Dancing With Raven (The Young Shakespeareans Series) (36 page)

“Yet another loose thread Felicia will have to deal with. She’ll never achieve closure now that her grandfather is gone.”

“I heard about the plane crash.”

“Did Oliver admit he had something to do with it?”

“No, but he did take a great deal of pleasure in the event.”

“If he didn’t sabotage the plane, who did? The timing was too convenient for it to have been an accident.”

“Most assuredly, it wasn’t an accident. I think we’ll discover the truth in due course.” He reached for her ice pack, now largely melted. “I’ll take down your tray and bring more ice. I’ll be right back.”

“Won’t Oliver be suspicious you’re spending so much time with me?”

“No. When he asked for a vampire to guard you, I volunteered.”

Raven wiped sweat from his brow as he assembled weapons for the rescue operation at Oliver’s mansion. Unbeknownst to anyone but Ian, the hidden passage in the wine cellar led not to a dead end, but to a secret underground arsenal. A number of backpacks had already been filled with silver-tipped arrows, Celtic throwing stars, compact crossbows, and colloidal silver gas canisters.

Quigley appeared, clad in dark clothes. He offered Ian a smart salute. “Quigley, reporting for duty, sir.”

Ian gaped. “Beg pardon?”

The elderly man’s smile was apologetic. “I’m a trifle past fighting age, but as a former member of the Royal Air Force and a Nephilim, I have something to offer this mission.”

“You’ve been listening?”

“A butler always has his eyes and ears open, sir. At any rate, it seems to me you will need to draw off the enemy guards before you can penetrate the target.”

“I’m open to suggestions.”

“I’ll enrage the goblins by mentioning the Scottish play. Then I’ll take off on a motorbike. They’ll follow me, leaving the Fairchild mansion unguarded.”

Raven cleared his throat. “Do you know how to ride a motorbike?”

“In my youth, I raced them.” Quigley lifted his chin. “I was rather good at it.”

Ian pursed his lips. “With so many demons in Los Angeles, what happens if you become surrounded?”

“That
is
a risk, but I’ve identified several churches in the general vicinity. If I feel threatened, I’ll duck inside one of them to wait it out. Demons cannot cross onto hallowed ground.”

Raven gave the man an admiring glance. “It’s a brilliant plan. Barking mad, but brilliant.”

“Quigley, you’re part of the team,” Ian said. “And you have my thanks.”

Despite his age, the butler bristled with excitement. “Glad to be back in the game, sir.”

“All right. Let’s get started.” Ian hoisted a black backpack onto his shoulder and moved into the long, dark passageway.

A small convoy of cars and motorcycles drove through Holmby Hills, parking on a side street just north of Oliver Fairchild’s property. Raven had dressed head to toe in black, donning his jacket outfitted with silver throwing stars, ball bearings, and a Shakespearean dagger gifted to him by his father last Christmas. Quigley, on Fletcher’s motorcycle, was waiting several blocks away. When they arrived, goblin sentries were patrolling the wall. The assault team fanned out around the gate, hiding in the shadows. Raven made certain he was positioned nearest the gate, since he’d been tasked with taking out the security camera. He tucked a paintball into his crossbow and shot it at the security camera mounted on the fence. It took several attempts, but finally black paint exploded over the lens. He signaled to his father to set things in motion.

Quigley drove up and stopped his motorcycle in front of the gate. He gave the guard a good-natured wave. “Good evening. I’d duck if I were you, old chap.”

The guard’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

“When I say the magic word, those goblins behind you will go completely bonkers.”

“Which word?”

“Now you’ve gone and done it.
Macbeth!”

Goblins howled in outrage. Quigley lowered his visor and revved the engine. As his motorcycle peeled off down the street, dozens of goblins poured over the fence like angry gorillas. In the aftermath, the guard was trampled to the ground and his gun went skittering off into the bushes.

When the coast was clear, Raven and Chase gave Fletcher a boost so he could vault on top of the ivy-covered fence. After climbing down on the other side, he opened the gate wide enough to admit the rest of the team. Decorative bushes served to block their approach until they had a view of the house. Raven took out another security camera along the way with a paintball.

Although a small army of security goblins had left the compound in pursuit of Quigley, apparently not all the goblins on the property had heard the word. Raven counted more than a dozen, some armed with clubs.

“There might be more goblins inside the house or around back, by the pool,” Chase whispered.

Fletcher made a sound of exasperation. “And they’re too far away right now to pick off with arrows.”

“Agreed,” Chase said. “If we blend in with the shadows, we’ll be able to get closer, but we risk exposure.”

“The Scottish play will bring them over,” Felicia murmured.

“Too chancy,” Ian said. “We don’t want to accidentally lure neighborhood demons into the mix.”

“Unfortunately, the other goblins will notice their comrades are missing before too long,” Felicia said. “That will force our hand.”

The few goblins Raven could see appeared to be tossing a football between them. As he watched a beautiful spiral pass fly through the air, something heavy—a man—dropped to the ground to his right. The resulting surge of adrenaline made Raven gasp. He unsheathed his dagger to attack, but the man grabbed his arm.

“Stand down, lad. We’re on the same side.”

Although Raven strained to make out the man’s features in the dim lighting, there was no doubt in his mind to whom the voice belonged.
Lord Birmingham!

Chapter Twenty-One

The Mission

“T
HE
S
HAKESPEAREAN
D
IRECTORS
pretended to form an alliance with Oliver,” Birmingham explained. “He believed we intended to support the blood sacrifice. Of course, once the new world order occurred, he would have had all of us killed, like he assassinated Kenshin Oshiro. News of the plane crash was disinformation that allowed us to operate in secrecy.”

As he regarded the older man, Ian’s eyes glittered with anger under the moonlight. “Why did you lead us to believe you were dead? Did you ever consider your grandchildren’s feelings?”

Tears were visible on Felicia’s cheeks and Fletcher’s jaw was clenched.

Birmingham winced. “I’ve much to atone for, but now is not the time for debate. The others will be here momentarily. Please don’t attack them when they arrive.”

“Others?” Raven echoed.

“The Shakespeareans have had the house under surveillance, you see. Quite clever how you rid the estate of so many goblins. That makes our task much easier.”

Several men and women, clad in black, approached from behind. Chase ignored them as he drew his katana and pointed it at Birmingham’s throat. “You let that murderous vampire kill my father to protect a
ruse?”

“We didn’t
let
Oliver kill anyone, but we couldn’t prevent it. Your father never trusted me, Chase…possibly because your mother and I had a relationship before she married him.”

“What?”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but I wasn’t always older than dirt. Emiko was far too young for me, of course, but we spent a brief, pleasant interlude together before she met Kenshin. Because your father ran the Tokyo Shakespearean Institute separate and apart from the rest of us, Oliver may have thought he posed a threat to our supposed alliance. In retrospect, I should have found a way to gain Kenshin’s trust.”

Felicia rested a soothing hand on Chase’s arm. “I know you’re upset, but my grandfather is right; this isn’t the time or place to discuss grievances.” She gave Birmingham a level glance. “When it is, however, I can assure you I’ll be right in line.”

With a snarl, Chase sheathed his blade and stepped back. “I want to be the one to kill Oliver Fairchild. It’s my right.”

“Agreed,” Birmingham said.

Ian exchanged handshakes with the newcomers, most of whom Raven had met in the past. None were especially young, but he knew them to be seasoned demon hunters.
I’m glad they’re here.

Thunder rumbled across the sky, drawing Raven’s attention upward. Black clouds obliterated the stars and moon as he watched, and lightning struck the city like an electric whip. As the lightning continued its frenzied dance, thunderous reverberations made the hair on Raven’s arms stand up. The house, grounds, and streetlights went dark in a rolling blackout.

“A lightning bolt must have hit a power station,” Ian said.

The absence of illumination was disorienting, and Raven squeezed his eyes shut against a feeling of claustrophobia. Fletcher, standing directly behind him, made a sound of disgust.

“A power outage? What a disaster. How are we supposed to attack when we can’t see a bloody thing?”

“Actually, the security system will be off and we won’t have to mask our approach,” Ian said. “The darkness is a blessing.”

His father’s characterization of the blackout struck a chord, and Raven’s claustrophobia lifted. “I’m all for a little divine intervention,” he said. “After all, we’re fighting evil.”

“I see dots of light,” Felicia said. “There are solar lights in the planters and along the pathways to guide us.”

“That’s what I call ironic,” Fletcher said. “Solar lighting at a vampire’s house.”

Raven exchanged a glance with his father. “Let’s go kill some demons.”

When the lights went out, Tori gasped. “The lightning storm must have struck the power grid. If the lights stay off, we can escape!”

“But there’s a security goblin outside the door.”

“Can he see in the dark?”

“No.”

“I can get him to move, but it’ll be dangerous.” She slid off the bed and held her arm out toward Nicholai’s chair. “Take my hand.”

She tried not to flinch as icy fingers wrapped around hers.