No question.

I was just grateful that he wasn’t commanding me to accompany him to Glencarrough. It was the headquarters of all shifters, located in Scotland. The security force there was a bit like a police force that made sure shifters followed the law. When someone did wrong against another pack, it was Glencarrough that stepped in. Only the strongest were on that security force, and Lachlan’s father had been more than strong.

“He made enemies there, I imagine,” I said.

“A few, probably.” He nodded. “I’m going to find out who, and if any of them are out of prison now.”

It wasn’t a bad theory. In fact, it was the best one we had so far. “Good luck. I’ll let you know if I get anywhere with the flower.”

He nodded, but his gaze looked doubtful. I was a little doubtful, too. But I’d never seen a flower like that. Surely it couldn’t grow in too many places in London.

15

Eve

 

Lachlan and I parted ways without another word, and I strode through the cemetery, passing my mother’s headstone with a twinge to my heart. I told myself I’d visit soon, using an invisibility potion. It was a good compromise.

When I reached the main courtyard, I avoided the coffee shop that had so enticed me and headed for the main part of town. I could grab one somewhere out of shifter territory.

As I walked, I pulled out my mobile and sent a quick text to Seraphia. As both a goddess of plants and a librarian, she was the perfect person to ask. She spent most nights in the Underworld at her mate’s castle. Hades would probably never adjust to living out in Guild City, but there was a portal connecting his realm to her library, so she commuted.

A few moments later, her return text informed me that she could open up early.

Thank fates.

I hurried through the streets, enjoying the quiet. I loved this town more than any place on earth, and the early morning hours were some of my favorites. The streets smelled of coffee and fresh bread as the bakeries and shops got up and running. I stopped in one of my favorites to get a chocolate pastry and a coffee, then kept moving, finally reaching Seraphia’s library. It was a small building, constructed of the dark timber frames and white plaster that were traditional on Tudor structures. The ancient diamond-pane windows revealed little of the interior.

I tried the handle, finding it still locked, but Serpahia appeared a few seconds later and opened the door. Her hair was messy and her makeup undone, and gratitude welled within me. “Thank you so much for showing up early,” I said.

“No problem.” She smiled and motioned me inside. “Come on.”

I entered the library, which was actually a massive space squeezed into Guild City with magic. The mixed scent of wood, paper, and leather welcomed me, and I breathed deeply. My footsteps echoed on the floor, and the place held the kind of holy silence that characterized the best libraries. The main atrium had a massive soaring dome for a ceiling, and hundreds of tall wooden bookshelves spread out from there.

“Do you have some paper and a pen?” I asked.

“Sure thing.” She drew me over to a small sitting room by the door. The space was cozy, with a fire blazing merrily in the hearth and a little desk in front of the window. I sat at the desk and took the pencil and paper she handed me, then got to work.

“I’m just going to get a coffee,” she said. “Do you want one?”

“Please.” I could definitely use another. And probably a third.

I worked quickly, trying to remember every detail of the flower. It wasn’t easy, but fortunately, I wasn’t a terrible artist. By the time Seraphia returned, I had a good enough picture. She handed me the coffee, and I showed her the paper, which she studied, frowning. “You’re no Darwin, but this isn’t bad. Where did you find the flower?”

“In the trouser cuff of the killer. Stuck there like he’d walked through a garden.”

“It’s a Helleborensius, a magical version of the Hellebore plant. They’re very rare.”

“That’s what I hoped. Do you know of anywhere they grow in London?”

“No, but I can try to find out.” Excitement glinted in her eyes. Seraphia loved a mystery just as much as I did. “Come on.”

I followed her back to the atrium, where the domed ceiling soared overhead. She waved a hand, and a massive fire flared to life, right in the middle of the tile floor.

The card catalog at Seraphia’s library was just a little different than other ones.

“Could you hold this?” She shoved her coffee into my hands without waiting for a response, then pulled a notepad from her pocket, along with a tiny stub of pencil. Quickly, she wrote a message on the paper, then tore it off and chucked it into the flames. She took her coffee back and sipped. “Shouldn’t be but a moment.”

I watched, my breath held, as smoke curled up from the fire in a slender spiral. It drifted back into the stacks, creating a faint ribbon for us to follow.

“Come on.” Seraphia started after the smoke, and I followed.

“What did you ask it for?”

“Any book that contained a mention of Helleborensius in London.”

I crossed my fingers that we would find it in our city.

The smoke led us around the library, pointing out book after book, and even a few rolled-up maps stored on a massive case at the back. When we’d collected our loot, Seraphia found us a table.

Together, we searched. And searched. And searched.

It was after noon by the time we finished, and my eyes burned from trying to read the tiny text. But my heart was light.

Seraphia grinned at me. “Well, that was productive.”

“Just one place in London.” I grinned. “Who would have thought?”

“With any luck, he lives there.”

The flower could only be found in Richmond Park, the largest Royal Park in London. It even had deer. The perfect place for a shifter to hide out.

I prayed he actually lived there. Even if Lachlan got the name of a recently released criminal that his father had put away, that still wouldn’t necessarily tell us where the bastard was hiding.

“Thank you, Seraphia. I can’t tell you how much this helps,” I said.

She reached across the table and gripped my hand. “Of course. Anything.” She frowned. “Are you sure you’re all right? You’ve seemed off lately.”

“Off?” I gave my voice a confused note, but I knew exactly what she was talking about. I felt like a fish out of water, a boat on dry land, a city after an earthquake. Things were so not right in my world.

“Yeah,” she said. “Just, a little different. Stressed.”

“I’m wanted for murder.”

“Yeah. And that’s a big deal, don’t get me wrong. But…”

I swallowed hard, the words wanting to escape: I’ve been lying about my species the whole time. It wasn’t the worst lie. I knew that. My friends were true friends. They’d understand my reasoning. It didn’t matter to them what I was.

“I’ll tell you when this is all over, all right?” And I meant it. The promise lifted a weight off my shoulders, and I grinned.

“All right. Just be careful, okay? Let us know if you need any more help.”