Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(129)

“Yes, the Order of Galahad,” Niles replied.

Niko laughed. “Why would the Order have anything to do with Donovan? He’s a vampire, not a demon. They try not to get involved in our politics.”

They argued back and forth for a few moments, and I took the time to look at a door on the far wall. It was a dark wooden door with a lock on it, which I found odd because it was an interior room. I’ve learned over the years that locks in strange places are the equivalent to an X marking the spot where a thief can find treasure. I let my hand touch the rich carpet underneath me. I was sure it was Persian and old but more important, carpet tended to mask the sounds a thief made when she crept across a room to get to where she needed to go. I figured Louis’s bedroom was behind the lovely French doors on the opposite side of the room to the office door. I would need to get from the bed to the office without light of any kind and making absolutely no sound.

“Zoey,” Louis barked.

I brought my head up. “What?” I assumed barking my name meant I was allowed to speak.

“Have you listened to a word I have said?” he asked, looking down at me.

“No.”

The others laughed but Louis did not look amused. I would have to remember that he thought everything he said was important so I had to listen. It wouldn’t be easy for me because I tended to go a little bit ADD whenever…well, whenever I was awake, to tell the truth. Danny and Dev thought it was a cute quirk, but Louis obviously found it annoying.

“I’m sorry,” I offered with wide eyes.

“I asked you a question,” he explained. “I asked if you knew of any reason why the Order of Galahad would choose to work with Donovan.”

“I can tell you,” a familiar voice said from the doorway. My heart stopped as Marcus walked into the room. I felt Louis tense.

“Mar…” I started to say.

“Not a word, Zoey. You will obey me or I’ll take it out on the prince’s hide,” Louis said close to my ear. “Now go sit on the couch.”

I did as he asked and felt Marcus’s eyes on me the whole time I moved. He was dressed as the rest were in a dark, tailored suit. His silk tie was a vibrant blue and his shoes were none the worse for having come through the catacombs. He looked imminently competent, which was an illusion since the idiot had walked into the snake’s den.

“Nice of you to join us, Marcus,” Louis said smoothly, acknowledging the Council member. “We’ve missed you.”

Marcus’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I was at my villa on Poveglia. It has no means of communication. I was quite surprised by the turn of events when I returned to Venice. I got here as soon as I could. When can I take Zoey home with me?”

Louis laughed at the question. “When you do the job you were contracted to do. I promised to give you the girl if you brought down Donovan. He’s isn’t down, Marcus. Far from it. He’s taking his targets with ease. Now answer the question. Why is the Order working with Donovan?”

Marcus shrugged. “Because he has the sword.”

Now everyone was talking at once and in several different languages. They all seemed extremely upset at the prospect of Daniel having Excalibur. Elof and Marcus got into a heated exchange, and I saw Louis stand and walk to the door. He opened it briefly, spoke to the guard outside, and then returned.

“Stop it,” he exclaimed in English, which seemed to be the language of compromise. When they were all together they spoke English rather than their own languages. “Marcus, you are certain Donovan possesses the sword known as Excalibur?”

“I haven’t seen him in weeks. I’m only certain that the Order of Galahad believes it.”

“And they are now listening to Donovan?”

The Italian laughed at that. “They aren’t listening to him, Louis. They’re obeying his every order. They have proclaimed our Nex Apparatus to be the next King of the Sword and they will follow their liege.”

Louis ran his hand across his face in a weary gesture. “That f*cking demon should have told me.”

So Stewart had very likely stayed true to the letter of law Lucifer had set down regarding Daniel and the Council. It disappointed me because I really would like to think about Stewart being punished by the big guy.

Louis paced the floor. “How did we not see this? Haven’t we had a spy on Donovan since he left the Council? Nowhere in his reports did he mention that Donovan was doing anything like this.”

“I believe you will discover that Michael House is no longer in Dallas,” Marcus offered. “From the reports I’ve received, he recently joined his king in London. You’ll find that many of your influential vampires are now at the Order’s headquarters.”

“I was a fool not to execute him the minute he set foot in the catacombs,” Louis said under his breath.

“I believe I mentioned it at the time.” Niles looked a little bit green.

I deeply enjoyed the rampaging fear that was running through the room at the thought of Daniel and his army. They didn’t even know about the wolves, the alliance of shifters, or the Fae army that would soon be breathing down their necks.

“I know how we can convince Donovan to come out into the open,” Marcus offered.

Louis’s eyes were suspicious and I wanted to yell at Marcus to be careful. The door opened and Chad entered. His eyes were strangely bright, lit with something close to glee. He took his place near Marini but said nothing.