Page 76 of Once a Rogue
“Oooh, you really should let me call you Wesley,” said Alasdair. “It sounds like we could be great friends.”
Wesley drew a breath through his nose. “Langford, if you believe Alasdair here has magic, why are you aiming that gun at me?”
“Because Alasdair is on my side,” Langford said. “He understands exactly how dangerous magic is, and he understands that magic, and all who use it, must be destroyed.”
Wesley went very still.
“It’s true,” Alasdair said easily, like Langford hadn’t just called for the man’s own destruction. “Magic does nobody any good, you know.”
“But you just saidyouhave magic,” said Wesley.
“So who would know better than me?” Alasdair tapped his ear. “I hear magic. Turns out, that’s the sort of skill that makes one quite attractive to those looking to trade magical artifacts.” He leaned forward. “And I was very good at it, but as you might imagine, hearing magic does make it rather difficult to hear one’s own rational thoughts. I’m afraid I’ve been quite mad for some time. Was committed last year, actually—well. Until Sir Ellery got me out.”
Christ. Had Sir Ellery had some cocked-up delusions about using Alasdair to find the pomander, or other things he could sell? “Why would he have done something like that?”
“Because Ellery was a fool,” Langford said. “A man who thought magic could be controlled. Some things are meant to be eliminated.”
“I’m working my way through my former partner’s collection,” Alasdair said brightly. “He had all sorts of powders and trinkets and I’m using them all up. Convenient to be invisible sometimes, isn’t it?”
“That doesn’t sound likedestroyingto me,” Wesley said pointedly.
“I suppose you’re right,” Alasdair said. “But magic is so terribly difficult to destroy—well. Unless you’re Sebastian, I suppose. He’s the only exception I’ve heard of, and it still takes his innate magics enhanced by a relic to do it. The rest of us can only hope to transfer magic—or steal it.”
Wesley’s gaze darted to Langford, but he hadn’t lowered the gun.
“Speaking of stealing.” Alasdair pulled his jacket lapel to the side, revealing the brooch relic pinned to his shirt. “Nowthisis far more exciting than powders and trinkets, isn’t it? I quite like its song. Granted, I couldn’t hear it when Sebastian waswearingit.” Alasdair shook his head. “That tattoo he’s got might as well be earmuffs. I had to set that fire to get him out of the way so I could search your room, andthenthe brooch told me its secrets, told me all about Sebastian’s magic. But I could hardly steal it at that moment. No, the brooch told me that if I wanted it to be mine, it would take a murder too.”
“So you shot Sir Ellery?” Wesley said. “The man who freed you from the asylum?”
“It’s not as if Sir Ellery’s actions were out of the goodness of his heart. I’m very useful,” Alasdair said earnestly. “And I had to kill somebody. I imagined Sir Ellery was very surprised, though.”
Wesley turned to Langford. “You know all this and you’repartneringwith him?”
“It’s war, Fine,” Langford said crisply. “I shouldn’t have to tell you there are costs. Sir Ellery thought he could find that pomander and sell it, and he paid the price.”
“But we don’t want to kill Sebastian,” Alasdair said, as if that would reassure Wesley. “The de Leon family is really quite famous in the paranormal world, you know. They’re descended from a notorious witch-hunter. Sebastian’s ancestor had the right idea, same as Major Langford here, getting rid of paranormals. We’re nothing but a threat to ourselves and the world. I say we get rid of magic, and I think Sebastian could be very useful in that mission.”
Alasdair clapped his hands. “But look, you haven’t even heard our proposition.”
“You’re threatening me at gunpoint. What on earth do you imagine I would agree to?” Wesley said incredulously.
“To help us destroy magic,” said Langford. “Use your head, Fine. There are people like Alasdair loose in the world.”
“Yes, I’m terribly dangerous,” Alasdair agreed, completely sincere. “Mad as a hatter—ha. I never tire of that pun. But truly, I know what magic has done to me. Let’s rid the world of it and everyone who has it.”
The cold, rational part of Wesley’s mind could appreciate that a world without Alasdairs might be a good thing.
But a world without Mateo, or Isabel, or Miss Robbins or Mr. Zhang or even Rory Brodigan would be a very boring place indeed.
And Wesley didn’t want to return to a world without Sebastian.
“I’m not you,” Wesley said to Alasdair.
“Well, no,” Alasdair agreed. “You’re English, for one.”
“I meant that I don’t kill my friends,” Wesley snapped. “I’m not going to join you in a mission to kill Sebastian.”
“I already said we’re not killing him,” Alasdair said patiently. “We’reusinghim. That’s why I sent him a message.”
