Unhallowed (Rath and Rune #1) - Jordan L. Hawk Page 0,23

the very bottom of Sebastian’s list. And yet, he hadn’t hesitated to come to Sebastian’s defense. He hadn’t even asked why the men were after Sebastian, or if they were armed, before confronting them.

A part of Sebastian felt mortified to have cowered in the lane while Ves faced the men down. Thankfully, Ves hadn’t needed Sebastian’s help. Quite the opposite—alone, he’d cut an imposing figure, his muscular physique and heavy-lidded glower more than enough to give the men pause. If Sebastian had been with him, he might have rather undermined the effect.

Even better—Ves believed that Kelly’s disappearance could have been due to foul play. He meant to help. Sebastian was no longer alone in his investigation, and that by itself lifted a weight from his shoulders.

Though the note Ves had received was troubling. Sebastian doubted it had any connection with Kelly’s disappearance, though he couldn’t entirely rule it out. But to think someone in the library had gone from wary distrust of outsiders, to pure prejudice, was disheartening. Sebastian would keep a close eye out, and if any more harassment occurred, he’d take a complaint to Mr. Quinn himself.

As Sebastian settled in to his own duties—sorting through a box of documents donated from the Abbott estate, due to the lack of any heirs to receive them—he couldn’t help but recall how Ves had looked at him while they spoke. The way his eyes had lingered hungrily on Sebastian’s lips.

Sebastian grinned to himself. He’d seen that look before, more than once. Vesper’s interest in him wasn’t purely that of a colleague. Given the stiff way the man held himself, how he’d blushed and glanced away, before gradually letting his eyes wander back, Ves might be reluctant to admit his attraction even to himself.

No matter. Sebastian would be more than happy to help with that, given the opportunity. He very much wanted to feel the strength of those arms wrapped around him, to run his own hands over Ves’s muscular shoulders. To feel his weight press Sebastian into the softness of a bed…

A knock at the door broke Sebastian from his fantasy. He started guiltily and called, “Come in!”

Arthur stepped inside, and his grim expression killed any lingering arousal. So did the way he shut the door behind him, as if to make sure no one overheard their conversation. “Sebastian. How are you this morning?”

Sebastian waved away the pleasantry. “What’s wrong?”

“You recall I suggested Mr. O’Neil might have fled because he stole a book?”

Sebastian’s heart sank. “Yes, but…”

“I started an inventory of my own collection.” Arthur sighed. “It turns out a rare unsuppressed copy of Flamsteed’s Historia Coelestis Britannica has gone missing. It’s a catalog of stars, but unlike most copies it includes some of the Royal Astronomer’s thoughts on more…esoteric matters. Including on his apprentice, Edmund Halley.”

“But the curses,” Sebastian objected. “How could he have stolen anything? Surely he couldn’t have made it past them easily. Are you certain it hasn’t been signed out by one of the staff?”

“I checked the card; there’s no record of it being removed from the library. So either it’s been misplaced in some fashion—not impossible—or O’Neil stole it.”

“Couldn’t it have disappeared some time ago?” Sebastian asked hopefully.

Arthur shook his head, a pitying look on his face. “I’m afraid both the card and my own memory confirm Dr. Bell took it to one of the reading rooms—and returned it to my care—a little over a week before O’Neil left.” Arthur put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “I know you don’t want to believe Mr. O’Neil could do such a thing, but it would be an awfully big coincidence otherwise, wouldn’t it?”

Arthur was right; Sebastian didn’t want to believe it. He’d befriended the man. If his judgment in character had been poor, his mother’s had been even worse, since she’d been the one to train Kelly. Wouldn’t she have seen some hint in all the time they spent together in the bindery?

Of course, if Sebastian had just done as she wanted, none of this would have happened in the first place.

“We need to tell Mr. Quinn,” Sebastian said heavily.

Arthur gave him a lopsided smile. “It’s kind of you to say ‘we,’ but that isn’t the duty of an archivist. The theft was from my collection; I should be the one to report it.”

“But it was my speculation that led to the inventory.” Sebastian stood up and clapped Arthur on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Ves’s sleep of the night before had been troubled. When he’d finally managed to sleep