Between Two Thorns (24 page)

“Ah, a game of whist, just what I was in the mood for!” Horatio said and pulled back one of the free chairs. “You don’t mind if we join you, do you, Oliver?”

“Of course not,” Oliver said, unconvincingly.

The Rosa sat down, and opposite him the Wisteria, who looked quite pleased with himself. “Good afternoon,” he said and both Will and Oliver nodded politely.

The first hand was dealt and the Wisteria gushed about the soirée the night before. It was embarrassing, but Horatio was amused by him and Oliver accepted the praise on behalf of his family graciously.

“Your fiancée was a picture,” Horatio said as the next round was dealt.

“Oh, were you there?” Will asked. “I do apologise, I missed you.”

“Too busy gazing into someone’s eyes, I wager,” Horatio said. “I saw you both in the corridor.”

Will didn’t look at him, instead choosing to study his hand and keep calm. So what if he saw his brief flirtation with the Alba-Rosa girl? It was hardly scandalous. “It was a fine evening. Your parents must be delighted, Oliver.” He smiled at his friend.

“Rather,” said Oliver with a grin, the red apple cheeks returning.

“This is an excellent club,” Horatio remarked. “I was worried I’d miss Black’s in Londinium, but not any more.”

“You speak as though you’re not planning to return,” the Wisteria boy said, with just enough inelegance to make Will wonder if he was trying too hard to set Horatio up with an opportunity to gloat.

“Oh, haven’t you heard?” he smirked in that sleazy way of his. “The Council is considering my application for citizenship, now that the deed for my house has been presented.”

“A house in Aquae Sulis?” Oliver gasped, with all the social grace of a baying donkey. “I thought that was just a rumour.”

“Well, so many rumours turn out to have a basis in truth. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr Iris?”

“I find it astounding that a deed to an Aquae Sulis property just turns up,” Will said, ignoring the comment. “What good fortune your family is enjoying.”

“Indeed. Seems it was misplaced and forgotten about for decades. Our family has so many properties in Londinium and elsewhere it didn’t occur to us to look for it.”

He won the trick and Will knew it was because Oliver had made a stupid mistake. The news had upset him, evidently.

“We’re planning a party,” Horatio said, dealing the next round. “I’m sure that so many people in the city would be delighted to see inside after all these years. You’re all invited, of course.”

“Why thank you!” the Wisteria boy chirruped like an excited songbird. Will could imagine him hurrying home that evening to tell his family he played cards with no less than an Iris and the up-and-coming Rosa. What impressive social climbing, his mother would think, and kiss his cheek with pride.

“I’m sure it will be a great success,” Will said as Oliver nodded. “There’s nothing better than curiosity to draw a fashionable crowd.”

“Speaking of which,” Horatio said with an oily smile, “I was wondering which finishing school your fiancée attended.”

“One in Switzerland.”

“Which one exactly?”

“I don’t recall.”

“Really?”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Will said, moderating his tone carefully. “I’m sure Mrs Rhoeas-Papaver will be able to give you the details if you need them so desperately. Feeling the need to improve upon your manners?”

Oliver snorted as the Wisteria sucked in a breath.

“Simply curious,” Horatio replied, lowering the hand of cards so he could focus more on Will. “She has such an unusual manner.”

“And what–”

Will was cut off by the arrival of a young man who was only vaguely familiar. He placed himself between Will and Horatio, bending over to speak in Will’s ear.

“Excuse me, Mr Reticulata-Iris? I’m dreadfully sorry to interrupt, I was wondering if I could have a word?”

Will, grateful for an excuse to leave the table and let the conversation simmer back down, made his apologies and accompanied the man to the bar.

“I’m Cornelius Alba-Rosa, I believe you spoke to my sister at the soirée last night.”

“Oh, yes, a pleasure to meet you at last,” Will said, shaking his hand as they sat down.

“Forgive my rudeness in the card room but, between you and me, I had the feeling that Gallica toad was about to cause a scene.”

His voice was soft, his manner gentle. Will could see the resemblance to Amelia, and something about Cornelius’s smile made him warm to him, despite the fact that he was a Rosa.

“Speaking from experience?”

“You could say that.” Cornelius pulled out a slim wooden cigarette case but seemed to have second thoughts. “I’m about to meet Amelia for afternoon tea at Lunn’s. Would you care to join us?”

The idea of seeing Amelia again was so much more appealing than staying at the club. “I’d like that very much.”

 

“So how do we find this guy?” Sam asked. They’d only been walking for a few minutes.

“Exilium doesn’t work like the normal world, or even like the Nether.” Cathy wished she could take the jacket off but didn’t want to reveal the bruising. “You find places by wanting to arrive.”

“Eh?”

“Don’t worry about it,” she replied. “I think I’ve got it covered.”

It was hard work willing herself to find Lord Poppy when in reality he was the last person she wanted to see. She was thankful she’d been given a refresher lesson on surviving Exilium by her mother, just in case she was summoned back to their patron. It was the longest interaction she’d had with her since returning home. The lesson wasn’t exactly delivered with love. She wondered if her mother was even capable of that.

“It’s so nice here,” Sam sighed. “Shame we have to do something and not just relax.”

“Careful,” Cathy said. “Don’t let your mind drift. This place can suck you in. I’ve heard that people have been lost here forever just because they stopped thinking about what they came in for. And that’s the people who actively chose to come here. Keep your mind on what we need and getting back home again.”

He nodded, but she wasn’t convinced he was really taking it in. She must sound like a lunatic. He probably hadn’t believed a word she’d said. She felt sorry for him; as much as she hated all this, at least it made sense to her. He was just some poor bloke sucked into the crazy with no point of reference at all.

“We’ll get through this,” she said, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow. “In a weird way I’m glad she sent me and didn’t do it herself. She would have been horrible to you.”

“That Censor you mentioned?”

“Yeah.”

“So she stops people from saying bad stuff about you guys?”

Cathy shook her head smiling. “Not censor like those film classification guys, Censor as in the ancient Roman office. They basically say who is allowed into Aquae Sulis Society and what status they have once they get there.”

“Sounds powerful. What’s Aquae Sulis?”

“Not what, where. It’s parts of Bath reflected in the Nether; the Great Families use the Roman name to distinguish between them. And yes, the Censor is very powerful. The only person as powerful as her is the Master of Ceremonies and he’s the one who is missing. The Censor said he was abroad; she must have been covering up. He’s my uncle, you know. And the Censor is my aunt.”

“You must be worried.”

She shook her head. “We’re not close. They think I’m rubbish.”

“Did you hear that?” His head snapped round.

“What?”

“Someone laughing, I think. They sound familiar.”

“Shit, that’s never good,” Cathy muttered and felt him pull away in the direction he was looking. “Sam, let’s keep going.”

“But I can hear someone. I don’t remember seeing those trees before.”

She followed his pointed finger and could see a small copse of trees. “That’s because they weren’t there. We must have drifted.”

“Poppy might be there. Let’s look anyway, I’m sure I heard someone laughing,” he said, breaking into a jog.

“Wait!” she called, but he was off. “Bloody hell,” she groaned, trying to catch up but it was hard in the ridiculous outfit.

By the time she reached him he was already past the outer line of trees. She looked for flowers and faeries but saw none. She caught hold of his hand before he went in any further.

“Come on,” she said, trying to pull him away, but he resisted.

“Look.”

He pointed further into the copse and she glimpsed something glittering, but no poppy petals. Would there be a path if he wasn’t expecting her?

Her moment of indecision was too long and he set off towards it. “Sam…”

“I just want to look and then we’ll move on. We’ll be careful.”

She wondered how many slaves had said that in their last moments of freedom. Staying alert, she kept hold of his hand and watched out for any signs of whose domain it was.

“I think there are people up ahead,” he said, at least having the sense to drop his voice to a whisper.

“Remember, let me do the talking,” she whispered back, trying to get a better look. If there were people ahead, they seemed very still.

The trees thinned and opened out onto a clearing, just like when she’d found Lord Poppy before, but there were no flowers and no Fae lords to be seen. Instead, there were flesh-coloured statues, four women and one man with various shades of blonde hair, wearing sparkling and rather revealing clothes. They were in a variety of poses, like they had been frozen mid-dance.

Beside them was a long table made of a great tree that had been toppled and sliced in half. The other half looked like it had been made into chairs, each one carved with the distinct shape of each of the Great Families’ flowers. She saw one with a carved stylised poppy just like the one on her family’s coat of arms. She spotted an iris too.

The table was covered in fruit and looked like a dream feast. Perhaps it was a neutral meeting place for the Fae lords and ladies. If that was the case, they needed to leave.

“Let’s go,” she said, pulling at his hand again.

“Hang on,” he said, staring at one of the women. “She’s familiar. I think I’ve seen her on the telly.” He pulled her closer. Cathy kept looking around and behind them nervously but he just wouldn’t get the hint.

“There could be–”

“Holy crap!” he yelled and jumped back. “Feel!”

He thrust her hand in front of the statue’s face, Cathy felt a gentle breath on her skin. Now she was really looking, she could see it was a real person who had been frozen. She wasn’t sure which was more disturbing, the fact that someone was trapped in their own body, or that it was so unsurprising.

She stooped to part the grass by the woman’s feet, finding the band around the woman’s left ankle, glittering like it was made of crushed diamonds. She shook her head sadly, feeling sorry for the trapped dancers, but there was nothing she could do for them.

It wasn’t until he sucked in a breath that she realised Sam had gone towards the table. She was terrified he’d eaten something, but then she saw what had shocked him, and it was far worse.

It was a faerie belonging to Lady Rose, one of the most powerful figures in the Fae Court. And it recognised Sam.

 

25

 

Amelia was dressed in a jade-green gown and looked divine. Will enjoyed kissing her hand, and held it a moment longer than he should as her scent filled him. Something about the way she looked at him as he pressed his lips to the back of her glove made him bold enough to do so.

“What a lovely surprise,” she gasped in a most becoming way, and arranged her skirts as they waited for the waiter.

“Your brother rescued me from the Gallica,” Will said. Seeing how fond Amelia was of her brother, Will suspected winning Cornelius’s friendship would set him in good stead with her.

“He hasn’t been causing problems again, has he?” she asked, and Cornelius nodded as he ordered afternoon tea for the three of them.

“Again?” Will asked.

“He’s been horrid to some of the people in Londinium,” Amelia began but Cornelius held up a hand.

“Darling, do you think it’s right to spread gossip in Aquae Sulis about a Londinium man?”

“I haven’t said a word about him to anyone else. If Mr Iris has already seen some of his true colours, then it’s hardly gossip.” She smiled at him as she tugged at the fingers of her gloves and removed them. “I consider it timely information.”

“Call me Will, please,” he said to both of them. “And I would be grateful to learn more about him. It seems he’s keen to make me lose my temper.”

“He does that,” Cornelius sighed. “He likes to work out what upsets a chap so he can offend them to the point of being called out.”

“He’s desperate to show off his swordsmanship,” Amelia added, sliding forwards in her seat to pour the tea for the three of them. A tall multi-tiered cake stand arrived as she did so and the waiter put their choices onto little plates. “It really is very tiresome. I think he’s excited to find new people to duel. It’s only natural he should target you.”

“Really?” Will took a cup from her. “I would have thought he’d be eager to bait Nathaniel.”

“Oh, but you’re more handsome and more popular than your brother.”

“Amelia,” Cornelius said in a gently cautionary tone. “Please forgive my sister, Will, she’s been known to speak her mind on a few too many occasions.”

“I just speak the truth,” Amelia said, winking at Will as Cornelius stirred his tea. Will nearly choked on his Bath bun.

“There’s also the possibility he’s hoping your brother would stand in for you,” Cornelius said, leaning back and breaking the moment of eye contact. “Either way, it’s reprehensible behaviour, and when I saw the way he was looking at you in the card room, I simply had to intervene.”

“For which I’m even more grateful now,” Will said. “To think I could have played straight into his trap. What an odious wretch.”

“It’s sad really,” Amelia said. “Such a shame he resorts to such measures to bolster his fragile sense of worth.”

“It’s more than sad,” Cornelius said. “It’s positively dangerous. The Londinium Court breathed a sigh of relief when he announced he was going to Aquae Sulis for the season. I fear your city is in danger of taking on Londinium’s burden permanently.”

“You’re referring to this fabled property?” Will frowned at his nod. “Yes, that was rather bad news. I’d be very surprised if the Council didn’t award him citizenship; having a property already is ninety per cent of the battle.”

A look was exchanged between the siblings. They held each other’s gaze for a moment and then Cornelius nodded at his sister. He leaned closer to Will as Amelia pulled her chair in a little more.

“Amelia and I have been discussing this very matter. Can we count on your discretion, Will?”

“Indeed,” he replied, setting his cake plate on the table.

“We don’t want that Gallica toad to get into Aquae Sulis either,” Amelia said. Will found her conspiratorial tone quite endearing. “Quite apart from the fact that he’s an ‘odious wretch’, as you said, who would spoil such a haven of civility, it would also upset our parents greatly.”

“I’m sure you appreciate how it would impact upon our status as an opposing Rosa family,” Cornelius added, “to have one of our enemies achieve such a social triumph in the very same season we finally managed to secure entry.”

“You really must tell me how you persuaded Princess Rani to travel back with you,” Will said, remembering how irritated he’d been at the first ball. “Another time, of course. And yes, I do appreciate how upsetting that would be. I’ve heard there’s bad blood between your lines.”

“That was Horatio’s doing,” Amelia whispered. “Our families have been at peace since the Tudor alliance, which was so successful for both of us. But that prideful sack of hot air couldn’t bear the fact that Cornelius was picked by–”

“Amelia,” Cornelius interrupted her gently. “I’m sure Will doesn’t need to be bored by the machinations of our families.”

She blushed, making the green of her eyes all the more striking. Will cursed himself for being such a fool as to try and save Catherine from her father when he could easily have destroyed the engagement and pressed for a union with the Alba-Rosas.

“Suffice it to say,” Cornelius said, “we’re motivated to help anyone who wishes to keep the Gallica line out of Aquae Sulis.”

“But isn’t it rather late?” Will watched Amelia pour another round of tea. Her hands were slender and delicate. “He said he has the deeds to the property. Nothing can be done about that.”

“Not necessarily,” Cornelius said. “It’s our belief that if we could secure sufficient support in Aquae Sulis, we could persuade our Patroon to force the Gallicas to transfer the deeds into our ownership.”

“It would make much more sense to have a popular Rosa line in the city than one that has already put important people’s noses out of joint,” Amelia said, taking the opportunity to look into Will’s eyes for a few beats as Cornelius attended to his new cup of tea.

“That makes a great deal of sense,” he replied. “Would your parents leave Londinium?”

“I doubt it,” Cornelius said. “They’re too involved at Court. I should imagine it would be Amelia and I, don’t you think so, dear?”

She nodded. “And I would be delighted. It’s a beautiful city. To live here would be divine. You and Cornelius could play cards and I could become friends with your sister.”

Will imagined Amelia being a larger part of his life and found he liked it. “I think it’s an admirable proposition. As you say, it makes so much more sense for your Patroon to have a family capable of establishing friendships here and for us to keep the likes of Horatio out.” He set his teacup down and offered his hand to Cornelius. “I’ll speak to my father. He’s on the Council, perhaps they could drag their heels whilst you establish yourselves more. I’ll speak to my mother and see about having you both invited to a dinner party so you can rub shoulders with some of the other councillors.”

“That would be greatly appreciated,” Cornelius said with a firm handshake and warm smile.

“I would love to meet your parents,” Amelia said, offering her hand. “You’re very kind, Will.”

He kissed her hand, his lips touching her skin for the first time. Soft and warm, she smelt of rose water and he wanted to turn her hand over and kiss her wrist before moving up her arm. When he flicked his eyes up at her, he had the distinct impression she wanted the same.

“I’ll see you soon,” he promised.

 

Cathy stayed in her crouch. The faerie was so fixated on Sam it hadn’t noticed her, and she wanted to keep it that way.

“Whoa!” Sam was pointing at it, agog.

“You!” The tiny creature pointed back at Sam with a mixture of shock and confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“Bloody hell! You can talk! You’re like a boy Tinkerbell. That’s so cool!”

As Sam was horrendously mundane at the faerie, Cathy edged around the frozen slaves and took the opportunity to scurry behind one of the carved chairs, putting her behind the faerie as it floated towards him.

“You don’t recognise me… do you know where you are?”

“Exilium,” Sam replied. “I didn’t know little dudes like you would be here though. You’re so tiny! And you talk! That’s wild.”

Cathy grabbed the rim of one of the wooden platters on the table.

“And how did you get here, mortal?”

Before he could reply, Cathy leaped up and swung the platter at the faerie, scattering the berries piled on top of it. It connected with a satisfying thwack and the creature tumbled out of the air. She ran after it, slamming the platter upside down over it, giving it enough room so it wouldn’t be squashed, but hoping to keep it pinned whilst it was dazed.

“Get me one of those jugs!” she yelled at Sam who was staring with a gawping mouth.

He got one from the table and handed it to her. It was heavy enough, filled with what looked like wine. She put it on top of the platter.

“Come on!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him from the clearing.

“How could you do that?” he said, still shocked enough to be pulled away. “It was a–”

“They are evil little bastards,” she said, steering them through the trees as fast as she could. “Honestly, all the stuff you ever heard about faeries, it’s not true. Imagine an evil psychopathic version of Tinkerbell who hates all humans and you’ll get closer. Now run, for God’s sake! If it finds us in here we’ll end up like those dancers!”

“What about them? We can’t leave them!”

“There’s nothing we can do.”

When he started to run properly they reached the edge of the trees much faster, and burst out into the sunshine-drenched meadow. Cathy didn’t stop until the trees were receding into the distance, then realised she couldn’t run much further without passing out.

“Bloody corset,” she muttered, desperate to take a deep breath.

“This place is weird,” Sam said, slowing to a stop and half holding her up as she heaved for air. “You never said there would be Tinkerbells.”

“I hoped we wouldn’t run into any. It recognised you.”

Sam shrugged. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“If we see any others, remember what I said. They are spiteful little gits, and all they want to do is make our lives hell.”

“Hello!”

They both jumped at the tiny voice. Another faerie, this one more feminine and dressed in poppy petals, zipped around in front of them.

“Oh, bugger,” Cathy groaned.

“I’m so glad I found you!”

“Go away.”

It looked genuinely hurt. “But I’m here to help you.”

“Yeah, right.”

“I already have, I tricked the Rose faerie into thinking you went another way. He’s very angry.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Why?”

“Duh! I know what you’re like.”

“How can you? We’ve never met before. And I was so excited.” It sniffed.

“Don’t be mean,” Sam said, holding out a hand for the faerie to land on.

“Didn’t you hear a word I just said?” snapped Cathy, scowling.

The faerie waved at Sam, who grinned and waved back with one finger, then stuffed his hand in his pocket, embarrassed. “You’re looking for Lord Poppy, aren’t you? I can help you!”

Cathy peered at the creature, confused. How could it behave so differently? It looked the same, but it was probably a trick. “Prove it,” she said, folding her arms.

The faerie leapt off Sam’s hand and flew towards a gentle hill. “Follow me!”

Sam started off and Cathy looked skywards, wondering what appalling things she must have done in a previous life to deserve this. She decided to go as far as the crest of the hill, and then its trickery would be exposed.

They climbed. Cathy’s stomach rumbled and her ribs ached. Sam seemed happy just to watch their pseudo-guide flutter about ahead of them.

Just like the time she was brought in before, a copse of trees could be seen from the crest of the hill. She could even see a red poppy bobbing at the edge of the trees.

“See!” The faerie zinged back to her, looking hopeful.

“Mmm,” Cathy said, not feeling any different towards the thing. “That’s the place, Sam. Just stay quiet, OK? And he’s a little different, so try not to react like a… tourist.”

“OK.” He offered his arm but she declined, not wanting Lord Poppy to see them arrive that way.

“Just stay close.”

“When this is done,” Sam said as they trudged down the hill, “we should go out for a beer.”

“You don’t know how much I would like that,” Cathy said, giving him a sad smile. “But I doubt it will happen.”

They reached the trees and she breathed as slowly and steadily as she could to get her nerves under control. Lord Poppy was in sight soon enough, looking just as he had before, as if he hadn’t moved in the days since she spoke with him.

His smile was predatory, his gaze sweeping over her and then staring at Sam with open curiosity.

“Ah, my favourite returns, what a delight! A surprise visit
and
a gift, how thoughtful!”

She realised he meant Sam. “Oh, um, he’s not a gift–” Lord Poppy’s smile transmuted into something thunderous “–in the sense that you may think, Lord Poppy. Rather, something trapped in his mind is a gift far more interesting than he is. He’s just a boring mundane, no gifts or talents whatsoever, I wouldn’t dream of bringing you anyone less than spectacular.”

Her quick words smoothed the scowl into an intrigued smile. “How interesting. But first, my soft little petal, come here so that I may admire you.”

She took a few steps closer, glancing nervously at the faerie as it flitted over to sit on his shoulder, smiling happily.

“You look so much better than the last time I saw you. What a delightful sparkle there is in your eye.”

“It’s difficult to hide my delight at seeing you again, my Lord,” she said, amazed at how much easier it was to spout rubbish after being in the Nether for a few days.

“And I see you’ve met this one.” His black eyes glanced at the faerie.