Arthur took a sip of tea and hummed in approval. “You make tea like your mother, Darien.”
But Darien didn’t smile, for he knew Arthur well enough to detect the undercurrent to his words.
Darien’s brows pulled together. “Something’s wrong.”
Arthur kept his hands wrapped around the steaming mug, his wrinkled fingers tapping against the sides. “I was…fired today.” His lip wobbled, and he wouldn’t look at Darien. “By the CEO himself.”
“Fired?” Darien’s blood was hot in his veins, and his hands curled into fists atop the table. The movement caused the mark of the Blood Covenant to burn like a corrosive substance was poured over it. “Johnathon Kyle fired you. What the fuck for?”
“There’s no need to curse, Darien.”
“What for?” he repeated.
“For taking the Well blueprints and for accessing restricted files,” Arthur replied. To get the proof Darien had asked him for. “I thought I was doing a decent enough job of keeping out of sight of the cameras but…they saw me. Johnathon saw me.”
Darien made to swear again but stopped himself right in time. “Arthur, I’m so sorry.”
Arthur’s throat bobbed. He took another sip of the tea, hands trembling. Darien gave him a minute to compose himself.
And then Arthur said, “Her e-signature was on the files.” His eyes flicked up to meet Darien’s. “Taega Bright’s.”
Darien felt the blood drain from his face. “You’re certain?” It was true, then. Dallas’s mother was the person—or at leastoneof the people—responsible for the replica of the Arcanum Well and the missing girls. And by the sounds of it, Johnathon Kyle might have something to do with it as well.
“Unless someone managed to not only uncover her username and password but also lift her signature…,” Arthur mused. And then he dipped his head in a sharp nod. “I’m certain.”
“You have to be certain, Arthur. Because that is a fucking huge accusation to make if we’re wrong.” It was bad enough if the Red Baron’s wife was behind this, but Johnathon Kyle? He was loved by so many people in this state; he was practically a celebrity.
“I don’t know how I can be any more certain,” Arthur said. Although they were finally starting to get answers, relieved was the last thing he looked. Fear shone in the watery eyes that flitted about the kitchen.
“You’re scared,” Darien said. “Aren’t you?” He couldn’t believe the mess he’d caused for Arthur. He should never have involved him. How many mistakes would he have to make before he finally learned?
Arthur shifted in his seat. “I’m thinking it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stay here until all this blows over,” he said. “If you’ll have me. I brought some of my things with me, just in case.” Arthur was afraid something worse than losing his job would happen to him now.
It was Darien’s fault. He shouldn’t have done this, should’ve looked into things himself instead of asking someone like Arthur to put his job and his life on the line.
“Of course, Arthur. You don’t even have to ask.”
The man gave a little smile but said nothing else. They sat in silence for a few minutes, not a sound to be heard but the plinking of the rain on the windows and the muffled voices of Dallas and Loren drifting down from the third-floor landing.
Seeing how intently Darien was watching him, Arthur gave him a smile that didn’t touch his eyes. “It was high time I retired anyway,” he said, taking another sip of tea.
The statement didn’t make Darien feel any better. Arthur loved his job, and Darien couldn’t suppress the sickening guilt he felt upon realizinghewas the reason why Arthur no longer had that job.
—
Loren sat beside Dallas at the top of the staircase in the entrance hall at Hell’s Gate. She’d joined the witch minutes ago, just in time to catch the gist of the conversation Darien was having with Arthur in the kitchen below. The conversation about Taega and the blueprints of the Arcanum Well the weapons technician had found in the restricted files at Lucent Enterprises. Darien had wanted Arthur to find proof about who had created the replica, and it seemed Taega was to blame for this whole mess after all. With her signature on the blueprints of the Well replica, they might finally have enough evidence to implicate her, to throw her behind bars for eternity. Of course, they would have to figure out what was going on with Johnathon Kyle but…
Loren’s mouth tasted bitter from the betrayal, and she knew that what Dallas was feeling as Taega’s daughter by blood was worse. Far, far worse.
“I just can’t believe she would do something like this,” Dallas said. “I know I’ve always said that I hate her, but…a part of me hopes it isn’t true. At least for my dad’s sake. It could ruin his name if she’s going behind people’s backs to create something so dangerous. And for what? She’s never had a hint of the Tricking, and she’s lived for a long time. Why would she worry about it now?”
“Maybe there was a mistake,” Loren said softly, sliding closer to Dallas on the step, until her arm was pressed against hers. “Maybe shedidhave her signature lifted.” It was something both Darien and Arthur had thought of. They had to tread carefully, had to take Taega down properly, no dirty work involved. Especially since it was obvious that she wasn’t acting alone; she was only one of possibly several people who’d banded together to recreate the Arcanum Well.
Dallas sighed. “Regardless, it’s time to get out of the nest, Lor.” Loren stiffened as she saw where the conversation was heading. “Now that I’m bringing in a steady paycheque at the Fleet, we should be able to get a place this summer.”
“Dal…,” Loren struggled for words, shifting on the stair. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
Dallas visibly stiffened. “What,” she bit out, the word less of a question and more of a go-on-I-dare-you.
