Starcrossed

by Allie Therin

  Zhang’s astral projection flickered. “Check his pulse.”

  Rory pressed his hand to Arthur’s jugular, finding his heartbeat slow and steady beneath his fingers. “Is it magic?” he said desperately. “Is it—”

  A hand suddenly wrapped around Rory’s wrist, just above where his fingers were still pressed to Arthur’s neck.

  “Teddy?” Arthur’s blue eyes were open wide, clear and concerned, searching Rory’s face. “What’s wrong?”

  Relief surged in Rory and he launched himself into Arthur’s chest.

  Arthur’s arms came around him. “You’re shaking. What’s—”

  “You wouldn’t wake up,” Rory said against Arthur’s skin. “I had a vision and I got out, but you wouldn’t wake—”

  “Hey, I’m fine, it’s all right.” Arthur’s voice rumbled reassuringly under Rory’s ear. “Are you—”

  “Forget about me.” Rory squeezed his stinging eyes shut and clung to Arthur. “Don’t ever do that again,” he whispered harshly. “Next time you’re gonna fucking wake up, all right?”

  Arthur held him a little closer. “All right,” he said softly, because he was too kind to say something like be reasonable, it’s out of my control.

  Rory was grateful Arthur wasn’t trying to be reasonable, because nothing was reasonable about the still-racing speed of his heart or the tightness of his throat. “Good,” he managed to say. “Zhang’s here, by the way.”

  Arthur made a strangled sound. “Please tell me the blankets are covering us.”

  Rory huffed, too rattled to laugh, and reluctantly pulled away from Arthur.

  “Jade’s in a taxi now.” Zhang didn’t seem at all interested in their lack of clothes, but then, there probably wasn’t much he hadn’t seen from the astral plane by now. “What exactly did you see?”

  Rory winced. “Couple of paranormals killed two men and took a relic.”

  “What?” Arthur sat up, the blankets falling to his waist. “Just now?”

  “So you didn’t see the vision?” Rory asked.

  Arthur shook his head. “If I did, I can’t remember it.”

  “I’m scanning the city but not finding anything.” Zhang sounded frustrated. “Did you get any clues to where it happened?”

  Rory saw the white columns in his mind, and the big stone lion. “Library, the big fancy one in Midtown.”

  Zhang vanished.

  Arthur’s eyes were troubled as he reached out and gently cupped Rory’s face with one hand. “I’m sorry you saw that.”

  Rory closed his eyes, seeing the horrifying moment Hyde had transformed. “It’s bad, Ace,” he said quietly. “The men were gutted by a big paranormal, real scary, a fella with claws and teeth.”

  The hand against Rory’s face went deathly still. Rory opened his eyes to see Arthur had gone too pale, his face a blank mask. “That mean something to you?”

  Arthur’s muscles were tensed to marble hardness. “Did you happen to get his name?” he said, in a voice with an unnatural lack of emotion.

  “The others called him Hyde.” Rory furrowed his brow as Arthur stayed frozen. “D’you know that name?”

  “Ah.” Arthur licked his lips. “It’s complicated.”

  “That’s Arthur talk for yes,” Rory said. “What about the others? Miss Shelley, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Chester?”

  Arthur’s eyes widened.

  Rory’s heart picked up its pace again. “You know all of ’em, don’t you?”

  Zhang suddenly reappeared. “There are no bodies at the library, but there’s bloodstained snow at the base of the north lion.” Frustration was clear on his face. “But I can’t find where they’ve gone from there with the relic.”

  Rory’s stomach dropped. He was gonna have to watch the slaughter again. “Zhang found blood but no murderers,” he said to Arthur, and then added, for Zhang, “Tell Jade to have her cab meet us on 42nd instead.”

  “Why?”

  Rory was already getting to his feet. “’Cause I’m gonna scry the lion.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  A gray dawn was just breaking as Arthur and Rory caught their own cab from Central Park West to meet Jade and Zhang. Arthur kept his feelings off his face, but his stomach was an absolute mess.

  “I wish you didn’t have to do this,” he muttered, as the cab turned left onto 59th and continued along the edge of Central Park.

  Rory’s face showed some of his fear, but his spine was straight as any soldier’s. “Who were they?”

  Arthur lowered his voice so the cabbie wouldn’t hear, not that he was paying them any attention anyway. “Edgar Barnes was Luther Mansfield’s lawyer. Benedict Chester was Wesley’s valet. I didn’t realize he was smuggling more than wine into the country. I didn’t even know he knew about magic.”

  Rory side-eyed him. “Your Lord Fine’s servant, huh.”

  “He’s not my Lord Fine,” Arthur said impatiently. “He’s not my anything.”

  “Bet he’s gonna be upset about his employee, though. No one likes getting played for a fool.”

  “It’s not like he’s going to know Chester was using him.” Arthur swallowed. “Hyde and Shelley are paranormals.”

  “Yeah, I got that much, but how do you know them?”

  “I think Shelley is the one who has been giving my brother his nightmares.”

  Rory furrowed his brow. “How?”

  “I don’t know,” Arthur admitted. “The only somnolent magic I know of are the dream-readers, but they’re subordinate paranormals. They can pick up the dreams of the sleeping mundane. I’ve never heard of someone able to inflict dreams on others any more than I’ve heard of a psychometric who could make others see history.”

  Rory looked troubled. “And Hyde?”

  Hyde’s voice echoed from a buried memory six years old. You will talk to me. Arthur shoved it down, keeping his expression neutral. “A shape-shifter. Apparently.”

  “I saw,” Rory said, impatiently. “I wanna know how you know him.”

  Arthur’s hand made an automatic move for the scars on his chest. He forced it to stay at his side. He had never wanted Rory to have to hear this story. “I met a lot of paranormals in Europe.”

  Rory’s jaw clenched. “Was it a bad meeting?”

  “Why would you ask that?”

  “Because you go all still when you hear his name.” Rory leaned closer, anger vibrating just under the surface. “I know a bad guy when I see one. He slaughtered those two fellas for no reason and I think he enjoyed it. I don’t like that you know him, not when you can’t protect yourself.”

  Arthur blinked. “I’m not helpless.”

  “You’re not magic,” said Rory. “Hyde oughta pick on someone as paranormal as he is.”

  “Not you.” It didn’t matter that Rory had more magic right now than any other paranormal Arthur had ever met, except possibly Gwen. Arthur didn’t ever want Hyde and Rory to meet. “And speaking of magic, why didn’t you follow the link out of the vision?”

  Rory looked troubled. He leaned back into the seat as the cab made its way south on Fifth Avenue. “Because you were there, and then you weren’t.”

  “What?”

  “The link’s usually part of the vision, like a lighthouse, a full moon, or fireflies. Light of my eyes, right?” Rory rubbed at his bare finger, the one where the ring had been stuck. “But tonight, I saw the stars glow bright, then go dark. There was no way out.”

  Arthur’s heart stopped. “Is the link—”

  “It’s still there,” Rory said quickly. “But it feels like it’s hiding. And I don’t know why, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t wake, except that relic was bad news.”

  The hairs on Arthur’s neck stood up. “What do you mean?”

  But the cab crossed 42nd Street and pulled to the curb in front of the st
unning library.

  Jade and Zhang were already in front of the north lion affectionately known as Lady Lenox, but Jade came down the steps to their cab. “I heard you wouldn’t wake,” she said to Arthur, as he got out.

  He spread his hands. “Who understands anything about magic?”

  She folded her arms. “I would prefer the unpleasant side of magic not get too close to you.”

  “That’s what I said,” Rory interjected.

  “If you two are trying to show me how it feels to be on the other side of mother-henning, then you’ve succeeded. I’m quite all right. I didn’t even see the vision.” Arthur raised his voice. “Find any more clues, Zhang?”

  “Most of the blood’s been washed away,” Zhang said, coming down the shallow steps to join them.

  “But something’s lingering.” Rory had wandered a few steps down the sidewalk, where he was now crouched. He reached out toward an empty patch of the pavement, finger stopping an inch away from making contact. “Here’s where the relic stopped. It’s left a mark.”

  “I don’t see it,” Arthur said, coming up behind Rory.

  “It’s not something I see, exactly. But it’s like a scorch mark on the sidewalk—it’s hard to explain—”

  “It’s your subordinate magic,” said Zhang. “You’re picking up the echo that even Jade and I can’t.”

  Rory’s hand hovered over the sidewalk for a moment more, and then he drew it back quickly. “I don’t like this magic,” he said tightly. “It—it tastes wrong.”

  “Tastes?” said Jade.

  “Like it’s making my throat close up, or my tongue dry out.”

  Arthur’s stomach twisted. “You never talked about the ring or the amulet relics like this.”

  “’Cause they didn’t feel like this. It’s like this relic left a shadow behind and it’s making my skin crawl just being close to it.”

  Zhang took a soft, quick breath. Rory glanced over at him. “That’s not good, is it?”

  Zhang exchanged a glance with Jade. “I don’t want to be an alarmist before I’m sure,” he said hesitantly. “But if it’s what I’m thinking, then very much no.”

  Arthur folded his arms to hide a shiver.

  Rory quickly straightened up. “Let me try the lion.”

  “Can you scry something that big?” Jade said, walking at his side up the steps with Arthur and Zhang just behind. “It’s more like a landmark than an object.”

  “A month ago, I would’ve said no.” Rory looked grim. “But I’ve been scrying relics. I feel like as long as I got something to put my hands on, I can get its history. I’ve only gotta go back an hour.”

  As Rory moved toward the base of the lion, Arthur insinuated himself at his side. “Fair warning, if you look like you’re too far gone, I’m grabbing you and pulling you back.”

  Rory shot him a grateful look, showing the edges of a lot more apprehension than he was letting on. Arthur’s chest hurt knowing that Rory was going to have to relive a double murder. From the looks Jade and Zhang were giving each other, he was certain they didn’t like putting the twenty-year-old civilian through this any more than he did. “Maybe there’s another way—”

  “We gotta know where they went.” Without another word, Rory reached for the base of the statue and shut his eyes.

  Jade and Zhang were whispering behind him, but Arthur made himself watch Rory, looking for any signs of entrapment.

  “Blood turns snow to red.” Rory’s voice was too dreamy for such a horrifying statement. “Claws sharper than knives.”

  Arthur reflexively touched his chest.

  “She has the relic. She’s annoyed at the mess, but he says he’ll put the bodies in the sewer. They must rejoin the other quickly—” Rory suddenly opened his eyes. “Grand Central,” he said tightly. “That’s where they were heading from here.”

  * * *

  The four of them ran the two blocks to Grand Central. The morning rush was just getting underway, the cavernous room full of men and women in coats and hats jostling each other for space under the towering zodiac ceiling. There were lines at every ticket window along the wall and a crowd of people around the circular information booth topped with its beautiful clock.

  Zhang went toward the phone booth. As Arthur was trying to decide whether to follow, Rory pushed his way forward. “Cover for me.”

  That was all the warning Arthur had before Rory was shoving past the crowd to put his hands on the information booth. His eyes fluttered shut as a bunch of angry New Yorkers began to curse.

  “Sir? Sir!” The man in the booth stood from his seat. “You can’t cut the line. If you want information, you must wait in line with everyone else—”

  “Sorry, he’s with me,” Arthur started, scrambling for a story as Rory’s eyes moved under his closed lids. He went for the same thing he’d once told a police officer. “First time here, he’s a country boy who doesn’t know the rules.”

  “I don’t care if he’s the King of England! He’s going to the back of the—get back here!”

  Rory had started wandering along the edge of the information booth, hands on the wooden counter, bumping into other people like a man possessed.

  There was a loud mechanical squeal.

  “Oh no,” said Jade, from behind Arthur. “One of your machines appears to have suddenly stopped working.”

  “What an odd coincidence,” Arthur said dryly.

  The man in the booth cursed and turned away to his new preoccupation, just as Rory yanked his hands off the ticket counter and stumbled backward so fast he knocked into Arthur.

  “They disappeared.” Rory had gone very pale. “I don’t understand, I’ve never seen something like it—”

  Jade took his arm, gently but firmly guiding Rory away from the angry group. Arthur tagged along at Rory’s other side, wishing he could take Rory’s hand but mindful of the crowded room. “Did you really break city property?” he whispered to Jade. “Not that I’m not appreciative—”

  “Of course I didn’t,” she said breezily. “The clerk will find his machine working just fine now.”

  They found a spot along the wall that wasn’t quiet, but it was at least mostly free of other people. Jade put a gentle hand on Rory’s shoulder. “What did you mean, they disappeared?”

  “Should we wait for Zhang?” Arthur asked. “Where did he get off to anyway?”

  “He’s right next to you.” Rory indicated the empty space on Arthur’s other side. “You keep stepping in him, but he says it’s fine.”

  “He’ll be fully here in a moment,” Jade added, as Arthur nevertheless scrambled a few steps sideways. “His physical form is calling an anonymous tip to the police about bodies in the sewer.”

  The bodies. Edgar and Chester. Arthur gritted his teeth. He hadn’t been attached to either man, but he hadn’t wished them dead, and certainly not at Hyde’s claws—

  Real claws. Not a hallucination. Christ. Arthur pushed all of it away, into the vault with the rest of the horrors. “Resourceful man.”

  He and Jade looked at Rory, who ran a hand over his face. “I saw them at the information booth,” he said. “Hyde and Miss Shelley. One moment they’re standing there, looking impatient. Next moment, Hyde says finally—and then poof. Kaput.”

  “Kaput?” repeated Jade.

  “The whole vision goes wonky. Like losing the radio signal and getting nothing but static. Then it clears and they’re gone.” Rory ran a hand through his curls. “I went over those minutes three times. I don’t understand. How can you take yourself out of time?”

  Arthur and Jade exchanged a look. “Like Zhang on the astral plane yesterday,” said Arthur, as Zhang came up behind Jade.

  “Exactly like me.” Zhang joined their huddle. “The police will find the bodies. I’m sorry about your friends.”

  The last w
as directed at Arthur. “I didn’t know them well,” he admitted. “I’m sorry for Edgar—he wanted nothing to do with this. Chester seems to have involved himself; selfishly I think I’m mostly glad he’s not going to be around Wesley anymore.”

  Zhang closed his eyes for a moment, looking for all the word like he was napping on his feet, as Jade said softly, “Lord Fine will want to know that his valet was murdered.”

  Her tone was gentle, because she knew how many people Wesley had lost, that he was a viscount at thirty-two because the war had taken his father and the older brother the title should have gone to. Wesley might not have known his valet more than two weeks, but it would be terrible to hear someone he’d let in that close to his life had been victim of a brutal murder. It wasn’t as if Arthur could tell Wesley that his employee had been mixed up in dangerous magic and using Wesley as cover.

  Unease suddenly gripped Arthur. “You don’t think Hyde would look for Wesley now?”

  Rory frowned. “Chester didn’t mention Lord Fine by name. But you should probably check on him.” When Arthur and Jade both looked his way, he huffed. “What?” he said testily. “Not his fault his valet was a con. I don’t want him to get hurt either.”

  Arthur hesitated, even more torn. “There’s a gentlemen’s brunch this morning. Wesley will be there. But I can’t go; we need to figure out where Hyde and Shelley have taken the relic—”

  Zhang suddenly paled. “Someone broke into the teahouse.”

  “What?” Jade’s eyes widened. “That’s impossible. How?”

  “I don’t know.” Zhang looked at her, shock on his face. “Ling didn’t notice anything amiss when Rory’s ring was rattling around. It must have happened while I’ve been in Midtown. My family is in the library searching right now.”

  Rory moved in. “Was it Hyde and Shelley?”

  “We don’t know. Whoever it was, they avoided all of our guardian magic.” Zhang closed his eyes for a moment. “There only seems to be one thing missing: Gwen’s relic amulet.”

  “Oh boy,” muttered Arthur.