Damn it.

“You’d be nervous, too, if you knew what I knew.” I waved my hand, gesturing for him to follow. “Come. We will discuss it.”

He stood, his chair scraping backward quietly. “How do you know that I will follow?”

I looked back at him and smiled, hoping it was mysterious. Confident. “But of course you will.”

I descended the stairs, praying.

When I reached the ground below, I felt his presence at my side. I hurried forward, trying to keep him from touching me.

I wanted him. I couldn’t help it. He was Grey, in a sense.

And yet he wasn't, and it felt disloyal.

Fortunately, he was polite, though that didn’t stop him from leaning down and whispering against my ear, “How do you know where my chambers are?”

I shivered at the feeling of his warm breath, heat flushing through me. “I have my ways.”

I strode through the club, and the patrons parted like water to let me pass. It was so unlike when I’d had to push my way through the crowd, and I knew that I had the Devil at my back to thank for that.

We reached the exit of the club and slipped out into the quiet hall. I started down the hall, the Devil at my side.

Tension tightened the air between us.

“How do I know I can I trust you?” His voice murmured low.

“Does it matter?” I looked up at him, smiling. “You are stronger.”

“Perhaps.” He shrugged lightly, his gaze moving over me. It flared with heat. “But I’ve learned not to underestimate others. Particularly women.”

We reached the door to his flat. It was time. I was going to touch him. To seduce him—at least a little. It was part of the plan.

My heart raced.

I pushed him against the door, my gaze on his lips. Heat flared, an atom bomb of attraction exploding in the space between us.

“It’s wise not to underestimate me.” I looked at his lips, leaning up slowly.

His hands came to my waist, gripping firmly. I shivered at the familiar touch.

Before my lips could reach his, the door behind him opened. I caught sight of my Grey standing behind him. He reached up with a cloth and pressed it over the other’s mouth, pulling him back into the room.

Briefly, he struggled, but the potion soaking the cloth was enough to knock him out for days. He collapsed against Grey, who dragged him inside. I followed, shutting the door behind me.

The interior of the flat was quite different than I remembered. The same massive window revealed a view of a windswept desert, and the bookshelves were still there, but the furniture was older and more staid, fussier than the Grey I knew. But then, everything during this time period had been fussier.

“Where will you put him?” I asked. The potion was supposed to last for at least two days, and he’d wake with little memory of the preceding hours.

“In the second bedroom.” He heaved the body into his arms and strode in that direction.

I followed him.

Grey delivered the body to the smaller bed, then stared at the younger man for a moment too long.

“Weird to see yourself like this, isn’t it?” I asked.

“It is. But…that’s not what’s so strange.” He looked down at me. “I remember this now. Waking up in this bed chamber, confused about why I was here. And realizing that two days had passed.”

“What?” My heart raced. “Really?”

He nodded. “I’d forgotten it along the years, chalking it up to an excess of drink, though that was never my inclination. But now that I stand here and witness myself lying in this bed, I remember it.”

“That’s wild.” We had proof that we were integrated into the past. “Does that mean we succeeded when we were here?”

“I do not know, unfortunately.”

I nodded. We’d just have to continue forth and pray this worked. With one last look at the prone body of the former Grey, I left the room, passing Grey’s usual bedroom and spotting an enormous bed draped in heavy fabric. The large window still provided a magical view of the snow-covered mountains of Carpathia, but like the rest of the flat, the decor was massively different.

I strolled over to the window, drawn by the cold, bleak landscape. It reminded me of Grey when I’d first met him.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

I looked back at him. “Parts of it, yes. It’s beautiful.”

“Of all the things in this flat, it most reminds me of home.” He joined me, staring at the view and seeming to draw energy from it.

“It speaks to you, doesn’t it?”

He nodded. “It feeds my soul, I think.”

“I can see how that might be. Just like some people are rejuvenated by the seashore, this is what works for you.”

“Yes. Precisely.”

I smiled at him, then returned to the main living room and sat on the couch.

“Ugh.” I shifted, looking up at Grey, who had followed me. “Very uncomfortable.”

“That is one thing I appreciate about the present. The conveniences are far nicer.” He strode to the bookshelf and inspected it. “We need a plan.”

He was right. We’d come to the end of what we’d been able to map out before arrival. Now that we were here, we needed to seek the clues the book promised. So far, none of the things I’d seen had been surrounded by a faint glow of magic like Seraphia had said.

I pulled the book from my pocket and opened it, studying the page. The text was still strange and unreadable, but the memory of the woman flashed into my mind.

I looked up at Grey. “When I touched Rasla, I used my power. Tried to find a way to get the information we needed. And I saw a woman. Older, holding a mop.”

“A cleaning woman?”

“I think so.” I searched my memory of her. She looked nothing like Rasla, so I doubted she was family. “But a cleaning woman would know quite a lot about her boss, wouldn’t she?”

“Indeed. If it was his housekeeper, she might know what we are looking for.”

I closed my eyes and searched the image of her. It felt burned into my mind, and I prayed that I might recall a helpful detail. Her eyes…they were the loveliest shade of blue.

“How do we reach her?” I asked.

“I will call my second in command to come here. We can inquire. If he does not know, he can find the information.”

“Do you remember who your second is?” I couldn’t imagine remembering so many people over so many years.

“Honestly, I do not.” Concern flickered in his eyes. “If I don’t recognize him, I will just have to fake it.”

12

Grey

I rose and walked to the door. A series of bells hung alongside the wall, and I pulled the one that corresponded to my second’s station—I hoped.

A few moments later, a faint knock sounded at the door. I opened it, and a slim, middle-aged man stood there. His fair hair was swept neatly off his forehead, and his suit was immaculately pressed, the buckles on his shoes shining brilliantly.

Recognition flared.

“My lord.” He bowed.

“Clarence.” I stepped back, gesturing for him to enter. I waved toward Carrow. “Please meet Madam Clifton. She is visiting for a short while.”

Clarence’s eyes shot toward her and widened for the briefest moment.

He was surprised that a woman was here, of course. I rarely allowed women into my chambers, now or in the present.

Clarence turned toward me. “What can I do for you, my lord? Was the club not satisfactory tonight?”

“I am looking for information about a woman. The housekeeper of Councilor Rasla, I believe. An older woman with…” I looked toward Carrow.

She filled in the details. “With brilliant blue eyes.”

Clarence nodded, his own eyes brightening. “Ah, yes. Mrs. Birch-Cleve. She recently left her post, I believe.”

Of course. I remembered now. Clarence had been an insatiable gossip, which had proved extremely useful for me in the past. He’d kept tabs on the goings-on in the houses of all the Council members and important people in town.

“Would you know where to find this Mrs. Birch-Cleve?” I asked.

Clarence nodded. “I’m sure I could find her quite quickly, my lord.”

“Thank you.” We’d need a bit more time to plan. “Could you please bring us a late meal?”

He bowed. “Of course. It will be here momentarily.”

He disappeared quickly and quietly. I turned to Carrow. “That’s our woman. We can visit her tomorrow morning.”

Carrow nodded, frowning. “Would the Devil of Darkvale normally visit a housekeeper?”

“No, excellent point.” I tapped a finger to my lips. “Perhaps it’s better if she comes here. But how? She’d likely be too afraid to visit me.”

“I have just the thing.” Carrow reached into her pocket and withdrew a small object, holding it out to me. “This is Councilor Rasla’s seal. We can send her a letter using it. She’ll think she’s returning to her employer.”

“Excellent.” I looked around my rooms. “She should not visit here. I’d hate to confuse the past version of myself if someone mentions her visit.”

Carrow nodded. “What’s a neutral meeting point in old Guild City?”

“The Mages’ coffee shop. We can get a private room there.”

“Perfect.”

I stood and went to the writing desk in the corner, drawing out a piece of paper and a quill. It took a moment to become adjusted to the quill again. Damn, pens were superior. I composed a short letter to the housekeeper. When I finished, Carrow handed me the seal.

It came as second nature to find the wax and flame, creating a hot puddle on the folded parchment. I pressed the seal into it, then handed it back to Carrow. “That should do it.”

A knock sounded at the door, and I went to answer it, the letter in my hand.

Clarence stood at the door, a maid at his side. Each carried a tray, and I permitted them entrance. They placed their burdens on the large table near the bookshelf, and the maid curtsied and scurried out.