Chapter 11

AUbrEY

“I should have brought us here sooner.”

Ethaniel smiled down at him. “Maybe. Or maybe we’re here exactly when we should be.”

Calix had asked for a moment alone in the small pool room, which afforded he and Ethaniel some time in the fragrant steam in one of the near-empty pools in the middle of the hot springs. Aubrey had immediately sank up to mid-chest, but Ethaniel lingered on the edge, dangling his feet in the water. They were both gloriously nude, neither one of them concerned about modesty. There was no need for it in such places, and that particular brand of casual intimacy was why people kept coming back to the Minotaur Baths, and helped to keep it open despite the raids and lockdowns. Society was already bending in a way that concerned Aubrey, and while he hoped to be proven incorrect, he doubted such would be his luck.

The Minotaur Baths were sacred for men like him and Ethaniel, and apparently Calix. It hadn’t been a total shock to discover the man’s proclivities through a red carnation brooch when they’d first met, but the blatant hunger in Calix’s eyes when he’d seen them in their robes?

Thathad been a thrill, even if some part of Aubrey wondered where in the hell this sudden attraction to young aristocrats had come from.

“You are too quiet,” Ethaniel said, giving Aubrey a friendly nudge with his foot.

Aubrey snorted. “Not a sentence I expected to hear from you.”

“Well, you’re hearing it now.” Ethaniel’s toes poked Aubrey in the ribs. “I can hear your mind churning, Aubrey.”

“Something about this doesn’t add up,” Aubrey slowly admitted as he rubbed his hand over his chin. “I feel as though we’re missing something.”

Ethaniel had reached up to undo the thick leather band that held back his hair, but now paused to give Aubrey a thoughtful look. “I admit my sleuthing skills aren’t yours, but I agree. I don’t think Calix has the answer, though.”

“He truly stumbled into the entire thing,” Aubrey said, “and dragged us into it.”

Ethaniel’s stare turned canny, his lips twitching as though holding back a smile. All right, perhaps he’d played into Ethaniel’s hands a little on the subject of Calix, but Aubrey needed to know. Because for all the questions about this damn book and who was funding this Lawton fellow, Aubrey knew he’d been given a gift because of those same questions. He’d been given Ethaniel again, and this time he wasn’t going to muck about.

If Ethaniel wanted him, and wanted Calix, Aubrey was more than happy to accommodate. The fact that Calix had a keen sense of curiosity and a sharp pair of brown eyes was a rather nice bonus.

Ethaniel now leaned down more, pressing his forehead to the top of Aubrey’s head. His hand drifted onto Aubrey’s shoulder and that single, innocent touch made Aubrey shiver. “You say one thing, but I hear another.”

“Do you now?”

“Mhhhm.” Ethaniel slid into the water, catching himself with a strong arm around Aubrey’s shoulders. “Should we be doing this? Calix will come back at any moment—”

“Maybe the boy should know what he’s getting into.”

Before Ethaniel could say any more, Aubrey kissed him. This kiss didn’t have the previous one’s sharpness and tang, even with the salt air on their lips. This felt more true, more real, in a way that had Aubrey palming the back of Ethaniel’s head in hopes of bringing him closer. Ethaniel curled sweetly against him, gifting Aubrey with a soft groan.

They couldn’t do any more here, nor would Aubrey want to. Too many things hung in the air right now, and for all he felt like a puppet getting jangled about, Aubrey could put it all aside to show Ethaniel how he felt. With one glorious kiss.

A polite cough made them pause, just as Aubrey was smoothing his hand down Ethaniel’s side. Aubrey bit back a smirk. He didn’t bother to lift his head or look in Calix’s direction to say, “You’re staring. That’s rather rude, especially coming from an Englishman.”

“I’ll have you know I’m the picture of mannered perfection, when I want to be.”

Ethaniel went completely still in Aubrey’s arms. That is not Calix. The voice was smoother, more honeyed, and Aubrey knew it immediately. The realization was like gravel in his throat.

Slowly, he let go of Ethaniel, even when his instincts screamed to pull him closer. Aubrey lifted his chin and gave Lawton Adler a look of cool neutrality. “Apologies, Mr. Adler. I mistook you for someone else.”

Lawton’s smile smeared across his face, and it made Aubrey’s gut churn. The man stepped into the water, pale skin instantly going pink at the heat, but he unexpectedly kept his distance. It gave Aubrey a moment to put a reassuring hand on Ethaniel’s shoulder.

Ethaniel bit his bottom lip, nodded, and slowly turned, putting his back against the wall. Aubrey mirrored Ethaniel’s pose. It left a wide chasm of water between them and Lawton, like combatants with secretive goals across an uncertain field. At least from this direction, he and Ethaniel could hopefully catch Calix’s attention before Lawton noticed him.

“I’ve never been mistaken for someone else, Mr. Lavigne. How delightful,” Lawton finally said as he leaned back, arms laid out in a long line on the pool’s edge. There was something feline and lanky about the man, and for all Calix was certain his friend had no magical abilities, Aubrey could still sense danger. Intuition, perhaps. Or simple dislike. Lawton wasn’t helping himself by smiling at them in such a way.

“I see you know each other,” Ethaniel said calmly.

“We’ve met before,” Lawton drawled as he dipped a hand into the water. The move of a completely unbothered man.

It was a good act. But Ethaniel was no fool, and Aubrey was eternally grateful for his ability to read others. “How interesting,” Ethaniel said, leaning in as if he yearned for more information. “And in a city this large. So how did you meet?”

Lawton’s honey-colored eyes latched onto Aubrey, the grip of his gaze like the snapping of teeth. A threat. A question. “How did we meet, Mr. Lavigne? Don’t be stingy, do share with your friend.”

“At an auction,” Aubrey replied smoothly. He could feign being unbothered as good as anyone. A mite like Lawton Adler was no match for him. “We bid on the same lot of old books.”

“We did, indeed.” Lawton’s smile was no less canny, but it dipped as his left eyebrow arched. “I wonder if we were after the same title in that dusty lump of old leather and crumbling pages. Most of them were worthless, if that eases your academic conscience at all.”

“It doesn’t. And we weren’t,” Aubrey replied. “At least, not at first.”

At that, Lawton went completely still. Beside him, Aubrey felt Ethaniel bristle. They were all dancing around the same thing, and the tension in the air cut through the salt. Aubrey was good in emergencies, but this scenario was beyond any of his experiences. All he could do was trust his own intuition and intelligence, and trust that Ethaniel was ready to play his role. Thankfully, Ethaniel could claim willful ignorance of some things, but even that knowledge wouldn’t help keep Aubrey’s worries at bay.

The canny smile was back in place. “Well, as fun as this strained silence is, I have a proposal for you and your friend, Mr. Lavigne.” Lawton floated toward them now, making Aubrey wish he had the space in which to back up. Ethaniel didn’t move, strong and still at Aubrey’s left. They couldn’t show weakness or fear, and Aubrey knew deep down that Lawton was just a pawn.

But Ethaniel had been attacked. And the book was deeply troubling. That voice still had its hooks in his mind, as if distance and time were mere obstacles over which it had to hurtle.

Aubrey drew himself up as tall as he could, staring down at Lawton. “And that is? We have no business currently, Mr. Adler.”

“Oh, but we do. See, the two of you are connected to something of mine, due to a mutual friend. This mutual friend took that object. And I would like this object back.” Lawton gently flicked a hand in Ethaniel’s direction. “So it’s quite simple. The other of you toddles off to fetch Calix — young fellow, gorgeous copper hair, bit of a wet blanket — while you and I talk, Mr. Lavigne. Because out of the two of you here now, I think I know where the power is.”

Aubrey had never known such rage. It boiled under his skin, as if it might spew forth, all volcanic sludge and fire, and wanted to only bury the absolute ass standing in front of him. Bury him and never again let him curse the world with his guileful smile and little head cock, as if everyone who ever met Lawton Adler owed him.

Over Lawton’s head, Aubrey saw Calix slinking back into the shadows, the line of his mouth grim and his brown eyes full of fear, and it only fueled the fire of Aubrey’s anger.

All pretense evaporated, like mist in the air. Aubrey lunged for Lawton, fury incarnate. His fingertips brushed wet, damp skin and there was a surprised yell from somewhere beyond the pool, and then Aubrey was held still. Suspended. Eyes wild and rolling, Aubrey saw Lawton was stuck in the exact same position.

“That’s enough,” Ethaniel hissed, one hand outstretched, fingers spread wide. Just out of his periphery, Aubrey could make out the glittering lines of a pattern hanging in the air. “Both of you.”

Aubrey couldn’t move, but he could speak. “Ethaniel, not here.”

“Too bad.” Ethaniel circled around to face Lawton. His skin glistened with water and the strong, proud lines of his shoulder muscles shifted as he leaned forward. Aubrey could barely make out how close Ethaniel was to Lawton, whose eyes were near to bulging out of their sockets. For once, the man looked afraid.

“I’ll say this quickly, before someone calls an attendant on us,” Ethaniel continued. “You are here to retrieve the book you left with Calix when you got into a bit of a pickle in Babylon Boulevard. Fine. But that book is dangerous, and I’m guessing whoever you’re working for is a bit dangerous, too. Which puts you, Mr. Adler, in a sticky situation.” Something cunning flashed over Ethaniel’s face and Aubrey watched, spellbound, as his lover took the situation firmly in his grasp and twisted it until he was satisfied. It was…well, rather glorious to watch. If he wasn’t suspended by magic, Aubrey might have had to will away tendrils of desire.

Ethaniel snapped his fingers and dropped the pattern. Aubrey and Lawton drifted back into place, both scrambling to grab onto the sides of the pool and replaced the chasm of water between them. Lawton looked pale and wan, and Aubrey could feel the blood rushing back into his body. Being touched by Ethaniel’s magic was an intense experience, and he was grateful for Ethaniel’s intervention even in the face of such a strange sensation.

Ethaniel rounded on Lawton, but not before giving Aubrey a slight nod. That nod made the churning in Aubrey’s gut lessen. “So while you’re here being rather sneaky about the whole thing, I’ll have you know this. You left your friend alone and scared, and we’ve been taking care of him since. You made a mistake, maybe trusted the wrong person. And now Calix, who never asked to be wrapped up in your shady business, needs care and attention.”

Lawton’s face had lost some of its surprise, and in its place was a crackling anger, draining his voice of any emotion but that promise of danger. “So you know where the book is. Perfect. Tell me where, and I’ll pay you anything—”

Ethaniel snapped his fingers and the first few lines of a new pattern hovered in the air. Lawton froze. Smart man, Aubrey thought. “I don’t want your money. I care only that you put a strange, dangerous artifact out in the world. You should count yourself fortunate it is in our hands, and not with those who force you to act as courier. My advice, Mr. Adler? Break your contact with these people and return to being a spoiled rich man living in the city. Find a hobby, go walk in the parks, take on a lover or two. Leave Calix alone, and forget the book.”

With his last few words, the pattern hovering around Ethaniel’s fingertips faded, and Ethaniel slid back in the water until he was resting against the wall, shoulder to shoulder with Aubrey.

Aubrey’s first instinct was to wrap a protective arm around Ethaniel’s shoulder before saying to Lawton, “I think you now know who the power is here, Mr. Adler. I recommend you leave. But before you go…who are you working for? The Robed Brotherhood? Twin Spires?”

Lawton was staring hard at them both, and Aubrey could almost see the cogs turning. Lawton was recalculating, weighing his options and trying to predict an outcome. Well, they had time, as long as Calix stayed in the shadows, out of sight.

It wasn’t lost on Aubrey that Lawton never once had asked if Calix was well. The man was slavishly devoted to that damn book, but beneath Lawton’s tone and buried deep in the faint lines of his skin, was a terror. There were plenty of strange magic organizations dotting the city, most of them benign stains. The Collectio had even done work for some of them, but never outside the bounds of disenchanting an artifact or taking something dangerous into custody.

But there was one group bold enough to be at fault here. The one no one wanted to acknowledge but anyone with magical powers had heard of.

Heartbeat now kicked up a few notches, Aubrey pushed through the water, closing the space between him and Lawton. Ethaniel made a noise of protest behind him, but let him go. Aubrey waited to see what Lawton would do, as the man’s polished veneer was wearing thin.

“It’s the Golden Order, isn’t it?”

Every hint of color drained from an already pale face. Lawton immediately crossed his arms over his chest and stepped back, only to find himself pinned against the pool’s rocky wall. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lawton said faintly, expression gnarled up like an old tree root.

Aubrey felt Ethaniel’s hand skim down his back. It was steadying, that faint pressure. Aubrey needed the reassurance. If Lawton was working for The Golden Order, they might well and truly be in a bad spot.

“Allow me to help clear the air, since you’re so uncertain,” Aubrey said not entirely uncharitably. “It’s fairly well known amongst magic users that there are…” He turned to Ethaniel.

“Guilds,” Ethaniel finished. “Some on the level, others not so much.”

“Indeed,” Aubrey continued. “But the Golden Order is a whole other beast, isn’t it?”

Lawton’s lips had all but disappeared into his face, pressed so tightly as if he was willing himself to not speak. But the tremble in his fingers gave him away as he pointed at Aubrey. Close to touching but not quite. “You couldn’t possibly understand,” he whispered.

“A keen almost-admission,” Aubrey replied. “But your business with this group has put people I care about in danger.”

“Aubrey…time and place.” Ethaniel’s hand turned possessive on Aubrey’s back. “Time and place. This is neither.”

Aubrey unclenched his jaw, willing the tension he felt vibrating through his body to still. He would be of no use to Ethaniel and Calix if he stayed strung-taut like a bowstring. “Right. Well. You can meet us somewhere safe, then.”

“He can meet me at midnight at my home.”

Calix came to them on silent footsteps, still draped in his robe but looking like the furious crack of Zeus’s lightning. And for the first time in Lawton’s presence, Aubrey saw the man’s face flash with real regret. The man was a selfish, thoughtless cad for certain, but perhaps he relied on Calix for more than money and social clout.

None of that kept Calix away, though. He walked right into the water, robe now diaphanous, a graceful sea creature swirling around his lithe body.

“Don’t speak,” Calix snapped as he came face to face with his friend. “You will meet me at my home at midnight. Six hours from now. And we will sort this mess out. You will walk away with more money than you’ve ever had in your hands at one time, and then we are done.”

“You’re meeting us there, Mr. Adler,” Ethaniel said quickly. “And you’ll be alone.”

Aubrey watched as Lawton swallowed hard, his pale face pink only due to the water’s heat. His own anger had died down to a slow boil, but it lingered. Waiting. If Lawton didn’t walk away in the next few moments, Aubrey would give real consideration to bodily tossing him out of the pool. It wasn’t one thing or the other, it was everything he’d done…but the worst of it was his connection to a zealot group like The Golden Order. Lawton had all but confirmed it with words, but Aubrey wanted to hear it out loud.

The Golden Order was more than a religious organization. They were superstitious, rigorous, and, by many opinions, cruel. The Golden Order was responsible for the pamphlets floating around the city about the dangers of magic and its potential connection to “perverts”. They paid street preachers — mostly homeless men and women looking for work — to stand on rickety wood-slatted boxes and yell out hateful screeds in the middle of Wall Street and The Village. Those people weren’t to blame; taken advantage of and left still downtrodden. Another black mark against The Golden Order — using those fallen on hard times to their own purposes.

Everyone involved in magic even tangentially knew groups like The Golden Order had an agenda to push. But The Golden Order was something darker, more sinister. It had started years ago via advertisements in the papers, playing a message of “faith and order” in a city dominated by vice and money. Aubrey had instantly been suspicious, but no one knew who ran the group, or what actual influence they had. And like so many other shadowy groups flitting in and out of the city’s saloons and tenements, The Golden Order faded to the background. For a time.

Then the raids started. Beatings, jailings, stories of more humiliating, more violating acts tunneled through the queer and bohemian and magical communities. Aubrey had nearly been caught one autumn night, barely managing to escape from a party where city council members were vying for re-election and looking to court influence. That had sent sparks flying, but it had also fueled the fire of their opponents.

And the covert whispers became loud cries for change echoing across the cobblestone streets of Acadia Gardens and down the narrow, smoke-clogged alleyways of Babylon Boulevard. The Golden Order made more statements publicly, but still ringed its leader in shadow. Rumors of magical artifacts being bought at high-end auctions — in cash, to figures wearing golden circle pins proudly on their lapels — circled, vulture-like and starving for more. There was no proof, of course. Just whispers and sidelong glances.

The city pushed back. More importantly, the safe enclaves for queer people used their networks, and some help from the magical population, to conceal themselves. The bathhouses the police raided looking for vice found nothing but dock workers cleaning up after a hard shift. (And dock workers were never happy about having their bathing rituals interrupted, since the smell of fish often made it difficult to socialize in the nicer saloons.) A few failed raids and a handful of newspaper articles against the police force later, and things calmed down.

The pins disappeared. The rumors quieted. The raids lessened. The Golden Order went underground. And many never forgot the havoc they’d wreaked on the gay enclaves, how they’d made queer people feel lost and small in a city that largely accepted them, or at least tolerated them. Aubrey certainly hadn’t, and ever since then, had been waiting for the Order to reappear with a new message and the same old targets.

Yes, there was only one group possibly at fault here.

Mind made up, Aubrey pushed forward in the water until he could tower over Lawton Adler. That meant he towered over Calix as well, but his ire was aimed at one target. “Bring anyone else, and you will answer to more than us,” Aubrey said softly. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Calix’s cold anger was a sight to behold, but some small part of Aubrey wanted to chuckle at how quickly Lawton cowered below him. “Fine,” Lawton spat.

“I wasn’t finished. We’re meeting at my apartment. I won’t put any more weight on Calix with this,” Aubrey continued. “I’ll send a carriage for you, Adler. With a driver I trust.”

Calix’s single, curt nod of approval made the greedy part of Aubrey want to preen.

Lawton gave Calix a helpless look. “You’ve known them for days! I’ve known you for years! How could you take their side when I’m your oldest friend? Surely you’re not going to leave me to their mercy, Calix. Please.”

Calix’s smile was thin. “No. You’re left to mine. Now go.”

They watched Lawton scramble out of the pool, his pale rear marked by where he’d been pressed up against the stone. When he was gone, Calix slumped forward only to have Aubrey catch him.

“Breathe,” Aubrey said, leaning in as Ethaniel drew near on his left.

“You did a brave thing,” Ethaniel said quietly, reaching out to put a hand on Calix’s shoulder.

“Possibly an ill-rationalized one as well,” Aubrey grumbled.

Ethaniel cuffed him gently on the shoulder. “I could say the same for you! You’re offering your apartment for tonight?”

“I can safeguard it easier than Calix’s place. And I wouldn’t ever put that on you and your uncle, Ethaniel.”

Ethaniel’s eyelashes, glittering with damp, seemed to glisten a little more. “And I’ll have time to check on Jeremiah before we meet.”

From below them, Calix sucked in a sharp breath, coughed, then looked up with red eyes. “Apologies. I simply couldn’t let him…use people again. It’s too much. He’s become so reckless, I barely recognize him.”

Keeping Calix in the dark wouldn’t help matters. “It’s worse than you know,” Aubrey replied softly.