Unhallowed (Rath and Rune #1) - Jordan L. Hawk Page 0,47
so much sense.
He’d been the perfect fool for Fagerlie to manipulate.
Fagerlie wouldn’t simply let Ves back out now. He’d use Noct as a hostage.
He wished he could turn to Sebastian for help. But doing so would mean revealing the truth. Sebastian might know about sorcery, but that didn’t mean he’d help a monster. He thought Ves had simply been born into a cult; he didn’t realize Ves had been created for no other purpose than to destroy. Didn’t understand he was a thing of inhuman darkness.
But if Ves remained silent and did what Fagerlie asked of him, even if he and Noct were allowed to go on their way afterward, what would become of Sebastian? Had the men following him been working for Fagerlie—but what possible motive did Fagerlie have for caring about Sebastian one way or another?
Ves stared at the waves for hours, wondering what to do. The sea whispered against the pier, but it gave him no answer.
Chapter 16
This time, Vesper reached the café first. He’d barely had time to order his coffee before Fagerlie slipped into the chair across from him.
“You’ve finished the map?” Fagerlie asked without preamble.
Of course that was his main concern. Ves had expected it, and yet the abruptness—no, the eagerness—in Fagerlie’s voice rubbed him the wrong way. He held up his hand, signaling Fagerlie to hold off, while the waiter returned with the coffee, then fetched another for Fagerlie.
As soon as he was gone, Fagerlie leaned forward. “Well? You have it?”
“No.” Ves watched the older man’s face closely as he absorbed the answer. “I asked you to meet me because I have questions.”
Fagerlie’s pale eyes gave nothing away. The man looked oddly washed out, with his silver hair and gray suit, his white skin and blue irises. “Oh? Do tell.”
Ves folded his hands in front of him on the table. “The man who was the Ladysmith library’s binder and conservator before me. He disappeared under…mysterious circumstances. I don’t suppose you know anything about that?”
Fagerlie’s eyes widened. “Disappeared? How?”
Ves shrugged. “That doesn’t matter. Did you have anything to do with it?”
Fagerlie gave him a long judging look. “Actually, I didn’t. I’d been contemplating how to get someone into the library, when I saw the posting in the Boston paper. I took it as a sign. Why would I assume he’d left the post under unusual circumstances?”
“And the men following Sebastian Rath?”
Now Fagerlie was starting to frown in irritation rather than confusion. “That name means nothing to me.”
“The library’s archivist. Two ruffians have been following him. They aren’t in your employ?”
“Don’t be absurd.” Fagerlie scowled. “I have more important things to worry about than some archivist.” The scowl became tinged with suspicion. “And what concern is it of yours? Your sole job is to draw me a map of the library by tomorrow evening. You only have a little over twenty-four hours, and now I find you’re wasting time worrying over how you got your position and whatever petty intrigues this archivist is involved in?” He leaned back, mouth almost in a snarl. “I found you and your brother living half lives in Boston. I offered to help you become normal, asking only the most minor of tasks in exchange. I never imagined you’d be too incompetent to do it.”
Ves’s face flushed. “I’m not incompetent.”
“Then do your job.” Fagerlie stood up and left without a backward glance.
Ves stared at his empty chair. Should he believe Fagerlie? If the man was trying to fool him, wouldn’t he have reacted with anger at the accusation rather than simply dismiss Ves’s questions out of hand?
Should Ves have told him he knew what Fagerlie was after? But no—he didn’t want the sorcerer to feel cornered, not with Noct as a potential hostage.
Ves buried his face in his hands. By the trees, he wished he had Noct to talk to. Or Sebastian.
Could he tell Sebastian some edited version of the truth? Pretend he had been hired to steal a book?
But then Sebastian would feel betrayed—rightfully—and Ves would lose all access to the library. He wouldn’t have the map to barter for Noct’s safety.
If only he’d been born a normal person. But he hadn’t, so there was nothing to do but press forward alone.
“Will we be seeing Mr. Rune for dinner again tonight?” Bonnie asked over breakfast.
Sebastian bit back a groan. His head pounded—he’d finished off a good part of the bottle of scotch alone in his room last night and was now paying for it.