Gilded Hearts (The Shadow Guild Series) (18 page)

“We need to get out of here.” Samuel pushed her away and scrambled to his feet.

“But Dennison—”

“Knows what we are going to be doing. We’ll meet him again when it’s safe.”

A cry from down the alley prompted Piper into action. Slipping her arm around Samuel’s waist, she carefully got him to his feet. They needed to get off the streets to safety before someone found them.

“We need to get to the iron walk, get out of Whitechapel. We can’t do anything tonight until I have a chance to clean you up.”

“Wait.” Samuel swayed into her. “We need to find Timmons.”

“Who?”

“From the Tower. The man with the clockwerk hand. I trust him.”

“Fine. Do you know his place of residence?”

“Yes.”

All right then. “Let’s go.”

It took the lurching movement of the iron walkway to snap Samuel from his numbness. Reality came back to him in pieces, one layer at a time. The faraway echo of voices and the clack and hiss of the moving track popped in his ears, rushing back in with a force that startled him. The numbness of his hands gave way so he could feel the bite of the cold metal rail against his palm. The stink of sweat and blood filled his nostrils and turned his stomach.

John.

John was alive.

He’d been watching and waiting and
alive
.

“Sam?”

“I’m fine.”

What a lie. He was as far from fine as could possibly be.

Master Ryerson shoved him into the room, causing Samuel to stumble. His paltry collection of belongings fell from his grasp to scatter across the floor. He didn’t dare pick them up, not with the mood Ryerson was in.

“Your new room, boy. Better than you deserve.”

The bed in the corner was bigger than his previous, as was the small chest of drawers. “Sir?”

“You think I didn’t know about your little trips through the Archives?” Ryerson came even further in, forcing Samuel to step back. “I wasn’t blind. I could see the dust and grease on your clothing and skin. What were you doing, eh? Speak!”

“I-I was l-l-lookin’ for John, sir.”

Master Ryerson lifted his hand to strike and Samuel closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact. It didn’t come. Daring to open his eyes once more, he was surprised to see the Guild Master simply staring at him.

“You fool,” the old man said. “John is dead.”

“No.” That was a lie. Samuel might not know as much as the Guild Masters, but he knew it was wrong to lie. “John’s just lost. I can find him.”

“Dead. Dead and gone.” Turning his back to Samuel, Ryerson opened the door. “Tomorrow you’ll begin your training as an acolyte. You’ll become one of them.”

Samuel couldn’t move for a long time after the door closed. John wasn’t dead. He didn’t care what Master Ryerson said. Tomorrow after whatever they were going to make him do, he’d crawl through the ventilation shaft behind the boilers. It was warm there, and John hated the cold.

It would be okay. Samuel would find him.

Samuel had spent the better part of two years searching for John every chance he had. For years after, Samuel scanned every group he came across in the Archives, looking for him. How could John have known what Samuel did after he disappeared? Where had they taken him?

Pushing that piece of the disturbing puzzle to the side, Samuel looked up in time to realize they’d nearly reached their destination.

“This stop. Timmons lives close.”

“Pretty posh neighborhood for a police officer.”

“It’s not exactly his money. He doesn’t live here alone.”

Samuel had been shocked himself the first time he realized where Timmons heralded from. The man’s residence on Regent Street was shared by his brother, a man who could not be more of an opposite from his sibling.

“Timmons will help us, but I need to warn you about David.”

Piper cocked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“His younger brother. He’s a clockwerker.”

She didn’t stiffen or pull away the way some would at the revelation. Living a life that others deemed unnatural made a person more forgiving of others on the fringes of society. His own first meeting with David had been as odd as one would have anticipated. Timmons had watched Samuel throughout the entire event, gauged his reactions as David prattled on, examining the remaining bits and pieces of the automaton that had gone mad, killing three people.

He’d left that crime scene with a deeper understanding of the constable.

“I assume it is safe to venture into his home? If Timmons has family staying with him I would hate to draw the untoward attention of our… friend and put them at risk.”

Samuel swallowed, the painful slide across his throat a stark reminder of what their
friend
was capable of. “If it was anyone but Timmons, I wouldn’t even consider it.”

The crowd between the iron walkway’s exit and the corner of Regent Street was heavier than Samuel would have anticipated for this time of night. Night merchants dotted the street, their pale skin and thin hair speaking of radiation sensitivities. The poor souls who could only venture out after sunset, whom even the heaviest of leather wear and thickest of goggles couldn’t protect. The victims of the final brutal radiation attack from the French during the last war.

Piper’s steps slowed as she openly stared at an old woman squatting beside a rickety cart. The woman’s eyes appeared silver in the light cast from the streetlamp. She boldly returned Piper’s gaze, her lips curling into a snarl.

“Zombie.”

“Wench,” Piper spat back.

“Keep moving.” They couldn’t afford to draw any more attention than they had already. “His home is the one on the corner.”

Unlike many of the other homes this time of night, Timmons’ wasn’t darkened for sleep; light bled out from the windows on the top floor. Samuel knew from prior visits that David’s workroom was up there, and if he was up, it meant Timmons would be as well.

He let Piper knock on the door, suddenly needing her support as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Lord, it shouldn’t be that difficult to manage the stairs. It was only a shallow wound, and he’d handled more severe blood loss in his time. Blinking, he tried to force away the darkness growing around the edges of his vision.

“Sam?”

The door was jerked open by a short Asian woman, dressed in a leather corset and long blue skirts. Her midnight black hair was pulled back into a high bun, giving her heart-shaped face and thin nose a severe look. In that instant, she looked every inch the female warrior Samuel knew her to be.

“It’s late.” Her gaze landed quickly on Samuel’s throat. “Ah. You best come in, sergeant. I will tell the constable of your arrival.”

“Thank you, Aiko.”

Piper guided him into the foyer, shooting him a question look.

“She’s from Japan, and part of a very long story.”

“I look forward to hearing it.” Samuel stumbled, losing his grip on Piper. “Sam?”

“There’s something wrong.”

“The wound isn’t that deep. It shouldn’t be—”

Samuel heard no more as darkness claimed him.

When he regained consciousness, Samuel found himself stretched out on a settee, three concerned faces hovering above him. Timmons straightened after a moment, speaking to someone behind them. David reached in and pulled Samuel’s eyelid back even further.

“Well now, I wonder what caused that?”

“Leave him be.” Timmons pinched the bridge of his nose. “He’s had his throat slashed. I’m surprised he stayed upright as long as he did.”

David Timmons—brilliant and more than a little mad. He was currently staring at Samuel with those big, soulful eyes that always seemed to be looking at something others couldn’t see. His hair stood out at all angles, as if he never stopped running his hands through it in excitement or despair.

David bumped Piper aside, flicked down the magnifying lenses that were resting on his forehead, and leaned in close to examine Samuel’s throat.

“Serrated blade, very sharp.” He hummed as he ran a thumb across the cut. Pain lanced through Samuel’s neck and he flinched.

“David, enough.”

“There’s something there, Rory. I can’t quite…”

The other man’s breath tickled Samuel’s skin. The wet swipe of a tongue made him gasp, the mix of comfort and pain bizarre to his body. If it were any other person, he would have suspected a sexual motivation for the action.

But not from David.

The skinny man straightened up, even as Timmons hauled his younger brother aside. “What the hell are you doing?”

“There was a faint discoloration to the skin. I’m sorry to say you’ve been poisoned, Sergeant Hawkins. Though given the shallowness of the cut, I doubt you’ve received the full dose of the drug. Enough to incapacitate you, but not enough to kill.”

“What was it?” Samuel struggled to sit up. He waved off Piper’s help, though she ignored him with a roll of her eyes.

“Can’t be certain without proper analysis. Tasted a bit like the strychnos poison. I saw something similar when I visited the Limba people of Sierra Leone. Not an easy thing to come by, at any rate.”

“Who did this, sergeant?” Timmons was dressed, his pistol secured in its holster at his side. “Do you need me to call in the men?”

“No. Keep everyone out of this for now. I didn’t want to even involve you.”

“We had nowhere else to go.” Piper’s hold on his shoulder tightened. “Thank you for your assistance.”

Aiko snorted and gently shoved David toward the door. “Move.”

“But they are about to give details on a crime. You know how I love to listen to that.”

“Exactly. Move.”

“But—”

“You are needed to create an antidote for the poison. Remember? The imminent death of your friend?”

“Oh, yes, well, fine. I’ll be back shortly. Rory, don’t be rude to the guests.”

The door clicked, though did little to muffle David’s prattling as Aiko led him away.

“I apologize for my brother, Miss Smith.”

“Whatever for? He can lick the fabric of the settee if it will help cure Sam. If anything, I should be thanking both of you for taking us in.”

Timmons stared at her for several heartbeats before granting her one of his rare smiles. “Thank you.” As quickly as it came, Timmons’ expression hardened once more. “Now, the last time I saw you everything was fine. What the hell happened?”

Samuel let Piper fill him in on the relevant details, only adding a few comments he knew the constable would appreciate. Speaking sapped him of his strength, making his head spin. He closed his eyes and let Pip’s voice wash over and soothe him. When they were younger, her voice seemed to soothe his soul, eased the tension and fears that grew inside him. Helped him feel normal, connected when he felt apart.

“Sam?”

Opening his eyes, he smiled up at her. “I’ve missed hearing you talk.”

The blush that covered Piper’s cheeks gave her the glow of life—stark contrast to the ring of white staring back at him. He could reach up, twine his fingers in her hair, and pull her down for a kiss. Taste the life she had to offer, take it without fear this time, knowing that despite everything, the years and their separate lives, she was still his Pip.

“I see our killer has gone public.” Timmons held up a paper. “He didn’t like you keeping things so close to the vest.”

“He’s forcing our hand.” Samuel swallowed, the pain in his throat blinding. “Jack knows me.”

“What?” Timmons crossed his arms and glared down at him. “Why the hell didn’t you say something sooner? I assumed he sent you the note because you were the lead investigator. You should have had a protection detail assigned to you.”

“I didn’t know before tonight.” A wave of exhaustion washed over him, sapping what little strength he had left.

“He thinks this Jack is the same as a boy from his childhood by the name of John. It would explain why Mary thought he was a zombie. Annie, too.”

“Do you know him, Miss Smith? This John?”

Samuel opened his mouth to answer, but twin looks of displeasure quieted him.

“No, in all my years at the Archives, I haven’t met anyone who fits this description. Certainly not someone who knew Sam. But I have the memories of the last victim in my head. We’re hoping she’ll be able to help us find him in time.”

Timmons was staring at Piper, his gaze narrowed. “You have her memories? How is that possible?”

Piper stood and walked to stand in front of Timmons. For the first time of their friendship, Samuel was shocked to see the bear of a man unnerved.

“I didn’t finalize the process after extracting her thoughts. Right now she still exists in here.” She tapped her finger to her temple. “Does that bother you, constable?”

“Yes. It does.” He got to his feet, towering over Piper. “But if it will help us catch a killer, then I’ll adjust.”

The sudden clomping of footsteps preceded the door to the sitting room being thrown open. David stood holding a small china cup, a manic grin on his face. He still wore the magnifying goggles, but now he’d also donned a leather apron.

“Here we go. One rather hastily concocted antidote for the good sergeant. Drink it while it’s hot.”

“Cheers.” The bitter liquid stung as he swallowed. It tingled as it moved down his throat, until the heat curled in his belly. “How long before it starts to work?”

“Not long. You only received a light dose of the poison, so this should deal with the bulk of the symptoms until your body can expel the rest.”

Samuel forced himself to sit, not wanting to give in to the poison or waste any more time.

Timmons cocked an eyebrow. “I suppose you’ll need to stay here for the rest of the evening.”

“Oh, Aiko assumed that as well.” David flicked the goggles up to their original resting place on his forehead. “She is preparing the rooms right now.”

“Prepare your rooms?” Piper shook her head. “I thought she was family. A cousin, or some such thing.”

“Oh, no.” David’s frown morphed back into a grin. “She’s our butler. And our housekeeper. And on occasion our bodyguard. I don’t know what we’d do without her.”

“I’ll show you the way. David, please don’t blow anything up with guests in the house.”

“That’s disappointing, but I’ll do my best.”

Somehow, Samuel didn’t quite believe his sincerity.

The room was the most comfortable bedchamber Piper had ever seen in her life. The bed was too large for the narrow quarters, but the mattress was plush and the linens clean. There was a small privacy screen in the corner that concealed a washbasin.

Aiko stood at the door while Piper concluded her brief investigation. “There’s no bell. If there is anything else you need, it’ll have to wait until morning.”

“Thank you. I’ll be fine.”

“I suspected as much. You didn’t strike me as a slave to outdated propriety.”

“I wouldn’t know what to do with a maid if one were forced on me.” There were few enough girls in the Archives as it was, most of whom Piper didn’t get along with. She couldn’t imagine doing up each other’s ties.

“I put the sergeant across the hall from you. I suspected you wanted to be close to him in case he takes a turn for the worse.” The Japanese woman smirked. “Or some such thing.”

“Thank you.” Piper could only imagine how red her face was. “I haven’t turned you out, have I? Is this where you sleep?”

“Where I sleep depends on my mood. Don’t worry, I’ll find a bed to rest my head.” She winked before closing the door.

Samuel was across the hall, and for the moment they were out of danger. Plopping down onto the edge of the mattress, Piper sucked in a breath, holding it for as long as she dared before slowly letting it out. The events of the last few days had her head spinning and her body running on adrenaline. Here she was, holed up in the home of a police constable and a clockwerker, her would-be lover across the hall, and the thoughts of a prostitute rattling around in her brain.

You can’t blame me for those, pet. You’ve wanted to see what’s beneath those layers he wears long before I came along.

“Shut up, Annie.”

Yer body’s been aching for him, and if it wasn’t for whatever’s goin’ on in his head, you’d have known what it was like to have a man between yer thighs.

“Annie—”

He’d make you moan and come hard, I can tell from the way he looked at you. The way he touched you back in that room. Go to him.

“I can’t. He’s hurt.”

Not too hurt for that. They never are. Go to him.

“I…” He was wounded and exhausted. She hated how pale he’d looked when she’d helped him into bed, the ugly red scab forming across his throat. With a bit more pressure the poison wouldn’t have needed to take effect, as the knife would have sliced through the soft tissue and into the muscles of his neck.

Samuel would be lying dead in a dirty alley, and they would be no closer to catching his killer.

Go, Pip. Show him how much he means to you.

She was at the door, her hand on the knob before Annie’s words stopped echoing in her head. Her hesitation was only momentary. Knocking softly, she didn’t wait for Samuel to acknowledge before jerking the door open and stepping inside.

“I wanted to make sure you were all right.” The words came out in a rush, only to die when she looked up to see him standing there, naked from the waist up. The muscles of his stomach rippled beneath the surface of his skin as he twisted around. Her eyes drifted across the light hair that covered his chest and trailed down to disappear beneath his trousers. Her mouth dried, and she fought the urge to lick her lips. There wasn’t a part of him that was soft, that she didn’t want to run her fingers across. “I’m not certain the antidote David gave you will work.”

Samuel tossed the shirt he was still holding to the corner of the room. “I’m already feeling more myself. Despite his appearance of being scattered, David’s mind is sharp and his knowledge of chemistry and mechanics is second to no one.”

“Ah. Excellent.” She was blushing again, dammit. She never embarrassed this easily. “I guess there’s no reason for me to disturb you then. Good night.”

“Wait, Pip.”

Keeping her back to him, she couldn’t move as he came up behind her. Heat from his body warmed her back. “I should go.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“You did earlier.”

His hand was warm as he caressed her shoulder and slid it down over the thin fabric of her dress. “I wasn’t quite myself. Stay.”

Annie was for once blissfully quiet. Whatever decision she made, Piper couldn’t claim any undue influence from the carnally experienced woman lurking in her mind. Leaning her head back until she came into contact with Samuel’s wide chest, Piper knew it was pointless to resist this any longer.

“Sam.”

His mouth covered the side of her throat with soft kisses as his hands stroked the sides of her body. “You’re so beautiful.” The words were spoken as softly as his caress. “I was a fool. A damned fool.”

Piper turned in his hold, took his face in her hands and kissed him. She’d wanted him, this, for so long; had almost had it before it was snatched away. There was nothing she’d let get in her way now. She kissed him hard, letting her tongue dip into his mouth and taste everything that was Sam. The stubble from his chin and cheeks rubbed against her skin, making everything seem that much more real.

She let her hands slide down from his face to his throat, where a soft scab was forming. Her thumbs skirted the edges of the mark as she bypassed it, not wanting to inflict any more pain.

Samuel gasped, bucking his hips against her stomach. The hard length of his erection pressed against her, sending a shiver through her body to her core. She knew she was shaking, but there was nothing she could do to stop her body from reacting.

“Touch me.” His words were a desperate whisper.

Her fingers traced a line around his nipples, now hard, before she scraped a nail lightly across the beaded tip. “Sensitive?”

“Yes.”

Dipping her head, she licked across his nipple, tasting the salt on his skin. Samuel dug his fingers into her hair as he groaned. “Pip.”