‘About?’
He licked his lips nervously. ‘Thirty seven minutes past four.’
‘So not half past four at all then. Fool.’ She turned her attention back to Aubrey. ‘If the birds are not back in the Tower by sunrise, the city will fall.’
I started. She believed in the prophecy.
‘I’ll free them immediately.’
‘See that you do.’ She flicked me a glance over her shoulder. ‘I trust we are done here now.’
I stood my ground. ‘Not until I see the ravens freed for myself.’
Natalia tapped her foot impatiently. ‘Very well then.’
Aubrey jerked a hand towards Vincent. ‘Get them. Get the birds.’
‘No. You are going to do it.’
His face suffused with humiliation. ‘As you wish, my Lady.’
We all watched as he turned and walked stiffly back into the house. I debated whether to engage Natalia in further conversation. Eventually I decided against it. This wasn’t a person I wished to get to know better.
It didn’t take long for Aubrey to emerge back out again. He was awkwardly carrying a cage which left very little room for any of the birds to manoeuvre.
‘Corux demands to be freed instantly!’ my old friend squawked. ‘Corux is a celebrity!’
‘Corux will get his fucking head snapped off if he doesn’t shut up,’ Natalia muttered.
At her gesture, Aubrey opened the cage. All seven birds flew up, not waiting for their bid for freedom to be snatched away again. Corux circled round our heads. ‘Fools! You’re all fools!’ He flapped his wings, angled himself over Aubrey and took on the most peculiar expression. A second later, I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to hide my grin. Corux’s droppings oozed down Aubrey’s cheek.
‘You deserved that,’ Natalia told him. ‘Get inside. All of you.’
Within moments all the vampires melted away. I was pleased to note that several of them looked the worse for wear and were limping inside, one after the other. Natalia waited until they’d all gone, then she looked at me. ‘Come here again, shapeshifter, and I will finish you.’ She threw out her cloak behind her and stalked in after the rest.
Casualties? I threw out, unconcerned with her threat. Is everyone still with us?
A chorus of answering Voices returned. No deaths. Some of us were hurting but, considering everything that had just happened, we were relatively unscathed. All the same, the silver the vampires had employed was going to leave some scars.
Let’s get the hell out of here.
*
What I really wanted to do was sleep. In our absence, however, the Arch-Mage had left several messages requiring my presence at the Ministry at my earliest convenience. As tempted as I was to leave him hanging, he had helped me out with the guards at the Tower. I laid out a suit on the bed and wandered into the bathroom for a steaming hot shower first. He could wait another thirty minutes. He’d appreciate me looking smart to meet with him, if nothing else. I soaped myself down and hummed. I hadn’t expected another vampire to help us out. All the same, I decided I’d rather deal with Aubrey’s mercurial and unpredictable nature than ever see Lady Natalia again.
Finally warm and finally clean, I padded back out with a towel wrapped loosely round my waist. I reached down to grab the trousers and paused, my hand hovering in midair. I blinked and looked around the room. Perhaps I’d suffered more lasting effects from this night than I’d realised. The suit I thought I’d left ready and waiting had completely vanished. How odd.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I met the Arch-Mage at the gates to the Ministry. He bowed formally. ‘Good to see you, Corrigan. How are things?’
‘Peachy,’ I said, smiling back. ‘What can I do for you?’
‘I hear you’re making considerable headway with your cumbersome rules. It’s a good idea, you know, to try and slim them down into more manageable chunks. A lot of our mages enjoy our more archaic laws.’ He leaned forward. ‘Do you know we actually have a law that states it’s illegal to cross paths with a black cat while carrying a bottle of milk on All Hallow’s Eve?’
‘Well, we’re good at working together,’ I said calmly, ‘as it’s part of our nature. What favour do you require?’
He ignored my question. ‘And just what were you doing at the Tower of London? Dear boy, breaking into the bastion of the city’s wealth was hardly a smart move. What on earth was all it about?’
I was growing tired of his delaying tactics. ‘Spit it out, would you? I’m a busy man.’
He gazed at me from under his bushy eyebrows. ‘Very well then. We have a problem with the vampires.’
I closed my eyes momentarily. He had to be kidding me. The last thing I wanted to do was to embroil myself further with the bloodsuckers. ‘What kind of problem?’ I asked finally.
‘Well, you see the statue which your young Mackenzie returned to their house...’
‘The Palladium?’
‘That’s the one. She wasn’t entirely telling you the whole story when she spoke about it before.’
That was hardly news. ‘Go on,’ I said, grimly.
‘Well, to cut a long story short, she swapped it for another similar statue belonging to the vampires. It’s called the Ancile and possesses particularly dangerous properties.’
I tightened my mouth. At least that explained all her sneaking around at the gathering. ‘Why?’
He waved an airy hand in the air. ‘The whys and wherefores are not important. It was at Mage Floride’s behest and I have already spoken to him on the matter. We have the Ancile back in our possession. Suffice it to say that Floride also recovered the Palladium from the wraith’s home and therefore incurred its wrath in the process. It would no longer be an issue except it appears the vampires are rather keen that we have the Palladium back too.’
I raised my eyes to the heavens. It would solve Aubrey’s problem with Lady Natalia, I supposed. ‘Of course they are,’ I said sighing. ‘So take it back. What’s the issue?’
‘I shouldn’t think I would have to remind you of the small matter of the wraith,’ he said stiffly.
‘I don’t think I’m in a position to help you with ghostly creatures who can’t be physically touched,’ I pointed out. ‘You were doing a far better job of that than I was.’
There was a flash of pleasure in his eyes. ‘Just so. But either way, we would rather not have to deal with the creature at all.’
‘Given recent events, I’m not sure I’m the best person to help conduct negotiations with the vampires,’ I told him.
‘Oh, come, come,’ he scoffed. ‘You were the one who arranged the gatherings in the first place! Besides, my dear Lord Corrigan, you owe me.’
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. ‘Isn’t there some other way you’d like me to repay that favour? Just tell Aubrey you’re not going to take the bloody statue back.’
‘He is being rather insistent.’
I thought of Natalia. It was no wonder. ‘All the same...’
He cleared his throat. ‘Look, Corrigan, in all seriousness, I am in a spot of bother. There are factions here at the Ministry who don’t particularly agree with my leadership. It’s part of the reason why I withdrew our support from you earlier in the year. They were most ... insistent.’
‘It’s no issue of mine what happens with Ministry politics.’
‘It will be when you have a traditionalist as Arch-Mage to deal with. I think you’ll find all your modernisation plans considerably harder to put into place when the Ministry is set against them.’
I growled. The Ministry would have no sway with the Brethren. They could withdraw their help all they wished; we were never going to allow ourselves to be held to their standards. The only laws that mattered to us were the shapeshifter ones. Still, there was a peculiar note of anxiety flickering in the Arch-Mage’s expression. Better the devil you know, I supposed.
‘Very well,’ I said with a heavy sigh. ‘I will approach the vampires directl
y.’
His relief was unmistakeable. ‘Fantastic. Now if...’
‘Arch-Mage! Arch-Mage!’
We both turned. A young looking mage with dishevelled robes flapping around him was running in our direction. His eyes were white and panicked. ‘There’s been an attack on the Academy!’
Sweet Jesus. Mack was there. ‘What kind of attack? Who? Has anyone been hurt?’
‘One would think you cared deeply about our student Initiates, Lord Corrigan,’ the Arch-Mage murmured.
I threw him an irritated look as the breathless mage finally reached us. He doubled over while I stared at him impatiently. ‘For goodness’ sake!’ I snapped. ‘Tell us what happened!’ I knew Mack had an anger management session this morning but with the mages’ portals she had probably returned by now. Anything could have happened to her.
‘Vampire,’ he gasped. ‘It was a vampire.’
At least it wasn’t the damned wraith. I exchanged glances with the Arch-Mage. He immediately flicked his fingers and a glowing portal appeared. ‘It appears,’ he said drily, ‘that you won’t need to go to the vampires, after all.’ He gestured towards the gateway.
I didn’t wait another second; I simply sucked in a breath and leapt in.
The sight that greeted me was not at all what I’d expected. There was no sign of any vampire, Aubrey or otherwise. There was, however, a prone mage lying flat on his back on the ground. As far as I could tell, he was merely stunned. He wasn’t what really caught my attention, however. Neither was the silent group of young, wide-eyed mages standing to the side or even the unwelcome presence of the small wooden statue lying several metres away. It was the sneering mage whom Mack had pinned down between her legs who caught my attention. She was staring at him with a mixture of hatred, fury and utter bewilderment. In that moment, I had absolutely no idea what she was about to do next. All I did know was that if she hurt a mage – especially one who appeared as high-ranking as this one- then there would be a whole heap of hell to have to pay for.
Before she could register my presence, I moved up and locked my arms around her body, pulling her off the mage. Surprisingly, she didn’t resist. In fact, I rather had the impression that she was relieved to see me. It didn’t change my concern for what direction her anger had taken her in, however.
‘I might have known that yet again you’d be at the centre of all this,’ I said in her ear, keeping my voice low.
The Arch-Mage was right on my heels. ‘What exactly is going on here?’ he demanded, staring from Mack to the mages on the ground and back again.
Mack took a breath to answer. I thought the black robed mage she’d had locked down was going to beat her to it but the Arch-Mage held up a single digit and pointed instead to the group of pale-faced mages who were standing to one side as if they were at a stadium arena. He jerked his head at one of the older ones.
‘Mage Slocombe, pray tell, exactly what has transpired here?’
I had to admit that I was rather impressed at the cold tone the Arch-Mage managed to muster. I had thought, up till now, that he had rather disliked me, tolerating my presence instead of enjoying it. Hearing him speak to this weasel-faced mage, I realised I’d been very wrong.
‘Err...well, Your Magnificence, the vampires arrived out of nowhere, demanding that we take back some statue. They said that it was all her fault.’ The way he said’her’ had me bristling in anger. There was no doubt that he was referring to Mack. I kept a tight grip on her, ostensibly to stop her from attacking him. Truthfully, it was stopping me from punching him in the face too. ‘That she’d stolen the original and put something in its place. The Dean struck her so that she bled and the vampire leader could test her blood to prove that it had been her but Mage Thomas didn’t think it was, er, appropriate for him to have done so and he attacked.’
If I’d been worried and angry before, it was nothing compared to what I felt now. What kind of school was this where teachers allowed vampires to suck on their students? The idea of Aubrey – or someone else – tasting Mack’s blood made me boil with rage. It didn’t help that it appeared the unconscious mage who’d come to Mack’s defence was Thomas – the one the Arch-Mage had implied would be a good match for her.
‘I see,’ said the Arch-Mage slowly. ‘I had rather hoped that the Lord Alpha and I were going to be able to defuse the situation before it got to this. So where are the vampires now?’
Against my chest, Mack’s body jerked. Her head snapped round from side to side. She obviously hadn’t realised that the vampires had vanished. Out of everything that was happening, that probably pissed me off the most. The poor excuse for a school head whom she had knocked down was one thing, but to turn your back on your real enemy was something else entirely. She knew that Aubrey was dangerous and yet she hadn’t even realised that he’d left. She should have known better than that.
The Arch-Mage met my eyes, silently conveying to me with one raised eyebrow – and a gleam of satisfaction - that this Dean was one of the thorns in his side. ‘Fine,’ he intoned. ‘Have the Dean escorted to his office and Mage Thomas to the infirmary. Mage Slocombe, if you would be so kind as to retrieve the statue and place it in the academy safe until we can work out what to do with it, then that would be most appreciated.’
I supposed I should be grateful that he wasn’t palming the damn thing off to me. Still, I did feel some sympathy for Mage Slocombe. Whoever he was, he appeared terrified at having to touch the Palladium.
‘I must protest!’ interrupted the Dean. ‘I have done nothing but keep order here and attempt to sort out the situation that she has created.’
Instantly worried that Mack was going to do something stupid, I used my Voice to keep control of the situation. Stay calm.
I am fucking calm, she instantly answered. It’s everyone else that’s going nuts.
She actually had a point there.
‘Your Magnificence,’ the Arch-Mage said in a very quiet but very dangerous tone of voice. I almost grinned. I’d like to try this one out on the Brethren some time.
The Dean, the object of the Arch-Mage’s attention, merely looked confused. ‘Huh?’
‘When you address me, Dean Michaels, you will show me the respect that I deserve and use my title.’
For a split second I thought he wasn’t going to back down. Then his head dropped. ‘I apologise, Your Magnificence.’
I exhaled silently in relief. In a mage on mage fight, I had no idea what I was supposed to do.
The Arch-Mage sniffed. ‘Very well. Lord Corrigan, if you would be so kind as to come with me to the Dean’s office, we can reach some kind of solution for what to do with the Palladium now that the vampires have decided to dump it back with us after all. We appreciate your continued support in this matter.’ I just bet he did. He gave me a stern look as if daring me argue. ‘I believe you can let Initiate Smith go.’
This might be his show but I wasn’t taking orders from him. ‘I will just have a few words with her first,’ I said, stamping my own authority on the situation. ‘Then I shall be happy to join you.’
He nodded briefly in agreement. He did, after all, have other things than me to worry about. The other mages picked up their silly robes so they could walk back inside. A few at least lifted up Thomas’s body and carried him in while Mage Slocombe used some kind of magic to lift the Palladium into the air. For an object with supposedly no power, a lot of people were very afraid of it.
It wasn’t until every single person, the Arch-Mage included, had disappeared inside and the doors had shut behind them that I released Mack.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ she asked, spinning round and confronting me as if I’d been the one to pick a fight.
‘The Arch-Mage needed a bit of help,’ I explained calmly. ‘The vampires were threatening to return the statue that you’d so stupidly swapped, and he thought that I might be able to exert some influence upon them and help rid them of the wraith problem at the same time.’ Or something l
ike that anyway.
Mack was too focused on her own situation to pay much attention. ‘That I’d so stupidly swapped?’ Her eyes were beginning to glow with anger. ‘You should get your facts right. All I did was give them what they’d wanted in the first place. I took back a completely different statue and gave it to the sodding Arch-Mage so that he wouldn’t have a mutiny on his hands within the Council.’
‘And that worked out so well, didn’t it?’
‘Fuck off. I’m not responsible for other people’s actions.’
I watched her carefully. No, she wasn’t. But I wanted her to learn that she had the power to affect them. For some reason, I wanted her to know what it was like to be in a position of responsibility. I wanted her to know what it was like to be me. ‘And yet somehow you remain at the root of them,’ I said quietly. ‘I swear, kitten, sometimes you are more trouble than you’re worth.’
She grumbled at me and turned away, leaving me behind as she stomped inside. I scratched my head in irritation. Mack had done a good deed by helping out the mages with their silly statue swap, whether it had ended in tears or otherwise. However, if she didn’t stop enflaming every single touchy situation that arose, I’d never get Staines and the others to accept her. And I really, really needed them to. I stared at the spot she’d just vacated as the stark realisation hit me. It wasn’t that she intrigued me or that being in her presence made hot, heady desire overtake my senses. It wasn’t that she stood up to me in a way that almost no-one else did or that she was braver and stronger than anyone else I’d ever met. In fact, the problem wasn’t Mack at all. It was me. I’d fallen in love – and I had no idea what to do about it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
I found the Arch-Mage in what was apparently the Dean’s office. The Dean himself was nowhere in sight, which could only be a good thing. The thought of the man who’d willingly allowed a damn vampire – and Aubrey no less – to drink from her was almost too much to bear. I could hardly make a move against him though. Not only would it destroy any hope of positive relations between ourselves and the Ministry, it would make me look like a hypocrite after lecturing Mack on responsibility. The art of diplomacy appeared to mostly require saying nothing. Achieving that was sometimes harder, and more of a real battle, than wading in and actually fighting was. I wished I’d thought to mention that to her before she’d marched off. Typical. Why couldn’t I have thought of that particular point before?