‘This, my dear, is definitely blood.’
Hearing him confirm it set a tap of intrigue at this art-based hunt into her pulse.
‘What kind?’ asked her father.
‘That’s the issue,’ Verin said, his face a portrait of confusion. ‘I’ve sampled blood from practically every creature in the world, and I …
‘I have no idea.’
CHAPTER TEN
Kyan
‘LOOK, YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO CHANGE YOURMINDS. THISis risky, no matter how cool it is—’ Luca prattled on, but Kyan drowned him out as he walked the Nazen over the crossroads opposite the Old Bailey.
Set at an intersection between a tavern, church, and office buildings, the white-grey building was neoclassical grandeur in severe stone: Ionic columns, sculptures, and a great dome affixed to the imposing, rectangular structure. Its sleek upper half was layered in long, gleaming stripes of limestone that reminded Kyan of the bars of a cage. But the bottom was crafted from darker, pocked stone that hinted at the previous incarnations of the criminal courts and their grim histories.
Now, it was made up of courtrooms, offices, and waiting areas, beneath which could be everything they were looking for.
‘Stop mouthing off, you’re supposed to be a prisoner,’ Callum ordered on the Nazen’s other side – both he and Kyan gripping one of Luca’s arms.
Above, the London sky ranged from overcast to blue, but it had a low heat that burned into the all-black gear he and Callum wore – some of the tactical and more transformation-resistant uniforms the Wake offered.
Luca promptly shut his mouth.
They’d put him in a baseball cap and sunglasses to disguise the electric brightness of his eyes, both for when he started to use hispowers and to make him look like he was involved in a case and wanted to keep his identity secret.
‘Just focus on your job,’ Kyan said in a calming tone. ‘As soon as we get in the building, you keep the cameras off and show us where we need to go. The place we’re looking for will likely feel like a hub of electrical energy.’
‘And then when we’re in there?’ Luca asked. ‘Don’t you think it’ll be a bitsuspicious?’
On the domed peak of the building stood a gold Lady Justice. Her arms were outstretched, a sword and scales in each hand that glinted in the sharp sunlight.
‘Let me deal with that,’ Kyan said darkly.
He moved with ease as his mind worked. He wasn’t nervous, not with Callum here. They’d worked in tandem for so long they were brothers-in-arms, and he knew Callum had an uncanny ability to talk himself out of any situation.
But Kyan was still concerned. About what they’d find. About how much deeper and darker the poison of the Wake could go.
How much more the bedrock of his faith could splinter.
The semi-colossal archway to the building rose up like a crescent moon, the Babewyn sculptures lounging atop it. There were three of them: the angel figure sitting in the centre, and the two draped symmetrically either side of her. The stone creature, who was double or triple human-size, moved her arm, scrawling onto the stone scroll draped over her legs. Her movements were invisible to the humans passing below, but Kyan could hear the scrape of her stone pen and see the dust dance through the air.
Callum faltered.
Surprise cleaved through Kyan’s concentration and he shot Callum a look.
‘Something wrong?’ Kyan asked casually, looking away to make it less obvious they were speaking.
The Babewyn’s face was shadowed almost to complete darkness by the sun, but as they got closer, Kyan could make out her solemn, delicate features.
‘I’ll tell you later,’ Callum said.
‘If I need to know—’
‘You don’t. Not right now.’
Kyan shut his mouth. If Callum didn’t think he could handle it he would have derailed them. So they continued, closer and closer, until they were crossing the road directly in front of the building.
