Chapter 6
Gerard McKenzie paced the floor of his office at the Edinburgh Institute. It was a cold, imposing room with slate gray walls, high ceilings and dark wood floors. A great carved desk dominated the center of the space, and on the wall behind it hung a portrait of Raziel holding a flaming sword, grounded by a massive wooden credenza. Everything about this room spoke of a sense of power and importance. It was designed to impress and intimidate.
Last evening's entertainment of the Hellfire Club in the trophy room had gone very well, though Gerard was always more relaxed when they met away from the Edinburgh Institute. He'd managed to find a very skilled tarot reader as part of the night's activities. Several of the more prestigious members had been impressed. Gerard, as newly elected Abbot, felt a strong desire to make his mark, and this was a good beginning.
Sitting down at his desk, the head of the Institute glanced at the clock, Shivaun McRae would be arriving in East Linton soon, and he needed to clarify his intentions toward the girl. Originally he'd considered her only as a possible match for Addison, but perhaps that was being just a bit short sighted. After all, he was still a relatively young man, still in his prime. Having more children of his own was a far better plan than waiting for grandchildren from Addison. He frowned as the thought about the boy, too much like his mother, weak, sensitive. Gerard pulled a small key from his breast pocket and unlocked one of the desk drawers. His fingers brushed the contents until they found what they were searching for, a small rectangular box of cards, the Devil's tarot. It had been some time since he had done a reading. McKenzie enjoyed his vices thoroughly, but he was a careful man and knew it wasn't wise to play with powerful toys indiscriminately. He'd educated himself thoroughly before using the Devil's tarot.
Carefully removing the cards from their box, Gerard thought about the large elaborate deck the taro reader had used last evening. His was much smaller, plainer, but they served the purpose. He remembered the first time he'd done his own reading, Gerard had been newly married to Lucy Addison then, and wanted assurance that their union would result in a son to carry on the McKenzie name. He had been delighted to turn up the sun card and see the image of a male child astride a white horse.
The years after had been less, and less satisfactory, his hopes dashed as the three of swords indicated miscarriage after miscarriage for the couple. Eventually he'd been forced to acknowledge his union with Lucy Addison had outlived its usefulness, and he had plotted to get rid of her. Divorce, was not an option. Lucy came from a prominent shadowhunter family and had given him no grounds. Grudgingly he had to admit she was the perfect wife in many ways, attractive, deferential, and obedient, but still he hungered for someone exciting, an equal who would give him more children to secure his legacy.
It had been easy really, a few month of making sure that everyone knew how happy his marriage to Lucy was, then a tragic accident that left him a young widower. Using the Devil's tarot to influence his wife's future had been a stroke of genius. The most difficult part was making sure he had the precise method to activate the cards, one misstep and he could have shortened his own life, instead of Lucy's! The great advantage, of the tarot, however, was that no one would ever know that he'd had a hand in her demise. A reasonable period of mourning was now at an end, and it was time for Gerard to move forward with his plans for the future, plans he now believed included Shivaun McRae.
McKenzie rose from his chair and went to lock the office door, he did not want to be interrupted while he used the Devil's tarot. Pulling the heavy drapes closed, he also took the time to light some candles and add a log to the fire that burned fitfully in the large stone fireplace. Once the shadowhunter was satisfied, he returned to his chair and began to shuffle the cards before dealing a five card spread.
As Gerard turned the cards over, he saw the knight of cups reversed. So, there was a rival for Shivaun's affections, he thought frowning. He picked up the card and waited until the knight's blank face resolved into the features of Daniel LaCroix, a young vampire that now lived with the New York clan at the Hotel Dumort. McKenzie knew very little about the boy, but didn't think he would prove too difficult an obstacle. The girl's mother would never allow such a match. Gerard replaced the card on the desk. He then picked up the chariot reversed which indicated two opposing forces locked in conflict, neither willing to back down. A slow smile spread across the man's lips, though it did not reach his eyes. He found himself enjoying the idea of mastering a headstrong girl, and believed himself more than a match for her.
McKenzie picked up the cards and prepared to do another reading, this time on Shivaun. Hopefully the tarot would provide him the means to manipulate the situation and ensure his success. He quickly dealt another five card spread, turning each card over slowly, he did not want to rush the process. At last all the cards were visible to him. Gerard reached out and picked up the lovers card, waiting for the blank faces to resolve. Slowly the features formed and he saw Ian McRae and Josh Cameron. A soft, mirthless chuckle broke the silence of the room. This was better than he could have hoped, Shivaun McRae had a secret, and what an explosive secret it was!
To the ultra-conservative members of the Clave a relationship between two male shadowhunters would been bad enough, but Josh and Ian were parabatai and a romantic relationship between them was strictly forbidden. The two were currently on course in Idris, Gerard would contact his old friend, and fellow club member, Isaiah Blackwell, McKenzie would need proof of this illicit connection if his plan was to succeed.
Two minor impediments to his plans and both could be handled easily without risking the Devil's tarot. All things considered, Gerard was pleased, very pleased. Scooping up the cards he locked them back up in the desk drawer. It wouldn't do to leave them lying around in plain sight.