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“A political science professor needs an investigator? If he has his PhD, he should be more than capable of doing his own research. And if he did need a research assistant, why isn’t it a grad student?”
That struck a nerve. Something about Lancelot assisting Hugo hadn’t quite added up. Lancelot was overqualified for what Hugo needed. Then she recalled their interest in Oscar.
Several times over the course of the past couple of days, Lancelot had tried to convince her to take them to see Oscar. Why?
The sangria was acid in her stomach, and she was angry with Alicia, angry that she was saying such things. For making Sylvia doubt the things she knew were true. She knew there weren’t ancient, powerful secret societies. She knew Hugo and Lancelot were exactly who they said they were.
Sure, maybe Lancelot seemed more like a bodyguard than an investigator, but that was because she just didn’t know anything about PIs from England.
“Breathe, my dear.”
She felt like she was flying apart. Exhaustion, remnants of caffeine and now red wine were swimming in her bloodstream. The adrenaline her body had pumped into her veins was urging her to move. To do something. Fight. But who? Alicia? The woman she’d known, and trusted, nearly half her life? Flight? Running wouldn’t change what she’d heard.
“The Masters’ Admiralty are looking for me,” Alicia said quietly. “And this man, Lancelot, is without a doubt a member. If your professor Hugo isn’t himself a member, he’s complicit. He’s providing cover for Lancelot while the man hunts me.”
“But they’re…”
“They’re what, Sylvia? Kind? Good lovers?”
They’re mine. They wouldn’t lie to me.
Or would they?
“Actually,” Alicia said, “I rather expected them to find some excuse to come with you. I’m guessing that you’re their best lead. I had to admit I debated calling you, but once I saw the picture, I knew your association with me had put you in danger. I needed to get you away from them, even if it meant risking my own safety.”
“You can’t possibly think that…I mean, they wouldn’t hurt…”
Alicia’s mouth turned down. “I wish I could have spared you this knowledge. But now that they’ve found you, now that they’re using you, I’m afraid there is no going back. We cannot unring this bell.”
Alicia started to gather her things.
Sylvia was stuck, unable to move, despite the surge of feelings inside her. This was all happening too fast. It was too wild, too outlandish.
And yet…and yet it made a sort of sense. And it made no sense at all.
Alicia pushed to her feet. “We leave now.”
“Leave?” Sylvia shook her head slowly, still caught in a moment of shock that rendered her paralyzed.
“I’m sorry that being my friend has dragged you into a fight you should never have been a part of.” Alicia grabbed Sylvia’s hand, urging her to stand. “I told you, I was ready in case you walked in with them. I have a way out of here.”
“I can’t just…run away,” Sylvia stammered, and yet when Alicia tugged on her hand, she stood. “If I can just talk to them, maybe we can make sense of this. I can’t believe they—”
“I know you have questions, and I will answer them, but right now, I need you to trust me.” Alicia cupped Sylvia’s face in her hands. “My dear, can you do that?”
If she could just get a few minutes to stop and think. If she didn’t feel so panicked, so…betrayed.
“Yes, I trust you.” Sylvia blinked as she said it. The truth was, she’d always trusted Alicia. But tonight…
A tear slid down one cheek.
“Come with me.” Alicia took her hand and led her off the patio, down the outside steps, and into the dark.
Chapter Thirteen
It was two a.m. and they’d just passed Jacksonville, Florida. In another hour, they’d be in Palm Coast. The tracker on her car indicated that she’d stopped driving nearly an hour ago. Mercifully, they had her address. Hugo had tried to call her a couple times, but it was still going straight to voice mail.
He and Hugo had spent the first hour of the trip discussing what Alicia could have said to get Sylvia to drive to Florida. The conversation ended when they each started thinking about why her mentor might want to see her.
