Chapter 33

Thirty-Three

Northcliff

“ L et go of me,” I snarl at the blond wanker with his hand on my shoulder.

His grip tightens instead, forcing me through a glossy black door and into a Marylebone townhouse that probably costs more money than I’ll ever see in my life.

Whatever he blew in my face after the game wore off in the car, but by that point, he already had his black-and-silver grimoire open and ready to hit me with whatever this is.

My legs walk wherever he decides they should go, like my lower body is his puppet, and my arms are paralysed.

Ensorcellments. Kyrith taught us about this. Unfortunately, nullification spells are next term, so I don’t have a fucking clue what to do about it.

As long as that book is in his hand, I’m useless.

I really, really hate magic. You’d think being hit with all that ‘yer a wizard, North’ bullshit would improve my shitty life, but all it’s done is made it worse.

Pierce’s shoes echo on the tiled entryway, a contrast to the cheap squeak of my ratty Converse, and I hate him a little more for it. How rich do you have to be for your clothes to sound wealthy?

The worst part is, I know where we are. I have since we pulled onto the fancy street. So it’s no surprise when he forces us up the stairs, knocks, and opens the study door without waiting for an answer, then directs me into my so-called father’s study.

Dread pools in my gut, because nothing good ever comes from being in this house. Nothing good ever comes of being in Josef’s presence, either.

“Ah, Pierce, thank you for collecting him. Won’t you both have a seat?”

Josef is standing behind his desk, looking through the blinds at the street below, and in the seat behind his desk is a dishevelled man I’ve not met before, looking at both of us with open curiosity.

“I don’t think the ensorcellment is necessary,” he says. “Nice to meet you, Northcliff. I’m Benny.”

He’s dressed like a hipster in a leather jacket with a faded, washed-out tee beneath. He’s got silver rings on almost every finger of the hand he’s holding out for me to shake, and his face is weatherbeaten and relaxed.

“Why am I here?” I retort, ignoring the hand. I’m not in the mood for these games.

The first time I sat in this chair, I was in fucking awe of everything around me. It didn’t take long for that to pass.

“Won’t you have something to drink?” Benny asks, gesturing at the liquor cabinet that’s already open with his own glass of amber liquid. “I’ve missed good whisky while I was travelling.”

Pierce is already helping himself. The second his hand leaves the pages of his grimoire, I regain control of my legs and shove to my feet.

“Not so fast.” Josef doesn’t even look away from the window. “You think I don’t know where Edlynn is?”

My ass hits leather with a resigned but audible thud. “She’s far away from you, and safe.”

Until I piss the Librarian off again, which I seem to do just by breathing.

Pierce scoffs. “You are truly dense if you believe Edlynn is safer in the Arcanaeum.”

I grind my teeth together and pin Pierce with a glare. “I don’t remember asking for your opinion, asshole. Besides, she’s safer now that she can walk and isn’t constantly at risk of pneumonia.”

The last time my twin caught it, she almost died. I sat in that hospital room for days praying that I wouldn’t have to bury her, too. Kyrith saved her life—like Josef promised he would, but without demanding my soul in return. Even though she’s a ghost, she’s a decent fucking person. Unlike our sperm-donor.

He caused the accident that killed our parents as a punishment for my refusal to join him the first time, then used her cure as blackmail to make sure I behaved. Needless to say, it became obvious quickly that he was unlikely to keep his promises.

The three posh twats exchange a look that makes me regret opening my big mouth.

“High level restoration magic,” Benny muses. “Confirms my theory, she’s not declining. Not if she can do that.”

Kyrith. They’re talking about Kyrith.

Shit.

“I didn’t say it was her.” It’s a shitty technicality, and they all know it.

“You didn’t have to. The McKinley heir is still too weak to heal more than a stubbed toe. I checked myself. And I doubt ó Rinn managed to get his head out of his ass long enough to help you.” Pierce scoffs, downing his liquor before turning to Benny. “So, what now?”

“Leave the Librarian alone,” I interject. “She doesn’t have your stupid grimoire.”

And I don’t want Josef anywhere near her, or Eddy, ever again. Thank fuck he’s banned from the Arcanaeum.

“Grimoire?” Benny looks back at Josef, who shrugs.

“It was a test…”

At first, I think he’s talking about testing me, but then humour crinkles the corners of Benny’s mouth behind his grey moustache, and I realise I’ve assumed wrong. Josef was testing Benny, but why?

“After all this time, you still doubt me, old friend?”

“Old habits.” Josef finally steps away from the window. “Besides, I was curious as to the mechanics of it all. If he were dead, it would be there, and the boy is too headstrong. He needed to learn his place.”

So he doesn’t want the grimoire? He sent me to get my ass kicked for nothing? Fury boils in my veins, but I take a deep breath of the aftershave-and-tobacco scented air to control it. Losing my temper around Josef has never gone down well. Now he has allies around him, defiance will probably go down even worse.

“We need to decide what to do with this information.” Josef paces the back wall, his eyes tracing the tastefully chosen monochrome seascapes in their heavy black frames. “Does the Librarian suspect that he lives?”

“It’s possible. After all, his grimoire isn’t in the Vault. Still, it’s better to assume she doesn’t.”

They’re talking about Mathias Ackland. They’ve got to be. But he lived hundreds of years ago. How the fuck can he still be alive?

“She’s not as blind as you might think.” Pierce presses the enchanted necklace down onto the desk. “She’s watching magiball games using these. It’s possible she has other agents giving her eyes across the world.”

He’s stupid if he thinks that’s the case. Kyrith is one of the most isolated people I’ve ever met. If she had magical CCTV, she’d at least understand some of the more basic modern references we’ve made during tutoring.

I never want to see Lambert demonstrate twerking again.

My disbelief must show on my face, because Josef rolls his eyes. “She doesn’t know, or the boy would. And she’s unlikely to believe us. If I bring it before the other parriarchs?—”

“You’ll be dead by sunrise.” Benny sips at his drink.

Pierce nods grimly. “Isidora has had more than enough time to secure her position. The alliance with the Talcotts will be the crowning jewel.”

“If she can get Dakari to step in line.” Benny grins. “He was a rebel from the moment he was born, even before the incident.”

Incident ? My gut sinks as I realise Eddy has been in the same building as that guy for days, and I never even thought to ask about him. I trusted Kyrith’s judgement and the fact that Lambert had no problems with him.

“Anthea will get him to come around,” Pierce mutters. “When she gets her head in the game and realises that being a trophy wife is safer than Mathias’s protégé.”

“Isidora’s moves are undoubtedly aimed at retaking control of the Arcanaeum,” Benny mumbles to himself. “To succeed, she needs to take out the Librarian. The news of her affliction must have my daughter giddy with joy.”

“I overheard her saying that touching the heirs is what’s driving them,” Pierce interjects.

Benny’s face lights up, and he turns to Josef with a grin. “How powerful is your son?”

Josef looks me over. “His potential is easily twice mine. His drive to learn, however, is lacking.”

My jaw aches from how hard I’m grinding my teeth. I’m too out of the loop to understand half of what’s going on here, and what little I do, fills me with dread. The feeling only amplifies as all three of them turn speculative gazes on me.

“If you’re plotting to do something to Kyrith, leave me out of it.” I’ve had enough of being pinned to the floor like an ant beneath a magical boot.

If any of them are surprised that I used her name, they don’t mention it. No doubt Pierce has already told them everything he’s learned from his attempts to bully her.

“Pierce is more powerful than his sister, which is why Isidora was so keen to keep him to herself, despite knowing he would eventually have to take his sister’s place as heir,” Benny muses. “The ó Rinn heir is an incredibly skilled divinator, already on the verge of being proclaimed a magister, or so I’m told.”

“And the Talcott heir is powerful. That was why they sent him to live with his grandfather,” Josef adds. “Winthrop, too, though he’s a flashy little show off about it.”

“It took six powerful lines of magic centuries to establish the Arcanaeum,” Benny says, sitting forward with his gaze pinned on me. “Six lines of magic were present every time they reinforced the building.” His mouth turns down. “Pierce, have you touched her?”

The blond frowns. “Aside from when I joined? No.”

“Northcliff?” Benny asks.

I seal my lips shut.

Kyrith is currently protecting my sister. I’m not grassing on her.

“He has,” Pierce answers for me. “I heard them discussing it. Him and the McKinley heir, definitely. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lambert was responsible, given how much he loves touching women.”

I raise a brow because I’m actually ninety percent sure that Lambert is the only one of us who hasn’t cracked Kyrith. If he had, the big idiot would probably be inconsolable. His soft spot for the prickly librarian is a mile wide.

“I watched North’s initiation. She didn’t crack then,” Josef confirms. “So it was later.”

“Just leave her out of whatever this is,” I finally hiss. “She’s just a dumb ghost who looks after some books.”

Benny looks up at Josef in wry amusement. “Is the boy really that ignorant?”

“Unfortunately,” Pierce mutters. “He barely tries in class.”

Well, yeah… Okay, maybe that’s true. But what’s the point when Kyrith will explain it to me better in tutoring?

“So what’s your plan?” Josef asks Benny.

“I want to see the Librarian for myself,” he responds carefully, as he stands and pours all of them another measure. “She’s unlikely to remember me, and I’m hopeful that will give me enough time to get a read on her condition.”

“She’s committed to not choosing sides,” Pierce adds disdainfully. “You shouldn’t put yourself at risk when she’s unlikely to help us.”

“Unless you wish to blackmail her…” Josef suggests but sounds unsure.

“That’s your forte, not mine.” Benny reclaims his seat. “No. The Librarian is unique and powerful. A queen on the chessboard. She won’t remain on the sidelines for long, especially when she realises Mathias will inevitably come for her beloved Arcanaeum sooner or later. Pierce, you’ll accompany me, since you’re so concerned about my welfare. If I can see the cracks as they happen, perhaps I’ll gain a deeper understanding of what’s occurring.”

“If I harm her…” Pierce looks visibly reluctant.

“You want to crack her?” I shove out of my seat. “No fucking way.”

Josef raises a brow in my direction. “Sit down, boy, and stop interrupting us.”

No way. Not when they’re talking about hurting her just for some dumb experiment. I turn my focus on my sperm-donor, wondering if I can appeal to his sense of control.

“Look, you’ve got your heir. You don’t need Kyrith or Eddy.”

Yeah, I’m as good as telling him there are two people he can blackmail me with but better that than whatever shit the Carltons are up to.

Josef just huffs an exasperated sigh. “I’ll send the boy away. He’s reached the limit of his usefulness. We’ll be able to make plans faster without him interrupting us.”

“Yes, I daresay he’s learned more from us than we have from him,” Benny murmurs. “Pierce, would you deal with his memories for us before he goes?”

And not even be able to warn her? “Fuck no?—”

Pierce’s grimoire is already open, the pages rifling past as he searches through it with magic. I reach out, ready to slap the thing away from him, but he’s too fast, slamming his hand down on a well-used page.

His lips move…and suddenly, I can’t think past the splitting pain in my head.

“Did we win the game?” I ask, dumbly, before blackness overtakes me.