Chapter 2: The Locket
Thrushfield Hall, Yorkshire.
Peregrine Vale awoke with a start. His bedchamber was dark except for a few embers in the fireplace. Strong gusts of wind rattled the casement windows, but that wasn't what roused him from a sound sleep.
"Irene!"
Vale nodded at the confirmation. He knew he hadn't dreamed it. Although the cry was faint, the distress in Strongrock's voice was unmistakable. Leaping out of bed, Vale slung on his dressing gown and went into the hall. The door to Strongrock's room was open—a fact of, for the moment, unknown significance. The door was closed when Vale retired for the night.
"Irene!"
Vale entered to find Strongrock standing by the window. He was struggling to open the casement latch. Lady Moreton's wolfhound Nelly was nudging his leg. He appeared not to notice Vale's arrival. Was the man sleepwalking?
Vale flicked the light switch and strode over. "Why are you trying to open the window?" He kept his voice calm as if nothing untoward had happened.
At last Strongrock reacted to his presence although he displayed no surprise at him being there. "Irene's outside!" His eyes held a mute plea for assistance. "I must go to her."
His words were alarming, but not in the way he intended. They were strikingly similar to the fears uttered a month ago by the sick fiancé. Both men enacting a scene from Wuthering Heights could surely be no coincidence.
"That's not possible," Vale said firmly, concealing his unease. "We're on the third floor. There are no trees in front of the window. Winters can't be outside."
"But she's calling to me." Strongrock clutched the lapels of Vale's robe, forcing him to face the glass. "Don't you see her?" He pointed to the blackness outside, not appearing to notice that his hand was shaking as if with the ague.
"Listen to me," Vale commanded, deliberately prolonging each word to allay his friend's anxiety. "You must have dreamed it."
Strongrock stared at him with feverish eyes. "You're wrong. She's right there."
"I'll prove it to you." Vale unlatched the casement and thrust it wide open. That was a curiosity in itself. It was inexplicable that Strongrock hadn't able to open it.
The young man leaned out the window while Vale kept a firm grasp on his waist, prepared to pull him back if necessary. After scanning the empty vista for several seconds, he let out a long shuddering breath. "She's not there."
"You should return to bed," Vale urged. Strongrock had appeared in excellent health at dinner, but now was displaying unsettling signs of delirium. Was he being manipulated by the Fae or genuinely ill? Everyone had eaten the same food at dinner. Poison was unlikely.
Strongrock swallowed. His skin was always pale, but his pallor was now acute. He continued to stand dazed by the window. Vale didn't waste time in repeating his advice but gripped him by the shoulders and guided him back to bed. Strongrock didn't resist but Vale needed to help him swing his legs on top of the sheets.
"Don't disturb Irene about this," Strongrock beseeched.
"I don't intend to. It can wait safely till morning but then she'll need to be told." He placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "You should get some rest. I'll stay here through the night." He nodded toward the chaise lounge in the corner. "I'll be quite comfortable."
Strongrock shook his head. "That won't be necessary."
And let you experience more hallucinations in my absence? That wasn't about to happen. As a dragon, Kai wasn't subject to Fae glamours, but he could be susceptible to other Fae magic.
Sleep would likely be impossible for either of them. His young charge grew increasingly restless. After a few minutes, he flung off the covers to stagger back to the window.
"Do you see her again?" Vale asked.
"No, but I can hear her calling to me."
"She most assuredly is not. What you're experiencing is a hallucination, likely induced by the fever you're running. If you can't sleep, you could try reading something."
Strongrock stared anxiously through the window then appeared to concede reality, his shoulders slumping. "There may be a book in the bedside cabinet." He squatted in front of it and opened the doors where several books were displayed on a shelf. He selected one, uttering a dry rattle of a chuckle. "This seems appropriate."
"What is it?"
"Wuthering Heights."
Vale groaned. "Not a wise decision in your present state."
Strongrock stared at the cover, his hand hovering a few inches away.
"What is it?" Vale asked sharply.
Strongrock's breaths came out in short gasps. The wolfhound which had been keeping him close company whined uneasily. "Chaos," he muttered. "The book is steeped in it. I'd felt heightened levels ever since we arrived. It may be coming from the book. Chaos acts as a poison to dragons."
Vale jumped up and snatched the book away from him. The book appeared ordinary enough to him. It was the standard edition available at any bookseller in England. "I'll remove this to my room."
"No," he protested. "The effect is manageable. We need to take it to Irene. Does it have illustrations?"
"You believe it may be like Dream of the Red Chamber?" Up to now, they'd only known of one book which possessed the ability to act as a traverse to other worlds. If there were similar books in circulation, the extent of the repercussions could be severe.
"Silver told us to come here because there was some connection to Lecerf," Strongrock said. "Could this book be another trap? I've never heard of a book permeated with chaos, but I'm sure this one is."
Vale skimmed through the volume which contained electrotypes of wood engravings. He stopped and gazed with shock at one illustration.
"What is it?" Strongrock demanded.
"Stay away!" he ordered. What Fae devilry could accomplish this?
"Then describe it to me."
"The drawing shows you in the room with a wolfhound. Hardly a standard illustration for this edition."
Strongrock snatched the book from his hands before Vale could stop him. As he stared at the image, their surroundings dissolved into a dense fog. Time appeared to slow . . .
"Vale, are you there?" Strongrock's voice echoed faintly in the chamber.
"I'm right beside you," Vale assured him. The air had turned chill as if the windows were open. Through the thin padding of his slippers, he no longer felt carpet but hard stone. A wave of uneasiness swept over him as his senses sharpened. This was no bedchamber.
As the fog slowly dispersed, he realized they were standing in a vaulted wood-paneled hall.
The night sky had previously been clear, but a storm now raged outside. The occasional lightning bolt slanted in through windows set high in the walls, revealing a lofty timber hammerbeam roof unlike anything in Thrushfield Hall. Lady Moreton's home had once been a medieval manor. Before it was restored, such a hall could have existed. Curious. Had they traveled through time as well as space or was this simply a Fae fantasy?
Strongrock stood next to him, his mouth open as he gazed around. The dog was nowhere to be seen.
"Are you all right?" Vale asked.
He swallowed. "I'll manage. Surprisingly the level of chaos is less here than in the bedroom." He took a breath. "We can count this as confirmation for our hypothesis. Dream of the Red Chamber was not a unique example."
Vale noted with approval Strongrock's attempt to keep emotions at bay. He was also relieved Strongrock wasn't continuing to imagine Winters was there with them.
The hall was devoid of furnishings and appeared to have been abandoned. The floor and rafters were coated in a thick layer of dust. Vale strode over to the heavy oak doors. He wished he were in something other than pajamas and dressing gown for his first foray into another world. Fortunately, he'd worn slippers. Strongrock was barefoot.
Vale placed his hand on the wrought-iron handle to push it open and felt a charge surge through his body. "Stand back!" he ordered. "The door's electrified." He tried to yank his hand free, but it was frozen to the handle. The sensation wasn't painful, but he was unable to free his hand.
Strongrock ignored his command and gripped his trapped arm. Both men pulled but their combined force was not enough for him to break the hold.
"I'll brace myself against the door," Strongrock offered. "That will give me more leverage."
Vale hated the ridiculous nature of the situation. How could he be glued to the door? It had to be another Fae trick.
As soon as Strongrock's back touched the door, sparks lit up the room. A blinding pain coursed through Vale's body and he knew no more.
#
Irene had slept fitfully during the night, her dreams plagued by Lady Moreton chasing her throughout the mansion while waving a book, no doubt Wuthering Heights. Vexed at herself for letting the atmosphere affect her, Irene dressed quickly. She expected Kai to appear at her door at any moment, but Kai must have slept in as well.
When she left her room, she knocked on both his and Vale's doors on her way to breakfast. Neither one answered. They'd likely already gone down for breakfast, but it was odd that Kai in his role of solicitous fiancé hadn't checked on her first. Surely he wasn't sulking because of Lady Moreton's advances?
Their hostess had invited them to the breakfast buffet in the dining room. When Irene entered, only Lady Moreton was present.
"Have you seen Mr. Strongrock and Lord Vale?" Irene asked.
"No, but I've been here for only a few minutes." Lady Moreton was in an ice-blue silk caftan. Her long hair was tied back into a loose chignon. She rang the bell on the sideboard and the butler appeared from a side room. He'd also served dinner the previous evening.
"Garrick, have you seen Miss Winter's fiancé or Lord Vale?"
"Yes, my lady. They came downstairs together and had an early breakfast. They mentioned they were going out for a morning hike."
"Ah, that explains it." She turned to Irene. "I'm sure they'll be back soon."
Irene thanked her, concealing her unease. Although she'd suggested they go on a walk, it was highly improbable that Kai and Vale would have taken off without seeing her first, particularly not as concerned as Kai was about her safety. At the very least, he would have left a note. She decided to hold off till after breakfast before taking any steps. That would give her enough time to assess the situation with Lady Moreton.
Irene helped herself to salmon and sautéed mushrooms. Whatever intrigue was going on, Garrick was a party to it since he claimed to have spoken with her companions. Had she been wrong to suspect Lady Moreton? What if Garrick was the one acting on Lecerf's behalf? Irene studied him in side glances. He was gray-haired, stout, with a face frozen into a look of haughty disdain. Was this once more a case of the butler having done it? The extent of her ladyship's complicity was for the moment unknown. Irene waited till he left before questioning her hostess.
"I believe we have a mutual acquaintance, Lady Moreton," Irene said, spreading some lemon curd marmalade on toast. "Count Lecerf mentioned to me how much he enjoyed your hospitality."
"It's just the two of us. Please call me Helena, my dear. How is the count? I haven't seen him for several months."
Not helpful. "He was well the last time we spoke." Too well. He'd trapped me in quicksand and disappeared inside a book. "We chatted at length about Dream of the Red Chamber."
Helena blanched at her words. Irene had struck a nerve. Her hostess began twisting a ring on the middle finger of her left hand. Irene had noticed her wearing it last night as well. It was an unusual design—a fretwork of tapered bands set with diamonds.
"The illustrations in the book were what fascinated me most," Irene continued mildly.
Helena dropped her fork with a loud jangle onto the plate as she looked horrified at Irene. Garrick strode into the room, casting a disapproving scowl on Irene.
"Would your ladyship like some more coffee?" he asked. Was that an attempt to allow her time to recover?
Irene didn't press home her advantage. Garrick was looking more suspicious by the moment. Further inquiries would need to be postponed till they could talk in private. "You'd mentioned showing me your library," Irene prompted. "Perhaps after breakfast?"
"I'd be delighted to," Helena said, her face relaxing. "I have first editions of several works by the Brontë sisters." They spent several minutes comparing the heroines of their novels before rising from the table. Garrick left them once more in peace. Still no sign of the men.
When Helena left to dress for the day, Irene went upstairs as well with the intention of searching Kai and Vale's rooms. She found the wolfhound prowling the hallway outside the bedchambers. Nelly was worried too.
Kai had mentioned his bond with animals. Could Irene take advantage of it? She had rarely manipulated animals to do her bidding. She'd spoken with other Librarians who'd tried it with varying degrees of success. Apparently, some animals displayed a natural resistance. But in this case, she had an advantage. Nelly liked Kai. Wouldn't she want to help him? Wherever Kai was, Vale was likely also present. The two would make formidable opponents to most enemies. In addition to Kai's martial arts ability, both men were expert swordsmen. But their skills might not be sufficient protection against supernatural foes conjured up by the Fae.
Irene approached Nelly. Framing the Language first in her mind, she stroked her head. Nelly likely didn't know Kai's name, but in one respect he was unique in the household. "Show me where the dragon is," Irene commanded.
Nelly galloped to the door of Kai's room and whined. When Irene opened it, the wolfhound homed in on the bedside cabinet. Irene followed her, noting the unmade bed, the sheets thrust back as if he'd risen in haste. Kai was meticulous in his habits. He never would have left for a walk before tidying up.
Nelly sniffed the door of the book cabinet and began pawing. It wasn't possible for Kai to be inside a small chest. How had the dog misunderstood? Perhaps she'd chosen the wrong words and there was a statue of a dragon inside, although that didn't seem likely. When Irene opened the cabinet, Nelly nuzzled one of the books lined up on a shelf—a copy of Wuthering Heights.
Kai was inside a book? A chill encased Irene. Did this book contain a traverse to another world? If she opened it, she could be trapped inside. Perhaps Kai and Vale already were. During her only other experience with a book of such power, a copy of Dream of the Red Chamber, Irene had retrieved it from the hotel suite of Count Lecerf. She and Vale had examined it without anything happening to them. Later, Lecerf was able to disappear within the book, causing it to vanish with him. It was possible that only certain illustrations acted as transfer points, but she couldn't take the risk . . . at least not yet.
Irene secreted the volume in her purse and patted the dog. Nelly had evidently decided any friend of Kai's was one of hers and stuck close to her as she went next door to inspect Vale's room. His bed was also unmade, but in his case that was nothing out of the ordinary.
As she reentered the hall, Nelly let out a low growl. Irene looked up to see Garrick striding toward her. His face finally displayed an emotion—pure venom.
His mouth was open as if to show off his lengthy fangs. Garrick was a vampire, and he'd apparently targeted her to be his next meal.
With no silver bullets handy, and no sword to slice off his head, assuming he'd let her, Irene dug deep into her Language toolbox. "Carpet runner, wrap yourself tightly around the vampire and don't let him move!"
Irene jumped off the runner as the Persian rug came to life. Lifting itself off the floor, it ensnared Garrick and encased him tighter than a mummy. Unable to extricate himself, he crashed to the floor with a loud curse.
Irene raced down the stairs to the library, hoping Helena was already inside. Nelly was bounding alongside her. The carpet wouldn't be able to hold a vampire for long but it gave her a few precious minutes.
She saw the open library door in front of her and flew in, slamming the door shut behind her. The door was made of honey oak. Even for a vampire, it would present a formidable obstacle.
"What's wrong?" Helena asked, rising from her seat on a Chesterfield sofa.
Irene ignored her. There were enough books in the library that she could create a temporary Traverse, harnessing the power of the Library to include the room within its safety. Murmuring the words which would ward the room and seal it off from any intruder, Irene took a chance she wasn't shutting herself inside with an even worse foe. She had a good feeling about Helena. It was a gamble, but the best one out of her limited options.
"Garrick attacked me," Irene said, turning to her. "I assume you're aware that your butler is a vampire."
Helena blanched. "He hasn't attacked anyone in . . . " She fell silent as she twisted her ring once more. Those gold spokes on the ring were distinctive. Was the stylized pattern a representation of antlers?
"Where did you get your ring?" Irene demanded.
"It was a gift."
"Take it off," Irene ordered.
"I can't!" Helena wailed. "I've tried but the pain is unbearable."
"Lecerf gave it to you."
Her eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"He's using it to control you," Irene continued ruthlessly, making a calculated guess. She could hear Garrick pounding at the door. "I've warded this room. Lecerf's power may be blocked. Try it again. If you don't, I will."
Irene took a step toward her, and Helena must have noticed something in her face which warned her that Irene was fully capable of carrying out her command.
With trembling fingers, Helena cautiously tugged at the ring, her face growing dumbfounded when it slipped off easily. "It doesn't hurt!"
Irene quickly snatched it from her fingers and placed it inside her purse. "How do you feel?"
"The count was inside my head, directing my movements, but now he's gone." She smiled and gazed at Irene with what could only be called starry eyes. Surely Helena wasn't thinking of laying another glamour on her. Could Irene blame her attitude on the new clothes Kai insisted she buy?
"You can celebrate later," Irene said brusquely. "My companions aren't on a hike. They've been abducted, and I believe they've somehow been drawn inside this book." She withdrew the novel from her purse. "Do you know about the power it wields?"
She nodded. "Count Lecerf gave it to me. He said to keep it in a guest bedroom where it would enable me to give life to my fantasies. I didn't believe it would harm anyone. After the sudden illness of the young man, I removed the book and placed it in the library."
"Garrick must be working for Lecerf. He or someone else placed it in Mr. Strongrock's bedroom. Do you know how it works?"
"I only have a limited understanding," Helena admitted. "The count told me about his ability to create worlds from fiction. He said that some of the illustrations were enchanted. That's when he told me about Dream in the Red Chamber and how he could live within that world. Once he took me inside Wuthering Heights. It was the scene where Heathcliff visits Catherine's body before the funeral. He places his hair with hers in the locket. We were able to manipulate the characters. I made Catherine—"
"How did you get back?" Irene demanded before Helena went off on another dream. No wonder Lecerf could control her so easily. She'd already been living in a dreamworld. He simply accentuated it.
She shrugged. "I don't know how he accomplished it. Count Lecerf had the book with him. He opened it to the same illustration and had me hold onto his arm. When he placed his hand on the illustration, we were whisked back to Thrushfield Hall."
Irene withdrew the book from her purse. Nelly immediately began nuzzling against it. The dog knew what Irene must do. The book had been enchanted by Lecerf. Would that keep it from responding to the Language? There was only one way to find out. "Book I hold in my hands, you are bound to me and will not leave my grasp until I command you otherwise."
Helena stared at her. All she heard were simple words in her own tongue, not the complex sounds which only Librarians could utter. Irene tested the strength of the bond by placing the book on the side table next to her. It immediately shot back into her hand.
Irene opened the book, half-expecting to be immediately transported to a different realm, but so far she was still in place. She sat down in a chair and leafed through the pages. "If I'm drawn in, don't attempt to follow me. I may not be able to extract you. Do you remember which illustration you were looking at?"
"It was the scene I'd described. Heathcliff was staring at the coffin."
Irene paused at a depiction of Lockwood being attacked by bulldogs. Was that what Kai and Vale were confronting? None of the illustrations appeared to have any enchantment. She leafed further. And then she found it. Kai and Vale's images were in a bedroom. Irene's face was outside the window as they turned away from her in horror. The Library brand on Irene's back began to sting from the chaos radiating from the book. The illustration dissolved into a cloudlike fog. Irene pressed her hand into the mist.
#
Kai slowly became aware of his surroundings. He was sprawled flat on his back gazing at an intricately beamed vaulted roof. He turned his head and saw Vale on the stone slab floor next to him. They must have been thrown clear by the explosion. The doors were several feet away.
He staggered to his feet. "Vale, are you all right?"
"I'm in satisfactory condition," he said, sitting up. "Were you injured?"
He took slow breaths, regaining his composure. "No." So much for superior dragon genes. They were a decided hindrance in a world stinking with chaos.
Kai relaxed his mind, calling forth his dragon identity, and studied his hands. He should see claws emerge, scales form, but there was nothing. He reached out in his mind for river spirits but was unable to sense the flow of water from the nearby river. He was stuck in a human form with no dragon abilities. They'd have to get out without any draconic assists. And what had happened to Irene? Was this a plot to eliminate them so she'd be left alone with Lady Moreton? Irene was resourceful, but Lady Moreton could have Fae-fabricated creatures to assist her.
Daylight streamed in through the arched windows and illuminated their prison. The air was dense with dust and the smell of decay. Vale was already prowling the perimeter. Kai should do the same. Last night with only lightning to pierce the obscurity, they'd focused on the door. Kai had no desire to repeat that experiment. There was an alcove at the far end of the hall. Vale had paused at the entrance and was staring at something in the interior.
"What did you find?" Kai approached him, growing uneasy when Vale didn't answer him. Then he saw it. Resting on a long table inside the niche was a coffin. The lid was closed, but Kai didn't have to open it to know who was inside. Irene had been outside the window. This was Irene.
"Let me," Vale urged, gripping his upper arm when he drew near.
Kai shook off his hand. "No, I should be the one." He raised the hinged lid. Irene was lying on a bed of ivory satin. Her face, a pale parchment yellow, had an unearthly quality to its beauty.
"This is Fae devilry," Vale insisted fiercely "Irene's not here and I know she's not dead."
Kai swiped his hand over his eyes, wanting desperately to believe Vale was right. Irene was clad in a white linen gown. The locket he'd given her was around her neck. He reached for it. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff had mingled his hair with Catherine's. Would Kai find the Fae's blond strands strangling the ones he'd placed in the locket?
He opened it and froze in place. Ning? This was impossible. Not her. Not here. Not now.
Vale's words were meaningless noise. How could Ning's portrait be in the locket? And it wasn't how she looked when she was alive. This was a picture of how he'd found her lifeless in the bottom of the ravine. His stomach lurched as bile rose into his throat.
A hard slap stung his face.
"Pull yourself together," Vale ordered fiercely. "It's only hair. Irene's back at the Hall, likely in need of assistance. We must determine a means of returning to her."
What was Vale talking about? Didn't he see her? Kai steeled himself to take another look. The locket was open. Only a few strands of hair were in it. They had a blueish sheen and appeared identical to the hair he'd placed in the locket.
He must have hallucinated Ning, just as he'd earlier seen Irene outside his window. As he reached for the locket once more, it along with Irene's body disintegrated into dust.
"You see, I told you. All this"—Vale made an expansive gesture with his hand—"is a Fae-generated fictional stage expressly designed to torment us, and particularly you."
Kai's breath hitched as he forced himself not to stare at the powder on the satin lining. He was embarrassed to have been swayed by Fae trickery.
"That means there must be a finite extent to the illusion," Vale continued. "There are wards on the door. We need to discover a different exit point."
"Perhaps through a window." The windows were high enough that Vale likely wouldn't be able to reach them, but Kai could. He couldn't transform into a dragon but he still had his acrobatic skill. If he could jump out the window, he might be able to open the door from the other side.
Kai closed the lid of the coffin. "Help me move the table. I can vault from it to the window."
Vale glanced up at the window about twenty feet off the ground. "An impressive feat." Kai appreciated he didn't question his ability. They lifted the coffin off the heavy oak table and placed it on the floor. Estimating the distance, Kai calculated that if the table were eight feet from the wall, the angle would be acceptable.
Kai took a couple of deep breaths and focused his thoughts inward. His mind was sharper than at any time since he'd gone to sleep in the bedchamber. Dragon discipline had pulverized chaos.
He then strode to the back of the room. Keeping his eyes locked on the window, he sprinted toward the table, gaining speed as he ran. An easy jump to the table followed by a swift crouch. He flew like a released spring to the window ledge, managing to cling to it with his hands while he pulled his legs up.
A smile broke out on Vale's face. "Not bad. A useful discipline to master. I should add that to my regimen."
Kai peered out through the grimy glass. All he saw was an overcast sky, but that too could be an illusion. He hovered his hand over the window frame. There was no electricity that he could detect, but he didn't want to risk a repeat episode of being shocked. He stripped off his pajama top and wrapped his hand in it.
A thud echoed in the chamber. Turning his head, he saw a shape immersed in fog in the center of the room. As the mist evaporated, the shape grew distinct. It was Irene—alive and apparently well. Kai simply stared speechless at her. Perhaps it was for the best he was perched high off the floor. He wouldn't have been able to keep himself from embracing her, and be damned with propriety.
"Vale! I'm pleased to see you," she said. "Is Kai with you?"
"More or less." He pointed in Kai's direction.
She twisted her neck to look up at him. "What are you doing up there?"
"I was on my way to rescue you," Kai explained nonchalantly. Leaping down wouldn't be nearly as pleasurable. There would be little he could do to soften the landing.
"By an odd coincidence, I came here to rescue you, and I think you need it more. Can you get down?"
He slipped his top back on, but the silk would add minimal protection. "It would be best for you to stand to one side." When they were at a safe distance, he vaulted down as his master had taught him, compressing his legs to cushion the blow. He leapfrogged from the table to the ground and finished off with a controlled roll. Well, a semi-controlled roll. Only a few bruises . . . and one pair of silk pajamas which would never be the same.
Vale and Irene rushed forward to assist him, and if his hand gripped hers more tightly, it was completely understandable. The image of her corpse was still seared into his mind. It wouldn't be easily erased.
Irene was holding a copy of Wuthering Heights. It appeared to be the same book which had been in his room.
"I dislike bringing up an unpleasant subject," Vale said, "but that was the instrument which brought us here. You could be trapped here as well."
She smiled. "Not since I know the secret." She opened the book to an illustration. "When I saw this drawing in the library, it depicted you and Kai. Now look at it."
Kai stared. It was an image of Lady Moreton in the library.
"She showed me how it works. When I press my hand on the image, I should return. You will too if you hold onto me."
#
Irene breathed easier when the traverse worked just as Helena had said. The mechanism was as smooth as the permanent traverse in the British Museum to the Library, making Irene all the more curious to know who had devised such sophisticated technology. This surely couldn't be pure magic.
But musing would have to wait. They'd no sooner returned than a banging on the doors alerted her that Garrick, the vampire butler run amok, couldn't be held off much longer.
Vale brushed aside Helena's apologies. "Who's threatening to break in?"
"That's the butler," Irene explained. "Garrick attacked me earlier. He's a vampire."
"He's not alone," Kai said, listening intently. "I'd say there are at least three of them outside."
"They're under Lecerf's control," Helena said. "They must know you have the count's ring."
"Do you have any swords?" Kai asked her, scanning the room.
She nodded. "My husband kept some antique swords. They're in the cabinet next to the fireplace, but I'm afraid they're quite dull."
"Not after I'm through with them," Irene declared.
Kai darted to the cabinet and retrieved two old hunting swords. Irene focused on them. "Sword blades, make your edges razor sharp." Instantaneously the swords were transformed into lethal weapons.
Kai tossed Vale one of the swords, a boyish grin breaking out. Vale was just as bad, his face lighting up with his new toy. Their expressions reminded Irene of the way they'd looked when they charged off to do battle against a giant centipede automaton on the streets of London. Only there, they were wearing suits. Now Kai was barefoot, in torn pajamas. Vale wasn't much better but he had a dressing gown over his pajamas. Neither one seemed to mind their attire.
"You're not leaving me!" Helena whispered to Irene urgently, clinging to her arm. "Lecerf forced me to employ Garrick."
Was she simply inventing what she wanted to believe to save herself? Helena's fear appeared genuine. For now, Irene would protect her. She'd sort out the extent of Helena's guilt later.
"Gentlemen, are you ready for me to remove the wards?" she asked.
A glint shot through Kai's eyes which would spark terror in any vampire's face. "Take them down!"
#
Coppelia settled back into her desk chair, the artificial carved-wood fingers of her left hand tapping a soft staccato on the armrest. "I assume your two knights had no trouble in dispatching the vampires."
"Correct," Irene said. "Lady Moreton was extremely appreciative."
"Thanks to your efforts, you have won allies among the Fae. They may prove useful again."
Irene glowed at the unexpected praise from her mentor even if she wasn't confident of calling Lord Silver an ally. Coppelia must have realized the effect her words would have. As if to compensate for her white hair and fragile appearance, Coppelia's ramrod steel perceptions were sharper than the blades Irene had honed at Thrushfield Hall.
"Lord Silver sent you to Lady Moreton because she'd been enslaved to Lecerf. It's understandable why he is so hostile to the count. Lecerf could turn England's Fae population into robots to perform his bidding. Our scientists believe that the ring Lady Moreton wore acted as a control device, forcing her to carry out Lecerf's dictates. The ring may also have served as a conduit for him to spy on her activities."
"Have the scientists made any progress with the book?"
"Unfortunately, no. The copy of Wuthering Heights appears to have lost its enchantment. They suspect the magic was tied to Thrushfield Hall. They hope to discover a way to reactivate it."
Coppelia was more forthcoming than usual. Irene wished Kai could be present at the meeting instead of having to cool his heels in the reception area. But Coppelia was brusque in her insistence on meeting with Irene alone. She was a stickler on following procedures. She'd leave it up to Irene to decide how much to share with her apprentice.
"Your plan was unorthodox," Coppelia continued. "It was fortunate for you that it was successful. By dangling yourself and Kai as bait, you were able to provoke a response. I find it particularly revealing that Kai was chosen to be experimented upon. I concur with your assessment that Lecerf is testing dragons. He may have designs on worlds dominated by them." The ghost of a smile hovered for a second on her face. "In that case, your assistant likely gave him pause. Despite his sensitivity to chaos, he performed acceptably."
Irene took that to mean Coppelia would prefer that Kai continued to act as Irene's assistant. Although Coppelia didn't mention it, she could feel that Kai would be a valuable messenger to inform dragon officials about the impending danger. Lecerf was targeting both Fae and dragons. Was he even now working on some method to bend dragons to his will? Nothing could be ruled out. He'd already exhibited abilities no one in the Library knew existed.
#
Kai shifted his weight once more as he extended his legs. He suspected that the metal frame chairs installed in the reception area of the senior Librarian offices were deliberately designed to be instruments of torture. The discomfort added to his frustration over not being included in the discussion.
He'd been able to persuade Irene that he'd reacted to the images of her face in the window and her corpse in the coffin as any fiancé would. He was grateful Vale hadn't disputed the point.
Only once had Vale asked him why he didn't say anything to Irene about how he felt about her. The earl had little tolerance for conventions and propriety, but Kai knew that if he acted on his desire, Irene's reaction would be to distance herself from him.
For them to remain partners, he would have to continue to bury his emotions. He should learn from the events in the hall how treacherous they could be. He'd thought he'd stopped torturing himself about Ning's death many years ago. Evidently he still harbored lingering guilt over the events, no matter how irrational it was to fault himself. Why else would he have hallucinated her image in the locket? Did that mean he was subconsciously worried he would be the cause of Irene's death as well?
There didn't seem to be any other explanation. Irene was the first woman he'd formed a strong attachment to since Ning. Even more reason to not let anyone know of the previous incident. There were to be no more hallucinations. Period.
The door to Coppelia's office opened at last and Irene walked out. Kai anxiously scanned her face. Was she about to cast him off for someone more resistant to chaos? Banish him back to the Library?
She took a seat beside him. "We have our marching orders. Coppelia agrees that Lecerf may be focusing on dragons to test your resiliency. After our weekend in Thrushfield Hall, he could have decided the three of us make the perfect guinea pigs."
And?
"And she wants us to continue what we've been doing. Lecerf's experiment at Thrushfield Hall will likely be repeated. So far, there have been no similar incidents reported in other alternates. We appear to be ground zero. As far as we can determine, his plan was a failure and that means he'll try again."
"It failed because you were able to remove the ring from Helena's finger."
"Exactly. He now knows that his magic wasn't as strong as the wards I was able to use. Next time, though, we may have a more difficult challenge." Irene paused for a moment, studying his face. "Coppelia understands your situation is particularly risky. She'd like you to continue. If Lecerf begins to attack dragon kingdoms, your assistance will be invaluable. Are you willing?"
"You know you don't have to ask," he murmured.
"But I don't take your help for granted. Coppelia, for her part, has begun a secret investigation into what could produce a book. The research is being kept confidential with less than a handful who will be working on the project."
"Is she worried about a traitor within the Library?"
Irene didn't answer him directly. "Lecerf has bent Fae to his will. He may not rest there."
"No Fae could turn a dragon into his puppet!"
"Are you so sure? The way he manipulated your thoughts? Planted hallucinations?"
The protest on Kai's tongue died in his throat. To ignore the possibility would be foolish.
"I trust you completely, and I hope you do the same with me. We should be on guard that Lecerf doesn't take advantage of that trust."
Notes: Kai didn't tell anyone about the face he saw in the locket but he'll be forced to be more forthcoming in Olmstead Manor, the next story in the series. I plan to post it in August. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed your stay in Thrushfield Hall.
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