Gilded Hearts (The Shadow Guild Series) (20 page)

Piper stepped back, her face devoid of emotion, though her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “All right then. We talk to Annie. Tonight.”

Timmons came back as they were finishing up the arrangements, converting the main sitting room into a makeshift lab. David had enthusiastically agreed to help, despite his workroom being declared unfit for use. He had departed the house and returned within two hours with a large black trunk bearing the Hudson’s Bay Company logo. David and Aiko set to work unloading it while Piper went upstairs to spend some time alone before they began.

Samuel had wanted nothing more than to go with her, but he recognized her need for solitude. Instead, he let Aiko put him to work carrying equipment and bottles of liquids he didn’t recognize.

Timmons stood in the doorway, eyebrows raised and his arms crossed. “Dare I ask?”

“Oh, don’t sound like that.” David waved him away before returning to the task of connecting a rubber tube to a gear box. “I’m being helpful.”

“For once.” Aiko tossed a cog at the clockwerker, who neatly caught it without looking.

Samuel abandoned his seat to join his friend. “We need to cleanse Piper’s memories of Annie. I’m going to interview her and then David will wipe her mind.”

“They sent someone to take the memories of the woman we found last night. Her name was Elizabeth Stride. Another prostitute.”

“David mentioned.”

Timmons guided Samuel from the room until they were alone in the hallway. “You know how when the archivists are hooked up, they spout out a lot of random nonsense?”

“What did you hear?”

“She mentioned a meeting, a dark man, and then started rambling off a bunch of nonsense.”

Shit.

“She also mentioned a man. Jack. It’s a common enough name, but I think it’s safe to assume it’s your boy again. He’s growing bolder.”

“He slashes my throat then kills again.” Samuel couldn’t tell Timmons the full truth, didn’t want to put him at risk any more than necessary. “He’s escalating.”

“Wonderful. Things are going to get messier.”

“We’ll manage.” There was one question he needed an answer to before they’d be able to move on. “Why didn’t you wake me when the call came in? Am I not the head investigator any longer?”

Timmons slapped him on the back of the head. “Don’t be an idiot. Of course you are. But in case you’ve forgotten, you had the small business of having your throat cut and getting poisoned. I thought you could do with a bit of a lie-in.”

“Thanks.”

“You should have seen her, Sam.” Timmons had curled his mechanical fingers into a fist as he closed his eyes. “He’d torn her apart. I’d say he was an animal, but the cuts were too precise, almost like a doctor, or a surgical machine.”

Bile rose in the back of Samuel’s throat. “Let’s keep this from Piper for now. At least until we get Annie out of her head.”

“She wanted to see the body, didn’t she?” Timmons snorted. “Are all you zombies trained to flock to death, or is it just an occupational hazard?”

“Shut up, Timmons.” Death followed them around, they were steeped in it from the moment they entered the Archives. Death employed them. As an apprentice, you made peace with that early on, or else you went mad. “David should be ready. I best find Pip.”

The night air was cool, the smell of rain permeating it as Samuel stepped out onto the side balcony. The street below was beginning to grow busy as people made their way to tea. Supremely civilized, given there was a killer prowling the streets.

Piper’s hair had slipped from the simple bun she normally wore, and long strands fell to caress her back and shoulders. Memories of last night, her body giving way beneath his as he pressed into her, made him want to reach out and pull her close. Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat.

“They’re ready for you.”

“Thanks.”

Samuel knew she needed her distance, was fighting a battle with the woman who was trapped in her head, the one who was about to die for the second time. But as she turned, it grew incredibly hard to remember why he couldn’t pull her into his arms, offering what little comfort he could before she went through hell.

Instead, he balled his hands inside his pockets, pressing his nails into the fleshy palm. The pain grounded him, forcing him to focus. “Timmons is back. It looks like the victim was another prostitute. Went by the name of Elizabeth.”

“I see. Was there an extraction?”

“Of course. You do realize that even if you were still at the Archives, they wouldn’t have allowed you anywhere near that body.”

“I know.”

“They wouldn’t have even allowed you to be a part of the team to see what went on. You’d have been punished for even suggesting it.”

“I’m not a fool, Sam.”

Samuel stepped close so he could smell the sweet mix of woman and roses that always clung to her. “Then why do I get the impression you’d rather be there than here?”

“Do you remember what you felt like that first night you ran from the Archives?”

Pain, fear, determination stronger than anything he’d ever experienced before. All of that, and yet there was one emotion that overrode everything else. “I was terrified.”

She nodded. “I’ve had no life outside the Archives. I hadn’t had a chance to live my life before they came and took me. The only place I’ve ever known was the world within and below the Archives. My only parents were Master Ryerson and Master June. The only friends I’ve spent time with were the other apprentices. Dennison, Jones.”

Moving so she was close enough that their clothing brushed, Piper looked up into Samuel’s eyes, unblinking. “I also found the only boy I thought I could love. But he ran away, leaving me behind.”

“I came back.”

“Not because you wanted to. If I hadn’t been at that extraction, would you have sought me out? Come and broken down the Archives’ door to find me?”

How he wished she hadn’t asked him that. Despite how he’d given his heart to her all those years ago, he knew this was the one sin he’d committed that he’d forever regret. “No.”

“I didn’t think so.”

“Clearing Annie from your mind is the right thing. Ryerson wanted to do it himself.”

“I shouldn’t want her to stay. I’ve been trained to participate in the mental cleansing as a means of self-preservation. I shouldn’t be questioning if this is the right thing to do at all.” Her breath was coming out in gasps, even as her voice grew quiet. “I’m angry because you’ve made me doubt my entire life, but you’ve given me nothing to replace it with.”

“You can replace it with me.”

“You don’t really want me, you know. If you did, you would have tried to see me before now. Oh, you like my body well enough, I’m sure, but what you
want
is some idea of me that you’ve carried around with you all this time. That’s the only person who can absolve you from the sins of your youth, reassure you that you made the right decision. And your idea of me was frozen in time all those years ago. But I didn’t freeze, Sam. I didn’t just stop when you ran away. I grew up and made plans of my own, plans that didn’t take you into account. Because
you weren’t there
.”

“Piper—”

“I need time, Sam.”

“What about last night?”

“I… it was wonderful.”

“But?” He didn’t need to hear the words to know what she was thinking. As the wind blew the strands of her hair around her face, Samuel felt his heart harden against the rejection.

“I need time.” Piper moved around him, stepping back into the house. “Are they in the parlor?”

“Yes.”

“Are you joining us?”

Turning, he nodded. “Pip?”

She paused, keeping her back to him.

“I’m just a man. A sergeant in the King’s Sentry, a former apprentice to the Archives with some unique skills, but in the end, only a man. I’ve made mistakes in the past, ones I’ve acknowledged. I’ll give you your time, but know this.” She turned her head so he could just make out her profile. “There’s one mistake I won’t make twice. I’ll only wait for so long before I will come after you.”

Piper sat in the middle of the settee, staring straight ahead as David and Aiko positioned tubes around her body and secured wires to her face. She’d gone through every meditation technique she’d been taught, but it did little to quell her fears. At least she assumed they were hers and not Annie’s.

Please, don’t do this to me, pet. I can be of use to you. You’ll need me once you find out more.

Piper closed her eyes and tried once more to clear her mind.

That’s not gonna stop me. I’m going to keep screaming away here in your head until the very end. Lalalalalalala.

Piper clenched her teeth and dug her fingertips into her legs. “How much longer before we can begin? I’m getting a headache.”

David popped over the back of the couch, leaning on his forearms to move his face beside hers. “Be ready to start in two clicks of a cog. I was just getting a little something ready to help ease the process for you.” Reaching out, he held a glass with a rose-colored liquid inside. “I suspect Annie won’t want to go quietly. This will make things less stressful for both you and her.”

“Thank you.”

As she took the glass, David’s unbuttoned shirtsleeve flapped open, exposing a generous portion of skin. It was impossible to miss the design tattooed in black ink on the inside of his arm. When she met his gaze once more, she was startled to see something different from the normal easygoing and somewhat absentminded look she’d quickly come to associate with the clockwerker. His brown eyes were hard, reflecting not only his intelligence but a cunning she’d never noticed before.

“What’s that?” She whispered the words, knowing she’d caught a glimpse of something she shouldn’t.

“The Company likes to mark their property.” David leaned in closer. “Please take the drink, Miss Smith.”

Piper did as David asked. “Thank you.” The liquid was sickeningly sweet as she swallowed it down. Within a minute Piper felt her muscles begin to relax and it grew increasingly difficult to blink. “I feel odd.”

“Good. That means it’s working.” Pushing off, David bounded over to where Samuel was now standing, staring at them. “I believe we are ready to begin.”

She tried to focus her attention on Samuel, but her mind had grown sluggish and Piper felt as if she were slipping down into a warm bath or a thick down quilt, heating her skin.

Oh. This is lovely.

Samuel squatted in front of Piper, resting his hands on her knees. “Pip?”

He really does have lovely eyes, pet.

Samuel chuckled. “Annie, I presume?”

Piper hadn’t realized she’d spoken, but the words must have come from her lips. How odd, to be completely out of control of hers body and yet be aware of the world around her.

I have no intention of telling you anything, copper. No matter how much this one here makes doe eyes at you.

“Annie, I know you worked as a prostitute. That you’ve seen all sorts of evil in your days. We need to know everything we can, so that we can stop the man who killed you.”

Piper struggled to take in a breath, the muscles in her chest constricted to the point of discomfort. No matter how much she willed her body to cooperate, she couldn’t gasp, swallow, or move the way she wanted. Annie was in control.

Don’t you fret, pet. If these fools get their way I won’t be around much longer.

Samuel squeezed her knee. “Pip, it’s fine. I’m just going to have a conversation with Annie. You relax.”

Bloody easy thing for you to say, copper.

“Did you know Jack? Had you met him before that night when he came to you?”

You know, it’s a funny thing. All my life I was told I was a stupid girl. Annie, don’t do this, you’ll get hurt. Annie, you idiot, you told them men where we was living. Annie, don’t lift yer skirts and let them men take what they want. Not unless they pay you first. Now a copper wants my help. Wants to know what I know.

“That’s right, Annie. In the end, you’re the smart one. You’re the one with the power and the control. You have the knowledge to help save others.”

Others?

Piper knew Annie was starting to get upset. Her stomach began to churn and she couldn’t unclench her hand that clung to Samuel’s.

What others?

“Two other women have been killed. Mary and Elizabeth.” Timmons joined Samuel’s side, but stayed on his feet. “They were both prostitutes as well.”

I didn’t know them.

The men exchanged a look. Piper knew they needed to find the connection between the killings, and it was far too much of a coincidence that all the women were prostitutes.

Samuel smiled again, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “But you knew Jack? Do you think he would have gone to the other women? Sought out their services?”

Piper knew Annie was holding back, could feel her restraining herself from answering. Fighting through the fog of her mind, Piper forced out a quick, “She knows,” before Annie took control once more.

Shut up!

“What do you know, Annie? I really need you to tell us. Did you know about Mary?”

No.

“Are there other women? We need to find them, get them off the street to make sure they’re safe.”

No!

“Annie, do you know Jack?”

She leaned back as far as she could against the couch.
Please, no.

“He’s the one who killed you. We need to find him.”

Tears streamed down her face, following the contour of her throat until they were soaked up by her bodice.
Not him.

“I’m sorry this is hard for you.” Samuel cupped her cheek, leaning in close. “I need to find Jack and stop him. I can’t let him hurt any more women.”

He scares me.

“Of course he does. You’re a smart girl and know when something isn’t right. Trust me, Jack is certainly not right.”

Them men used to call me a smart girl, too, when they wanted something from me. But they only said that stuff when they wanted to take their pleasure from me. The cult would round a few of us up, bring us out to a place where they’d meet. We’d have parties, wine, food, then we’d fuck. They’d lock us in a room while they talked. Like they was planning somethin’.

“Like what, Annie? Were they planning to do something?”

I don’t know. But I remember Mary was there and a woman called Catherine. I didn’t know her, but Mary was nice to me. We were all there with the men. They wanted us to join the cult and stay with them. The other girls didn’t stay after, but I did. I liked them all except for one bloke. He kept to himself and never talked to me. The others called him Jack. He was pale as a ghost, but God, he was dark, so dark.

Piper was powerless to do anything but watch the horror spread across Samuel’s face. He was blaming himself again for the actions of a madman. He was going to take off, leave her behind, and make sure she couldn’t be hurt while he pursued Jack on his own. Bloody stubborn man.

She started to laugh.
Oh you’ve done something to upset this one, copper. I think once you’ve gotten rid of poor Annie for good you’re going to be in trouble.

“Pip?” He ran his hand down the front of his face. She knew he was struggling, his desire to protect her at odds with his need to use the tools available to solve the case. “We’ll talk.”

I doubt that’s all you’ll want to do, copper. But poor Annie won’t be there to give her any more good ideas. You’ll have to figure things out on your own.

“Enough.” Samuel got to his feet. He picked up the wire that lay across her lap and placed the final lead to her temple. “If you don’t have anything else to say then it’s time to let you rest.”

Another wave of tears rolled down Piper’s cheeks.
Please don’t do this. I can stay here and be good. I-I won’t e-even bother her. I’ll only watch and listen. I promise.

“I’m sorry, Annie. If there were any other way, we wouldn’t do this. Remember, the Archives have your memories. You’ll always be alive there.”

I don’t want to be there at all! If I’m dying I want to die and go to heaven or hell, whichever will take me. You can’t stuff me in one of them little bottles!

“It’s no different than you living on in Pip’s head. You’re only an echo. You’re not a person any longer.”

Mind-numbing panic clawed up inside her. Piper’s body began to convulse, taking on a life of its own. She was powerless to do anything to stop it. Annie continued to scream in her head. The words became a jumbled mess, and she no longer knew if she was speaking, screaming, crying, or simply going mad.

Samuel loomed over her, pressing her shoulders down to the couch. “Someone help me!”

“Rory, hold her down!”

“Get her legs.”

“David, start the process.”

“I don’t know what will happen with her—”

“Do it
now
!”

Piper screamed. Her throat and chest felt as if she were being torn apart from the inside out—Annie forcing her way from her body. Her vision blacked out, but for a lingering moment she could hear. Despite the force of her screams, she clung to the soft chant of words falling from Samuel’s lips.

“Hold on, Pip. Hold on, Pip. Please, sweetheart. Hold on.”

One moment Piper was thrashing beneath his hands. The next she collapsed unconscious to the couch. Her face was white as a sheet and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He pushed her damp hair from her forehead, ignoring the way his hand shook.

“Did you start it?” His voice was rough, throat tight with repressed emotion. “How long until we know if Annie is gone?”

A hand squeezed his shoulder. He expected Timmons, but looked up to see David standing there, his expression serious. “If everything goes well, she’ll be asleep for several hours.”

“And if things don’t go well?” Shit, he didn’t even want to think about something going wrong. There were so many variables, things David couldn’t know about how the process worked. The chance that Piper would come out of this unscathed was minuscule.

“I’ve taken every precaution. Aiko and I will stay with her and make sure she is comfortable.”

“I’m not leaving her.” If they thought anything was more important to him than ensuring Piper was safe and healthy, they were as insane as Jack.

Timmons shared a look with David before clearing his throat. “I can appreciate you wanting to stay with her, but there is something you will need to see.”

“I don’t care what it is. I’m not—”

“We got another letter.”

Samuel dropped his head to Piper’s shoulder and let out a shuddering breath. “No.”

“I’m sorry. I just received a note in the tube from the home office. It was sent to the Tower and addressed directly to you. No one has opened it, but apparently the Archivist Guild is already aware of it, and demanding to know what was said.”

With the Archives forcing their involvement, there was no way Samuel would be able to escape dealing with the matter as quickly as possible. “Dammit.”

“I promise you, I’ll watch her and give her the best of care. Like she was my own family.” David took a seat beside Piper on the couch and checked her pulse. “She seems to be holding her own, but the next hour will be the critical period. After that it’s mostly rest and recovery.”

Samuel nodded. She looked fragile, though she’d mostly likely punch him for thinking of her in such a way. Her body had been through so much in the past few days. It was a wonder she hadn’t collapsed from the weight of it all. “How much will she remember?”

“If I’ve calculated everything correctly, she’ll have her memories wiped from a few hours before the extraction until now.”

Samuel faced David. “If you were wrong?”

“A day earlier.” He shrugged. “It was the closest I could get given the circumstances.”

She would remember nothing of their night together, their kiss. She wouldn’t have any recollection of being on the run from the Archives, their discussion with Dennison, the attack on Sam. Every bit of progress they’d made, their rekindled friendship and growing attachment.

All gone.

Samuel got to his feet and stalked across the room to snatch his coat from the chair. “I want to know the moment she regains consciousness. She won’t know who any of you are and won’t understand what is happening.”

“We’ll send word to the Tower if you are not back.” Aiko laced her hands behind her back. “Is there anything else you wish for us to tell her?”

“Tell her I’m done running.” Yanking his greatcoat into place, he strode from the room. “Let’s go see what Jack wants.”