“What is it?” I followed his gaze and spotted a little skiff racing toward us, puffing angry black smoke. Gideon and I knew plenty about horses, and he could perform some amazing feats of accuracy with a knife and a crossbow, but I didn’t think either of us knew much when it came to boats—not compared to a local who had grown up on these waters and sailed them daily.
“Can we outrun him?” A knot of worry formed in my chest, and I called for the storms. A well-timed bolt of lightning might solve our problem.
“I have another idea.” He reached over his shoulder, popped a snap, and slid Sephonie free from her holster. “Keep the boat as straight as you can.”
I grabbed the wheel as he braced his feet wide. He took aim and squeezed the trigger, and with a sharp thwack, the crossbow released a bolt. Three more times, Gideon shot at our pursuer before turning back to the wheel.
Although I had never known it to happen, I watched our pursuers gain on us and wondered if it meant Gideon had missed his mark. But I never should’ve doubted. Moments later, the boat behind us sputtered, and its chimney stopped puffing smoke. The distance between us increased as it lost speed. “What did you do?” I asked.
“Put a couple of holes through the boiler. No pressure, no speed.”
Mouth agape, I blinked at him in awe.
He tugged the wheel, taking us around the sharp corner of a rock jetty separating the dockyards from a residential part of the city. After pointing the boat toward the nearest canal, he tugged the floor lever again, and the boat slowed as he glanced at me. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“That boat had to be more than fifty yards away, and we were bobbing through bumpy waters.”
He bit back his grin. “I guess you have your talents, and I have mine.”
As soon as we crossed into the shadows of the first tall buildings, he slowed us to a crawl. “No need to draw attention, right?”
I reclined on a padded bench lining the side of the boat and tried to pretend like I was relaxed and having fun, out for a pleasure cruise. Pay us no mind. We definitely did not just steal this boat, so no need to follow us. Gideon threaded us through the city, watching over his shoulder for signs of pursuit. “I think we’re clear.”
“I hope the others are back from their shopping trip. There’s something we’re going to need to do as soon as possible.”
“I saw you had put paint on the list.”
I nodded. “If we can camouflage this boat without using Magic, Brigette can save her energy for more important things.”
So perhaps your plan wasn’t quite as impulsive as it seemed, Grandfather said.
What was it you told me earlier? I asked. “Have some faith.”
Chapter 19
When we reached the Terrazzano, Gideon navigated our boat through a low archway beside the dock and into a space underneath the hotel where other guests had moored their boats. We cruised into an empty slip near the back in the thickest shadows. I jumped out and tied us in place as Gideon shut down the engine and boiler.
An interior door within the garage led us to a steep flight of stairs. He and I tramped up them together. The stairway opened to the hotel’s interior courtyard. We hurried through the lobby and up the stairs to our room. Brigette, Niffin, and Malita were waiting for us inside.
And they had company.
Between the open balcony doors stood a familiar dandelion-haired Magician. Hands on hips, he took in the view like a ship captain watching for storms. Peering over his shoulder, he gave us a crafty grin that turned my insides cold.
I glanced at Brigette who sat at the dining table, hands clenched in her lap. She seemed sober, although her color was pale and pasty. Niffin and Malita sat on the sofa, his arm around her shoulders. A muscle bulged in Malita’s jaw as she clenched her teeth—a sure sign of her annoyance. “I take it you picked up more than what was on the shopping list,” I said.
“He was waiting in the lobby when we returned.” Brigette raised her chin, nostrils flaring.
“What do you want, Taviano?” I stepped toward the Magician, Gideon shadowing me.
“A little hospitality, is all.” He stood at the balcony threshold and sunlight lit his hair like a mantle in a gas lamp. “You left last night without saying goodbye, Lady Peacock.”
I sneered. “You passed out.”
Folding his arms over his chest, he returned my sneer. “And you were hoping I would forget everything that happened.” He strolled into the room and crossed to the table where a stack of papers lay open, exposed for anyone to see. Malita’s sketch of Niffin’s profile sat on top, and underneath, her renderings of the basilica’s blueprints. A sick sensation stirred in my stomach. If Taviano spotted those drawings, our plan was ruined. Maybe our plans were in trouble anyway. The Magician’s presence in our suite didn’t exactly fill me with glad tidings.
“What happened that’s worth discussing?” I asked.
“You might have been hoping I would blame it on the mordid or the wine, but we all know it was more than that.” His gaze shot to Brigette. She was still and quiet, but a deep red glow blazed in her cheeks. Not a blush, but the heat of a hot temper. “I have been intoxicated numerous times and never talked so openly about the Council and its prisoners as I did with you last night. The moment you mentioned Brigette’s name, I should have been on my guard.”
“You told me nothing that couldn’t be discovered easily, elsewhere.”
“If that is true, then why did you come to me wearing a candor charm, tossing out Aeolus Daeg’s name like gold coins.” His thin lips spread into a lecherous grin. “You thought I would not put it together? I contacted Enson Graves this morning. He told me everything.”
I had placed a bet and lost, it seemed. Now to deal with the consequences. “What did he say?”
“He told me your real name, Lady Stormbourne. He also revealed your purpose here in Isolas.”
Gideon flinched and reached for his crossbow, but I threw up a hand, stopping him. Damn Hannah Schulze’s big mouth and Enson Grave’s aspirations. If Taviano had found out who I was and why I was in Isolas, how long before the rest of the Council knew?
“So what?” I shrugged. “There’s no loss for me if I walk away now.” That wasn’t entirely true. Jackie was an important element in my plan to defeat Le Poing Fermé. “In fact, things will probably be much easier for me if I do.”
Taviano buffed his nails on his waistcoat and studied his cuticles. “Whoever said you would be allowed to simply walk away?”
He’d said the words lightly, yet I heard the threat in them. Thunder rolled in the distance, answering my anger and resentment. A growl rumbled in Gideon’s chest.
Might I offer some advice, Granddaughter?
Your counsel’s always welcome.
Always? He made a sound of dissent in the back of his throat—never mind that spirits didn’t have throats. If he was going to act against you, you’d already be arrested, imprisoned, or on your way out of the city on the next available train or ship. This boy wants something. Find out what it is.
Taking a deep breath, I motioned to an empty seat beside Brigette. “Have a seat, Taviano. I’ll order refreshments.”
I tugged a rope that rang a bell somewhere within the hotel. An attendant knocked on the door moments later, and I asked him to bring us drinks and snacks. After he’d left, I took a seat at the table. Without asking, Gideon sat beside me, settling his heavy hand on my knee. Whatever happened next, he would be at my side, lending his strength.
“There was a time,” I began, “when a Magician’s insolence to a god resulted in instant death.” I snapped my fingers and the skies darkened. The room dimmed as clouds rolled in, blotting out the sunlight. A stiff breeze sent the window curtains billowing toward us like grabbing hands. “Those days are long gone, of course. The gods are mostly extinct.” Glancing up, I met Taviano’s stare. “Mostly.”
If he doubted my powers, then that small display should’ve reassured him. His next words confirmed my suspicion. “And Brigette is a sufficient Magician to suit the needs of a goddess?”
“She hasn’t disappointed me yet.” That wasn’t the truth, but I’d never admit my doubts to him.
“But have you truly put her to the test?” He tapped his temple and twisted his face into a mockery of sympathy. “Has she told you about the headaches.”
Brigette drummed her fingernails on the table. “Is that what this is about? You want a job interview?” She snorted. “You’re not the first to challenge me for a position in Evie’s court. You won’t be the last.”
“Might I remind you that your patron does not have a court.” Taviano’s eyes blazed as he looked at me. “Yet.”
I huffed. “And you are going to help me win it back?”
