A Glimmer of Hope (The Avalon Chronicles #1)(99)

“It looks in good keeping.”

“Yeah, that’s the thing about the curse on a redcap: it means they age slowly. The property they do the ritual in also ages slowly. The grass almost never grows, there’s no dust or cobwebs. The reporter said that there’s a rumor in town that it’s cursed, as no birds fly over it.”

“You could have just told us this to begin with,” Diana said.

“Always show your work. No one would believe me if I just put that picture up and said it’s where Elias was. You’d have wanted proof. Now you have it.”

“I could kiss you,” Remy said. “I won’t, but the feeling is there.”

People filed out of the room in quick succession, leaving Layla behind. “You did good, Harry. Thank you.”

“I like it here. I like the people; I like feeling like I’m helping. I might ask if I can stay on. I think I can make a difference.”

“I think you’re right.” Layla walked around the table and hugged her friend. “I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you’re not hurt, and I’m really glad you’re my friend. Thank you. For everything.”

Harry winked. “Go help them kick the shit out of Elias. He deserves it. Then you can buy me a bottle of wine as thanks. Expensive red wine.”

“Deal.” Layla ran off, almost bumping into Tommy, which was useful because that was who she was looking for.

“I want to go with you,” she told him.

“I figured you might. You shouldn’t. You’re not a member of the team, but you’ve proved yourself over and over, so I’m willing to change my own rules. When this is done, would you consider working for me?”

“I don’t know. Ask me when it’s over.”

Tommy nodded that he understood. “Harry has a job here if he wants it, by the way. Human or not, his brain scares me.”

“It scares everyone, but he’ll like that.”

“I’ll talk to him. Let’s not start celebrating until Elias is done. One way or another.”

Layla nodded and ran off to get ready. This was going to be the last time she had to deal with Elias Wells. Like Tommy had said, one way or another.





36

It had taken several hours for an injured Elias to reach his home, even with Reyes’s help. They’d wanted to make sure they weren’t being followed, and so switched cars three times and drove through Wiltshire to get to Elias’s manor.

After that, an exhausted Elias just wanted to complete the ritual, and imbue himself with all of the power from the spirits he’d taken over the last few years. He’d stashed his hat at the manor a few days earlier, just in case plans went awry and Tommy’s people found it. The sight of it on the dining-room table had made his heart soar.

The ritual was complicated and took a day to complete, something he hadn’t the time to do while dealing with Layla and Chloe; rushing such an important thing was unwise. But now they were no longer in his custody, he wanted to get the ritual done as soon as possible. Retiring to his bedroom, he drew the necessary glyphs on the walls and floor, taking his time to get them correct, as he muttered the incantation over and over. During that time the ritual was in effect, he was completely helpless as the spirits he’d taken flooded his body. Once it was done, Elias slept for nearly twenty hours, and woke feeling refreshed and ready to fight an army.

Now that he was back to full strength, Elias was stronger, faster, and considerably more resistant to harm than he had been before. He pulled at his fingers, making each of them crack in turn.

Reyes politely coughed from Elias’s bedroom door. “Nergal wants you.”

“Excellent.” Elias followed his companion to the drawing room, to find Nergal’s face on the laptop screen.

“Elias, I assume you’re feeling well.”

“Better than I have in a long time.”

“You have failed me, Elias. Masako is in enemy hands, as is Shane. I have my own spies within Avalon; they are saying that Tommy will not allow Avalon access to them. Unfortunately, his wife is doing a good job of ensuring that doesn’t change.”

“You want me to go after Olivia Carpenter?”

“No, I’m just telling you exactly where you stand right now. As of this moment, you no longer work for me. You’ve failed to bring me the girl Layla, and frankly I believe that it would be easier for me to find another way to get to her father, or indeed spend time and effort in creating someone who has the same power. You’ve failed to do anything but fail. You even got Dara killed. You were a great asset to my team for a long time, Elias, but that time has come to an end.”

Rage bubbled up inside of Elias as he watched Nergal’s lips move.

“So, for those reasons, I think I need to cut you loose. If you manage to get out of the mess you’ve made, feel free to come back and beg for your job, but otherwise you’re either going to be dead or arrested. And if you get arrested, well, we’ll just have to make sure you keep quiet. I’m sorry it’s come to this.”

“You think I’d rat you out? You think that after all these decades of doing your shitty dirty work that I’d rat you out like some common punk thug? How dare you question me, Nergal, how dare you imply that I would be anything but loyal to you and the cause? You want to disavow me, fine, do it, but I’m not getting captured, and I’m sure as hell not getting arrested.