She climbed off the bed. “He will not have it, and neither will the council. I need your car keys and money.”

“Of course.” He retrieved the cash from his wall safe, and brought it to her with the keys to his sedan. As she pocketed the money, he said, “I can provide you with an appropriate escort.”

“No, you can’t.” She pocketed the cash. “Before I came here I contacted Interpol. They already have most of your men in custody, and should be arriving here in a few minutes to arrest you. Good-bye, Guild Master.” She went to the door.

“Simone.” When she looked back at him, he said, “You already knew I serve Ramas.” As she nodded, he gestured at his face. “Then why go through the pretense?”

She looked at him, and for a moment he saw her father in her eyes. “I wanted to watch you squirm.” She walked out.

* * *

Simone parked Lechance’s car in a short-term lot at the airport, and at the international counter purchased her plane ticket with some of his money. Before going through security she detoured to the lavatory, donning the clothes of a casual traveler and slipping her passport into her pocket before she took the bag to the luggage claim office.

“Hello,” she said to the clerk, and placed the bag on the counter. “Someone left this in the restroom.”

“You are the honest one.” The clerk looked over the outside of the bag. “No tag. Ah, well, I’ll give it to the security people to check. Merci, mademoiselle.”

At the security station a bored guard had her walk through the metal detector before he checked her passport. “No carry-on today?”

“I checked it.” She covered a phony yawn with her hand. “I don’t need anything on the plane but a few hours of sleep.”

The guard eyed a woman and a shrieking toddler at the opposite station. “Bonne chance.”

Most of the expensive seats in the first-class section were unoccupied. Once the tourists and businesspeople had been packed into the back of the plane, a smiling flight attendant told Simone she could sit wherever she wished.

She chose a window seat in the corner and, once the flight attendant had finished her presentation of the emergency procedures, looked out at the glass-fronted terminal, where some friends and family of the passengers stood outside the entrance to the passenger gates, where they watched and waved at the plane. Among them stood a tall, broad-shouldered man with fair hair who held a little girl in his arms, and while he looked nothing like Korvel, the sight of him with the child gave her a strange sense of reassurance.

By tomorrow it would be done. Korvel and his people would be safe, and no father or child would ever again have to waste his or her life bearing the burden of Cristophe’s legacy.

The sunlight made her tired eyes burn, and Simone pulled down the window shade and settled back in the seat.

“Mademoiselle?” The attendant offered her a light blanket and a small pillow. “We will be landing in ten hours. Do you wish me to wake you for your meals?”

“Please.” Simone reached up to switch off the seat light.

Chapter 18

T

he water in the sink had turned red by the time Nick had finished washing up. She stared down at it as she reached and touched the back of her neck. “Man. I never thought I’d drink the Kool-Aid.” “You are not drinking at all.” Gabriel turned her to face him and dried off her throat and face. “You refused the bloodwine Korvel offered. Is it your throat? Does it still pain you?”

“My neck is fine. I didn’t need the blood.” She saw the way he looked at her. “Baby, I haven’t felt this good since the last time we were naked together. It feels like having great sex—well, sex is always great with you—but more like the after part. You know, when you want to cuddle and tell me how hot I am and I get all girlie.”

“Generally shooting yourself does not produce such feelings.” He pulled her close and held her tightly. “Korvel can track down his lady. You and I need to get away. As far from here as we can go.”

“Simone was the little girl in the videos.” Like most of the things that had been popping into her head for the last half hour, she didn’t know how she knew that. “We can’t walk away from this, baby. I can’t. Not until I get some closure. It’s what I need.”

After they both changed into clean clothes, Nick went out to help herself to some of the weapons. Korvel, who stood listening to the satellite phone, looked ready to rip off someone’s head. When he spoke, he said something in a version of English Nick didn’t understand. Her lover did, however, from the riveted look he gave the captain.

“What’s his deal?” she asked.

“I believe the high lord has recalled Korvel to Ireland.” Gabriel winced as the captain threw the phone through the window. “And it seems he has refused.”

“Forgive my show of temper, my lord,” Korvel said as he joined them. “You should know that I have broken faith with my master.”

“That means you told him to fuck off, right?” Nick grinned. “God, I wish I could have seen the look on his furry face.” She bumped her fist against his shoulder. “Way to go, big guy.”

“Nicola.” Gabriel gave her a disapproving glance. To Korvel he said, “When it comes to acts of malice, Richard has few equals. He will not allow your disobedience to go unpunished, Captain.”

“I have no intention of rejoining his household,” Korvel said. “Once I find Simone, I will retract my oath to Richard and offer my services elsewhere.”

“None of the sig-lords will touch you,” Nick guessed. “Everyone else is a big step down. Unless you’re open to something a little less conventional.” She nudged Gabriel with her elbow. “This would be when the unconventional lord in the room makes a job offer.”

“I have no territory or household,” Gabriel admitted. “No seneschal or tresora. My garrison consists of my sygkenis, who never obeys orders and seldom even follows my suggestions. Our work is always dangerous.”

“Honey.” Nick poked him. “We want him to take the job, not run away from it screaming into the night.”

“I would not run, my lady. My lord.” Korvel gave them each a deep bow of respect. “You honor me.”

“Likewise.” Nick knew Richard and his captain would have to make things official in person, but at least now Korvel knew he had somewhere to go. “So where do you think sis went?”

“Simone paid a visit to Rellen Lechance at his home,” Korvel said, and related the details of the call a council member had made to Richard. “According to Ramas, shortly after Simone left, Lechance was arrested by Interpol and taken to police headquarters for processing and questioning. Ramas believes Simone is responsible, but he doesn’t know where she has gone.”

Nick checked the time. “Do we have people in Interpol?”

“We have people everywhere,” Gabriel said.

Less than thirty minutes later they were shown into a private visiting room at police headquarters, where Rellen Lechance was brought in wearing a prisoner’s jumpsuit, chains, and handcuffs. As soon as he saw Gabriel he took a step back and lowered his hands in front of his crotch.

Nick smirked. “Awww. Look, honey. He remembers us.”

Lechance quickly recovered his poise and sat down at the desk while Korvel took the seat opposite it. The pane of safety glass that divided the entire room ran across the center of the visitor’s table, but a tinny intercom allowed the two men to talk.

“We will have to keep this brief,” Lechance said. “My attorney is waiting to have me released on a technicality—”

“Where is she?” Korvel demanded.

“Do you mean our friend Simone?” Lechance shrugged. “I would imagine she went back to her village. She never really liked the city, and, of course, the goats at the convent are still waiting to be milked.”

This time Gabriel looked at the agent, who inclined her head and left the room.

“I can’t watch this.” Nick turned and walked over to a map hanging on the wall, which showed the entire planet flattened and divided by longitude and latitude.

“Tell me where she went,” Korvel said.

“Why do you think she would tell me?” Lechance countered.

Nick idly rubbed the back of her neck. The grid lines on the map made the Earth appear like a giant’s game board. Maybe that’s all we are. God’s latest chess game. Richard the king, Gabriel the knight, Korvel the rook.

What was happening in the room faded as the sound of water rushed inside Nick’s ears, and a green darkness filled her eyes.

What will you be, little thief? a deep voice asked. A queen, or a pawn?

Nick felt a touch of the same madness that had made her put a hole in her own throat. The thing was back in her head, and while it wasn’t trying to take her over this time, she still came out swinging. You get out of my mind, you son of a bitch. I don’t play games.

You will, little thief. The alien presence winked out, like the flame of a candle being snuffed.

“Why did she come to you?” she heard Korvel say.

“She did not confide her motives to me, vampire.” He smiled. “Perhaps she tired of your company.”

Nick jumped as Korvel punched his fist through the glass and grabbed the assassin by the collar, hauling him across the desk. The scent of larkspur on fire flooded the room. “You will tell me what I wish to know.”

Lechance’s eyes lost their focus. “Simone came to me for my car and money so she could pursue Pájaro. She also humiliated me into betraying my master, but she already knew he was Padrone Ramas. They spoke on the phone.” He sighed. “He is going to be very angry with me.”

“Repeat exactly what Simone said to Ramas.” Korvel listened carefully to every word Lechance said before he demanded, “Where is this cross?”

“No one knows but Pájaro and Helada.” He frowned. “Why didn’t she blind me? Her father would have, if he let me live. Which he would not have done. He was quite ruthless about such things—”