Chapter One
The coffee wasn’t right. Oh, it had been expertly brewed and served in some of the finest china Montreal had to offer. But it wasn’t strong enough, and it wasn’t hot enough, and it didn’t taste as good as—
“Something wrong with your drink?”
Arthur looked up from where he was, admittedly, frowning at the small cup he held in one hand. “No, it’s fine.”
Across the wooden table, Zhang snorted. “Sure. That’s why you’re glaring like it insulted your throwing arm.”
Arthur huffed. “It’s a lovely cup of coffee,” he said. “It’s just when Rory makes coffee, he makes it stronger, and sometimes he heats up milk or adds sugar...” He trailed off, eyes narrowing at Zhang’s amused expression. “You can wipe that smirk off your face. I am aware of how ridiculous I sound.”
“You bought an Italian phrasebook this morning,” Zhang said simply. “I don’t think you’re ridiculous; I think you miss him.”
Arthur sighed and set the coffee down. The March afternoon was really too chilly to sit comfortably on the terrace, butchillywasn’tsnowing, and after being back in America for an endless New York winter, Arthur wanted to be outside.
Though, to be fair to New York, the search for a way to destroy the mind-enslaving supernatural pomander they’d acquired had kept them apart for nearly a month. First a wild goose chase to small-town Maine, which had plenty of beautiful forest and rocky beach but unfortunately no helpful magic. Zhang’s family contact, a fisherman in Kennebunkport, had pointed them to Burlington, Vermont, where they’d found a middle-aged nurse who sent them to find her paranormal sister in Quebec.
And now they were in Montreal, pedestrians weaving through trollies and cars by the universities downtown and tiny shops and eateries tucked along cobbled streets near the water. Jade had gone to speak to the sister alone, because they’d been warned that she didn’t care for English, and neither Arthur nor Zhang spoke enough French to do anything but wear on her nerves.
They’d come to a restaurant in the old part of the city to wait for Jade. Zhang was clutching his own coffee with both hands like he could draw out all of its warmth. “Jade is going to want to sit inside.”
“Just admityouwant to sit inside,” said Arthur.
“We’re the only ones on the terrace!”
Arthur ignored that, and sipped black coffee, because why bother adding sugar when it only made him miss Rory more? The bulk of his overcoat made the sipping motion far more awkward than it needed to be. “Is Jade on her way?”
“She’s nearly at the Basilica.”
Only blocks away, then. And of course Zhang was with her on the astral plane, even if his physical body was across the table. Arthur took another sip of the coffee that was rapidly cooling in the cold air and bit back the questions he really wanted to ask:Did she have any luck with the sister? Has she found any leads on how to destroy the pomander?
Or am I going to have to search abroad and leave Rory even farther behind?
Zhang’s eyelashes fluttered, then he seemed more present, somehow. “She has a lot to tell us, but she said to start by passing on my mother’s messages.” He counted them off on his fingers. “The guardian magic on Manhattan Island is holding. There was a fire on the Staten Island Ferry; no one was hurt but they’re investigating. There’s a new rumor about the world’s fair.”
Interesting. The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts was to start next month in Paris. Thousands of exhibits, perhaps millions of visitors over the course of its six months. “What’s the rumor?”
Zhang leaned in, lowering his voice. “Apparently that a group of paranormals are planning a hidden exhibit.”
Arthur’s eyebrows shot up. “Paranormal decorative arts? What on earth would it even exhibit, that man with the magic tattoo who gave us so much trouble tracking him?”
Zhang shrugged helplessly. “My mother apparently hasn’t heard anything else.”
“A secret paranormal exhibit at the world’s fair,” Arthur repeated in disbelief. “That sounds absolutely mad. How come you didn’t tell me sooner?”
Zhang gestured at the air, presumably indicating the astral plane. “Jade just told me.”
Arthur blinked. “You mother told Jade instead of you?”
Zhang made another helpless shrug, but his expression was affectionate. “They’re fond of each other.”
“Well, they’re both absolutely lovely, so no surprise there.” The Zhang and the Robbins families deserved every bit of happiness that came their way. “If she’s anything like my mother, she’ll be angling for marriage and grandchildren, but to be fair, you and Jade would have unthinkably cute—” He had an abrupt thought. “Would your children be unthinkably cuteparanormals?”
“Possibly.”
“Why do you say that without fear?”
Zhang huffed a laugh. “Who knows? Magic is so unpredictable. My family tends toward walkers—I walk on the astral plane, my mother can pass through anything but lead. But Sasha and Pavel Ivanov have very different magic, and most of the time, people don’t have magic at all.” His smile faded. “A paranormal exhibit at the world’s fair would draw a crowd. Might draw someone who knows how to destroy a relic. Except...”
