"He's almost boring."
"Yes. Very." I expected him to be suave and romantic and a bit on the egotistical side. Almost godlike. Instead, he's a sweet and regular guy who really likes to wear jeans and graphic t-shirts and owns a comic book store in Barcelona.
"He wasn't the one who wrote those words though."
"True." Shakespeare coming to life was a surprise, since the original author wasn't Fae. But his legend is so large and world-spanning, he came to life back in the 1800s.
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." Dantès leans close to whisper into my ear again.
This time I shiver instead of trying to punch him in the throat. My pen drops to the floor and I leap to my feet, my arms wrapped around my middle.
He turns onto his side. "That's my favorite quote of his."
My lips twist. "I prefer his comedies to his romance."
"I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed." He raises an expectant brow, mischief dancing in his eyes.
Oh, it's on. "The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. As You Like It."
A delighted grin lights up his face. "Though she be but little, she is fierce. Midsummer Night's Dream." He glides to his feet.
"You speak an infinite deal of nothing. Merchant of Venice." Does he really think he can beat me? I'm the Head Librarian.
He steps closer, his voice deepens, his eyes flash. "Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love. Hamlet."
I swallow hard, heat pooling in my belly. "Brevity is the soul of wit. Hamlet."
His teeth flash in a cocky grin. "Dispute not with her: she is lunatic. Richard III." He steps closer. His emerald shirt brings out green flecks in his brown eyes.
I don't want to give any ground, but his closeness makes it hard to think, to focus. "I say there is no darkness but ignorance. Twelfth Night." My voice comes out breathless.
"Love sought is good, but given unsought is better. Twelfth Night." His eyes flick down to my lips and he's so close his scent wraps around me, making my head spin.
Hah. I've got it. "Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage. Twelfth Night." I lift my chin in provocation, caught between him and the bookshelf against my back.
He prowls closer, something like hunger in his eyes. "The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Hamlet."
Words I've had memorized for over a century fly from my brain. Instead, words from Edmond's story replace Shakespeare and it's all I can remember. My breaths shorten and my body leans towards his.
I refuse to lose. He will lie crumpled at my feet when I'm through with him. I thrust my arm out, pointing to the exit. "Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes. Richard III."
Humor crinkles the skin around his eyes, banishing some of the hunger still lurking there. But he sobers, every bit of his attention on me. He cages me in, hands on the shelves by my head. He bends down until his lips are almost touching mine; a book wouldn't fit between us. A strand of his black hair falls across his face and my fingers itch to brush it away, but I keep my hands anchored to the shelves.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer's lease hath all too short a date. Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, and too often is his gold complexion dimm'd. And every fair from fair sometimes declines, by chance or natures changing course untrimm'd. By thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou owest. Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest. So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this and this gives life to thee."
Oh. My. Grimm.
"Should we come back later?" Bo's voice shatters the spell we're caught in. "It seems like we've interrupted some sort of nerd foreplay."
My head turns and I see Bo, Hatter, and Jackie at the bottom of the steps, shock and humor on their faces. I hadn't heard them come down the stairs. Dantès eases away from me, a strange look of regret on his face before it changes to amusement. The heat in my belly floods my face.
"No, come on. We have a lot of research to do." I glare at Dantès. "This doesn't mean you won."
"I look forward to our rematch." He bows.
So do I.
"Cindy's here. With her goons." Bo's words erase any lingering excitement and embarrassment.
Chapter 13
"Why is she here?" I ask as we hurry up the stairs.
"No idea. Shouldn't she be behind seven layers of her security goons?"
I shrug and open the Library door. "Cindy? Sorry, I was working." The others follow me and I gesture for Cinderella to take a seat on one of my couches.
Cinderella sails over, a couple of her security people melting from the shadows, a waft of roses with her.
I hadn't noticed the guards. They're good. I should try poaching them from her. We could use added security for the Library.
"Are you all right?" I ask.
Cinderella perches on the couch. "No, I am not. Why haven't you found them yet? You're sitting around instead of out there searching for those fiends. And why are there roses all over your stoop? The least you could do is clear them."
"What?" I poke my head out the door, dread and terror a writhing mix in my chest. More crimson roses. The Beast visited again? In daylight? How is he doing this without any of us spotting him?
Jackie growls. "I'll take care of it." She slips out the door.
I shove down my whirling emotions and focus on Cindy. I can't afford to show her any weakness.
"Red, Bo, and Jackie have all spent last night and all day today out there searching. Trust me, we're doing everything we can."
"And what are you doing? Hiding in the corner with your books? Afraid of the big, bad beast?" She sneers at me.
My teeth grind together as I strive to keep my hands from around her neck. "I've been a little busy fielding communications between the three of them and what seems like every single Fae around the globe."
Bo plays with her knife and steps closer to Cinderella. "And what have you been doing other than cowering behind your goons?"
Cinderella sticks her nose in the air. "My goons, as you so crassly call them, have been doing your work for you."
My forehead creases as I sit in the chair across from her. "What are you talking about?"
"August visited me." She tries to hide her fear, but I see it lurking in the circles under her eyes and the lines around her mouth.
My pulse thuds. "What? When? Why didn't you inform us immediately?"
"Why do you think I'm here? It happened a few hours ago. He attempted to breach my fortress. He was unsuccessful, and unfortunately we were unsuccessful in capturing him, but we did get security footage."
Some of my distaste for her vanishes as I take in her pinched lips and the sickly pallor in her pale skin. I know how desperate I feel. August stalked and terrified her for years. With his power, there was nowhere far enough she could run, there was nowhere she could hide. I only dealt with the Beast for a few months before I escaped.
I grab my laptop from the coffee table and hold my hand out. She hands over a USB drive.
"Has your prince come for you?"
I clear my throat as I plug in the drive and queue up the video. "Those roses are from him."
Her lips pucker in disgust making her look like she smells something foul. "The assholes. They're finally free. You'd think they have better things to do."
"They've been in prison for a long time. Because of us. They probably haven't even really begun their revenge."
She meets my eyes with terror swimming in hers. She tries to conceal it, but I recognize the storm in my own chest I'm trying to ignore and hide. No matter how much she annoys me with her regal airs, in this moment, I understand her. She's built walls around herself just like I have.
Bo and the others gather around behind me as I press play.
The first photo shows the front gates to her home. August appears on the other side of them and looks right at the camera. He smiles wide and waves. A stone settles in the center of my chest. He scales the gates with ease, ignoring the alarm blaring through the night.
He walks right through the glow of the spotlight, not even trying to hide. My lip curls and my hands ball into fists. Cinderella's guards spill from the house, armed to the teeth with guns and swords.
August disappears.
The feed cuts to her balcony and he's perched on the railing, kicking his legs against the bars like a bratty child. Cinderella is on the other side of the glass, clutching a pale blue robe closed at her chest, her eyes wide and glazed with shock and horror.
Her expression hardens, and she pulls out a huge gun from behind her back and fires it. Glass shatters, but he's gone before the bullets pass through the window.
The video ends, asking if I'd like to watch again.
No, I would not.
Nausea claws at my throat.
Silence falls, choking us.
Cinderella breaks it. "No sign of him since. He's back to his old games. At first, it's just letting me know he knows where I am and can get to me whenever he wants. Next, it'll be disgusting gifts like he's some cat bringing dead birds to my door, expecting praise. Then, he'll come for me. And I think he's got something worse in mind for me this time."
"You're sure he came alone? No Pan? Beast? Philip?" Bo asks.
Cinderella shrugs her slim shoulders. "If they were there, they were careful of the cameras. I paid a fortune for my security system and they were hidden expertly. Yet, he somehow knew exactly where they are."
"Are you worried you have a leak?" Hatter asks.
She sniffs. "No. I trust my people. And I pay them better than any pauper prince could afford to buy them from me."
I purse my lips in thought and tap my chin. "Maybe at the security company?"
Cinderella brushes invisible lint off her pale purple dress. "I told you we were doing your job for you. Here's a lead for you or whatever you call it."
She has a point. "We'll check it out. Is there any way he could have scoped out the place without the cameras picking him up?"
She looks over at her guards. "I don't know. It's possible."
"We'll check that out too." I nod in thanks at Jackie when she comes back inside. The smell of roses lingers. Time for another fire.
"What does Pan want with them? What help could they possibly give?" Beneath the scorn, there's confusion and fear.
"They have impressive powers. He could need something specific or he could just be building an army. We've taken a lot of his prior recruits out of commission. And we'll continue to do so."
She stands. "Good. I'll leave you to it, then."
"Do you want to stay?" As soon as the question falls from my mouth, I want to grab it and stuff it back in my mouth. I'm not in the mood to hear her judgments as I go about my job. But she might be safer with us.
She casts a glance around the Librarians at my back, contempt on her face. "No, thank you. I have more fortifications to oversee at my home."
My hands curl into fists on my lap. "Very well. Call if there's any more sign of him. And we'll keep you informed as well."
"I would appreciate it." She turns and glides gracefully away.
"Who wants to take the security company?" I ask.
"Red and I will take it. I'll have her meet me there." Jackie strokes her sword. She's itching to stab someone too.
I nod. "Bo, you and Hatter want to check out her place to see if there's a way to spy on her the cameras can't find?"
Bo crosses her arms. "That leaves you and the Library alone. No."
"Then, you two stay here and guard the Library and I'll go." Every atom I'm made of itches to get the hell out of this store.
She sets her jaw. "You aren't going alone."
"I'll accompany her." A deep, warm voice wraps around me making me jump in my chair.
"Dantès. I thought you stayed in the Library? How did you get past the wards?"
"I'm the Count of Monte Cristo." He says it like that explains everything. Perhaps it does.
Bo rolls her eyes and huffs, but I smother a grin. Hatter laughs and gives him a hearty slap on the back.
I close my laptop and heave myself from the chair, making everyone scatter out of my way. After shrugging into my coat and gathering a few weapons and supplies into my bag, I ignore Bo's concerns and objections, and follow Dantès from the shop.
Chapter 14
Edmond remains silent as we make our way through the city on foot. I considered taking my motorcycle, but I'm in the mood for a walk. It's soothing being in someone's presence who doesn't insist on mindless small talk. Social mores make no sense to me. And keeping up with them through the long years is impossible.
His arm brushes against mine and I jump a little, my face burning. He doesn't comment or smirk though, instead a rather sweet smile transforms his somber expression. I'd barely been able to sleep, my mind too busy replaying our contest. It was a nice change from worrying about Pan and the Beast.
But now isn't the time for a rematch or flirting.
My brain whirls with the information we've gathered about Pan and about the princes. What is he after? Everything points to preventing Arthur's return, but the way he's going about it is completely nonsensical. There's no discernible pattern. At least, to me. And I can always find the patterns.
If he has no concrete plan, how is he staying so far ahead of us? How the hell is Peter bloody Pan the villain who beats the FTA? He's plagued us for half a century. He's the stain on my otherwise perfect record as Head and that will not stand. I don't care if it takes another fifty years, I will find him and I will end his reign of terror however I need to.
Dead is best. It'll give us a hundred years free of him. It's illogical to expect him to remain locked away, he's proven too slippery for prison.
We make it to Cinderella's street and pass the gates leading to her ridiculously lavish home. I gesture to the apartment buildings across the street and Dantès nods. I shift my feet as we wait for the pedestrian light to turn. What if August is already here, watching?
What if the Beast is with him?
I'm temped to make an obscene gesture, just in case.
At the light change, we jog across the street and are stopped by the locked door. I dig for lock picks in my bag, but Dantès shakes his head.
"Those aren't needed. Especially in the middle of the day."
I scowl. "What do you suggest, then?"
"If I may?"
With a snort, I wave a hand. "Be my guest." My teeth ache as the words I say register. Too close to the movie. I should never have watched. I definitely should never have read the retellings. But my rampant curiosity overcame my usually reasonable good sense.
Dantès presses one of the buttons.
“Yes?” A voice explodes from the speaker box, so loud I leap back a step. They need to fix the volume on this thing.
"Delivery."
The door buzzes and Dantès pulls it open.
Damn. I refuse to admit I'm the slightest bit impressed.
We take the elevator to the roof. The whole city is visible from up here. The tower glitters in the distance, sunlight reflects in the Seine. It never fails to take my breath away. The sheer scope of history in this city, fictional and real, it's awe-inspiring. It's my favorite city in the world.
I'm glad I'm back. I'm grateful bringing Bo back into the fold gave me the excuse to return. I let him take enough away from me.
I shake off the melancholy and pull out binoculars, peering through them at Cinderella's house. It takes me less than a minute to find seven cameras.
The corner of my lip quirks as I hand them ove
r to Dantès. "I found seven."
His hands brush against mine as he takes the binoculars from me. I'm puzzled by my body's reaction. Heat floods my stomach and icy fingers slide down my spine. I inspect him as he takes a turn surveying the house. He's handsome, but looks don't usually affect me. Maybe it's his presence. I'm not tongue-tied and awkward even though I don't know him very well. His arsenal of Shakespearean quotes certainly don't hurt. No one has ever come close to keeping up with me on bookish knowledge.
Strange. My conversation with Red the other night replays in my head, but I shove it away. I don't have time for romance or the interest. And this could be some unconscious reaction to the situation with the Beast.
Though a fling with the Count wouldn't be the worst thing. It'd take my mind off of everything else for a bit.
"Want to make a wager?" He lets the binoculars hang from his fingers while he glances over at me.
Huh? What is there to bet over? "What kind?"
A slow and ridiculously sexy grin lifts the edges of his mouth. "Which of us can find the most cameras."
Suspicion narrows my eyes. "You've already found more than seven haven't you?" Damn.
"Does that mean you are turning down my wager?" What is it about this man and competition?
"I'd be a fool to take it." I'm tempted. Yesterday still feels like a loss even though we were interrupted.
"I found nine." He's too smug for his own good.
"Let me see." I yank the binoculars from his grip and look again.
There, in the awning is another one. And hidden against the gate, the black blending in with the iron bars. The wind picks up and I find the tenth.
"I should have made the wager after all. There are ten." I hand him the binoculars. "Check the tree closest to the house."
He does. "Ah."
"What were you going to wager?" I turn around and lean against the concrete railing, the glittering Eiffel Tower a backdrop to Edmond's silhouette.
"Dinner."
Surprise widens my eyes. "What?"
He fiddles with one of the thirty knives he has hidden all over his body. "Dinner with me if you lost."
Charm (Black Sheep of Faery Book 3) Page 5