Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 857(@200wpm)___ 686(@250wpm)___ 572(@300wpm)
“A secret society,” Kingston said, wiggling his fingers at her.
“It started in 1868, and I was invited in because they were missing a Sagittarius.”
“But you’re a Taurus,” she said automatically. He’d only told her part of this story and only in reference to what was coming. Likely he’d wanted her questions to be organic. So very Graves.
“Ah, but he’s a winter king. Don’t you know?” Kingston said with a laugh.
Andrew giggled and polished off another vodka tonic.
“Why am I not surprised to find out that you were in a secret society?”
Graves and Kingston exchanged a look. “Several,” Kingston said.
For a moment, she could see Graves questioning if this was the right course of action. The only other person who knew him like Kingston was Lorcan. Look at how well that had gone.
And for the first time, she was glad to have told Lorcan about it. Sure, he deserved to kill Kingston after killing his family. But she hadn’t thought Graves would hesitate to do what must be done even when he and Lorcan had both suggested he might. Now she wasn’t sure.
“I still have access to the private room,” Graves said with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t think you ever had the pleasure.”
“You were much too secretive about it,” Kingston said. Kierse saw the envy in his eyes. A covetous thing. “Why don’t we go?”
“I’m sure I still have a bottle of wine down there. They don’t make it like that anymore,” Graves said as he guided them through the library.
The entrance was obstructed by a chain that kept anyone from entering the spiral staircase hidden behind trick bookshelves. A regular patron could see the concealed stairs but not go up or down. It was part of the appeal and a way to keep the library safe from sticky fingers.
Graves pressed them into an opposite side of the library. He slid a book out of the shelf, and inside was a trick that let the bookshelf slide open. He winked at her as they slipped into the darkness and down the spiral staircase instead of up into the cavernous library above them.
A second heavy bronze door was sealed shut as they reached the bottom. Graves inserted a matching key, turning the circular bank vault handle and tugging the thing free. He flipped the Edison bulbs on, revealing a bright-red room to match the library above. It was set with a long table set for twelve. Wine bottles were arranged on one side inside crisscrossed wooden holders. Ancient texts covered the other walls. The air was thick with magic.
As if the pedestrian human side was on showcase above but the magical side was here on display before the acclaimed Zodiac Club.
“Excellent,” Kingston said, following them inside and striding to the artwork on the opposite wall with Andrew at his heels. “Oh, this was lost!”
“Been here all along,” Graves said.
Kierse’s eyes shot to the entrance, waiting. Bram appeared then, stepping inside the room and folding his arms across his chest before a bookcase. He nodded his head to let her know Walter was in place, too. He had been before the party even started. He was key for this to work.
“What’s this?” Kingston asked with an amused look on his face. “I’ve seen your face before.”
“Have you?” Bram asked with a lifted chin. “We’ve crossed paths.”
“You’re with that little Scottish band of monster hunters,” Kingston said. He put his hand out for Andrew, who took it easily, taking up a position at Kingston’s back.
“That’s right.”
Kingston looked between them, taking stock of what that would mean. “What is this, Graves?”
Then their final figure appeared, ducking his head and looking like a legendary knight as he filled the doorway. His hand was on his sword. The look in his eyes was one of pure murder as he raised them to meet his adversary.
“Sorry I’m late,” Lorcan said.
Kingston wrinkled his nose. “I’m less than pleased to see Druid scum. I thought you would have taken care of this problem ages ago.”
“Dealing with a different problem at present,” Graves told him as the door closed and sealed shut.
“Ah,” Kingston said, his hand going protectively to Andrew. “I suspected we might have a problem, considering you have your new warlock hunter at your side, and you’re going around killing warlocks. Is that what this is?”
Kingston tsked at them. Then he put his hand out as if he were going to draw a door for him and Andrew to casually walk through.
“I don’t think that’s going to work for us.”
Then he pulled forward…and nothing happened. No portal appeared. Kingston was trapped.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Kingston’s expression was one of deep shock and then utter fury. “What have you done?” he snarled at Graves. The gold of his magic swept up and around them, dissipating in an ineffective cloud.
“You’re known to flee at the barest provocation. So I took matters into my own hands,” Graves said. He touched the center of the ruby that held his gold chain up. “I wouldn’t bother with your persuasion, either. It isn’t going to work on anyone in this room.”