Page 89 of Once a Rogue
“Not about this,” Alasdair said pleasantly. “This is Major Langford’s plan. He’s very tactical.”
Sebastian tried to focus. He was so hot, then so cold, in alternating bursts. “Alasdair,” he tried. “What are you doing? Where are Wesley and the others?”
“Wesley?” Rory groaned. “You gotta be kidding me. Fine’s in New York?”
Alasdair tsked. “He doesn’t letmecall him Wesley.”
“Enough.” Langford stepped into view. The gun was still in his right hand; something Sebastian couldn’t quite place in his left—metal and glass and cloth, perhaps? “We weren’t supposed to have two of you awake.” He looked between them consideringly, then pointed the gun directly at Sebastian.
Sebastian met Langford’s eyes and refused to flinch.
“Don’t.” Rory was trying to push up.
But Alasdair had straightened. “I know you’d like to shoot him, and probably all of us,” he said to Langford, “but we do need Sebastian alive.”
Langford narrowed his eyes, gun still aimed at Sebastian. “I know you enchanted Fine,” he said harshly. “As soon as you’ve served your purpose, you’re dead.”
“Yes, yes, we’re all very dangerous men here,” Alasdair said. “Major, a moment.”
They stepped toward the wall and began to talk in low voices.
Rory narrowed his eyes at Langford and Alasdair. “No chance you’ve got my ring, is there?” he said to Sebastian, in an undertone.
Did Wesley still have the ring? Where was he, and was he okay? “Sorry,” Sebastian said, shaking his head.
“S’okay,” Rory slurred. “You got me outta my magic. Appreciate it. Can’t burn off whatever’s making us sick, can you?”
Sebastian shook his head regretfully.
“You all drank the poison. It’s in your bloodstreams, Sebastian can’t do anything about that.” Alasdair had walked back toward them. He reached into his coat and withdrew a box that Sebastian recognized all too well. His stomach dropped.
“You bastard.” Rory’s glare had intensified. “You stole the pomander.”
“No, I stole thebrooch,” Alasdair said patiently. “The pomander has been up for grabs, waiting for someone who could listen to it and be up to the task of unlocking it.”
Rory went very pale.
“Now see, Mr. Brodigan here already knows what it takes to unlock the pomander,” Alasdair said to Sebastian. “Unlike the brooch, this one takes quite a bit more than a single murder to bind it to someone. There’s a lot of pain involved. But luckily I’ve got plenty of people downstairs.”
Sebastian’s gaze went to Langford. “You’re going to let him enslave non-magic minds?”
“Of course I’m not,” Langford snapped, from over by the wall. He was moving around, dressing perhaps. “That’s why he needed to steal that brooch of yours first.”
“Oh no,” Rory whispered.
“Yes, see, now you’re getting it,” Alasdair said proudly. “The brooch makes magic work on other magic. It’s going to let me make the pomander relic work on other paranormals, and then I’ll have plenty of options for how to get rid of all of you.”
“You can’t control two relics,” said Rory.
“That brooch alone—” Sebastian started.
“Yes, it told me. It was far too much for you,” Alasdair interrupted. “Butonlyyou, because when you wield the brooch, it draws on your most innate magic.”
“Yes, the enervation—”
“No. Your blood curse.”
Sebastian stared.
