Playing with Fire (21 page)

‘‘Who’s Monish Lakshmanan?’’ I asked, sliding an appraising glance at Tej. He appeared to be Indian, his soft brown eyes watching me warily as we walked down a long gold and white hallway.

‘‘Monish is an oracle, and a member of the watch.’’

Oh, wonderful. The watch was the police force of the L’au-delà, and their members were not people with whom I ever desired to cross paths. ‘‘I hate to do nothing but ask questions, but where are we going?’’

‘‘The almoner’s chamber. You must make a phone call, yes?’’

He threw open a door to what appeared to be an office containing four desks, three of which were occupied by women who bore all the appearances of secretaries.

In front of the nearest one, a familiar man stood arguing. ‘‘—after which he stole her from me. Porter has no right to claim the reward when I did all the hard work and caught her to begin with.’’

‘‘Stop your bellyachin’,’’ the nasty dark-haired man snarled from where he stood to the side. I followed Tej into the room and took the chair at the empty desk that he indicated. ‘‘You know the rules as well as I do—he who brings in the suspect gets the reward. I’ll take that voucher for the benefaction now.’’

‘‘That only applies if the suspect escapes one thief taker, a fact you know very well,’’ Savian said, slamming down his hand on the table. ‘‘The fact is that you stole her from me. You didn’t pick her up after I left her; you
stole
her from me. As if that wasn’t enough to disqualify your claim on her, there’s the little fact that you were about to conduct an illegal search upon her person when I found you.’’

‘‘An illegal search?’’ The woman at the desk frowned.

‘‘What sort of illegal search?’’ I asked, sick to my stomach at the thought of the man named Porter touching me while I was unconscious.

‘‘You keep your nose out of what doesn’t concern you,’’ the nasty man (evidently named Porter) snarled.

The words echoed horribly in my head. I took a step back, surprise overwhelming the repugnance he had generated. I’d heard something very like those words before, only a few hours ago. Cyrene’s blackmailer was a thief taker? What on earth was all that about? And why had he all but kidnapped me from his colleague?

‘‘He was about to strip-search you, my dear. You may thank me later for saving you from that particular indignity,’’ Savian told me with a little wiggle of his eyebrows.

‘‘Strip-search me? Why?’’ I asked, my mind reeling as I tried to sort out the confusion.

Porter’s expression turned sly as he picked his ear. ‘‘Your word against mine that I did any such thing.’’

I gave a mental shake of my head. Why would he want to search me? The only thing of value I held was the amulet he sent me to get. It didn’t make sense for him to kidnap me in order to get what he’d sent me to retrieve. Not unless he knew that I wasn’t about to hand it over without knowing exactly what it was.

‘‘This is a problem.’’ The secretary frowned again, shuffling some paperwork on her desk. ‘‘I’m afraid I can’t disburse the reward if it is being contested. Both your claims will have to go before the committee for settling.’’

Porter swore loudly and extremely profanely, sending me a look that, by rights, should have struck me dead.

‘‘There’s nothing to be settled,’’ Savian started to say, but the secretary cut him off by a lengthy recitation of the rules regarding claims.

Porter swore again and started stomping his way from the room. I moved quickly to intercept him, speaking in a tone low enough that it couldn’t be overheard by the others. ‘‘Just exactly what game are you playing at?’’

His eyes were hooded and wary. ‘‘What’re you talking about?’

‘‘Let’s try the fact that you blackmailed me into taking a dragon’s amulet, and yet you’re supposed to be upholding the laws of the L’au-delà. You’re a thief taker, but at the same time you’re working for a demon lord stealing who knows what.’’

For a moment, his eyes held a startled look. ‘‘You’re crazy.’’

I leaned closer, tamping down the sick feeling in my gut that being so near him generated. ‘‘It wouldn’t be that hard, you know, to ask around and find out which demon lord you work for. I can’t imagine whoever it is would be happy to know you hold a position in the L’au-delà. Nor would the committee be happy to find out one of their own works for a prince of Abaddon.’’

To my surprise, a slow, ugly smile split his face. He grabbed my arm in a grip that made me yelp, pulling me up against his body until his breath stung my face. ‘‘You think you’re so smart, but you’re not even close. You breathe one word about that amulet to anyone, and you’re dead. You got that? If I don’t kill you myself, the dreadlord will.’’

‘‘If you kill me, you won’t get the amulet,’’ I pointed out, keeping mum about the fact that I already had the item in question.

He snarled something anatomically impossible. ‘‘You’ll get it.’’

‘‘And if I don’t?’’ I asked. ‘‘You can hardly expect me to steal something for someone who treats me this way. Frankly, at this point, I’d almost rather deal with the repercussions if you exposed Cyrene’s actions in Nova Scotia.’’

His breath was foul. ‘‘Get the amulet back, or you won’t have a twin to protect.’’

I stared at him in openmouthed horror, but before I could rally a response to his threat, he pushed me away, storming out of the room. Savian reached my side, frowning after Porter. ‘‘Are you all right? I saw him grab you. Are you hurt?’’

‘‘I’m fine,’’ I said, rubbing my arm. ‘‘Just a little confused.’’

He gave me a long, considering look. ‘‘I suspect you’re not the only one in that state. I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me what all that was about?’’

I shook my head and returned to the desk where Tej stood watching with bright, interested eyes. ‘‘Exactly who am I supposed to be calling?’’

The young man looked vaguely surprised. ‘‘You are to make a call. It is the rules.’’

‘‘The rules? What rules?’’

The woman at the desk behind me dropped a couple of sheets of paper on the desk before me. ‘‘Would you mind signing this receipt for your personal effects, Miss Ling? You were unconscious during the sentencing, or I would have had you sign it then.’’

I stared down at a piece of paper listing the items I’d had on my person: wallet, three passports, cell phone, assorted money, cinnamon gum, two keys, and a small golden figurine.

The last object leaped to mind as I hurriedly checked the inner pocket of my bodice. The lumpy gold dragon amulet was gone. I thought it was odd they got that and not the small knife I wore strapped to my ankle, but I wasn’t about to point out their omission.

‘‘Where are my things being kept?’’ I asked the secretary, worried that Porter might have figured out I was bluffing and was even now on the way to get the amulet.

‘‘All effects of prisoners are kept in the vault, naturally,’’ she answered, twitching the paper at me.

‘‘And is the vault secure? I mean, really secure?’’

‘‘It is the L’au-delà vault!’’ she answered indignantly. ‘‘It has not been violated in at least a century.’’

Somewhat relieved, I signed my name where she indicated.

‘‘Convicted persons may petition for the return of those items not deemed to be dangerous,’’ she added.

‘‘Convicted?’’ A headache suddenly blossomed to life. I rubbed my forehead, trying to figure out just what was going on. ‘‘I was convicted?’’

‘‘Oh, yes,’’ the secretary said. ‘‘Earlier, when you were brought before the committee. You were charged, tried, and sentenced, and now if you would just sign these forms as well, I can initiate your transfer to the Akasha.’’

‘‘The Akasha?’’ I felt like some sort of deranged parrot repeating things the woman was saying, but I was beyond confused. My blood turned to ice at the thought of the Akasha—it was what mortals sometimes thought of as limbo, a place where demons and others who had been banished were sent. It meant an eternity of nonexistence, a perpetual torment, a punishment so heinous, it was reserved for only the most serious of crimes . . . or people who sufficiently pissed off the heads of the committee.

And this woman wanted me to sign papers that would send me there? ‘‘I don’t think so,’’ I said aloud, snatching up the phone. I didn’t have to think about who to call; I pulled out the small card with Gabriel’s cell phone number, and punched in the appropriate country code and number.

‘‘It would be my utmost delight to speak with you,’’ Gabriel’s smooth voice assured me. ‘‘But unfortunately, I am unable to take your call at this time. Please leave a message.’’

I wanted to cry right there in front of everyone, but as I’ve mentioned, I’m not a weepy sort of person. ‘‘It’s me. Er . . . May. I’m in Paris, and apparently was unconscious when I was charged by the L’au-delà committee to be banished to the Akasha. I’d really appreciate it if you could do something about it before they send me there.’’ I gave the phone number that was printed on the phone and hung up, despair welling up inside me.

‘‘Do I take it you refuse to sign the forms?’’ the secretary asked, her mouth thin with irritation.

‘‘That is absolutely correct. I won’t sign anything until my . . . er . . . wyvern checks it out.’’

She snatched the papers back and marched to her desk, muttering about unreasonable people who had no concept of the amount of work she had to do.

Tej watched me for a moment with sad eyes before escorting me back to my cell, allowing me to make a bathroom stop on the way.

‘‘The windows have been barred,’’ he pointed out as I was about to enter the bathroom, and sure enough, they had been. The air duct was too small to climb through, the ceiling was made of solid plaster, not tiles with access to a ventilation shaft, and there was no exit other than the door that led straight to Tej.

I sighed, made use of the facilities, and prayed to as many gods as I could name that Gabriel checked his voice mail in time to keep me from being sent to the Akasha.

Chapter Fifteen

I have no idea how much time had gone by since Tej had deposited me back in my airless, barren cell of a room. For that matter, I had no concept of how much time had passed while I was in the shadow world— evidently enough to conduct a trial, although why no one bothered to bring me around during that was a question I very much wanted to ask. I suspected the answer would not be complimentary.

Time did pass, enough that Tej brought me a plate of food for which I had no appetite. Since my room had no windows, I couldn’t even tell if it was day or night. I considered slipping back into the shadow world, but I knew that was no solution to my problem.

By my best guess, about four hours later, the door to my room was suddenly opened. I’d curled up on my side, figuring I might as well rest in case the opportunity to escape presented itself, and I looked up with surprise at the person who was shoved into the room.

‘‘—know who I am? I’m a naiad, you idiot! A member of the Sisterhood of Hydriades! You can’t arrest me!’’

The door slammed shut behind Cyrene.

‘‘What on earth did you do?’’ I asked, getting to my feet as she pounded on the door.

‘‘Shhh,’’ she said over her shoulder, before turning back to the door and yelling, ‘‘I demand to speak to the committee! You can’t treat me this way! I’m a water elemental! I have rights!’’

‘‘Cy?’’

She gave the door one last slam of her fist before turning a delighted face upon me. ‘‘This is fabulous! I’m sorry, Mayling, you know I love you dearly, but this is ever so much more fun than hiding in a tree watching in case of intruders. I sounded very convincing, didn’t I? I knew I should have stayed in Hollywood after you were created, but Magoth was being so unpleasant, and . . . well, you know. But this! I’m a natural at this, don’t you think?’’

I leaned back against the wall, my arms crossed over my chest. ‘‘I take it you have some sort of plan going? Something that calls for you to be arrested?’’

‘‘There, now, you see? I told Drake you’d grasp the gist of things right away, but he had his doubts.’’

‘‘Drake?’’ I straightened up. ‘‘Is Gabriel with him? Did he get my message?’’

‘‘Of course he got your message. That’s why I’m here. Is there no chair?’’ she asked, frowning around the empty room.

‘‘No. I hate to let down the team and all, but what exactly are you doing here? Is Gabriel going to be able to get me out of being sent to the Akasha? Is he going to appeal the conviction?’’

‘‘Better than that,’’ she said with smile, glancing around quickly before leaning in closely, her voice dropped to almost a whisper. ‘‘We’re going to bust you out of here.’’

‘‘Bust me . . .’’ I closed my eyes for a moment. ‘‘You’ve been watching too many old westerns. No one conducts jailbreaks these days. Especially not when the jailers are the L’au-delà committee.’’

‘‘That’s why this plan is so incredibly cunning,’’ she said, giving my arm a little squeeze. ‘‘They’re all expecting you to try to escape—they’ll never expect us to break you out of here.’’

‘‘Oy,’’ I said, sliding down the wall to the floor. ‘‘This has ‘doomed from the start’ written all over it. You didn’t think up this plan yourself, did you?’’ I asked suspiciously.

She looked offended. ‘‘No, I didn’t, and you can stop being such a negative Nelly. Gabriel thought up the plan, and Drake and I are helping. I’m the decoy, you see.’’

‘‘Of course you are. What, exactly, is this grandiose escape plan?’’

Her mouth set in a prim manner. ‘‘I can’t tell you.’’

‘‘Why not?’’

‘‘There could be bugs. We don’t want them to know our plans.’’

‘‘If they were listening in, you just told them there’s a plan, so they’ll be expecting something to happen,’’ I pointed out.

‘‘Yes, but they won’t know what,’’ she said, pulling off her jacket. Her shirt followed almost immediately, as did her jeans, shoes, and the sparkly pink socks that she was so prone to wearing despite the fact they would look more at home on a twelve-year-old.