Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

There was such an emotion of disgust in Gottspake's voice that I cast a questioning look at Will. He shook his head and pressed a finger against his lips. I quieted my curiosity, at least for the moment.

Gottspake set the rest of the deck of cards between the death card and the corrupted one with their faces down. She tapped the top and a soft glow of purple light emanated from the pack. The dozen cards around the table also came to life with an eerie glow. The death card was the sole exception for the color in which its dark light was coal-black. A red light emanated from the eye sockets of the skeleton and I couldn't help but be reminded of the residents of Grimton.

Gottspake closed her eyes and stretched her arms over the table so she cradled the portal between them. She splayed her fingers and her palms pointed downward. The glow around the cards grew brighter and the portal quivered. She clenched her teeth and the card glow flowed upward to surround the swirling darkness.

The portal wasn't going to reveal its secrets without a fight. The black magic spun faster and began to grow larger. I gasped and leaned away from the table. Magic threads shot out of the void and slammed into the ones on the top. The dozen cards rattled and some of their corners began to curl as though touched by fire.

The death card, however, had other ideas. My mouth fell open as the skeleton reached behind its cloaked back and drew out an impressive scythe. Death lifted its weapon and cut the thread attached to its prison. The portal shuddered and the other threads flickered.

Its weakened hold meant the other cards took their chance. They drew out weapons of their own, everything from swords to sardines, and hacked and sliced at the dark magic that bound them to the portal. One by one, the columns were severed and the portal shrank with each slice until the last one was cut. The portal shuddered and shriveled to nothing, at which point the connection to the card sank back into the face and the magic was extinguished.

Gottspake lowered her arms and the glow around the other cards vanished. She set her hands on the table and bowed her head before she let out a shuddered sigh. Her face was pale and her hands shook a little.

"Are you alright?" Will asked her.

She lifted her chin and nodded. "Quite alright. I was merely surprised by how much effort was needed to exorcise the magic."

"Can you still trace the point of contact for the portal?" Will wondered.

"Oh yes," Gottspake assured him as she plucked the lantern man's card from the table. "The card is once more in my power but it still has the memory of that wretched magic within it." She flicked her finger and thumb against the face and a soft purple light emanated from the card.

A thread of magic shot upward and recreated the portal but in purple. Gottspake pulled the portal so it hovered over her head and then she stood. My mouth dropped open when her head disappeared into the vortex. She moved her head to and fro before she dropped back down into her chair. The portal vanished and she set the card on the table face-down.

"Well, that was rather interesting," she mused as a sly smile slipped onto her lips.

"You recognize the other end?" Will inquired.

She shook her head. "Not at all. The portal appears to lead to a secret room inside a clapboard building. However, I could smell the scent of a special snake oil I use on my skin to keep me refreshed. The scent was so overpowering that I can only assume it was the processing plant."

"And where is that?"

"That I don't know, but you might try asking the owner," she suggested as she picked up the other cards. "His name is Lord Simon Baddock."

Will lifted an eyebrow. "I know the name but I wasn't familiar with his being a lord."

"He wasn't until a few years ago," she revealed as she tucked the deck back into the drawer. "His contributions to the beauty of the ladies of the city earned him the unofficial title. You can find his shop in the perfume district. It's impossible to miss."

Will smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you for your assistance."

Gottspake stood and shook her head. "Not at all. Please ask if you need my help with anything else that will lead to the thief and their client."

"Of course," Will assured her as he rose to his feet while I followed suit.

Gottspake escorted us to the front door where she brushed her hand against mine. I paused on the threshold and looked behind me to find a gentle smile on her lips. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Thorn. I hope we can speak again under better circumstances."

I smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."

We slipped out and found Raines waiting for us with the reins in hand. I plopped myself down while Will caught the eye of his servant. "Torch."

He hopped inside and the carriage rolled down the short driveway.

"Torch?" I repeated.

Will nodded. "We should return to Torch and tell him what we learned and see if he has any insights into Baddock."

"Do you know the guy?" I asked him.

Will shook his head. "Only vaguely. He comes from a long line of serpent men who live to a great age."

My eyes widened. "Did. . .did you say serpent men?"

"Those with the ability to change between the form of a giant snake and men," he explained.

"Like you being a dragon?" I guessed.

"Exactly."

I looked him up and down. "So does that make you two related? I mean, a dragon is kind of a snake."

His nose twitched and the corners of his mouth turned down. "No. We hail from different blood though our people have feuded in the past over land and resources. The snakes and their long lives mean they have ample time to wallow in their hatred of us."

"But they're not immortal?" I wondered.

He shook his head. "No, but they do live for many centuries."

"So you think this snake is wallowing in enough hatred for you to try to kidnap me?"

"It's quite possible, though I don't recall ever earning the vindictiveness of this particular snake," Will admitted.

We rolled our way through the city and arrived at the Torch manorhouse at noon. I stepped out of the carriage and was greeted by Helen's bright smile as Torch and she greeted us halfway up the walk.

Her twinkling eyes looked me up and down. "You appear to have had quite the adventure."

I looked down at myself and winced. The dust and cobwebs from the catacombs still clung to me. "That's putting it mildly."

"Allow me to help you clean up for lunch," she offered.

We parted from the men in the entrance hall and made our way upstairs. Helen was kind enough to help me out of my mucky clothes and into a fresh dress. The soft, clean apparel on my weary bones made me realize just how tired I was.

"Did you enjoy your adventure in the city?" she asked me as she folded my other clothes for a good scrub.

I fell backward onto the bed and stared up at the canopy. "It was terrifying, but fun at the same time." I expected Helen to comment, but silence followed my answer. I glanced over to the fire where she stood staring into the flames. There was a sad look on her face that made my heart fall. I sat up and draped my arms over my bent knees. "Did I say something wrong?"

She didn't turn her gaze from the flames as she shook her head. "No. On the contrary, I was only remembering all the fun Alex and I had when we ventured into the city."

I studied her face. "How long has it been since you went out?"

A bittersweet smile slipped onto her lips as she lifted her eyes to the chimney. "Nearly three years. When I was almost kidnapped."

My jaw dropped open. "That long?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Surely Torch learned from that and can protect you better."

Helen sighed. "As I tell him often, but he has lost his confidence." She turned to face me and I noticed her eyes slightly glistened in the soft light from the hearth. "But here I am ruining your tale of adventures. Did you find the Grimton exciting?"

I snorted. "That's one way to put it." I held up my hand and the flaming sword sprouted forth.

Helen's face showed shock before it brightened with pride. "Then you have found your power?"

"Yeah," I told her as I tucked away my flames. "The Arbiter kind of explained what happened."

She strode over and took a seat beside me. "Please tell me everything that happened."

I recounted the rest of our adventures and by the time I had finished, Helen had a pensive expression on her face. "And you say the name of the gentleman is Simon Baddock?"

Her question piqued my interest. "Yeah, why?"

She folded her arms over her chest as she stared into the fire. "I have met this man before. It was shortly before my attempted kidnapping."

My eyebrows shot up. "You think he was behind it?"

My hostess shook her head. "I cannot say for certain as Alex never discovered the assailant's identity nor that of their client, if they were not one and the same. I only recall meeting Mr. Baddock and he was very friendly toward me. I was surprised to find out later that he and Alex were not on good terms due to a very old feud made before I became his bride."

I scooted a little closer to her. "When was that?"

"About two hundred years ago."

I stared down at my hands and blinked. "I. . .I can't imagine living that long."

Helen set a hand over mine. I looked up to find her smiling down at me. "You needn't imagine so many years. Merely live in the moment and enjoy your time with your mate." She stood and took my hand with her. "Now then, let us rejoin our mates downstairs for some much-needed food."