and if it actually happens."
Irene kept her sighs to herself, but she sympathized with his feelings. She and Kai had returned from the Library late in the day and stopped at Vale's rooms to brief him. Coppelia had been typically biting in her regret that Irene had let Lecerf escape with the book. Not helpful. What had been more productive was her supervisor's admission that the Library had heard of the existence of such books. A Librarian in another alternate had reported rumors of a Fae who had the ability to transform book illustrations into portals to other worlds. It was unclear whether the worlds truly existed or were dreamworlds. Being able to provide corroborating evidence was only a partial accomplishment, but Irene had learned to be a glass-half-full kind of optimist on such occasions.
She and her fellow junior Librarians were regrettably ignorant of how exactly books could be used by the Fae to generate chaos in a world. They were told unique books were key for maintaining stable links between alternates but not enlightened on how it was accomplished. Coppelia hadn't been much more forthcoming, but it was telling that even her iron nerves appeared shaken by the destructive potential of Dream of the Red Chamber.
"Did your superior offer any helpful suggestions on how to locate the book?" Vale asked, raising a brow.
"Of course not. She hasn't heard of any other alternate which is currently facing a similar crisis. She suspects Lecerf may be using your world as a testing ground. If he accomplishes his goal here, he'll pursue it in other worlds. We are supposed to nip it in the proverbial bud. She has offered to restrict our assignments to other alternates until the threat is satisfactorily resolved."
Vale snorted. "How gracious of her." He turned to Kai. "And your situation is satisfactory, I take it."
Kai nodded. "Once the drug was flushed out of my system, there were no residual effects."
By the time Irene and Vale arrived back at Vale's rooms, Kai had shaken off the worst of the symptoms. Thanks to Mei Song, he'd only ingested a small amount of the drug, and that may have saved his life. Vale had gone to Chinatown to reward Kai's savior when Irene and Kai left for the Library.
"I was never able to trace the poison," Vale admitted. "I assume the Library had more success."
Irene nodded. "The compound doesn't exist in your alternate. The worlds which are capable of producing it aren't known to harbor many Fae. That increased the likelihood that Lecerf is in league with non-Fae partners."
Kai looked uneasily at her. She hadn't mentioned possible dragon involvement but Coppelia had. A powerful Fae joining forces with a corrupt dragon was a nightmare scenario no one wanted to contemplate. They'd have the potential to wreak havoc on a wide variety of worlds, perhaps engaging in extortion as they established a new empire. The harm to world order could be devastating.
Overlaying the global concerns were her own. Twice now Lecerf had attempted to kill Kai. Why hadn't he tried to harm her and Vale? As soon as he vanished, the quicksand they were trapped in disappeared as well. Was he simply more interested in escaping or was there some other reason? And how did Lecerf know who they were? They hadn't given their names to the French contact in Paris. Lord Silver considered him a rival. It was highly unlikely he would have betrayed them. An informant within the police ranks could have betrayed Kai to Huang Shao or Chen Wu, but Singh didn't know about the Library. The only ones in this world who were aware of Irene's true occupation were Vale and Silver. That raised the possibility of a traitor within the Library itself.
Irene knew Kai was worried that she'd ask for a more experienced assistant. And other librarians might. Her concern was more that she should for his own protection.
When she'd felt out Coppelia on the subject, her mentor has dismissed the notion, and there was no doubt that Kai supplied invaluable assistance. His connections and knowledge of dragon politics could be essential. Most important of all, Irene trusted Kai. His loyalty was to her, not the Library. As a Librarian, she could deplore his mixed-up priorities, but she was too grateful to make them an issue. Kai had her back and she had his. The only other person who came close to their bond was sitting next to her.
"Thank you for being so open," Vale said with a half-smile. "You were undoubtedly bending protocol to do so."
More like tossing it out the window. "Your world is ground-zero. Kai and I rely on your expertise." Kai's eyes shone with gratitude to be lumped together with her. "Against a foe who can create realities from illustrations and charm animals to perform his bidding, we'll need to muster all our talents."
"How should we proceed?" Kai asked.
Vale stood up and moved to the bookcase. "Permit me to suggest a lesson in pai gow. We may all need to display mastery in tiles before we're done."
Notes: Lecerf and his enchanted book continue to be a factor in the next story in the series, Thrushfield Hall. On the personal front, Irene and Kai's relationship becomes even more complicated. I plan to post Thrushfield Hall in April.
Background information and story summaries for all the series are on the blog I co-write with Penna Nomen: Penna Nomen & Silbrith Conversation. See the Tales from the Library page for background information on the series and an introduction to the world of the Invisible Library.
Pinterest: Tales from the Library board on Silbrith's Stories
Thanks for reading!
