by Lora Edwards
“We need to contact the institute here when we get off the train and find out if the missing were of the supernatural community.”
“It is quite odd that the disappearances started when this new group of Americans entered the picture. Do you think anyone has connected the two,” Delphine asked.
“From the talk of the men in the cigar room, it did not appear so. The lord and lady who are missing were quite elusive, and did not mix with other members of the aristocracy. They spent large amounts of their time ‘out of the country’, which leads me to believe they may be supernaturals.”
“You think ‘out of the country’ possibly means in an alternate world or time?”
“Yes, that is exactly what I think. Our first stop after we get off this train will be at the local chapter of the institute. If there is anything to know then they will be made aware of it.”
“Flynn, I have a question: if there is a local chapter of the institute here, why the stop in London? Why did we not just jump here?”
“It is a small office, only three or four people, and they are not attached to the traveling mirror system. They disguise themselves as the local telegraph office, an excellent cover to be able to keep tabs on the comings and goings.”
Delphine leaned back in the chair and looked out the window at the green fields and rolling hills as the train sped by. It appeared the society had picked up its mission again in Bath and were already kidnapping other supernaturals.
Chapter 26
Delphine and Flynn stood in front of the small square building made of stone, a sign hanging from the eaves marking it as the local telegraph office. They entered the building and Delphine saw why there was no traveling mirror—the small structure only contained two, maybe three rooms. The largest was dominated by three plain wooden desks where people sat, the sounds of beeps and clicks echoing through the room as they sent off and received messages for the people milling around.
A jolly man greeted Delphine and Flynn with a wide smile. “Hello, are you in need of having a telegram sent? It will be a few minutes as we are quite busy this afternoon, height of the season and all of that.”
“No, we are not in need of having a telegraph sent. We are from the offices in London,” Flynn said, giving the man a meaningful look.
The cheery expression on his face slipped away and he nodded. “Right this way. We have a private room where you can compose your message.” He gestured toward a wooden door at the back of the building.
Flynn placed his hand on the small of her back and led her through the room as they tried to ignore the curious stares of the others occupying the office.
They walked through the wooden door and into a surprisingly spacious and comfortable office.
There were large windows that looked out onto a beautiful garden, and three sizable desks made out of cherry. An expansive oriental carpet took up the middle of the room, protecting the gleaming wooden floor, and over in a corner was a stove with a kettle that was just about to steam.
“The humans are keeping us busy today but I can spare a few moments for those from the London office,” the man said, his cheerful demeanor returning. “Would you like some tea,” he inquired, moving over to fill the awaiting teapot.
“That would be lovely,” Delphine answered. The man gestured to a small sitting area on the side of the room, and they sat in silence as he bustled around, getting the tea ready and adding biscuits to a plate.
He set the tray down on the table between them, fixing and handing out the tea and biscuits. When everyone had a cup and a plate, he took a sip and then smiled warily. “You don’t look familiar. You must be from the institute of the future, and if they sent for you, there must be something to the rumors that have been flying around. “
“Rumors,” Flynn asked.
“Yes, we have had disappearances. Lord and Lady Comstock are refugees from North Faery, part of the original royal family before the unrest there—barely got out with their lives. They have been coming to Bath to take the waters for years. They left their home on the way to a party given by Lord and Lady Valencia, also formerly of Faery, but they never arrived—vanished without a trace.
“There have been some others here and there, a local witch, a brownie who never showed up for work—which, if you know anything about brownies, is almost unheard of—and most recently, a vampire who is here with a delegation from the Eastern Bloc.”
“The Eastern Block,” Delphine asked, looking at the institute rep.
“Yes, she is from somewhere around Russia. Their leader is very angry that one of her people has gone missing. It isn’t just our kind either—some human girls have gone missing as well.” The man ran his hand through his hair, grabbing the locks and then letting go, giving them a tired smile. “To say we are glad to see you is an understatement.”
“We will do whatever we can to help stop what is happening. We believe we know the culprits behind the supernatural disappearances and we will do anything in our power to stop them.”
“Yes, we have been informed about the society, as you call them, and their role in recent events. It sounds as if they are jumping around the timeline, trying to stay one step ahead of you.”
“So far, they have been successful, but we are hoping to end it here. What is being done about the missing humans,” Flynn asked.
“We are trying to find a link between them, but it appears to be separate cases. The supernaturals are of all ages and backgrounds, species rich and poor alike. We are even missing a member of this office, a young werewolf who went undercover. We believe she was found out and has been subjected to the same fate as the others. We are desperately hoping they are being held somewhere and have not been executed. As for the humans, they are all young women, lower-class maids and servant girls and the like. We are afraid a supernatural of some kind is at work in those disappearances, and with the delegation of vampires here, it is natural to think…”
“One of them has something to do with the missing humans,” Flynn finished for him.
“Yes, but we have not been able to prove it. We have searched their mansion many times and there has been no evidence of bodies or of the servant girls having been seen anywhere near it or the delegation. Each time the head of the family has been gracious and allowed us full access. With both of these high-profile cases and continuing with our cover as a telegraph office, we are swamped.” The man again gave them a tired but frazzled smile.
“We will start searching for the missing at once as well as trying to ferret out the members of the society and put a stop to their heinous acts. We will ask our own people to keep their ear to the ground with the other households and see if we can’t get a bead on who is taking the humans as well,” Flynn assured him.
“Thank you, and if there is anything we can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to come send a telegram.”
Delphine and Flynn thanked the man and left the office, heading back out into the main area, which was still busy with people waiting to send off their messages.
Delphine waited until they were in the carriage and on their way to their destination before she spoke again. “It sounds like things are already well underway here. We need to get a handle on this before any more of our kind is killed or tortured. The more time they have to study us, the more dangerous they become.”
“That is why we are here, and we will start investigating right away. We have a real mess on our hands. We do not need our community to be scrutinized in the best of times, but with the society active here and the disappearances of the human women, it is a powder keg waiting to explode.”
Delphine just nodded and retreated into her own thoughts. She hoped she would not fail her kind. She needed to draw upon all her training to fit in with this crowd, and they needed to find the society before they harmed any more people.
Chapter 27
Their reputation preceded them and there were many invitations waiting with Stallings when they arrived at their residence.
Delphine sat down with him and they chose the ones that would be the most prudent for them to attend, including the soiree at the home of Mr. Worth. Delphine was booked for a morning taking the waters, followed by a garden party and the fitting at Mr. Worth’s house then the famous designer’s party. Flynn was to work on his business ventures and then attend the soiree with her that evening. With their plans set for the next day, they fell into bed and into each other’s arms, seeking each other out many times during the night.
“This is a bathing costume,” Delphine said, holding up the garment Victoria had shown her.
“Yes, miss. What is it that you wear in your time?”
Delphine giggled. “Well, as a Siren I usually wear a tail while in the water, but most non-sea-shifters in the modern times wear something with much less cloth involved.”
“I didn’t know you were a Siren. I have always been fascinated with the legends of the sea and have read many tales of your kind fictionalized by the humans.”
“Don’t believe all you read, Victoria. We are just like you, we just sprout a tail and live part of our lives in the ocean. We are not the man-killers Homer and others have made us out to be. We are just like any other being—we developed talents to keep us safe.”
“Oh Delphine, I didn’t mean any disrespect. I have always thought your kind to be magical, and I so love that Siren women are allowed to pull their own weight and can fight back. In this time, as in the many years I have lived up until now, women have been relegated to the shadows. I know from my experience with women of the institute from the future that this will not always be so, but with the Sirens, water sprites, and mermaids, women have always been an equal part of society and I wish the rest of our kind would catch up quicker.”
“As long as there are women who are willing to fight for it, it will happen.” Delphine patted Victoria’s shoulder. “All right, get me into this bathing contraption. What are you going to do while I am lounging all my time away,” Delphine asked, feeling bad that Victoria had to work while she lay around.
“There is a room for the servants. I will go there and see what gossip I can pick up from the others.”
Delphine reached over and hugged Victoria. “Thank you. Between the missing supernaturals and missing humans, we can use all the help we can get.”
“Missing humans?”
“Yes. When we met with the institute today, they said not only are supernaturals going missing but young human women as well.”
Victoria frowned. “That happened once before when I was made…” She trailed off, looking into the distance at a past Delphine could not see.
“What do you mean made,” Delphine asked, bringing her out of her reverie.
“Do you not know? I am a vampire, from one of the old lines like Armand that is able to day walk,” she said simply while pressing the wrinkles out of the dress she had taken off of Delphine.
“How did I not know this? Why are you working as a servant girl?”
“I was a maid in a large castle when I was turned. A woman came to stay with my employer, another vampire, and he was not aware of her heinous ways until it was too late. I was one of her victims. Afterward I stayed with my sire. It is what I know, and where I am comfortable.” Victoria turned and busied herself with hanging up Delphine’s dress. “You better get out there and enjoy the waters. There is the garden party this afternoon then we will have to get back to the house to get you changed and your hair arranged for your fitting and the main party.” Victoria said this with her back turned to Delphine, letting her know that the matter of her life before was closed.
Delphine just nodded and left the changing room. It was not the time to pry, and Victoria had given her a lot to think about.
Delphine walked into the main room of the baths and smiled. Being near water, even if it wasn’t salt water, always calmed her. She slipped into the nearest pool and let out a deep sigh as the warm liquid enveloped her body. It felt freeing to be back in the water. There hadn’t been any time since coming to that time for her to assume her other form, and she could feel the itch to be back in the ocean, although due to her blessing from Odin, she wasn’t suffering from the lack of ability to change as she would have been before.
“Hello, you must be one of the new Americans come to take the water.” A crisp upper class English accent greeted her. Delphine opened one eye and saw a lady not much older than herself sitting next to her in the pool.
“Yes, I am English, but married to an American. I am Mrs. Kirk.”
“I am Lady Worthington, recently married. My husband thought taking the waters would be good for my constitution,” she said dryly.
Delphine looked closer at the woman and smiled—she was a mermaid. The water kind all had the ability to recognize one another. “Not of our kind, is he,” she asked.
“No, he is a human, of all things, but we cannot help who we love. It as the age-old story between mermaids and man. He was on a ship from America bound to England and there was a storm. I rescued him and nursed him back to health in a cave by the ocean. We fell in love, although he is not aware of my true nature,” she explained, looking down at her hands.
“You will need to tell him before you have children. He will be shocked when the child takes its first dip in the sea and sprouts a tail,” Delphine said gently. This was one of the downsides of mingling with humans—they feared and lashed out at what they did not understand. Delphine felt for her new friend and found herself again feeling grateful for finding Flynn.
“Yes, well, let’s not dwell on such things. As you know, we may not be able to have children, and he is the fourth son so it is not imperative that we procreate. He appears to be content to just live out his life with me and has not brought up the subject of children. I have to admit, it is strange the things these humans do.”
“Yes, they do seem to have some peculiar habits,” Delphine agreed. The two women talked the morning away, the mermaid telling Delphine of a special pool that was for water supernaturals where she could bathe in salt water and let out her true nature. The woman gave her detailed instructions on how to access it, starting with looking for a shell carved into the door that led into the baths. Although it was no longer a necessity to don her other form, Delphine did feel the psychological need to do so. She thanked the other woman and left her to go find Victoria as it was time to get ready for the garden party. Delphine hoped she would have a better time ferreting out clues about the society’s whereabouts and plans there.
Chapter 28
“Victoria, are you all right,” Delphine asked as Victoria slipped the last hair pin into the elaborate updo she had created.
“Yes, I am sorry, just a bit distracted,” Victoria murmured absently.
“Is there anything I can do? You seem so upset.”
“No, not for now. I have some suspicions and I dearly hope they do not come to pass. If they do, I will need your help.” Her voice trembled a bit at the end, but no matter how Delphine pried, she refused to say any more on the subject.
Delphine left for the garden party, Victoria’s strange behavior utmost in her mind.
The gathering was exactly what Delphine had envisioned: women in flowy dresses with elaborate hats drinking tea and eating little sandwiches. She mingled and laughed and got to know more of the women of the social set, but she did not glean any more useful information.
Feeling frustrated, Delphine wandered inside the mansion for a chance to catch her breath and be out of the public eye for a few minutes. She forgot how exhausting the constant socializing could be.
She leaned up against a door and sighed, starting to wonder if they were ever going to uncover a significant clue that would lead them to the society.
“Keep your voice down—Clara is having one of her infernal garden parties and we wouldn’t want some silly debutante wandering in and hearing this conversation.”
Delphine’s ears perked up at the sound of male voices. She silently walked down the hallway, glad th
e satin slippers she was wearing didn’t make any noise on the carpet.
“Has this James shown you proof of the existence of these ‘supernaturals’, as he calls them,”
another man asked impatiently.
“Yes, of course. Do you think I would believe something that sounded like such utter nonsense without any proof?”
“What proof?”
The other man’s voice became even more quiet and Delphine had to strain to hear it.
“He showed me. He dunked her in the water and she sprouted a tail just like that. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen, and he said there are more with different powers. He said if we don’t band against them they will rise up and enslave the human race,” he hissed in a near whisper.
“Really, man, how much had you had to drink?”
“None, I swear it. They are having an initiation in two days’ time, and James said for me to bring a friend, someone influential who could help their cause. I immediately thought of you. This could make us richer than we ever dreamed. Think of what people would pay to see a real mermaid, or a werewolf, or a vampire? What if they really exist? Isn’t it worth checking it out at least? Say you will, Clarence,” the man whined.
“All right, I will attend this initiation with you, but this better not be all gibberish. I can hardly believe we are speaking of this.”
“It is not necessary to wait for the initiation—he has invited us to view the creatures tonight. He said he wanted people to see the truth of the abominations.”
Delphine felt herself getting angrier and angrier. They weren’t abominations, and they just wanted to be left alone. They had no plans to overtake the humans.
“Here is the invitation. I have one more, and I was thinking about inviting that American bloke, the one who owns all the railroads in America.”