“Like your operatives?” I asked, glancing again at the sketch. It was pretty, but it was no canary-yellow diamond ring. What made it so valuable? Was it because the amber was really old? Did it have some history to it that made people sentimental about it? That’s the way art worked sometimes. But no. These people dealt in magic. This little chunk of amber must do something. What?
I folded the sketch and handed it to Bryn, who put it in his pocket.
“I want to talk to Evie and Andre before we go,” I said.
Bryn and I stared at Anderson, who nodded. “They’re in the dining room. You may talk with them and eat if you like. I’ll get some ice for this,” he said, touching his cheek. He looked more amused than annoyed. I probably should’ve punched him harder.
“Um, yeah, sorry about that,” I said. “I’ve got kind of a bad temper sometimes.”
He smiled. “A lot of passion. Engaging, but dangerous. I worry that you won’t live a long life, but I think you’ll make something spectacular of it nonetheless.”
“Well, thanks . . . I guess.” I glanced to see what Bryn thought. He looked like he’d just popped a lemon drop. He reached a hand out and corralled me, putting me on the other side of him so he was between me and Anderson as we left the office.
“Does the WAM dining room serve dessert?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“Finally some good news!”
Bryn smiled, and Anderson laughed. I’m not sure why they thought that was funny. I was being completely serious.
* * *
CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYED in the wood-paneled dining room. My grandma talked to Zach, while Edie and Andre sat half a table away, with Edie giving Grandma the occasional dirty look. I couldn’t blame her. My grandma had sold her out to give WAM more leverage over Bryn and me. I was beginning to understand why Momma and Aunt Mel had run away from home at a young age and never looked back.
I grabbed a fruit parfait and a slice of chocolate cake from the buffet, along with a spoon. Bryn poured coffee for himself, but didn’t get any food. Bad news kills some people’s appetites. Not mine.
Bryn quietly explained to Edie and Andre what had happened with Anderson. The color drained from Andre’s face, and I thought he might faint. Bryn put a hand on his shoulder and spoke to him earnestly in German. I smiled and nodded, even though I had no idea what Bryn was telling him.
Edie, however, never paled. There might have been a little extra color in her cheeks, but mostly she looked completely unruffled, even a little smug.
“Are you all right?” I whispered.
“Yes, darling. I’m fine. Lady Hurley went on the offensive. Not surprising. That’s our Josephine. You know, I always felt that Josephine was too romantic a name for her. She should’ve been a Katherine or an Elizabeth. Regal and ruthless, that’s her nature.”
“Do you think you can be okay here for a little while? Bryn says we don’t stand a chance of successfully fighting our way out right now.” I leaned so close my lips touched her ear, and I whispered so no one else would hear, “But if we can’t find what they want, you know I’ll come back anyway. And I’ll be back armed and ready to bust you out. No matter what it takes.”
“I know,” she said, and her hand pressed the side of my cheek to hold my face in place while she kissed the other side. “Let me see the artifact they want.”
Anderson had said to be discreet. Would he think Evangeline Rhodes should be told the mission’s details? I wasn’t sure. I turned and gave Bryn a hug, reaching inside his pocket and slipping the sketch out. I unfolded it on my lap so that it was hidden by the table.
Edie glanced down.
“Recognize it?” I asked.
“No, but from the look of it, the pendant is amber, which brings to mind the Hebrides Amber. It wasn’t actually from there, but the Scottish ghosts called it that because there was a battle in the Hebrides between wizards and faeries, and it was said to have been over a small chunk of amber with a dragonfly fossilized inside. The ghosts never found out what was so special about the fossil, but at the end of the battle there were dead witchfolk and even more dead fae. The faeries had been outnumbered, but fought anyway.”
Edie’s lashes fluttered as she recalled the story. “When the wizards won, they didn’t even stop to bury or collect their dead. Instead they raced south. Selkies came for the fallen fae and pulled them into the sea, but it was several days before witches and wizards came to claim the bodies of their people. It happened three hundred years ago, but the ghosts still discuss it because they’d never seen that kind of battle fought among the ruins.”
I chewed on my lip. President Anderson had said that anyone holding the artifact would be in danger. Was the danger from the faeries? If the artifact had something to do with the fae, maybe Momma or Aunt Melanie had come across it when trying to enter the Never. Was that possibly its purpose? To allow a human being to go underhill?
Or could the artifact have actually been found there in the Never? Maybe Aunt Mel had discovered it and recognized it as a witch artifact and brought it out with her. But wouldn’t she have mentioned that? And if she hadn’t turned it over to the World Association, wouldn’t she have brought it home to Duvall? Of course, she could’ve brought it to Texas and not told me; she and Momma had a habit of keeping secrets from me for my own protection.
I needed to talk to Aunt Mel right away. She had been working in her garden a lot since returning. Was the artifact buried there now? As a tin of pixie dust had once been?
“What’s going on?” Zach asked, standing over us. I looked up.
“Hey, there,” I said, slipping my left hand under the table.
“No point hiding the ring now. That cat’s out of the bag,” he said grimly.
“Sorry I didn’t warn you,” I said softly.
“Ain’t no big thing.” He shrugged and turned to Edie. “So I hear you’re gonna stay here, Beads, to do some research?”
Edie snorted. “Research? That’s rich.” Then she shrugged as if she didn’t care. “Let them say what they like. Yes, I’m staying. The biscuit and her candylegger can fill you in.”
“Nah, I’ll stay, too. We’ll catch up with them.”
Edie shook her head. “No, you might be needed.”
“So might you,” he said.
I felt like a third wheel, which I never had with Zach before. It was so strange to see Edie and Zach talking like old friends, or like partners. Once upon a time Edie had been a ghost Zach didn’t even believe in, and his denial of her existence is what had been part of the cause of our marriage ending. That made it feel twice as peculiar for them to have become close friends.
“Let’s hope I won’t be needed,” Edie said. “I have to stay here. But I trust I’ll see you both again soon. Godspeed, Cowboy.”
Zach’s eyes narrowed, and he glanced around the dining room.
“The president of WAM didn’t give us a choice about who stays and who goes,” I said.
Zach glanced at me and nodded slowly. “We don’t have to buckle under as easy as all that. Could show him what we’re made of.”
Bryn shook his head and spoke in a low voice. “This place has enough accumulated magic to level the twenty surrounding city blocks, and there are Conclave wizards who can unleash worse. You don’t see the operatives, but they are inside and around the building. We wouldn’t even reach the front door.”
Zach didn’t bother to look at Bryn. “You never know how something will turn out. It ain’t the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog. Tammy Jo’s proof of that. Little slip of a girl who’s survived against werewolves, faeries, and powerfully trained Conclave operatives to boot.”
“Do what you want, Sutton,” Bryn said dismissively as he stood. “We won’t join you. There’s a more sensible option to try first.”
Zach looked a
t Bryn and they locked eyes, Bryn’s sapphire, Zach’s the color of denim. Neither blinked.
I rolled the sketch and kept it next to my body as I shot to my feet and pushed between them.
“Whatever we do, we’re going to do it together. Right now that means we’re leaving here. Come on, Zach,” I said, putting my free hand on his upper arm. He jerked away and stepped back.
My stomach gave a lurch, surprise and regret coursing through my veins. Zach didn’t want me touching him. I understood, but it was still a shock. I’d been touching him for years.
“Let’s go,” I said softly to Bryn. “Mercutio, we’re heading out. C’mon.”
Merc padded over and joined us as we left the dining room. I didn’t look over my shoulder to see whether Zach had accompanied us. But I did realize that I’d left something behind. I should’ve finished my cake, I thought as my stomach growled. Who knew when I would get a chance to eat chocolate cake again?
9
THE SILVER MERCEDES van that had brought us from the airport stood outside the front entry of WAM headquarters, waiting to shuttle us, but I walked away from it and to the building next door. We had to decide where to go first, but before we did anything, I wanted to talk to Aunt Melanie. And while I spoke with her, I didn’t want any WAM operatives eavesdropping. I huddled near the corner of the building with my back to the street. Bryn stood behind me. Mercutio prowled the space between buildings. Zach waited several feet away, watching the street and likely estimating the potential number of operatives in the pair of sedans that were parked at the front and back of the van.
Aunt Mel’s cell rang and rang and then went to voice mail. I left a message and then called again.
She answered, “Tammy Jo, thank God. I was just about to call you. Crux escaped.”
I grimaced. For the love of Hershey!
“I let Johnny and his boyfriend in, but my phone rang before I had the chance to warn them, and—”
“It doesn’t matter what happened. I need to ask you something real important.”
“Sure. I’m really sorry about Crux!”
“It’s okay. He couldn’t live in the kitchen forever. I was hoping we would have a bigger head start, but what can we do? Now, the thing I need to know is whether you know anything about a valuable piece of magical amber.”
“A what?”
“A magic artifact made of amber.”
“No. Why?”
“Are you sure? Because it’s real important.”
“Of course I’m sure. This is the second time I’ve been asked about this recently. When I got to England, a pair of high-ranking WAM members came to see me at the Savoy, asking about an amber relic. I told them the only amber jewelry I’ve seen in the past five years was at a shop in Houston. Pretty, but definitely not magical in nature. They asked permission to search my hotel room. I let them. They even patted me down.”
“What about Momma? I know she’s been visiting that . . . guy she loves in his hometown. Is it possible that she left there and was running around Scotland, treasure hunting?”
“No, I don’t think so. As far as I know, she’s been with him inside his homeland ever since she arrived there. She definitely didn’t leave when I visited. What’s going on? Why are you asking about amber artifacts? You won’t need one to get into the Nev—to get through the gates around the city you’re going to. You just need to find the main gate.”
“I know. Something’s happened is all.”
“Government business?” she asked.
“Exactly.”
“I don’t know what makes them think we know anything about whatever they’re looking for.”
“I guess someone told them you or Momma know something about this thing’s location. It’s pretty valuable, and I’ve got to find it for them or there will be problems.”
“You? Why? They have plenty of people to go on search-and-recovery missions. What do you know about finding artifacts?”
“Less than I know about trigonometry, so nothing at all to brag about. But that doesn’t seem to matter too much.” I sighed. “I’ll tell you the details later. We’ve gotta go. If you think of anything, call me.”
“All right. Be careful, honey.”
“I will.”
“I love you,” she said.
“Love you back,” I replied, and made a kiss sound. “I’ll call again as soon as I can.”
I turned to Bryn, shaking my head as I ended the call. “Crux is loose, and she doesn’t know anything about the Scottish amber.” I gestured for Zach to join us. We filled him in and discussed what to do next.
Bryn suggested that we go to Scotland to look for the amber first, since we didn’t know how long we’d get stuck in the Never.
“We don’t even know where to start looking. And if Aunt Mel doesn’t know anything about it, then it must’ve been Momma. Doesn’t it make more sense to go to talk to Momma first?” I said.
Zach nodded his agreement.
“Plus, we have to meet up with Kismet in Ireland. I don’t want her hanging around waiting for us when Crux knows where she was headed and will probably try to track her down. He might force her to go back inside without us. Or worse, if he tries and she escapes, maybe she’ll just take off.”
Bryn’s frown deepened. “Andre’s at risk because he helped us. He accessed restricted information when we needed it. The Association says it will wait until we return to take action against him, but if we completely disappear, they might think we’ve gone underground. By all accounts, time moves differently in the Never. We might be inside for what seems a short time to us, while a lot more time is passing for the imprisoned people we care about.”
I sighed, chewing my lip. Bryn had a point. Edie had been a free-roaming ghost for years and years. And she’d always had a restless spirit. She wasn’t likely to stay locked up for long without trying to escape, or causing such a fuss that she got herself in more trouble.
“What if the reason the trained spies from the Association can’t find what they’re looking for is because Tammy Jo’s momma found it and took it with her when she went inside to see that guy?” Zach said.
Bryn and I exchanged looks, and Bryn nodded. “All right.” He glanced back at the building. “I hope they can hold on while we’re gone.”
We walked back to the van. The driver was a wiry man with sunken eyes, a crooked nose, and brackets around his mouth. They called those smile lines, but he didn’t look the type to have smiled too much in his life.
“Hey, there,” I said, putting out a hand. “I’m Tammy Jo Trask. From Texas. In America.”
The driver quirked a brow, but didn’t extend a hand.
“What’s your name?”
“You can call me driver.”
“No, I can’t. That’s, um, well, it seems a little rude, Mr. . . . ?”
The driver guy slid the back door open.
“Speaking of being a little rude,” I murmured.
He didn’t look like he cared about manners in the least. It’s a problem with the Conclave members, along with their tendency to shoot and bespell people.
“Thanks for the lift to headquarters from the airport. We can find our own ride from here on out,” I said, walking to the rear of the van. “Wanna open the back so we can get our suitcases?”
“I’m your driver. I’ll take you wherever you’d like to go.”
“We’re going back to the airport,” I said. “Did the WAM president tell you we’re on a mission?”
“Tamara,” Bryn warned.
“I’m not gonna say anything about the particulars,” I said.
“No,” the driver said.
“Well, we’ve got some business to take care of. And to begin with, we need to go back to the airport.”
The driver nodded. “Wherever you’d like to go,” he repeated.
I climbed into the van.
Zach and Bryn joined me. I glanced at the divider that was made of smoke-colored glass. I’d never seen a van with one like it, and both the guys had been eyeing it suspiciously on the drive to headquarters.
“I don’t like that. Kinda feels like a prisoner transport van, huh?” I said.
“Nailed what I was thinkin’,” Zach agreed.
Bryn was silent.
The driver closed the doors and got in front, and then we were under way.
Looking over his shoulder, Zach said, “The black sedans are still keeping us company.”
After we’d driven for ten minutes, Bryn stared out the window, then frowned and shook his head.
“What?” I asked as we got on the expressway.
“This isn’t the way to Heathrow.”
I unbuckled my belt and jumped up, slamming my palms against the glass. “I knew it!” I banged my fists on the divider. The driver didn’t even turn around. Jerk!
“Didn’t have the nerve to shake my hand when you were going to abduct us, huh?” I pointed my finger at him, trying to catch his eye. He stared straight ahead.
“That doesn’t make it any less rude,” I snapped, and then turned back to Bryn and Zach. “What do you think? Should we bust the glass?”
“We’d never reach the driver before he did something to prevent us from getting control of the car. And the Conclave members in the sedans would be on top of us.”
I scowled, but nodded. I really wanted to break that darn divider. Vandalism seemed the least I could do to annoy Driver. My fist stayed clenched for several minutes; then my temper finally cooled.
Bryn sensed the change in my mood. “Ready to talk?” he asked.
I gave a jerk of a nod. “Got a plan?”
“Working on it,” he said with a small smile. Zach swiveled his chair to face us, and he leaned forward so it was like we were in a football huddle.
Casually Cursed Page 8