Jade crossed her legs. “Will you recount for us exactly what happened last night?”
Us. Because Mr. Zhang was still around somewhere on the astral plane. Because this was the mad world Wesley had somehow fallen into.
He went over everything that had happened, all of Mercier’s words carved into his mind verbatim.
Jade looked grim as he finished. “It seems Jack Mercier and Lord Blanshard are working together.”
A paranormal earl, yes, that was exactly what Wesley wanted to learn existed. “Mercier’s basically a human match, I saw that much for myself. What’s Blanshard’s magic?”
Jade winced. “Have you ever readDracula?”
“You’re not serious,” Wesley said, aghast. “Blanshard has fangs—”
“No—well,probablynot, I suppose there is precedent, but that’s a story for another time,” said Jade. “But four bodies have been found recently, all inexplicably shriveled, like they’ve been drained of life. It matches the murder method from a story in Sebastian’s family, about a paranormal who ate the auras of the nonmagical.”
“He ate,” Wesley slowly repeated, “theirauras.”
Jade nodded. “Sebastian’s family called that paranormalthe Vampire. Magical abilities always come back around in the paranormal world, and it seems as if Blanshard also has this vampire magic. And now,” she added, “you’re apparently his target.”
Wesley tightened his jaw. “Mercier said I brought this on myself, whining to the earl about Sebastian.”
Jade set down her tea. “It does seem that all of the victims have had at least a superficial connection to magic, without being magic themselves.”
“So I basically printed an invitation when I bloody went and announced to the earl that I had just encountered a paranormal.” Wesley pursed his lips. “I don’t regret it. I’d far rather Blanshard and Mercier come for me than a defenseless maid in Kilburn.”
“We’d rather he didn’t come for anyone without magic,” Jade said wryly, “but I do appreciate your courage.”
Vampire paranormals and human matches. Wesley was going to need another cup of tea to deal with this. “Mercier also said his job was to get more magic into my aura. What does that mean?”
“Paranormals have magic where the nonmagical have auras,” said Jade. “But sometimes, our magic can linger in an aura. When Sebastian knocked you down, for example, you might have had a trace of magic in your aura afterward. It’s generally fleeting, like sand on the skin at the beach, blown away by the next breeze.”
“Then I had Mercier’s fire magic in my aura for a moment, before Sebastian’s magic came along?” Wesley resisted the urge to touch the bandages on his forearms. He would have met a terrible end last night, if Sebastian hadn’t shown up.
Jade nodded. “Both their magic will be gone now. The only exception I know of is Arthur and Rory, who’ve made things a bit more permanent. Don’t underestimate Rory,” she advised. “He’s actually an exceptionally powerful paranormal and you went and kissed his boyfriend. You’re lucky all he did was yell at you.”
There were not enough cups of tea in the world to deal with this morning.
“If Mercier was purposefully putting magic in your aura, perhaps that’s what Blanshard wanted, which is a troubling thought. And now Blanshard might be coming back for you.” She steepled her fingers. “This new painting can protect your home. But it would be safest if you left town.”
“You want me to run like a coward?” Wesley said sharply. “No. I don’t care one whit what anyone’s magic might be—if any paranormal so much as thinks about coming here and endangering a single one of my staff—”
“Your staff is who I’m worrying about,”she said pointedly. “I don’t want you torun, I want you to set a false trail that leads Blanshard and Mercier away from London.”
Wesley folded his arms. “What do you suggest?”
Jade leaned forward to rest her chin on her fingers. “How do you feel about cats?” she said and, incongruously, she had a tiny hint of a smile.
Sebastian went from Kensington to Liverpool Street Station and then home, to put new food and water out for the strays and then for a desperately needed shower and change of clothes.
He was using what he could see of his reflection in the window to tie his tie when Zhang’s astral projection appeared in the middle of the room.
“Sebastian, if you’re here, come down and unlock your door and let me in. And no, you’re not allowed to run away,” he added dryly.
Sebastian huffed but went downstairs. Zhang was waiting at the alley door, arms folded.
“I didn’trun away,” Sebastian protested, which was only a half lie, as he opened the door wide and moved to the side. “I left because I scare Lord Fine. Every time he’s around me, he’s afraid.”
“You certainly give him feelings, but I don’t think it’s fear,” Zhang said cryptically, as he came inside.
