Page 31 of A Spot of Tea and Sorcery: Vol. 6

“What . . . what I said just now?”

“About being in love with my brother.”

Luna’s mouth dropped open. She took a step back, her heel coming down on the hem of her skirt and pulling her up short. “Sir!” The word came out in a low bark. “If you listened in on that conversation, you are no gentleman!”

He waved a dismissive hand. “Yes, well, Nigel was always the gentleman of the family, you know. Not a title I ever claimed.” One finger pulled nervously at his collar as he peered up at her through his monocle. “Here’s the thing—I know who you are. And there are others here in the city who do as well. Or think they do. What’s more, I think you know what they intend to do with that information.”

Luna’s blood ran cold. For some reason, her knees seemed to be locked, and her feet would not move, even as an icy chill pounded through her veins.

“Now,” Fabian continued just as though they were a couple of old friends shooting the breeze, “I don’t want anything to happen to Nigel. Sure, I’ve always hated the little blighter. That’s no big secret, is it? But he’s my brother, and hate him or not, I feel a certain sense of responsibility. Based on everything I’ve seen, Nigey’s gone and fallen in love withyou,and when that happens, nothing good can follow. My brother isn’t one to love by halves, you see. All of Plym suffered the last time he gave his heart away.”

Run!the voice in Luna’s head cried out, rattling at the bars of her caged awareness.Get out of here, quick!

But still she stood, staring at that too-familiar face. Unable to move a muscle.

“You seem like a nice girl,” Fabian continued, rubbing his hands up and down his thighs as though his palms were sweaty. “You don’t look much like Jastira, if I’m honest. They say blood will out, but if I didn’t know any better, I wouldn’t guess the two of you were related at all, not even if you were standing side-by-side. But, as a nice girl, and assuming you meant what you said earlier about . . . about Nigey . . . well, I think it would be easier on him and everyone if you turned yourself in.”

“Turned myself in?” she echoed. “You mean to . . . to the SSSD?”

“What?” Fabian’s head shot up. “Gods, no! To the Brotherhood.”

The ground beneath her feet seemed to shift. Luna braced herself, but still couldn’t seem to make her feet take flight.

“You see,” he continued in a matter-of-fact sort of tone, “if you keep fighting the inevitable, he’s going to fight along with you. And it will get ugly. I don’t know what he’s told you—spunyou some tale about him being an invincible Dark Sorcerer and all that rot, no doubt. And I’ll grant you, the kid’s got talent. But honestly, have you seen anything that makes you believe he can stand up against seventeen of the worst Dark Sorcerers the Nocturnus Institute ever churned out?” He tipped his head toward her, earnestness infusing each word he spoke. “Because that’s how many of them have gathered in Ballycastle tonight. I just had it from Calista Anguish herself.”

“Wh-who’s Calista Anguish?” Luna managed, even as her throat sought to close up tight.

“Oh, right. You wouldn’t know her, would you?” Fabian shrugged. “Nigel’s the one who had a run-in with her, or so I understand. She’s sort of the contact point for the Brotherhood, bit of a sorceress herself.”

“When did Nigel have a run-in with . . . with this woman?”

“Oh, about a month ago I should think. I’m a tad foggy on the details. This was all before I got back from the Phrigidos, you see.”

Luna’s mind spun on its axis, fighting for balance. Nothing made sense anymore, certainly not a word out of this man’s mouth. Oh gods, where was Ward? Why did she let him leave? Gripping handfuls of skirts, she turned at last and even managed to take two quick steps.

“Wait!” Fabian’s sharp voice stopped her short.

Luna turned, looked back at him over her shoulder.

“Please,” he said, rising from the bench. He looked more like his brother than ever with his face wrinkled up in concern like that. “If you love him, leave him out of everything that’s coming. The Brotherhood is here. Now. Tonight. This thing . . . it’s happening.” He made what was probably meant to be a soothing gesture with one hand. “And really, it won’t be so bad for you. I promise. You’re not going todie,you know. You’ll just be sort ofsharingyour body. With your cousin. Third cousin. She’s quitethe personality from what I understand. I’m sure you two gals will get along like gangbusters.”

Luna’s chest heaved. She couldn’t speak, not even to utter the several foul words that sprang to her tongue. Instead, with a roughly expelled, “Oh!” she turned and ran into the maze. The first bend took her to a dead end, however, and she was obliged to retrace her steps, nearly running into Fabian as she went.

“Hey,” he said, reaching out but not quite catching her shoulders. “Consider what I’m saying. For Nigel’s sake.”

With another, “Oh!” she ducked away, choosing a different turn and fleeing for all she was worth, skirts billowing behind her. She and Ward had not ventured deep into the maze before finding the stone bench, had they? Yes—there! The exit lay straight ahead. Luna rushed for it and burst out into the stately gardens under the enchanted glow of a hundred suspended thaumatic lights. Several guests strolling symmetrical pathways nearby shot her disdainful looks down their aristocratic noses. No doubt, judging by her disheveled hair and heaving bosom, they thought she was fleeing some tryst in the shrubbery.

Luna peered back into the shadows of the maze behind her, but spotted no sign of Fabian Grimm. Perhaps he was merely an apparition? An invention born of her distressed state of mind? It didn’t matter. His words seemed to throb in her ears:

Seventeen Dark Sorcerers.

Gathered in Ballycastle.

Tonight.

Oh, she had to get out. Now. She shouldn’t have delayed, not even one day. Oh Green Mother spare her, how could she have been so damnably foolish?

Her slippers crunching lightly on pale gravel, Luna lifted up her skirts, spun, and took three lunging strides, only to pull up short just before running into a standing figure. Backing up a pace, she found that she stood face-to-face with the beautifulblonde woman she’d seen earlier inside the Governor’s mansion. The one with the siren-red lips.