Harlequin Nocturne May 2016 Box Set (32 page)

“Is La Casa Oscura one of these brothels?” Iago asked.

Lorcan shook his head. “No. La Casa Oscura is unique. The darkest of the dark houses.”

“I don't understand.”

“La Casa Oscura was designed to be a well-disguised portal to Otherworld.”

“Until Moncoya made it into something more.” Aydan's pleasant features hardened.

“Yes.” Lorcan continued his explanation. “I'm not going to pretend that before Moncoya there were never those who exploited the border between Otherworld and the mortal realm for nefarious purposes. Of course it happened. But until Moncoya, it was never done on this scale. This is organized crime that would make the gangs of Eastern Europe gnash their teeth with envy. This is people trafficking to an extent that the mortal realm cannot conceive. Yet, because it takes place between worlds, the law enforcement agencies of this world have no idea it even goes on. The Alliance has sworn to stamp it out, but they have enough problems at present bringing the dynasties around the table, and Moncoya is flexing his muscles from his hiding place. In the last few days, there have been faerie terrorist attacks in some of the major Alliance strongholds.” This was the first Tanzi had heard of this, and she sat up straighter. Lorcan, noticing her movement, threw her an apologetic glance.

“You said La Casa Oscura is more than just a portal.” Iago drew Lorcan's attention away from Tanzi and back into the conversation.

“In addition to the day-to-day portals, there are other ways of gaining entry into Otherworld. These are the dark houses. They are a very specific portal, leading to the darkest reaches of Otherworld. Those who wish to gain entry without attracting attention do so by using a dark house. Smuggling, trafficking, anything illegal is done through the dark houses.”

“Were the dark houses created by Moncoya?” someone else asked and Tanzi closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair. Even though, since the battle, she had seen concrete evidence of her father's vile deeds for herself, it still hurt her to hear of more.

“No. They have always existed. For as long as mortals have spoken of heaven and hell or of Otherworld and Underworld. Moncoya was not even the first to exploit their unique properties.” Lorcan looked tired. Tanzi wanted to go to him and brush back the errant lock of hair that flopped onto his forehead. When did these odd, protective feelings toward him start developing? And, more important, how was she going to get rid of them? “What Moncoya brought to the equation,” Lorcan continued, “was his organizational skills and his manpower. The dark houses are now used systematically and efficiently as a means of transporting—well, anything really—between Otherworld and the mortal realm. La Casa Oscura has been Moncoya's greatest and darkest accomplishment.”

“How so?”

“It has served him well in many ways. Firstly, Moncoya is one of the few Otherworld leaders to develop a fully fledged mortal persona. He has been forced to abandon that guise since his defeat, of course, a fact that has led to intense press speculation here in the mortal realm. Just what
has
happened to celebrated electronics billionaire Ezra Moncoya? His disappearance is the news story of the decade. La Casa Oscura was his mortal base. Its next purpose was as a genuine portal to Otherworld. Enter La Casa Oscura and you may also, if you so choose and if you believe it to be true, enter Moncoya's royal Otherworld palace. Finally, it is the ultimate dark house. The treasury of Otherworld's grim secrets.” Lorcan's beautiful mouth turned down slightly at the corners. “Moncoya may not be at home anymore, but his legacy lingers on in the very bricks and mortar.”

“So why don't we destroy La Casa Oscura?” Aydan spoke up suddenly, his voice excited and eager. “Just blow the place sky-high?”

Without thinking, Tanzi jumped to her feet. The cat's howl of rage drew everyone's attention in her direction. “No...” She thought of her beautiful childhood home. Of her sister. Of the servants who had served her so loyally and who played no role in Moncoya's dark deeds. Words bubbled up to her lips, but Lorcan was at her side in an instant, sensing her distress and calming her before she could give herself away. His arm around her shoulders steadied her, and she leaned gratefully against his side. Tanzi held out her hand, showing him blood welling in the lacerations where the cat had scratched her when she disturbed its slumber. It was a feeble excuse, but it was for the benefit of the others. She knew Lorcan already understood the real reason for her distress.

“It's okay.” How was it, that as soon as he said the words, she was soothed by them? “If that was an option, sure, wouldn't we have done it long ago? For the reasons I've already outlined, it can't be done. La Casa Oscura is the cover for Moncoya's mortal enterprise. Blow it up and we destroy the home of the world's leading electronics firm, we kill Moncoya's mortal employees. We draw the wrong kind of publicity to ourselves. It is also the portal to the royal palace, now the headquarters of the new Otherworld Alliance. Innocent staff work in the palace itself but, most important of all, it is now the meeting place of the peacekeeping council. Are you willing to risk the lives of the dynasty leaders? To risk Cal and Stella on the chance that we might succeed in destroying the dark house?”

Shamefaced, Aydan begged pardon for his foolishness. “But we can close down this latest vile brothel?”

“Of course we can. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't done it before now.” Lorcan scanned Tanzi's face as if assuring himself that she was really okay. In response, she nodded slightly. He seemed satisfied at what he saw and released her. She felt oddly bereft as he returned to table.
How foolish! Is it your goal to keep him at your side for all time?

“We were waiting for you, Lorcan. We need your necromancer prowess.”

Lorcan sighed. “Why do all the worst jobs always start off with that sentence?”

CHAPTER 5

“I
don't see why Lorcan has to bring
her
along.” Lisbet made no attempt to lower her voice, and Tanzi stiffened slightly as the words reached her through the open kitchen door. “Her only use seems to be decorative.”

“Hush.” Aydan's quieter tones carried into the hall, where Tanzi was sitting on the bottom stair, waiting for Lorcan to lead them all to the brothel. “She will hear you. We may not know who she is, but we know she has been through a great trauma.”

“For that reason alone she shouldn't come. What possible good will she be to us if there is any fighting?”

“We must trust Lorcan. If he wants her with us, then she comes.”

There was a definite huffing noise from Lisbet, but no further argument. Pedro was hovering near the front door and, when there was a knock, he hurried to see who it was. Once the sidhe caretaker had satisfied himself that there was no threat, he opened the door and Lorcan strolled in. He was accompanied by Iago.

“Don't we need to wait for dark?” Lisbet asked as the five of them prepared to depart. It was late afternoon.

“The ideal time for a surprise attack is under cover of darkness, when the brothel's activities will be in full swing. That's when we'll take the place. But for now we want to reconnoiter and get an idea of what we're up against. This is the best time to do it. They won't be on their guard and we can get an idea of what sort of security they have in place.”

The site of the brothel was in the medieval Gothic quarter of the city in a cloistered
placa
, or square, dating back to the days of the Inquisition. It was like stepping back in time. Once they were within the decorative tiled walls, it had the feel of a country village with geese and ducks wandering freely and vines rambling wild. The vast city might have been a million miles away. Tanzi, still adjusting to the difference between her mystical Otherworld home and the harsh realities of the mortal realm, was thrust slightly off balance by another change of scene. They hung back in a side alley, surveying the
placa
.

“They chose this for the location of such debauchery?” Iago cast a disbelieving glance around at the peaceful setting.

“That building was an Inquisition torture chamber.” Lorcan's face was grim as he pointed to a Gothic structure with curved walls and high, arched slits in place of windows. “Many of the original features have been preserved.”

Everyone fell silent as they contemplated the building and the implication of Lorcan's words. It was Aydan who broke the silence. “What do we do now? We can't go and knock on the door, can we?”

“There isn't a door,” Tanzi pointed out. It was only when they all turned to stare at her that she realized she had spoken aloud.

“Found your voice?” Lisbet's eyes narrowed into suspicious slits.

“Pedro has plans of most of the old areas of the city. There are two underground entrances to this building. One is through another
placa
to the rear of the building. That is the one the sidhes currently use. The other is through an underground crypt in the cloisters over there.” Lorcan pointed. “The inquisitors took their victims straight from the altar to the torture chamber.”

“It strikes me as odd.” Iago viewed the strange structure again. “Surely the point of running a brothel is to make money? Isn't the fact that there is no obvious way of getting into it something of a disadvantage from a business point of view?”

“On the contrary,” Lorcan responded. “The exclusivity of this place is its selling point. Passing trade would be a hazard. And let's not forget Moncoya's human guise. He is the mortal realm's electronics virtuoso, internet supremo, master of the dark web. Those mortals who want to know what is offered here—so long as they can pay the going rate, of course—will learn of it. There is no need to tout for trade.”

Tanzi shuddered. How little she had known of the man whose genes she shared. And yet she never doubted that Lorcan was speaking the truth about her father. She accepted Moncoya's ability to lead a double life as readily as she accepted his evil tendencies. Perhaps she was more like him than she cared to believe. She was hiding her true personality from these people, after all, and doing it very effectively.
I am not evil. Please let me not have inherited his destructive traits.
She shivered again at the thought.

Lorcan, sensing the movement, glanced down at her. “You okay with this?” His voice was low enough for her ears alone. “You don't have to do it.”

“You will never know how much I do.”

He studied her face, then nodded decisively. “Very well. Aydan, wait here with Iago and Lisbet. Watch out for any activity.
Searc
, come with me.”

They followed the shadowy outer edge of the
placa
, following in the footsteps of ancient cruel inquisitors. When they were at a right angle to the building that housed the brothel, Lorcan paused. “According to the plans Pedro showed me, the entrance to the crypt should be around here.”

The marble wall that marked the outer edge of the
placa
was smooth, with decorative arches set at regular intervals along its length. Tanzi pointed to one of these.

“There.”

Camouflaged within the dappled gray surface of the marble there was a small iron ring, slightly rusted with age. Lorcan lifted it and, with a groan of protest, the marble panel slid inward, revealing gaping darkness beyond. A scurrying sound indicated that they had disturbed the creatures lurking within.

Lorcan raised a hand and the darkness vanished. The light he cast revealed a narrow corridor and the disappearing shapes of several large rats. “The entrance to our crypt, I believe. Can you cope with the rodents?”

“Have you forgotten my preferred choice of shift?” Taking the hand he held out to her, Tanzi followed him into the narrow space.

“Hadn't I just? Don't you be off chasing rats and leaving me to fend for myself, will you now?” Lorcan pulled the marble panel closed behind them.

They were in a narrow corridor just wide enough for Lorcan to walk along and lead Tanzi behind him. It smelled of damp and decay, and thick dusty cobwebs brushed their faces. Nature had made an attempt to reclaim it, and dark moss covered the walls, while green tendrils stretched down through cracks in the roof. As they followed the twists of the passage, it led them sharply downward until it opened out into a cavernous space. Here the rocky walls were lined with shelves. Lorcan kept Tanzi's hand in one of his, but he held his other hand high to illuminate the scene. Each shelf was stacked high with coffins in varying states of repair.

“The crypt.”

There was something different about Lorcan's voice when he said the word. Tanzi studied his face. His expression was serene, almost dreamy, as his eyes scanned the coffins. It was as though an inner peace had descended upon him. Should it surprise her that he was at home here among the dead? He was a necromancer, after all, one of those rare and magical beings who were born with the ability to communicate with those who had gone beyond life. She just hoped he wasn't going to start doing it now.

As if he sensed her unease, Lorcan drew his eyes back to her face. “If Pedro is right, we should be able to enter the other building from here. The inquisitors used this crypt to hide the true number of their dead from the outside world.”

“There doesn't seem to be any way out, other than the way we came in.” Tanzi looked around. It was a man-made cave with rough stone walls and a high, rounded ceiling. “It's a dead end.”

Lorcan groaned and rolled his eyes. “Less of the dead jokes, please. I've heard them all before.”

“I didn't mean—” Tanzi's protest was cut short by a scraping noise from one of the coffins. It was soft but unmistakable. Nervously, she drew closer to Lorcan. “What was that?” Even though she whispered, her voice sounded unnaturally loud in the echoing space.

“One of them needs to tell me something.” Lorcan started to move toward the shelf from which the noise was becoming louder and more insistent. Tanzi gripped his hand tighter, keeping him at her side.

“Just like that? Do dead people often feel the need to tell you things?”

“If it's important they do. They can sense my presence.” He turned to face her. “You're trembling.” He drew her to him, running his hands up and down her arms.
Soothing me as he would a frightened animal,
Tanzi told herself, even as she gave herself up to the sensations his touch provoked.
Just as if I really am the kitten he jokes about me being.
“There is nothing to fear from the souls who lie here. Even if they wished us harm—and I doubt they do—the dead cannot hurt a necromancer.” He slid his fingers under her chin, constraining her to look up at him even though her instinct was to burrow her head into his chest. “I'll look after you,
Searc
.”

Releasing her, Lorcan went over to the stack of coffins. The noise was coming from the casket on the top shelf. It was newer and less elaborate than the others, little more than a plain box compared with their wrought iron–encrusted grandeur. Placing his hands on the lid, he bent his head as if in prayer. “
Asprecan
. Speak to me.” His voice was gentle, offering a world of sympathy to the coffin's occupant.

The coffin began to rock back and forth on its shelf as the noises from within became frantic. Muffled cries from inside tugged at Tanzi's heartstrings and she hurried to Lorcan's side, forgetting her earlier fear. “What can we do?”

“Help me get this top off.”

Lorcan produced a serviceable-looking army knife from his back pocket and, flicking out the blade, began to unscrew the coffin lid. When it was free, Tanzi helped him to lift it clear of the casket and place it on the ground. The young girl who instantly sat up and regarded them with huge, petrified eyes didn't look dead. Her skin was creamy, her hair lustrous, and her lips retained a cherry bloom. The only telltale sign that she might have relinquished her hold on life was the dagger embedded in her chest and the splash of bright crimson that bloomed around it.

She looked at Lorcan in surprise, then lifted a hand to point at Tanzi. “Faerie.”

“Yes, but she will not hurt you,” Lorcan reassured her.

“Faeries is deadly.”

“I mean you no harm.” Tanzi stepped forward, but the girl shrank away from her.

“She is a dryad,” Lorcan said. “Or she was in life. They fear your race. Although she can see you, you cannot interact with her now that she is dead. Nothing you say or do will comfort her. It's best if you stand to one side while I discover what she wishes to say to me.”

“Does she know she's dead?” Tanzi whispered.

“Possibly not.” There was a trace of regret in his smile. “She'll find out soon enough. It's my least favorite part of the job description.”

Tanzi moved away slightly, casting a wary glance at the other coffins. What if one of the other occupants of this crypt suddenly discovered a burning desire to converse with Lorcan while he was otherwise engaged? She decided to stay far enough from the walls not to find herself on the receiving end of a bony hand reaching out from one of the shelves. The dryad stared around her with wide, startled eyes.

“What is your name?”

“Iphae.” It seemed she was compelled to answer Lorcan. “What place is this?”

“You are in the mortal realm, in a city called Barcelona. Do you remember how you got here?”

She began to shake her head. Then she raised a hand to cover her lips, and the shaking turned to nodding. The hand dropped, her lip trembled and tears filled the gray-green depths of her eyes. “Sidhes did come to our forest and hunt us down like animals. Only the youngest girls did they want. I was fearful for my little sister so I helped her to hide deep in the woods. Took me instead, didn't they?”

“What happened when they brought you here?” Lorcan's voice was gentle.

Iphae hung her head. “Cannot say it. Not to make me, please.”

“Did they make you work for them? In their brothels?”

She nodded and fat, glistening tears rolled down her cheeks. “Mortal men pay good money for no-good dryad bitches, sidhes do say. Keep us in chains until our masters come, don't they?”

“Who hurt you, Iphae?”

She gazed up at him blankly. Then her hand went to her breast, seeking the hilt of the dagger. “Oh!” Iphae's breath hitched in shock and Tanzi wanted to go to her and cradle the lost girl in her arms. Sympathy was another new emotion she had learned through her contact with Lorcan. What a pity a faerie's touch would terrify the sad little dryad even further. “Big mortal took a liking to me. Cruel, and getting worse each time, wasn't he? In fear for my life, I was. Stole this knife from one of the sidhes, didn't I? This time when he got too rough, I cut him. Wasn't going to take that from a cheap dryad whore, was he? Paid me back, didn't he?”

“Is that what you wished to tell me?”

She frowned as though concentrating hard. “No. I hear them talk, don't I? Saying the great Moncoya is set to rise again stronger than ever and return to his rightful place. Time to put these resistance dogs down, isn't it? Set a trap for them. Their leader is back in town, isn't he? Get him and slit his cursed throat.” Her hand reached out suddenly and gripped Lorcan's. “Beware.”

Tanzi glanced apprehensively over her shoulder. Was it possible her father knew who the resistance leader was? Worse, could he know that she had joined them? If so, his revenge against Lorcan would be absolute and vicious. For her—his daughter—death could not be any worse than the marriage plans he had already made for her.

Iphae was speaking again. “Moved the dryad money spinners on, didn't they? Gone from here, my friends are now.”