“Some ladies’ society,”Jade repeated dryly. “I love when people assume a group of ladies would only do frivolous things so no one thinks too hard about it. Gwen and I talked about starting one once.”
“There’s a bone-chilling thought,” Arthur muttered. “Miss Shelley was wearing a necklace with a stone. She seemed—familiar, somehow.”
“You said John’s been having his nightmare for a few days,” Jade pointed out. “The same few days Mansfield’s mysterious lodestone has been missing and Miss Shelley has been visiting him. Could be a coincidence...”
“But I know the miracles you’ve pulled off while men assumed you were nothing more than a pretty woman there by coincidence,” Zhang finished, looking rather smitten.
Jade grinned. Arthur made a face. “You two could wait for me to leave before you flirt, you know.”
“Whether or not this woman is involved in any of this,” Jade said, ignoring his whining, “we still don’t know why anyone would want to curse an alderman.”
“Maybe it’s not because John Kenzie is an alderman,” Zhang said slowly. “What if it’s because he’s related to Arthur?”
“What could that have to do with it?” said Arthur.
“You’re up to your ears in the paranormal,” said Zhang. “I just think we shouldn’t rule out that you might be the real target.”
A cold anger mixed with dread went down Arthur’s spine. This was something else he hadn’t anticipated in America. Abroad, he was alone. Here, he was intricately entangled with his entire family of innocents.
“If someone out there takes issue with me, they had best come for me,” he said tersely. “And not for my brother or anyone else I care about.”
Jade’s and Zhang’s expressions said they understood. But of course they did; they had it even harder. They had non-magic family they loved and worried about too, and their families weren’t just in danger from magic, they were at risk from their own country’s laws, and great, now Arthur was worried about their families.
“Can you describe Shelley?” said Zhang. “I’ll look for her too, and I’ll check on your brother and parents.”
Arthur gave him a grateful look that lasted until Zhang added slyly, “And Rory’s almost here. I’ll let you keep your own eyes on him.”
Chapter Fourteen
Rory waited until the taxi had puttered out of sight before descending the stairs to the tobacco shop with the heavy curtains in the window and the hand-lettered out-of-business sign. He’d caught the cab straight from the antiques shop, and the messenger bag he’d taken to Hyde Park was still slung over his shoulder. He’d been walking okay, and was able to put a good amount of weight on his ankle as he stood and did the knock—two long, three short, two long—then wrapped his arms around himself to ward off the night’s icy cold. He was uncomfortably aware of his bare head and wild curls, and even more aware of his new jewelry. He rubbed the ring on his left forefinger, still stuck on, and sighed.
Someone pushed the curtains aside, eyed Rory, then closed the curtain. A moment later, the door opened, revealing a Black man with broad shoulders and a patient expression. “Go home.”
Rory scowled. “I’m here to see Jade.”
“Sure you are.” He leaned in. “Scram, all right? This is no place for a kid.”
“I’mnota—”
The door shut firmly in his face.
Rory swore and stomped back up the stairs. He went around the corner and into the alley, crunching through lingering spots of dirty snow until he reached the side door, which he began to bang on with his fist.
A moment later, the air around him flickered as Zhang’s astral projection appeared in the alley. “You planning to bring every cop in the city to Jade’s doorstep?”
“The bouncer streeted me before I ever got in the door.” Even on the astral projection, Rory saw Zhang’s expression twitch. “It’s not funny! Let me in already.”
Zhang disappeared. About two minutes later, the alley’s side door was opening, revealing Jade’s brother Benson. Through the open door, Stella’s heart-stopping vibrato drifted into the night. “Sorry about that,” said Benson, who looked just as amused as apologetic as he moved out of the way and let Rory into the thankfully warm space. “But Grover’s got a job to do and youarekind of a peanut.”
Rory was still scowling as he stepped out from the back hall and onto the main floor and went to look for Arthur.
Arthur made his way to a pair of free stools at the end of the bar, where he could just about see the Magnolia’s main entrance that connected it to the back of the abandoned tobacco shop. On stage, Stella had the crowd in her hand with her version of “Hard-Hearted Hannah,” the sequins of her gown and feathered headband glittering like diamonds in the spotlight. At the table in the front, someone in a tuxedo with close-cropped hair and lipstick raised their glass to Stella, who tossed them a wink.
Arthur took a seat, resting his elbow on the bar top as he swirled his still mostly full sidecar.So it’s casual for you?Jade had said.You wouldn’t mind Rory scarpering off with another man?
No, it wasn’t casual for him, and yes, he would very much mind, so the least he could do was be honest with Rory. But what exactly was the right way to tell your current lover that you’ve been roped into a date with a former lover?
There was movement to his left. Arthur glanced at the stool next to him, heart lifting—
