Niel thought he was hearing things. “On a plane? Where its insidious whispers could cause the entire crew and passengers to have a melt down and we crash? I don’t think so!”
“It might not have the same effect as the jewels.”
“Barak told us they called it The Horn of Desolation. Does that sound harmless to you?”
Gabe clenched his jaw. “Now that we know where it is, we can’t just leave it there.”
“I know!”
Gabe turned away, also staring at the Grand Canal below them, as if seeking inspiration. Then he grinned at Niel. “Take a train across Europe. We’re loaded. Maybe the Orient Express, or something else flashy. You could keep it in your cabin and bring it home. A train is better than a plane, right?” He put a search into his phone and started to scroll through the results. “Rough estimate, forty-eight hours of travel.”
“Is that all?”
“Yep.”
Niel felt the faint stirrings of possibility. Maybe Mouse might want to travel by train, too. “Okay. Something to consider. It will be even easier, though, if the others are successful in breaking Belial’s power. Then the horn won’t have any effect at all.” Nahum’s latest update had included an interesting idea. By now, all of their London team would be at JD’s searching the fantastical emerald cave. “Or, we could ask Nahum to send the spelled box that he’s not using anymore to Istanbul by special delivery. It could be delivered right to my hotel.”
“Brilliant idea! Then, it goes in our bunker in the cellar.”
“Are we really going to put a vault in?”
“Why not? Now that we’re rich, are we going to stop treasure hunting?”
“I was thinking travel would broaden my horizons.” Gabe just cocked an eyebrow, provoking a more truthful response. “Probably not.”
“Then yes, we need a vault. Even if all of us end up splitting up and going our separate ways, it will always be our base.” A maudlin mood seemed to have settled on Gabe.
“You think that’s what will happen?”
“Of course it will. And it should. I mean, maybe not forever, but we’re already drawing apart. Barak and Estelle spend lots of time in London—or in Cornwall, he’ll be at her place. I’m pleased for him. Zee is already half moved out. Herne knows what will happen with Nahum and Olivia. I quite liked us all living together. It was chaotic, but fun.”
“What about you and Shadow?”
“We like White Haven. We’ll stay there, in and around trips and jobs, of course. I’m going to build, spruce up the outbuildings.”
Niel smiled. “I like it there, too. I’ll stay, around my own travel. It’s home now. I don’t think Ash is going anywhere yet, or Eli, with his bloody harem and his obligations to Ravens’ Wood.”
That seemed to cheer Gabe up. “I guess that’s right.”
“I like the witches, too. Plus, I want rooms in the barn.”
“Done. You’ll get to design them, too.”
“Excellent. Besides, we still have a business. Shadow needs excitement, or she’ll implode with boredom. So will I, for that matter. It doesn’t stop us working together, even if we all start to do other things separately.”
“True. But I guess we should focus on tonight. I meant it. We’re just listening.”
Niel felt the keen edge of his blade and sniggered. “Sure we are. And pigs are flying over Venice right now.”
Twenty
Maggie snorted with derision, hands on hips. “Find a fucking spell to get rid of a Fallen Angel? You’re all fucking mad!”
“Do you have to be so negative?” Harlan complained. “If the Igigi could do it, so can we!”
“The Igigi were half-Gods themselves, you oaf, you are not.” She had only just found out about the Igigi, and she was pretty miffed it was the first she’d heard. So many secrets.
“But we have witches, and a bloody great emerald cave full of knowledge.” Harlan swept his arms wide to encompass the cave they stood in. “And Nephilim, who can read any language in the world.”
“I’m trying to be realistic.”
“You’re being a Debbie Downer. Or should I say a Moaning Maggie?”
“Actually,” Jackson intervened, “in order to be grammatically congruent, it should probably be Maggie Moaner.”
“Oh, shut the fuck up, both of you.” Maggie glared at them, feeling overwhelmed and useless, which was partly the reason for her anger. She was also annoyed at having wasted hours looking for information on Lamberti, only to be told to search for Jiri and Beneventi references instead. Except, there were no mentions of Beneventi at all.
JD was making copious notes on an enormous roll of paper he’d spread across a long table in the centre of the cavern, close to the eternal flame, but he looked up then. “You have the mouth of a bawdy fish wife found in the back alleys of Spitalfields. It makes me quite homesick. If you threw in a few Elizabethan insults, it would be even better.”
“Shut up, old man. You cock-wombling knave. Does that help?”
“Cock-wombling isn’t quite Elizabethan, but I like it.” JD wagged his finger at Harlan. “I like her. You can bring her back.”
Harlan rolled his eyes. “Typical. I put up with months of crap from him, and you insult him and he likes it.”
Maggie smirked. “I’m very charming, in my own way. So, you’re serious? About the spell?”
“Yes.” Harlan shrugged off his leather jacket and placed it over the back of a chair. “Jenkins gave us brilliant information. We know the source of the jewels now. It hasn’t been an age-old conspiracy. Yes, there are a few families and their connections to track down, but now that Lamberti has told us where his list is, that makes things easier. Plus, we know where to find the horn, too.”