Blameless

The preceptor gave Alexia one hard, long look and then, taking Mr. Lange-Wilsdorf firmly by the arm, left the library without responding to her sarcasm. Poche circled the room twice more and then bounced out after them like a fierce feather duster ejected at high pressure from a steam engine. My last defender, gone, thought Alexia grimly.

She looked to her opponents. “Very well , then. Take me to your dungeon!” Might as well give a command she was reasonably confident would be obeyed.

Professor Lyal set his precious cargo down upon the sofa in his office at BUR

headquarters. Stil unconscious, Biffy was as limp as overcooked broccoli. The couch was already covered in various piles of paperwork, aethographor slates, a stack of books, and several newspapers and scientific pamphlets, but Biffy didn’t seem to mind overly much. He curled onto one side like a little child, hugging an exceptional y uncomfortable-looking metal scrol affectionately to his chest.

Professor Lyal got to work preparing formal statements for the press, cal ing in various operatives and agents and then sending them back out again on important information-gathering missions, diplomatic interventions, and secret biscuit-acquisition operations (BUR’s kitchen was running low). He also sent a runner to the remaining members of the Woolsey Pack, instructing them to stay alert and stay armed. Who knew how the vampires might choose to retaliate? Usual y, they were refined in their reactions, but kil ing one of them was, as a rule, not considered polite, and they might behave unfavorably. After that, Lyal managed one productive hour of activity before he was interrupted by the first in what he had no doubt would be a long line of offended dignitaries. It was not, however, a member of one of the hives come to complain about the potentate’s death. Rather unexpectedly, his first cal er was a werewolf.

“Good evening, Lord Slaughter.”

The dewan hadn’t bothered with a cloak this time. With no disguise and no attempt made to hide his displeasure, either, Lyal had no doubt the dewan was official y representing Queen Victoria’s interests.

“Wel , you made a dog’s bol ocks of that, didn’t you, little Beta? Couldn’t have done worse with it when al ’s said and done.”

“How do you do, my lord? Please, sit down.”

The dewan gave a disgusted look at the slumbering Biffy. “Looks like you already have company. What is he—drunk?” He sniffed the air. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, have you both been swimming in the Thames?”

“I assure you it was entirely involuntary.”

The dewan looked as though he was about to continue his reprimanding tone, but then he sniffed the air again and stopped in his tracks. Twirling about, he lumbered over to the couch and bent over the comatose young dandy.

“Now, that is an unfamiliar face. I know most of the Woolsey Pack has been overseas with the regiment, but I think I remember them al . I am not that old.”

“Ah, yes.” Professor Lyal sat up straight and cleared his throat. “We are to be congratulated. Woolsey has a new pack member.”

The dewan grunted, half pleased but trying to hide it with annoyance. “I thought he stank of Lord Maccon. well , well , well , a metamorphosis and a dead vampire al in one night. My, my, Woolsey has been busy.”

Professor Lyal put down his quil and took off his spectacles. “The one is, in fact, tied intimately to the other.”

“Since when has kil ing vampires resulted in new werewolves?”

“Since vampires stole other vampire’s drones, imprisoned them under the Thames, and then shot at them.”

The dewan looked less like a gruff loner wolf and more like a politician at that statement. He drew up a chair on the other side of the desk from Lyal . “I think you had better start explaining what happened, little Beta.”

When Lyal finished his account, the dewan was left looking a mite stunned.

“Of course, such a story wil have to be corroborated. With the potentate’s il egal kil order out on Lady Maccon’s head, you must see that Lord Maccon’s motives for kil ing the man are highly suspicious. Stil , if al you say is true, he was within his rights as chief sundowner. Such shenanigans cannot be al owed. Imagine, stealing someone else’s drone! So rude.”

“You must understand I have other difficulties to deal with?”

“Went off hunting that stray wife of his, did he?”

Professor Lyal curled his lip and nodded.

“Alphas are so very difficult.”

“My feeling exactly.”

“Wel , I shal leave you to it.” The dewan stood but walked once more over to look down at Biffy before he left.

“Two successful metamorphoses in as many months. Woolsey may be in political trouble, but you are to be congratulated on the potency of your Alpha’s Anubis Form.

Pretty young pup, isn’t he? He is going to bring down a whole mess of trouble on your head. How much worse wil it be to have the vampires think werewolves stole a drone away?”

Professor Lyal sighed. “Lord Akeldama’s favorite, no less.”

The dewan shook his head. “Mess of trouble, mark my words. Best of luck, little Beta. You are going to need it.”

Just as the dewan was leaving, one of Lord Maccon’s best BUR agents appeared.

The agent bowed to the dewan in the doorway before coming in to stand in front of Professor Lyal , with his hands laced behind his back.

“Report, Mr. Haverbink.”

“’S’not pretty out there, sir. The Teeth are a’stirring up al kinds of toss about you Tails. Them’s saying Lord M had a grudge against the potentate. Saying he took him down out’a anger, not duty.”

Haverbink was a good solid chap in both looks and spirit. And no one would bet a ha’penny on his having excess soul, but he listened well and got around to places more aristocratic types couldn’t. He looked a bit like a farmhand, and people didn’t give a man of his brawn much credit in the way of brain. It was a mistake.

“How unsettled?”

“Couple of pub brawls so far, mostly just clavigers giving fist to drones with big mouths. Could get ugly if the conservatives weigh in. You’re knowing how they can get:

‘none of this would’ve happened if we hadn’t integrated. England deserves it for acting unnatural. Against God’s law.’ Whine, whine.”

“Any word on the vampires themselves?”

“Westminster queen’s been dead silent—’scuse the pun—since word on the potentate’s death broke. You better believe if she thought she were in the right, she’d be squawking official statements to the press like a hen laying eggs.”

“Yes, I would tend to agree with you. Her silence is a good thing for us werewolves.

How about BUR’s reputation?”

“We’re taking the fal out. Lord M was working, not werewolfing, or that’s the claim.

He should’ve had more self-restraint.” Haverbink turned his wide, friendly face on his commander questioningly.

Lyal nodded.

Haverbink continued. “Those that like BUR are claiming he was within his rights as sundowner. Those that don’t like it, don’t like him, and don’t like wolves—they’re going to complain regardless. Not a whole lot would change that.”

Lyal rubbed at his neck. “Wel , that’s about what I thought. Keep talking the truth as much as possible while you are out there. Let people know the potentate stole Lord Akeldama’s drone. We cannot al ow the vampires or the Crown to cover that up, and we have got to hope both Biffy and Lord Akeldama corroborate the official story or we real y wil be in the thick of it.”

Haverbink looked skeptical y over at Biffy’s sleeping form. “Does he remember any of it?”

“Probably not.”

“Is Lord Akeldama likely to be amenable?”

“Probably not.”

“Right’o, sir. I wouldn’t want to be in your spats right now.”

“Don’t get personal, Haverbink.”

“’Course not, sir.”

“Speaking of which, stil no word on Lord Akeldama’s return or whereabouts?”

“Not a single sausage, sir.”

“Wel , that’s something. Very well , carry on, Mr. Haverbink.”

“Jol y good, sir.”

Haverbink went out, and the next agent, waiting patiently in the hal way, came in.

“Message for you, sir.”

“Ah, Mr. Phinkerlington.”

Phinkerlington, a round, bespectacled metal burner, managed a slight bow before continuing hesitatingly into the room. He had the manners of a clerk, the demeanor of a constipated mole, and some minor aristocratic connection that temperament compel ed him to regard as an embarrassing character flaw. “Something final y came through on that Italian channel you had me monitoring sunset these past few days.” He was also very, very good at his job, which consisted mainly of sitting and listening, and then writing down what he heard without thought or comment.

Professor Lyal sat up. “Took you long enough to get it to me.”

“Sorry, sir. You’ve been so busy this evening; I didn’t want to disturb.”

“Yes, well .” Professor Lyal made an impatient gesture with his left hand.

Phinkerlington handed Professor Lyal a scrap of parchment paper, on which had been inked a message. It was not, as Lyal had hoped, from Alexia but was from, of al people, Floote.

It was also so entirely off topic and unhelpful to the situation in hand as to give Lyal a brief but intense feeling of exasperation with Lady Maccon. This was a feeling that had, heretofore, been reserved solely for his Alpha.

“Get queen to stop Italians excavating in Egypt. Can’t find soul ess mummies, bad things result. Lady Maccon with Florentine Templars. Not good. Send help. Floote.”

Professor Lyal , cursing his Alpha for departing so precipitously, bal ed up the piece of paper and, after minor consideration for the delicacy of the information it contained, ate it.

He dismissed Phinkerlington, stood, and went to check on Biffy, finding the young man stil sleeping. Good, he thought, best and most sensible thing for him to be doing at the moment. Just as he was tucking the blanket a little more firmly about the new werewolf, yet another person entered his office.

He straightened up and turned to face the door. “Yes?”

He caught the man’s scent: very expensive French perfume coupled with a hint of Bond Street’s best hair pomade and under that the slow richness of the unpalatable

—old blood.

“Ah. Welcome back to London, Lord Akeldama.”

Lady Alexia Maccon, sometimes cal ed La Diva Tarabotti, was quite comfortable with being abducted. Or, as it might better be phrased, she was growing accustomed to the predicament. She had led, up until a little over a year ago, quite an exemplary spinsterish existence. Her world had been plagued only by the presence of two nonsensical sisters and one even sil ier mama. Her concerns, it must be acknowledged, were a tad mundane, and her daily routine as banal as that of any other young lady of sufficient income and insufficient liberty. But she had managed to avoid abductions.

This, as matters would have it, was turning out to be one of the worst.

Alexia found the experience of being blindfolded and carried over someone’s armor-clad shoulder like a sack of potatoes unconscionably undignified. She was hauled down a seemingly endless series of stairs and passageways, musty as only the deep underground can be. She gave a few experimental kicks and a wiggle, only to have her legs clamped down by a metal-covered arm.

Eventually, they arrived at their final destination, which, she discovered once the blindfold had been removed, was some kind of Roman catacomb. She blinked, eyes adjusting to the dimness, and found herself in an underground ancient ruin dug into the bedrock, lit with oil lamps and candles. The smal cel she now occupied was barred over on one side with modern-looking reinforcements.

“Wel , this is a much inferior living situation,” she objected to no one in particular.

The preceptor appeared in the doorway, leaning up against the metal doorjamb, regarding her with lifeless eyes.

“We found we could no longer adequately ensure your safety in your other location.”

“I wasn’t safe in a temple surrounded by several hundred of the Knights Templars, the most powerful holy warriors ever to walk this earth?”

He made no answer to that. “We shal see to your every comfort here.”

Alexia looked around. The room was slightly smal er than her husband’s dressing chamber back at Woolsey Castle. There was a tiny bed in one corner covered in a faded quilt, a single side table with an oil lamp, a chamber pot, and a washstand. It looked neglected and sad.

“Who wil ? No one has so far.”

Wordlessly the Templar signaled and, out of nowhere, a bread bowl ful of pasta appeared, and a carrot carved to resemble a spoon was handed over by some unseen companion. The preceptor gave them to Alexia. ns class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">