The Faerie Ring

by Kiki Hamilton

  Leo wanted to explode. “But Arthur, whoever has written that ransom note”—he jabbed the page that Arthur still held with his finger—“has done exactly what I told Elizabeth to do.” His shoulders sagged. “And now I’m concerned that she’s involved with Wills. After everything that Wills has been through, I wonder if he has any idea who he’s got himself mixed up with?”

  Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “Wills is the least of our worries, and I warn you, Leo—you need to be very careful before you accuse a friend of his of having an association with faeries. We’ll become the laughingstock of London if that gets out.” Arthur folded the note one last time, creasing the edges into crisp lines, and tossed it on the table. “Did Mamie have anything else to say?”

  “Yes.” Leo’s concern was reflected in his expression. “She said there’s a spy among us.”

  “A spy?” Arthur choked.

  “She told me the fey are everywhere now that the ring has gone missing, just waiting for their opportunity to strike.” Leo’s voice dropped. “That some could even resort to murder.”

  Arthur’s face was unreadable. After a long moment, he spoke. “There has been a shocking increase in the number of dead bodies that the mudlarks are pulling from the river now. I’m sure you’ve heard. They all appear to be mutilated in the same fashion, as though they were ripped apart. As if they’ve been attacked by some kind of monster.”

  Leo nodded. “She seemed especially concerned about Mother. And Baby.”

  Arthur gripped the back of a chair with both hands. “And did Mamie recommend how we are to fight against something we can’t even see?”

  “We have to recover the ring,” Leo said. “There’s no other way. I’ll have to deliver the money.”

  “You can’t be serious.” Arthur’s normally dry tone was etched with disbelief.

  “It’s the only way I know to get the ring back,” Leo said. His voice was insistent.

  “But to go alone? At midnight? Mother would have your head.”

  “She won’t have my head if she doesn’t know.” Leo raised his eyebrows at his older brother.

  “It’s one thing to sneak out for a little fun and mischief,” Arthur replied, as though stating the obvious, “but something completely different to ride alone in response to a ransom note.”

  He pulled the stopper from a crystal decanter and filled a glass with amber liquid. He lifted the glass and drank deeply before continuing. “That’s called stupidity. Not to mention the fact that the ransom is being claimed by a thief who snuck in and out without leaving a trace.”

  Leo moved a step closer. “Lives are hanging in the balance now. We can’t take the chance of not paying the money. We’ve got to get that ring back.” He nodded at the folded ransom note that Arthur had tossed on the table. “And there’s only one way.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  TIKI burst through the door, her sides heaving as she tried to catch her breath. “Clara’s been stolen!”

  “What?” Shamus jumped to his feet. “Tiki, what’re you talking about?”

  “Stolen?” Fiona echoed. “Who would steal her?”

  Toots turned from his perch at the peephole. “Why would somebody want Clara?”

  Tiki’s eyes fell on Rieker, who stood across from Shamus near the stove. He was scowling, the muscles in his jaw clenched, his eyes black with anger.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I asked him to come talk to me,” Shamus said. “Now, tell us about Clara.”

  “I went to visit her in hospital and she’s been taken away,” Tiki cried. “The nurse said some relatives had picked her up, but that’s not possible.” She could hear the hysteria in her voice, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to cry and scream and hit somebody all at the same time.

  “When I asked what they looked like, the nurse said the woman had blond ringlets just like Clara.” Her eyes shot over to Rieker’s. “It’s Larkin. It’s just like you said. She wants the ring. That’s why she took Clara.”

  “Slow down,” Shamus said. “You think the girl who has been following you took Clara?”

  Tiki’s breath came out in a hiccuping gasp. “Yes. I’ve got an address. Up in Soho. Forty-six Oxford Street. I want to go up there and find her.”

  “She won’t be there.” Rieker’s voice was flat. As one, they turned to look at him.

  “She might be.” Tiki’s eyes held a pleading look.

  Rieker shook his head. “If Larkin’s got her, there’s only one way to get her back.”

  “And what’s that?” Shamus asked.

  “Trade.”

  The silence that filled the room was deafening.

  “I know a place where we can meet Larkin.” Rieker scowled as he spoke. “It’s a place in Hyde Park called the Ring. It’s very old.” He ran his hand through his hair, mussing the dark waves. “Faeries are drawn to nature, to water. They like to gather there. To this day it is still a meeting ground for the fey.”

  “Where is it?” Tiki asked eagerly.

  Rieker’s jaw was set. “It’s in the northeastern part of the park surrounded by trees, not far from the Serpentine.”

  “And Larkin will be there?” Tiki asked.

  “If we go there, she’ll get word that we’re looking for her.” Rieker’s expression was serious as he moved closer. He slid his hands along the backs of her arms, and Tiki fought the urge to throw herself against his chest and beg him to help her. “I wasn’t joking when I said she would expect a trade,” Rieker said. “There’s one reason Larkin took Clara and only one reason. The ring. We might as well forget it if we go empty-handed. Faeries don’t have emotions like humans.”

  “But the ring is hidden inside Buckingham.” Tiki’s words came out in a rush. “And now the royals are in residence again. How will we get in to recover it?” She didn’t mention the ransom note. That seemed the least of her worries right now.

  “Where’s it hidden?” Rieker rubbed her arms gently.

  Tiki clutched her hands together. She wasn’t going to reveal the ring’s location to anybody. Even Rieker. Because he would only give the ring back to the royals, either to collect the reward or for safekeeping. Either way, it didn’t help her get Clara back.

  “It’s on the main floor,” she said as she pulled free. “Why? Do you have a way in?”

  Rieker shrugged. “Maybe. But first I’d have to know exactly where I was going.”

  Shamus’s head swiveled between the two of them. “Are you sure Larkin will return Clara if we give her the ring?” he asked in a quiet voice.

  Tiki bit her lip until she tasted blood. She couldn’t stand to think of Clara in the hands of someone like Larkin.

  “She would trade anything for that ring,” Rieker replied. “Mark my words, the danger will grow until we return the ring to the royals or someone who can guard it.” He scowled at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. “The fey can inflict a lot of damage when they want to. Already things are happening. There was a storm the other day that practically ripped apart the carriage I’d caught a ride on.”

  Rieker raised his head and looked at Tiki. “They found MacGregor’s body dumped behind the World’s End pub, you know. With his legs ripped off.” Tiki gasped as his words hung in the room. What kind of creature could rip the legs off a man the size of MacGregor? “And it’s all because the ring is unguarded.”

  “But the ring is our only way to get Clara back,” Tiki cried. “We’ve got to trade with Larkin. What else can we do?”

  Rieker rolled his shoulders as though to stretch the tension from his muscles. “I don’t know for sure. I’ll have to think on it.” He turned to her. “You better decide if you’re going to tell me where the ring is. Otherwise it’s a waste of my time.” Rieker walked to the door and without even looking through the peephole disappeared through it.

  Silence filled the room after his departure, and the weight of it rested on Tiki’s shoulders.

  “This is all my fault
,” she cried, tears welling up and spilling over her cheeks. “If I hadn’t stolen the ring, the fey would never have come looking. Larkin wouldn’t have taken Clara.”

  She flopped down on her blankets, wishing she could just go to sleep and wake up to find this was all a bad dream. But she knew that wouldn’t happen. She had to do something.

  Tiki swiped at the tears in her eyes with the heels of her hand, feeling the scratches on her arm pull uncomfortably as she moved.

  “What are you going to do, Tiki?” Shamus asked.

  Tiki opened her eyes and looked across the dim room at him. Toots was back at the peephole, watching the station, casting furtive glances at her. Fiona was huddled in the corner with her blankets.

  “I’ve got to find a way to get the ring back,” Tiki said. “I’ve got to be able to trade for Clara.”

  Shamus was silent for a long time. When he spoke, it was with quiet surety.

  “We don’t need the reward money to survive, Teek. Things have been looking up lately. As long as we don’t have to leave here”—he motioned to the small room—“we should be fine.” He paused, as though searching for the right words. “I know you feel the same way, but I can’t stand the thought of little Clara being harmed.”

  Fiona crawled from the corner and sat next to Tiki, resting her head on her shoulder.

  Shamus came and sat across from them, drawing his knees up. “Maybe you should just trust Rieker and tell him where the ring is. Let him deal with this Larkin creature. I don’t think being involved with the faeries is good for any of us. Maybe it would be best if they got what they want and left us alone.”

  For Shamus, it was quite a speech. More words put together in a row than Tiki had ever heard him speak.

  She nodded. “You’re right, Shamus.” The words sounded heavy in her ears, but she knew she couldn’t continue to fight. “I’ve got to trust Rieker.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  TIKI was out in the station early the next day, waiting for Rieker to appear. She hadn’t been able to sleep for worrying about Clara, and instead of pacing in their small room, she had decided to head into the station. She sat on the same bench outside Mr. Potts’s bookstore and waited, rolling a coin over her knuckles nervously.

  “Better be careful who sees you do that.” Tiki jerked around at the sound of his voice. “Somebody might think you’re a thief.”

  “Rieker,” she breathed, relieved and nervous at the same time. She jumped up from the bench. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Missed me that much? Let’s take a walk, then.”

  Tiki didn’t rise to the bait of his insolence, she was so intent on setting things right between them so she could save Clara. They left Charing Cross and cut through the winding streets, passing people laden with bags full of Christmas gifts. Tiki eyed the colorful displays in the shopwindows, and a longing for the past created a pressure in her chest. What she would give to celebrate Christmas with her parents in their home. But even as she wished for it, she realized that she couldn’t imagine Christmas without the others.

  Tiki shot a glance at Rieker out of the corner of her eye. The weather was still cold, and she shivered, though she knew it was partly from nerves.

  She blew out a big breath of air. “I think you need to understand something,” she started. “Clara, Shamus, Fiona, and Toots are my family. They are all I’ve got now.” She gave him a beseeching look. “I would give anything to keep them safe.”

  Rieker was silent for a moment, contemplating her words. “How did you come to live on the street?”

  His question sounded sincere, and Tiki remembered Shamus’s words from the night before. She had agreed to trust Rieker.

  “My parents died of consumption within a week of each other.” Her voice was quiet. “I was only fourteen at the time, so I was sent to live with my mother’s sister and her husband. I’d only met my aunt and uncle once or twice at family gatherings.” She took a deep breath. “It was like being sent to live with strangers. I found myself in a house that had never had children in it, with two people who couldn’t stand each other.” She paused, and to her surprise, Rieker reached over and took her hand, pulling her close.

  “I’m listening,” he said.

  “To make matters worse,” Tiki continued, “I learned in a few short weeks that my uncle liked to drink, and when he drank, he took a peculiar interest in me.” The words died in her throat as old memories forced their way back into her consciousness. “He would stare at me.…”

  “What did you do?” Rieker asked softly.

  “He was so evil,” Tiki whispered. “He watched my every move. I could feel his eyes on me constantly. I didn’t know what he was going to do, but I couldn’t stay there and just wait for it to happen.”

  “So you ran.”

  “Yes.” Tiki nodded miserably. “I went to a friend of my mother’s, but when I arrived at her house, I learned she had died of the fever.” Tiki had to focus so her voice didn’t crack. “I had nowhere else to go. So I went to King’s Cross, thinking I would find a destination there. Instead, someone stole all my belongings.” She forced a laugh. “There was nothing left to take from me. If Fiona hadn’t taken pity on me and shown me how to pick a pocket, I probably would have starved.”

  “And how did you end up in Charing Cross?”

  “Fiona and Shamus had discovered an abandoned clockmaker’s shop. They invited me to live with them.” She looked up at him. “Truly, they saved my life. Shortly after that I found Toots and then Clara.” Tiki swallowed hard. “You have to understand. They’re everything I have.”

  Rieker threaded her fingers with his own. His eyes were intent on her. “I do understand,” he said softly.

  They walked on in silence. Finally, Tiki mustered up her nerve again. “Do you have a plan to get into the palace?”

  “Yes.” Rieker squeezed her hand. “But I need a partner.”

  “A partner?” Tiki echoed. Her surprised expression turned to a suspicious frown. “Who?”

  Rieker smiled. He looked so much different when he smiled, so much younger and carefree, that for a second it made Tiki want to smile, too. But she didn’t.

  “What?” she asked. “I can’t imagine you needing anybody’s help. Ever.”

  “What do you mean?” Rieker protested. “I needed help from you and Shamus out in the alley that night.”

  “I’m sure you could’ve got rid of Marcus and the others by yourself if we hadn’t come out.”

  Rieker gave her a quizzical look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Just what I said.” Tiki worked to modulate her voice. “So tell me, what’s your plan? It sounds like they’ve got the palace under triple guard. I don’t know how anybody could sneak in now unless they knew of a secret passageway.” She peered at him out of the corners of her eyes. “You don’t, do you?”

  “No, unfortunately, no secret passageways for me.” He sighed. “I was thinking more like the front door.”

  Tiki stopped. “The front door? How in bloody hell would you get in through the front door of Buckingham Palace?”

  “A social call, of course.” Rieker flipped his dark hair out of his face and took a deep breath. “You’re not the only one who attended the masked ball.”

  She gave Rieker a wary look. “What are you talking about?”

  “Keep walking, Tiki, our conversation is much more difficult to overhear if we’re moving.” Rieker took her arm. It reminded Tiki of another time, not too long ago, when he had used the same move to hold her against her will. When he had spied her birthmark. This time, however, Rieker didn’t force her. He waited, his hand tucked under her elbow, until she took the first step, and then he fell in along with her.

  “Do you mean you were at the masked ball?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact I was. And I have to admit, at the time, I didn’t for one second even consider that you were the breathtaking Elizabeth.” He looked down at her sh
ocked expression and smiled. “That is, until I saw the mark on your wrist. But a bath can have an amazing effect, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Before Tiki could gather her wits to form a reply, he added in a soft voice, “And I have to say that you were certainly the most beautiful and interesting girl at the ball. Enough so to make Leo drop his glass of wine, which I can assure you has never happened before.”

  Tiki’s jaw dropped as her cheeks suddenly burned.

  “You’ve given me a lot to think about this last week.” Rieker turned his head away and gazed down the street. “Not always pleasant thoughts, but I suppose it was inevitable that the time would come.”

  Tiki noticed the difference in his speech, as though a mask had dropped away. “But how did you get into the ball? Where did you get clothes?” She hesitated before she asked the question that burned on her lips. “Did I meet you?”

  Rieker sighed. “You’ve forced me to make a decision, Tiki. I’ve realized I’ve got to change my life, whether I’m ready or not. There’s too much at stake now.” He stopped and turned toward her, bending in a formal bow. “William Becker Richmond, at your service, miss.”

  It was as though the ground had turned to shifting sand, and Tiki swayed on her feet.

  “I don’t believe it,” she whispered. Though the idea that she had met William Richmond somewhere before had flitted through her head, she’d convinced herself it wasn’t possible. That William Richmond could be Rieker, a common thief, had never entered her mind.

  Rieker watched her expression, his own face guarded. “Trust me, Tiki, I felt the same way when I realized whose hand I was kissing.” His lips lifted in a half-smile. “Though after the shock wore off, it was a rather pleasant surprise, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Tiki didn’t answer. Wills Richmond had been so handsome and so … so aristocratic. Tiki looked away, biting her lip to stop the tears that suddenly threatened to fall. He’d lied from the beginning about who he really was.