Gene of Isis

fear before today.’

‘What are you afraid of?’ I took the chair opposite Mr Devere, now more concerned than angry.

‘That I’ll lose her.’ His voice wavered and he cleared his throat. ‘I am afraid of what is happening to me.’ He looked into my eyes, hoping I might be aware of his inference.

‘Ashlee’s talent has rubbed off on you…as it were.’ I tipped my head and repressed the urge to smile at my boldness—I was pleased to see my brother grin briefly, too.

‘So much power.’ He held out his hands so I could see plainly how they trembled. ‘I see things, hear things, feel things that I’ve never conceived of before! I felt so alive in my wife’s company and, without her, my newfound awareness will fade and I shall return to the shadow that I was. Your best friend is my addiction and now she is gone…do you see why I fear?’

‘But is it Ashlee, or the power she gives you that you are in love with?’ I was still undecided as to what course of action I should take. Obviously, Mr Devere would go after his wife, but would I aid him to find her? That depended on how truthful he was prepared to be.

Devere shook his head, perplexed by the question. ‘I was told I’d marry her when I was twelve years old. I’ve been training ever since, so that I might be worthy of her, able to protect her, please her. My whole world has revolved around her. Is my devotion voluntary…yes! Could I ever love anyone else…no! Am I in love with her? Well, you tell me.’

I was flabbergasted by the confession, but I regained my wits swiftly enough to fulfil my lust for detail. ‘Who told you about ‘Ashlee and who trained you?’

‘It was the Dowager Countess Lady Charlotte Cavandish who told me of my destiny and introduced me to the secret brotherhood which guards the bloodline of the Star-Fire Kings.’

‘And Ashlee is part of this bloodline?’ I was totally intrigued.

‘We all are: Devere, Cavandish, Granville, Hamilton and many other highly placed families, yet my wife’s is the strongest female line. With the rest of the bloodlines, and there are many, the way to tell if the sacred blood is strong in the individual is a birthmark.’ Mr Devere revealed to me the red cross on his chest.

I recognised it at once. Ashlee has one—’

‘On her back,’ Earnest concluded with me. ‘And I’ll bet Lady Charlotte has one too.’

‘Well…if my family is part of this bloodline, then why are my father and brother not members of this brotherhood?’

‘Ah…but they are!’ Earnest enlightened me. ‘Why do you think they have been so protective of Miss Granville? In fact, your aunt was the first woman to be admitted to the Scottish chapter.’

‘And my husband too?’

Mr Devere shook his head. ‘No, James never had the aptitude for the brotherhood. He was a good god-fearing lad bound for the House of Lords. You know how he is with anything supernatural…the brotherhood would have just confused the issue for him, and this was plain to my order. So, they bypassed him, for I bore the mark and he did not. And I was chosen to wed the most promising daughter of the bloodline yet. Conveniently, I was just a second son, who could serve the bloodline for mating purposes. By wedding Miss Granville, the large family estates and titles would pass to our heir.’

I sat and digested the information, then asked, ‘And the name of this brotherhood?’

Mr Devere served me a challenging look. ‘If they find out I have lost their prized daughter and her favour, I am a dead man. I don’t need to break any more of my vows to the chapter.’

I rolled my eyes, thinking he was exaggerating.

‘You think Hereford’s death was an accident?’

There was a brief explosion of shock inside my being.

‘That was my big mistake.’ Devere came to the point. ‘I thought I was on the side of the righteous. I never thought they’d kill Hereford! I had always intended to tell Miss Granville everything, but when she pinpointed the Grand Master of my chapter as having threatened Hereford the day before he died, I was forced to lie to my wife about my association with the brotherhood. Now she has found me out.’

He handed me Ashlee’s letter, having told me the worst of it. ‘What does this brotherhood want with Ashlee?’

Devere took a deep breath and shrugged. ‘I am not in the higher echelons. I cannot pretend to know the extent of their aspirations. But this much I do know: it is only the females of the bloodline who carry what is termed the Gene of Isis.’

‘Genesis?’ I noted the play on words. Devere nodded to confirm an association.

‘This legacy passes to the female’s sons and daughters, and can be activated in the males of the line by coupling him with a female of the blood, or by feeding him an alchemical substance known as Fire-Stone.’

‘So your mother must have been a female of the line, and you must be one of the Star-Fire princes?’ I referred to his new psychic talent as proof.

‘So it would seem.’ He almost sounded like he regretted it now. ‘I am told that this is the first time in centuries that a marriage has taken place between two descendants who bear the mark.’ He hung his head. ‘I fear it is our offspring who will be of greater interest to the High Grand Masters of the order.’

‘They are trying to breed some kind of superbeing,’ I realised. ‘For what end?’

‘I don’t know.’ Devere was annoyed at having to concede ignorance. ‘However, if I am not an integral part of Ashlee Granville’s life, then I shall be shut out altogether and made to disappear. The brothers will go on manipulating her life, as they always have, and she will be none the wiser.’

‘Oh, I think she is wiser now.’ I gave Ashlee her due. ‘As you have discovered, it is very difficult to keep anything from Ashlee—and, to date, she has been repressing her ability. Now that she is free to do as she pleases,