Is this the thief? Brick asks, signing clumsily.
Esme gives him a winning smile. “Don’t worry, Alpha. I’m off duty.” She tosses me a small leather pouch. I peer inside, and the tiara sparkles at me.
“Don’t let it out,” Esme instructs. “It’s not happy about being hidden away. It wants to come out and wreak havoc.”
Madi’s eyes go wide. “How do you know?”
I’ve got a bit of clairtangency. Esme signs fluidly. Runs in my family.
“Who’s your family?” Billy asks.
“Montaigu. You may have heard of us. We’re famous. Well, infamous. Is Nicholas Twylton-Wickham Cavendish the Seventh here?”
Nickel steps forward.
“It’s possible my great-great-grand uncle stole a Tudor brooch from your ancestors at the turn of the last century. Sorry about that.” She whirls away from Nickel and rubs her hands together, looking excited. “So what’s the plan, man?”
“We want you, as a neutral party, to make contact with the Adalwulfs,” Brick says and signs, looking grim. “Offer them the deal: the tiara in exchange for their three virgin sacrifices. Tell them your witch cult wants them for a sacrifice of your own or something.”
“Okay, sure.” Esme wriggles her fingers and then holds up my cellphone. She must have picked my pocket during the hug. “Oh, not this one.” She winks and tosses it back with a quick, “Sorry. Habit.”
It’s fine, I sign back. And it is–I’m used to it.
Brick gives her the number, and she makes the call to Aiden.
Esme turns her back, pacing as she speaks, so I can’t read her lips, but Madi interprets for me. I wish to speak to your alpha, she signs. Well, give him a message. I have something he wants. Ancient Mayan. Sparkly moonstones.
Tell your alpha to call this number if he wants to make a trade. She pivots and grins at me as she ends the call with a dramatic punch of her finger.
The room falls silent as we wait.
“How long do you think it will take?” Madi says and signs.
“Not long,” Brick says.
“Is anyone bored yet? I can do tricks.” Esme pulls a deck of ancient looking Tarot cards from her pocket and spreads them in her hands. “Pick a card, any card,” she offers to Nickel.
Pass, he signs.
She pivots and offers it to Madi, who seems more willing to play along. Madi plucks a card that shows a stone tower getting struck by lightning and set on fire.
“Hmm, the Tower, very interesting. Looks like some old structures are coming down.”
“Hey British, are you a duke? A werewolf duke?” Esme cocks a hip, looking Nickel up and down.
Jake leans in, grinning. “As a matter of fact, his family wants him to marry an heiress, so he’s eligible to inherit the title.”
“Duke?” Esme’s dark eyes sparkle.
“Viscount.” Nickel looks unamused.
Esme snaps her fingers. “That’s right, British, I have something for you.” She shows her empty palm and then with some sleight of hand, the Tower card appears. “Oops not that.” She tucks it away and points to Nickel. “Check your right pocket.”
He does and pulls out an ornate gold brooch with a big red stone in the middle.
“There’s your brooch. If anyone asks, you found it in some furs stored in a wardrobe. Must have gotten lost.”
Nickel stares at the brooch, looking stunned.
