gestured to Hood. “Bring her to the Lyceum for formal questioning.”
The vampire and necromancer communities had yet to heal from the wounds inflicted on them by Gaspard Lacroix. His ties to Grier meant she was as often revered for being his granddaughter as she was reviled for it. As dedicated as his mother was to Grier’s success, albeit often for her own reasons, it struck him as odd she would continue employing a maid with such leanings.
“I’ve got this,” Grier huffed from her efforts to catch up to them. “Get her on her knees.”
Josephine thrashed in their hold, careful not to lash out and harm Grier, which he found peculiar despite the fact the maid must know how poorly it would end for her if Grier was harmed. There was more to this than he perceived, but Grier appeared to have an inkling, and he trusted her judgment.
“I prefer to do this with consent,” she told Josephine. “Do I have yours?”
The maid pinched her lips closed and shook her head.
“I prefer it.” Grier palmed her trusty pocketknife. “I don’t require it.”
The blade bit into the meat of her palm, and she used a fingertip to draw two complex sigils on the maid’s forehead.
“This sigil will compel you to answer my questions.” She tapped the first one’s center, and a pulse of gentle magic swept through the room. “This one will give us a visual indicator if you’re telling the truth.”
The maid trembled, but she gave no other outward indication of her nerves.
As usual, Grier started Josephine off easy to get a baseline reading. “Are you a maid in this household?”
“Yes, miss.” The words popped out of her mouth, and her eyes rounded. “I am.”
Green rolled across her irises, and Grier gave a thumbs-up to the room before getting serious.
“Are you employed by the Grande Dame?”
“Yes, miss.”
Green.
“Do you have wings?”
Surprise jerked her gaze to Grier’s face. “No, miss.”
Green.
The easy cadence of Grier’s voice hardened. “Are you afraid of dogs?”
“Yes, miss.”
Red.
“Are you afraid of gwyllgi?”
“Yes, miss.”
Red.
“Have you ever been harmed by a gwyllgi?”
“Yes, miss.”
Red.
“Okay.” Grier massaged her lower back, and Linus fought his instinct to suggest she rest before she continued the interrogation. “You’re lying through your fangs here, Josephine.”
“No, miss.” Her eyes shimmered with unspent tears. “I’m telling the truth.”
Red.
“Do you see my ankles? These are not the ankles of a patient woman. Tell us what you know, or I’ll let my husband bring you in for questioning.”
Despite the circumstances, Linus had to admit, it warmed him to the bone each time Grier referred to him as hers.
Tears slipping free, Josephine shook her head in stark refusal.
“Did you have anything to do with the Grande Dame’s disappearance?”
“No, miss.”
Green.
“Do you know where she’s gone?”
“No, miss.”
Green.
“Does the secret you’re hiding have anything whatsoever to do with the Grande Dame?”
“No, miss.”
Red.
“Lethe will eat you,” Grier warned, massaging her forehead, “and I will let her.”
Josephine’s gaze shot to Linus, pleading with him, but he had no intentions of protecting her when his mother’s life was at stake.
“Tell us what you know,” Linus said, the words crisp in his mouth, “and you will come to no harm.”
Slow footsteps approached, and Marco appeared in the entryway. “She’s covering for me.”
“Covering how? And what?” Grier narrowed her eyes on him. “I cleared you of any wrongdoing.”
“Josephine and I have been involved for the last six months.” He only had eyes for her. “Madam forbade us to see each other after catching us kissing in the yard. It was after hours, and we were on our own time, but Madam doesn’t believe in allowing her employees to become romantically involved because of the potential of upheaval to her household.”
From the landscaping crew, Josephine must have experienced the keenness of gwyllgi noses. No wonder she ran before they got close enough to scent her emotions. Pity she had feared the wrong predator. His wife was infinitely more dangerous.
“That does sound like one of Mother’s policies,” Linus admitted, studying Josephine’s stark relief at Marco’s arrival. “What I don’t understand is why you would rather face justice at the Lyceum than confess your relationship to us.”
“I was hoping to call your bluff,” she said softly. “Madam’s disappearance must remain a secret.”
“Sneaky.” Grier appraised the woman with a keener eye. “I can see why the Grande Dame likes you.”
“Adapt to survive.” Josephine kept her head down. “This position is the best I can hope for, and I would be a fool to throw it away.”
“We’re all fools in love.” Grier swung her head