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I walked over to shake their hands. Jenna was the younger of the two, and obviously had some Sarr blood in her. Her skin was brown, her eyes gray, and her hair every bit as thick and lush as Belle’s. Power surged as our hands met, but it was a mix of both magic and psychic energy. Ruby had strawberry-blonde hair—suggesting there was only a distant connection to one of the royal lines—bright blue eyes, and a gorgeously Rubenesque figure. Her grip held the same mix of psychic and magical energy.
“Thank you both for coming here today.”
Ruby’s voice, like her quick smile, was brisk and businesslike. “If Clayton Marlowe and your father are indeed complicit in arranging the marriage of an unwilling and drugged minor, then they must be brought to justice. The testimony of both yourself and your familiar, as well as the conversation we record tonight, will play a major part in the decision whether to take them to court or not.”
I frowned. “If it’s against the law, surely they must be charged.”
“It depends entirely on the evidence, which we’ve not heard as yet.” She flashed another quick smile. “Fear not, I’ve seen cases in court that have started with far less than what we already have here. Now, let’s get you prepared.”
She placed her briefcase on the table and pulled out a folder. The preparation involved me signing a formal request for their help, reading a pamphlet on truth seeking—what it involved and what the risks were—and then signing a permission form.
When that was done, she took a small silver jewelry box out of her briefcase and opened it up. Inside was an oval-shaped opal pendant about the size of my thumb. She lifted it by the chain and motioned me to turn around. I did, ducking down slightly so that she could place it easily around my neck. The back of the stone was metal and felt cold against my skin.
“The electronics are under the pendant’s stone,” she said. “You activate it by pressing the small button on the rear. We’ll monitor, and can remotely deactivate if necessary.”
“Why would you need to deactivate it?” Belle said. “Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of the thing?”
“There’ve been some situations in the past where the suspects have swept the general area with a bug finder. While there’s been no indication that either man has made inquiries for such a device, it’s better for our case and for you if we proceed cautiously.”
“Them finding the device wouldn’t jeopardize the overall case, though,” Ashworth commented.
Ruby glanced at him. “No, but it would make them aware that the Society is watching them, and that could make them react in unforeseen—and unwanted—ways.”
“Given who we’re dealing with, it’s likely he already knows,” Eli said. “I very much suspect him reacting in unforeseen ways is already on the cards.”
His words hung ominously in the air. I briefly closed my eyes and fought to keep calm. Me becoming a messy bundle of nerves and fear was exactly what Clayton wanted; if we were to have any hope of surviving what was to come, then we had to keep strong and do the unexpected.
Ruby shuffled the paperwork back into her briefcase, then picked it up. “We shall get going. I prefer to scout the area a little before choosing a suitable—”
“Take Belle with you,” I cut in. “She’s my familiar, and I’d rather keep her out of Clayton’s way.”
“And why is that?” Jenna studied me through narrowed eyes. Though I couldn’t feel the caress of magic or any step into my thoughts, I nevertheless had the feeling she was pulling forth secrets.
She won’t get far, Belle said. Not while I’m here.
You won’t be able to help me shield when she does her truth-seeking thing.
I know, but right now, she doesn’t need to know all the gritty details. To Jenna, she added, “I placed a spell on him when I rescued Lizzie. Clayton is a man who doesn’t like being bested, especially by a low-class witch like myself.”
A small smile touched Jenna’s lips. “That is indeed true.”
“And makes this investigation a whole lot more interesting,” Ruby said. “Come along, my dear.”
With that, they turned and left. Belle raised an eyebrow at their abrupt de
parture, but nevertheless followed.
I glanced at Ashworth. “I’m guessing they hired a car at the airport?”
His smile crinkled the corners of his muddy silver eyes. “Broomsticks went out with the Dark Ages, lass.”
“There was talk of a mechanical version a century or so ago—I saw the plans for it when I was working in the archives. It never got off the ground though.” As our joint groans filled the air, Monty glanced at his watch. “We’ve got ten minutes before we need to leave. What’s the plan?”
“I think it’s better to go in with no plan,” Eli said. He leaned against the wall, his thick salt-and-pepper hair gleaming in the room’s light but his blue eyes deeply shadowed. “And definitely no magic at the ready. We’re there as backup and witnesses. If we go in defensive, they’ll react in kind. That’s a situation that could get ugly all too quickly—and play in their favor when this gets to the courts.”
“If it gets to the courts,” I muttered.
Ashworth squeezed my arm. “The Society is confident they can follow this through to the end. Shall we go?”
