A Study In Ashes Part 16

Evelina stopped walking to stare at him. They'd pa.s.sed quickly through the building, meeting no one along the way. Now they stood in the chill night, the smell of rain and dying leaves thick in the air. "Actually, that's not true. A sorcerer has to learn how to do those things."

"You studied with Magnus."

"For a very short time." Enough to infect her with a taste for stolen life, but not enough to learn how to satisfy that craving. Regret and relief clamored inside her, but mostly relief. Mostly, but not always.

"And yet even his prize automaton knew how."

Shock coursed through Evelina. "How did you know about Serafina?"

Tobias made a sour face. "I read the diary of the man who built her, but I didn't understand it at the time. Not until Im told me about the soul trapped inside her."

"How ...?"

"Magnus left Imogen in Serafina's care. It was Anna."

"Anna?" Imogen's dead twin. Horror slammed into her, stealing her breath. Evelina's lips parted, but she couldn't find her voice. Her mind was too busy linking facts together, rearranging everything she'd believed. Dear G.o.d! There had been something childlike and endearing about the doll at first. Had that been some echo of Evelina's love for Imogen? But then she left me bleeding to death. She would have torn me to pieces if she could.

"I'm sorry," she said softly into the darkness.

"It was a foul business," he muttered. "I hope to G.o.d she's at rest now that she's free from Magnus and his d.a.m.ned spells."

"There was nothing left of the Wyvern when it went down."

"That was the only good thing to come out of that night."

Tobias gave her a narrow look. "You didn't know he'd given her Anna's soul?"

"Not at all!"

"Are you telling me the truth?"

Another sting-and now Evelina was too upset just to swallow it. Her eyes burned, but anger blocked any tears. "Would I lie about something like that?"

"I don't know."

"You used to value my honesty. Have I changed that much?"

His answer came back sharp with resentment. "To be utterly frank, I don't understand why you had anything to do with Magnus, much less why you gave yourself up to Keating. What game are you playing? I try to figure you out, and that stops me every time."

She felt an almost physical jerk at the change in topic. "We talked about this already."

"Tell me again."

A lump clogged her throat, and then melted into rivulets of pain. "I traded myself for the Red Jack. It didn't work."

Tobias swore softly. "For Nick?"

"You gave yourself to Keating for your family. I did the same thing."

"And still Nick died."

She nodded, unable to say more. Tobias shook his head, as if he still didn't believe her, and stalked toward the carriage he had waiting a dozen yards away. The set of his shoulders was like a door slammed shut.

She tried to guess the cause of his mood. There was a sliver of jealousy, but surely some of it was nerves. He didn't like magic, and they were up for an entire night of it. And then there was the simple fact that they were forced to be together. They hadn't learned how to manage that yet.

Evelina followed, recognizing the vehicle as one of the Gold King's black victorias. A pair of gray horses waited patiently in the damp night, flicking their ears as the first raindrops fell. The driver was nearly invisible beneath the thick, dark folds of his caped coat.

Tobias handed Evelina into the vehicle and then joined her on the opposite seat. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I know," she replied, her voice husky. "But I can't talk about Nick anymore."

"It's just that I never knew you loved him."

"Neither did I until it was too late. At least, I didn't realize how much." And she hadn't known that the wild magic that flared whenever they were together could be tamed. Nick had learned to handle his power, and when they'd finally made love, it hadn't been simply with their bodies. Their union had been far more profound.

She had no idea what showed on her face, but Tobias gave her a look that might have been pity or anger, but she couldn't read it. The carriage was picking up speed, and bars of illumination from the streetlamps flashed through the carriage. They were on the border of the Scarlet King's territory, and the red globes turned the gaslight b.l.o.o.d.y. She turned to the window, looking for some sign of where they were going. She thought she saw the edge of Highgate Cemetery. It would at least be peaceful there.

"I should have fought to marry you," Tobias said into the darkness. He spoke so softly, the words were barely audible over the rattle of wheels on the road.

"You didn't love me enough," she answered.

"I should have."

She shrugged. "These things don't always come out the way you expect."

Tobias sank back against the seat cus.h.i.+ons. There wasn't anything to say. And so they rode in silence, sitting far enough apart that they never touched, even when the victoria lurched on the uneven roads. The silence began to oppress Evelina, whose mind reeled with everything he'd said about Anna, and about them. She might have tried to speak, but Tobias stared out the window, one hand clenched in his lap. It didn't seem the time to prod at his misery.

After a half hour, they pulled up before a tall, narrow house. They still had to be somewhere at the northern edge of London. As the driver folded down the stairs and helped Evelina descend, she looked around in search of landmarks.

It was too dark to see far, and the meeting place turned out to be an ordinary house on a very ordinary-looking street. A wrought-iron fence surrounded a modest front lawn much like every other lawn in view. The bland neighborhood looked like one of those built in haste when the expanding railways made commuting from the suburbs practical. Evelina felt a pang of disappointment. As far as adventure went, the night was lacking.

The interior was slightly more promising, with an eclectic collection of pictures and shadowboxes crowding the walls. They were shown at once into a parlor done in red velvet. Evelina paused on the threshold, getting a first impression. Five other guests-two men and three women-sat in the ample chairs, guarded by a trio of cats that lounged bonelessly on the empty seats.

Evelina reached out with her senses, questing for magic, but all she felt was mild chaos-and that had more to do with the housekeeping than with the company. With the exception of a square table in the middle of the room, every surface was crammed with pictures, sh.e.l.ls, comfit boxes, clocks, bits of lace, and curiosities so that Evelina had little idea what the furniture beneath looked like. If there were any actual psychic vibrations at work, they were buried in the clutter.

Tobias was already making introductions. A wiry woman with upswept gray hair nodded graciously. "I am Emily Barnes."

"Our hostess, I believe," Tobias said with his most winning smile. "I trust our credentials are in order?"

"Yes, that's right. I received your letter of introduction to our little society. Thank you so much for sending it in advance. We have to be careful, as I'm sure you understand. And I'm so delighted you were able to bring your lovely cousin."

Evelina started a little at that, but it made sense. A man could accompany a relation without a chaperone-and cousin sounded far better than prisoner. She tugged the cuffs of her sleeves over the silver bracelets and made her how-do-you-dos.

Miss Barnes pressed her hand warmly. Her fingers were strong, her movements brisk and efficient, and Evelina recalled something Tobias had said about the woman having an interest in nursing. From her age, she would have been among the first wave of gentlewomen who had chosen it as a profession. That made Evelina curious about her.

"Please have a seat," said Miss Barnes. "We'll be starting in a very few minutes." With that, the woman bustled off to do something in another part of the house.

Evelina ventured into the room, glancing at the faces of the others. Their hostess had introduced them all, but she'd already forgotten most of the names. They all looked ordinary, and she was certain none was Madam Thala.s.sa. She sat down gingerly on a settee coated in enough cat hair to knit another kitten.

"It's very lovely of Miss Barnes to let us use her house," said a blond woman with a round, rosy face.

"Yes, it is." Evelina realized that she was rusty at making small talk. Then again, perhaps her sudden awkwardness was that this girl's pretty features reminded her of poor Mary Jane Kelly, who'd met a terrible end in Whitechapel not quite a year ago. She had been bright and friendly, too. "I've not been to one of these meetings before. Can you tell me what happens?"

"Oh, it's different every time," the young woman said enthusiastically. "Sometimes it's a lecture and sometimes it's a practical demonstration."

"And tonight?"

"We're going to try a seance."

"Who will be leading it, Mrs. Phillips?" Tobias asked. An amba.s.sador's son, he had a knack for remembering names and t.i.tles. A black-and-white feline had taken up residence in his lap and was kneading contentedly.

"I shall," said a man, who was sitting in an armchair in the corner, chewing the stem of an unlit pipe. He was weathered as a sea captain, with brown side whiskers grizzling to gray. "I'm stepping into the breach, it's true, but I think I shan't disappoint."

"I'm sorry, sir," said Evelina. "I didn't catch your name."

"Wood. Leonidas Wood."

"Stepping into the breach?" Tobias prompted.

"A confusion of dates," Wood answered. "The planned guest had the wrong night. Shoddy record keeping is the bane of anything run by volunteers."

"For shame," said Mrs. Phillips. "We should be thanking those that donate their time."

Wood huffed and clamped his teeth around the pipe stem with an audible click.

"I'm sure whatever occurs tonight, it will be of great interest," Evelina said with all the diplomacy she could muster.

Tobias caught Evelina's eye. No Madam Thala.s.sa. Disappointment swept through her, suspicion hard on its heels. They hadn't bothered with disguises or false names-few would recognize Evelina, and none would know her as Keating's pet pract.i.tioner. But had someone known Tobias? Although he had no interest in this type of gathering, the Roth family was well known. Had Miss Barnes left the gathering to warn the guest of honor away?

"There," said their hostess, bustling into the room. "All details sorted. It's time we began."

Everyone rustled to attention. As if on cue, the three cats jumped to the floor and trotted from the room. Tobias brushed at the cat hair clinging to his clothes, but it was a lost cause. Evelina tried not to notice that he'd gone white around the lips. He really wasn't happy about being there. Poor Tobias. Everyone is afraid of something.

The next few minutes progressed as Evelina expected. The eight members in attendance gathered around the square table, pulling their chairs close. The gas was dimmed, drapes drawn, and a single candle placed at the center of the table. Finally, Miss Barnes closed the door and took her seat.

Wood cleared his throat and hitched himself forward. "Now, if everyone would please join hands."

Tobias was sitting to Evelina's right, Mrs. Phillips to her left. The young lady was bright-eyed with interest, but Evelina wasn't expecting much. Even if someone did summon a ghost, they usually didn't have much to say.

She took Mrs. Phillips's dainty hand, and then let Tobias grasp her other. His fingers were long and strong, just as she remembered them. Wood's voice was no more than a distant murmur behind her unsettled thoughts.

Eventually, she drifted back to the matter at hand. It was the usual routine about spirits of the great beyond, were there any loved ones, and so on. She'd seen the show a thousand times as a child with Ploughman's Paramount Circus. The theory was that any spirit desiring to speak with a partic.i.p.ant could use the medium as his or her mouthpiece-but whether that was true was beyond Evelina's knowledge. Velda the Glorious-who also charmed snakes-pretended to call the dead, but would pick the pockets of the gullible while they sat with their eyes closed. Evelina's Gran had read cards, but never traded in ghosts.

Tobias's hand was turning cold. A pang of concern caught at her; she thought it was too bad he was worrying over nothing. But then again, the entire room was starting to get chilly-no, downright frozen. Evelina snapped to attention, her own magic suddenly on alert. Wood had stopped talking, but she could still see a faint mist where his breath warmed the air.

Who would have thought? Something is here after all. Evelina reached out with her senses, tentatively touching the energy in the room. There were eight normal, healthy presences there, a few burning more brightly than others. So, some of the society members, including Wood and Miss Barnes, probably had a drop of the Blood. Nothing about that was worrisome.

But they were not alone. The darkness in her magic stirred. It wasn't just hunger; it was the part of her that sensed danger soonest, and it knew instinctively how to fight.

"There is someone here looking for you, Miss Cooper," Wood said softly. His voice was rounded with a slight lilt, as if he'd come from Cornwall. "The ent.i.ty says you were looking for her."

Evelina sucked in her breath, a quick, desperate inhalation. There was only one female she'd been looking for. "Imogen?"

Tobias squeezed her hand hard. "What?" His voice was sharp.

The temperature in the room dropped so low that Mrs. Phillips cried out. The flame of the candle at the center of the table suddenly grew until it was twice the height of the wax pillar and thin as a needle. Evelina's heart began to pound at the eerie sight. A primitive instinct inside her wanted to snarl and bare fangs at whatever had invaded the room.

The skin between her shoulder blades crept, as if someone was staring at her back. "It can't be her." And yet-what other roaming spirit would want to speak to her?

"Steady on," said Miss Barnes in the kind of voice meant to quiet hysterical children. "No one moves; no one lets go of the hand on either side."

The candle seemed to be growing dim, a strange dark haze m.u.f.fling the colors in the room. The crawling sensation over her skin increased, making her shudder. And then it made her think of spiders begging to be brushed away-but that would break the circle.

Mrs. Phillips tugged at her grip, but Evelina just held her more tightly. "No, don't let go."

Tobias's hand was growing clammy, his breath quick. "Im?"

One of the other women was starting to make small, frightened sounds.

"Evelina," said Wood, the voice his, but not his. There was something too soft about it. "Evelina, I need your help. Something has gone very wrong."

An eerie sensation filled the room, almost as if they were inside a bubble about to pop. The scent of iris stole past-Imogen's scent-and for a moment, Evelina believed.

"That has to be her," muttered Tobias. "She always turned to you."

That much was true. Evelina had been her friend's protector, nurse, and confidante. When Imogen had nearly died, it had been Evelina who had literally held body and soul together that long and fearful night. "Imogen? Where are you?"

The iris scent grew stronger. "I'm in-"

The words cut off abruptly, and the sweet perfume turned to the gagging stink of decay.

All at once, it didn't feel like her friend, and Evelina stiffened. "Whoever you are, I don't believe you."

Wood gave a short, sharp laugh. "Oh, but it's true. I'm very, very lost in ways you can't begin to imagine."

And then the air began to congeal, stifling with the sweetish stench of rot. One moment, Evelina could breathe normally. The next, it was like trying to inhale jelly. The effect on the company was immediate. Mrs. Phillips gave a shriek, pulling away from the circle. Evelina was too surprised to stop her. Three of the others jumped to their feet, caught in sudden terror. Surprisingly, Tobias was completely steady, his nerve holding up when the danger became real-but it was too late. The circle was shattered, and with it all protection from whatever it was they had summoned.

"That's quite enough!" Miss Barnes barked sharply. "Get thee gone, spirit!"

The brisk command steadied Evelina. She knew instinctively that she was the most powerful magic user in the room. Revealing her own talent was risky, even in a group sympathetic to magic, but letting the ent.i.ty run rampant was more dangerous still. She rose to her feet, releasing Tobias's hand.

"Evelina!" he cried.

"I'll take care of this," she said with more confidence than she felt. Then she reached for her power, letting it rise in her like light filling a prism. Her limbs tingled, and suddenly she could inhale freely again. "You heard our hostess. You've outstayed your welcome."

"Is that right?" Wood rose to face her across the table. In the murky light, all she could see was the dim white oval of his face. She could have sworn it wasn't the man she had met barely an hour ago. The chin was too pointed, the hair too fair. Don't let it be her. It can't be her.

Power snaked at her, a fast, furious strike. Evelina slapped it back without thinking. She'd dueled with Magnus, once in earnest and many more times as his student. Whatever this thing was, it was hardly on the sorcerer's level. It struck again, this time with a hot bolt that singed like flame. Her dark hunger leaped for it, craving the ambient energy, and s.n.a.t.c.hed it from the air before it could even land. She felt the light inside her tinge with shadow as her darker power rose, but she couldn't afford to push that strength aside. Whatever was posing as Imogen was stronger than she'd thought.