The Masked City (The Invisible Library #2)(37)
‘Johnson,’ Silver said smoothly, ‘see Mr Vale out. Ensure that he comes to no harm.’
Johnson sidled past her, as quiet as a shadow. The door opened and shut again in a breath of air.
Now Irene had an amused Silver in front of her, and Kai to worry about. And she didn’t like being alone with the totally untrustworthy Silver. The thought of sharing this whole enterprise with him was less than enthralling. Or, rather, enthralling might be the problem if he decided to use his Fae wiles on her again.
Silver was still considering Vale’s parting shot. ‘Charming as it would be if he met with some accident, I fear he will leave untouched. Would you like him to?’ He looked at her from under his eyelashes. ‘He was most crassly rude to you, my little mouse, and you are under my protection at the moment.’
‘I’m more concerned at Kai’s predicament than any offence Vale may have given or taken,’ Irene said sharply.
Silver sighed. ‘Would that I had longer to enjoy your company, but we must get ready for the voyage. This is the sort of thing that Lord Guantes has his lady for, besides the fact that she can actually keep him to one plan at a time. I cannot understand how she enjoys the details quite so much.’ He yawned lavishly. ‘Johnson will be back in a moment, and he will leave you to the maids while he dresses me. You can carry one of the bags. I trust that you can carry a bag, my mouse?’
‘With the utmost decorum,’ Irene said. Part of her mind was considering the remark about Lady Guantes. The reference to ‘actually keeping him to one plan at a time’ was intriguing. Could it be that Lord Guantes was as distractible as Silver? And could she use that? The rest of her mind was focused on clenching her teeth and keeping her temper. For the moment, she had to play along. ‘But since you’ve got your way and I’m accompanying you to Venice, I do have a question. Why did they take Kai to this Venice, of all places?’
‘Well now.’ Silver considered a moment. ‘There are very few places where they could be sure of restraining him while at the same time keeping him alive. It also required a world that a number of Fae could access with relative ease. And it needed to have the facilities to host the big display that is being laid on for us. Hence the train being provided so that we may get there, my mouse, my Librarian, my lady. Hence this little jaunt.’
Suddenly all that tension and anger were back again full force, twisting in Irene’s belly. It took an effort to keep her voice calm. ‘I don’t understand. What do you mean?’
‘Why, Kai’s to be auctioned, my pet. To the highest bidder.’ Silver tossed back the last of the brandy and set the glass down with a clink. ‘And we must hurry if we are to get there in time.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Paddington Station at night was full of sparks and brilliance, and the grumble and screech of arriving and departing trains. The great curve of the steel-and-glass roof overhead was lined with harsh white lamps, which threw people’s shadows in black pools on the floor. From time to time, singed pigeon feathers drifted down. Irene huddled with Silver’s half-dozen other servants, a maid’s long white apron and black dress tight and cumbersome on top of her business suit, and tried not to grunt at the weight of the bags she was dragging behind her. In view of the severe lack of time, Silver had abandoned any attempts to restyle and colour her hair naturally, and had instead disdainfully handed her a blonde wig with the tips of his fingers. Hopefully that would be enough, together with a short veil, to conceal her from Lady Guantes at the railway station. Irene would have to work out a better way to hide herself later.
The wig itched. The bracelets that Silver had given her to wear chafed, and the Library brand across her shoulders smarted. No doubt the dragon pendant would be itching shortly as well, just as soon as it identified the worst possible moment to do so.
She wanted to know exactly what Silver had in his bags. Solid gold bars, by the weight of them. Or possibly heavy steel shackles, for use in chaining up dragons, Librarians and other inconveniences.
No, she wasn’t happy about this at all.
The evening crowd could best be described as a screaming mob. Apparently the incoming Fae train had been arranged with the station staff at short notice - where ‘arranged’ meant ‘informed them it would be arriving, leaving them with the job of preventing a major accident’. Half the usual trains had been thrown off-schedule, and the other half were arriving at different platforms from normal. Passengers were running in all directions, grabbing guards and demanding directions, or simply throwing public hysterics. One young man had given up, piled his bags in the middle of the floor and was reclining on them while eating a ham sandwich.
The crowd parted as Silver strode forward, his coat flaring dramatically and a riding crop held negligently in his left hand. The group of servants and maids, Irene among them, shuffled in his wake.
Fortunately the train was due to arrive at one of the closer platforms, and a space was being kept empty there by the strenuous efforts of several thuggish men. All of them had the identifying hairy palms and heavy eyebrows of a werewolf, something that Irene was growing far too used to. She hoped none of them had smelled her previously. And in the centre of her protected circle stood a woman whom Irene recognized from Li Ming’s picture. It had to be Lady Guantes. Although she was dressed in the style of this alternate, she was unmistakeable. She might not have the heart-stirring allure of a Fae like Silver, but she had a serenity that translated into its own kind of attraction. Her eyes were mild, her hair was pinned neatly under her hat and her dress was stylish. It might even be haute couture, yet it wasn’t overdone. On top of it all, she looked positively … nice. Reasonable. Understanding.