Obsidian Eyes (41 page)

The itch in Allie’s brain grew more insistent, phantom fingers could almost scratch the surface. “You mean work for nobles?”

“There are men, very wealthy and powerful men, who like to play the game of politics. These men have very deep pockets for their special projects.”

Allie forced herself to sit still and let the conversation play out.
So close
. “They sound like the sort of older men who would interest me as patrons.” She reached out and refilled her cup. The coffee was excellent, and she decided to finish the pot if she could. She hadn’t been joking about the horrors of being in the forest all night. None of the boys thought to pack coffee with them.

His gaze rested on her for a moment longer and then he seemed to make up his mind about something. “There is a group of nobles, known as the Consortium. These men are very interested in English politics and desire power to remain in masculine hands.” He picked up a small wooden horse and brushed a finger down the mane, before placing the object in a box. “Wouldn’t it be ironic if one slip of a girl could solve the Consortium’s problem with another girl?” A smile pulled his lips as he laughed at his own joke.

Fireworks exploded in Allie’s brain and she hid her disgust behind the delicate coffee cup. The problem he spoke of was Princess Victoria, the future Queen of England.

They’re plotting against Victoria. Is this what the Whisperers want to know?

She placed the empty cup on the desk and moved closer to Gregor. “How do you contact the men in this Consortium?” She ran her fingers up his arm.

He caught her hand and dropped a kiss on her fingertips. A shadow passed behind his eyes. “These are dangerous men with a long reach, who move in high circles. I am sure with a pretty dress and help from your overlord, you will find them.”

Damn it. If I want to save Victoria I’ll have to ask Le Foy for a detour on the way to Newgate.

Looking bored with the discussion, he took her by the hand. “Come with me so you can verify with your eyes that I have the item Le Foy is so interested in and that it remains unharmed. You will find little else here to twitter about back to your guild master.”

They left his study and crossed the hallway to what had once been an old double height ballroom, but was now a workshop. Criss-crossed high near its soaring roof line were narrow metal catwalks where several guards armed with rifles patrolled, overseeing the work below. Tables and workbenches ran along the sides and were scattered through the middle. The metal surfaces were bare, but scratches and dents showed they were once used. Cabinet doors hung open, showing vacant shelves as though someone packed in a hurry.

On a lone table Allie recognised a device as being similar to the drawings she saw in Zeb’s laboratory. A shiver ran down her spine to realise his father had replicated the weapon, even if on a tiny scale.

Allie and Gregor stepped down into the ballroom, and the count picked up a lone trinket resting on the corner of a workbench. He turned it over in his hands to show her the workmanship and explained its function. She flicked a casual glance at what appeared to be a chess piece.

A chill spread through her limbs and whispered for her to be ready. She ran a hand over the bulge in her satchel before pulling the strap over her head and then placed the bag on the floor. The flap shivered and lifted a fraction before dropping back down.

She rotated her shoulders, reminding her body of the placement of the blades on her back. One hand ran a finger over the object Gregor held, listening to his explanation about its function, while her other hand rested on the belt of throwing stars.

She saw Zeb and his father engaged in a heated discussion over the rocket he built, while Duncan and Jared looked on. Jared pulled out his pocket watch before taking Zeb by the arm to march him up the stairs. Allie realised their time had almost run out.

The movement caught Gregor’s attention. “Might I enquire as to what you think you are doing?”

“We’ve had a change of heart. We’ll be leaving now and taking the Lithgows with us.” Jared and Duncan stepped in front of father and son.

Gregor shot a look of outrage to Allie. “What is the meaning of this?”

She shrugged, trying to feign ignorance. She didn’t know how this was going to play out. Two guards moved and block the only obvious exit. She mentally added up how many guards were in the ballroom and noted their positions. Zeb checked the time again and murmured to Jared, but they were too far away for Allie to hear how close they were to KRAC arriving.

Gregor’s face turned red, his hands fisted at his sides. “Did you take me for an idiot? Why do you think I gave you these co-ordinates? I told you there would be nothing to see.” His arm swept the ballroom and the numerous empty work tables. “Yet I kept my men close to hand. Do you want to know why?” A cold smile crept over his face. “I expected some treachery from Le Foy.”

He gestured to a guard on the walkway and then turned to Allie and blew her a kiss. “I’m sorry cherié, it has been an entertaining interlude, but a double cross cannot go unanswered. I’ll make sure you are returned to Le Foy. Well, most of you.”

Jared and Duncan could only watch helplessly as the indicated rifleman knelt, cocked his head to one side and took aim.

llie’s gaze fixated on the rifle butt when a flash of silver on the walkway caught her attention. The metallic blur launched at the rifleman, who cried out then spun and swatted at his pants.

Weasel slashed at the man’s legs using the razor sharp tip of his tail. His long claws dug deep into flesh as he climbed. The man tried to whack at the mechanical creature with the rifle and dislodge him from his thigh.

“That’s my boy,” Allie whispered. She pulled a throwing star from her belt and hurled the lethal object at the distracted guard.

There was a startled cry as he pitched backward and dropped the rifle. The star embedded in his exposed throat. His hands clawed at the metal disk and then his efforts diminished as the blood flowed from the large vein.

“A pretty move, cherié, but I have far more guards than you have small trinkets. You’ll not be walking away from me.” Gregor threw his arms open, gesturing at the surrounding guards.

The room rang with the sliver of steel as Jared and Duncan pulled their swords free of their scabbards. More guards poured into the room, hopelessly outnumbering them both on the ground and above.

“Zeb, get yourself and your father under the workbench.” Jared indicated the sturdy work space beside them. He and Duncan headed further into the workroom, away from the Lithgows, drawing the attention of the guards with them.

“Whisperers should stick to secrets, you obviously have no head for tactics.” Gregor’s gaze tracked Jared’s movement. “Was this your great strategy to seize control of the Lithgows? You thought to simply walk out, with no other plan in mind?” he laughed them.

A cold light shone in Jared’s eyes, chilling even Allie. He held a finger to his lips for silence and pointed upwards.

“Hear that?” he asked. “That’s my back up plan.”

Overhead came the faint whir of dirigible blades. The guards surrounding them looked upward as though expecting the ceiling to become transparent and show the airship hovering above. Jared used their distraction to attack, thrusting his sword into the nearest guard before moving on to the next one.

Duncan undertook a similar course of action to his left.

“Up!” Jared yelled to Allie, pointing to the gantry where guards were taking aim with rifles, far too many for the small Weasel to hobble.

“On it,” she called and threw another star with lethal efficiency.

Gregor turned to leave the melee. Jared drew his dagger with his left hand and threw it hard. He had the brief satisfaction of seeing it lodge deep in the count’s back. The Russian stumbled and fell, before the guards pressed in around him.

Allie threw a second star to slow the egress of the advancing men, causing confusion among them as their fallen comrades blocked the small walkway. Weasel darted between their legs, his tail slicing Achilles’ tendons before he leapt out of the way and cut the next guard.

The chaos created by the mechanical creature gave her valuable seconds to assess the fastest route upward. She spotted a hanging ladder off to one side, the bottom rung ten feet from the ground and Duncan fought close by.

“Duncan,” she yelled and pointed over his shoulder as she ran.

He gave a nod, understanding her intent as she hurtled toward him. With a powerful attack, he drove his sword into the chest of the guard closest to him and held out a hand for her with impeccable timing.

Allie jumped, one foot planted on his hand and then he tossed her toward the ladder, which she grasped with one hand.

Duncan returned to the fight, withdrawing his sword before the guard even hit the ground.

She swung herself up the ladder and onto the gantry. The first guard to approach received a quick upward thrust from her dagger. She took his rifle and swung the shaft to connect the butt end with the chin of the next guard, pushing him over the railing to the ground far below. It was only as she ran out onto the narrow catwalk high above the parquet floor that she realised her fatal mistake. Two guards approached from the other end and she could hear more coming from behind. She glanced down, she would never make the drop. The only saving grace was the narrowness of the walkway; there was only room for one person at a time.

Weasel gave a high pitched squeal and launched himself at legs, arms, and torsos, trying to cut a path to his mistress. Guards jumped and hopped and tried to swat him out of the way. One guard caught the creature on the end of his rifle and flung Weasel over the side.

Out of the corner of her eye Allie tracked where Weasel landed and breathed a sigh of relief to see the creature scurry under a workbench. From Weasel her gaze flicked to Jared for a mere moment and then she swallowed, wondering who would attack first. Those men in front of her, or those trapping her from behind?

Jared spotted a discarded rifle and scooped it up with his left hand.

“Cover me!” he bellowed to Duncan as he sheathed his sword. Dropping to one knee, he took aim at the closest guard to Allie.

The shot rang out and Allie froze, sure it must have been aimed at her. In slow motion, she turned to see the first guard behind her clutch at his chest. Red blossomed from between his fingers much to his surprise, and hers. Flicking her gaze below, she caught sight of Jared tossing the still smoking rifle to one side as a blow came at him. She didn’t have time to cry out as the guard’s blade sliced into Jared’s right arm. A heavy weight plunged through her gut as crimson bloomed over the sleeve of his white shirt.

Duncan stopped the blow from going further by running the man through and tossing him backward, off his cousin.

Relief flowed through her as Jared pulled his katana free of its scabbard and continued fighting. Her own pressing issues surrounded her. She shoved her emotions to the back of her brain and allowed years of training and sparring to kick her reflexes into action.

Placing both hands on the railing of the catwalk, she swung herself up and over the fallen guard and landed both boots in the middle of the chest of the guard behind him, knocking him to the floor. She dispatched him cleanly with one of her short swords. The other two men were within striking distance, but she knew they couldn’t attack her at once. With both her swords drawn, she proved to the lead guard why two swords were better than one.