Wild Knight (Midnight Empire: The Tower #1)(48)

“And they’re paying me a lot of money to do it. I’ll have financial security for the first time since…” I trailed off. I hated referencing my mother’s death. It only served to remind me of a life that no longer existed.

Ione studied me the way she studied everything. My skin crawled. I didn’t like to be placed under a microscope by anyone, even a friend.

“The London I know would sooner starve than take money from vampires.”

“This London is bigger and therefore hungrier.”

“Speaking of hungry…” Stevie began, pointing across the street.

“Is it because you’re afraid of them? It’s fine to admit it. They’re House Lewis. They’re terrifying.”

I snuck a peek at her. “They are a little scary. And Prince Callan made it clear that no one says no to them.”

“What’s he like? I have to imagine with a nickname like the Highland Reckoning, he’s the scariest of them all.”

None of the words that came to mind seemed to adequately describe him. “He’s something.”

Barnaby returned without new information. Time to go.

We vacated the rooftop and headed to the restaurant. I felt frustrated. A single petal. That was my evidence of—what exactly? I couldn’t even confirm the presence of a wizard, let alone whether he was the same as the Gherkin wizard. It was pure speculation. The Gherkin wizard had tried to control a dragon’s fire and failed. This wizard wanted to control metal and succeeded. There seemed to be wizards in the heart of the city messing around with magic in a big way. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Whoever these wizards were, they likely had the missing stone and Davina, assuming she was still alive, which I did. If they’d killed her, her body would have been discovered alongside Maria’s. But why keep her alive? She had to be part of a grander plan.

My mind was too unfocused to form cohesive thoughts. I just watched someone melt an entire building simply because he could. I had to untangle this and I wouldn’t be able to rest until I pulled the threads as far as they could possibly go.





14





Kew Gardens, or the Royal Botanic Gardens, was the repository for most varieties of plants and trees in the realm. It was operated by a coven of witches employed by House Lewis. Jobs at Kew Gardens were highly sought after. They paid well and the work was gratifying—if you were into magic that supported plant life. As an earth witch, Neera had considered a job here once upon a time, but she couldn’t stomach the idea of working directly for vampires.

On the first Sunday of each month the gardens were open to the public and residents flocked to see species of plants they’d only read about in books. Kew housed over 50,000 kinds, which took quite a lot of magic to sustain. My mother and I visited once a year either on or close to her birthday until her death. After that the ritual ceased, but every so often I found myself outside the walls and wondering whether the lily pads were as large as ever or whether the pitcher plants were still eating flies.

It felt strange to be here now for an entirely different reason.

I waited patiently for the gardens to open, listening to the excited chatter around me. A mix of species had lined up for admittance today. As usual, there were few vampires, for which I was grateful.

Once inside the grounds, I toured the greenhouses and half listened to the description of how magic now supported the growth of plants. I knew the speech by heart. They hadn’t bothered to change it in over fifteen years.

I covered every inch of the grounds in search of a dark purple flower. I came across more than a dozen, but none that matched the one in my pocket.

I wasn’t ready to admit defeat.

Up ahead I saw the hedge maze that I’d skipped through as a child. Life had been hard then, too, but I hadn’t realized it. My mother had shielded me from the unpleasantness as best she could. When I was very young, teaching me magic had been a game, at least for me. Only when I grew older did she begin to reveal the stakes.

Past the maze was a wooded area with tall, majestic trees that survived the changes brought on by the Eternal Night. My mother would be happy to know they continued to watch over the gardens.

I listened to the excited shrieks of children as they ran through the maze. For a brief moment, time stood still. I wasn’t an adult with responsibilities. I was seven years old with a full belly and a head filled with glorious information. Even better, I wasn’t alone.

A woman approached me on the path. Her broad, slightly stooped shoulders were covered by an orange cloak that bore the emblem of Kew Gardens. On her name tag was written ‘Minerva.’

“Pardon me. Could I have a minute, Minerva?”

She stopped and stared down her long, narrow nose at me. “The tours are back the way you came.”

“I know. This isn’t that kind of question.”

She eyed me curiously. “Who are you?”

“London Hayes, Knight of Boudica.” I showed her my badge.

“You’re here on an assignment?”

I nodded. “On behalf of House Lewis.”

She recoiled. “How is that possible? Do they not realize…?”

I did the only thing I could think of to stop her from completing the sentence. I kicked her in the shin. Even though I didn’t see anyone within earshot, I couldn’t risk her being overheard.