“And how do you like your new quarters?” he ventured in a chatty tone. Pausing only briefly to await a reply he knew would never come, he forged ahead. “Moving you here was my father’s idea, of course. He felt there was too much hustle and bustle near your old chamber. He seems to be of the opinion that you need complete peace and quiet if you are to recover your voice.”
Joshua paused as a new thought struck him. “Of course, I can think of an entirely different reason to sequester you here though I doubt my father would admit it. It may have been something of an embarrassment that one of the diviner’s own wives needed to be restrained under lock and key. Every time the faithful walked past your door, they must have been reminded of your captivity. Not to mention the issue of your stubborn silence. Personally, I prefer a woman to hold her tongue but a wife who will not speak when her husband wishes it...” He trailed off with a soft “tsk, tsk” of disapproval. “Such muteness hints of mulishness.”
Hannah raised her chin defiantly but otherwise refused to respond.
Joshua’s soliloquy continued. “Your obstinacy sets a bad example for the other consecrated brides. They can plainly see that your sulkiness is rewarded with special privileges. You have been exempted from communal chores, are not required to share your husband’s bed or submit to his lawful advances, and receive your meals on a tray like some Fallen queen.”
The spymaster shook his head in disbelief. “How long will it be before the rest of the women follow your bad example? I tried to persuade my father to quash this trend by sending you away to an asylum.”
The girl stifled a gasp. Such a frightening alternative had never occurred to her.
“Sadly, he wouldn’t hear of it though I have hopes of convincing him in time. For the moment, he has decided that the wisest policy is ‘out of sight, out of mind.’” Joshua’s eyes swept the room appraisingly. “A bit too far out of sight, if you ask me. Nobody has any reason to travel down this dead-end corridor. It would be impossible for anyone to hear you call out even if you did recover your voice. Why, I imagine that even if you were to scream, there would be nobody within earshot to help you.”
Hannah flinched involuntarily at the thought of her complete isolation. She recovered her composure, but it wasn’t soon enough to escape Joshua’s notice.
He gave a fleeting smirk of triumph, knowing he had succeeded in unnerving her. “Still not in the mood to converse? Oh well. No matter.” His gossipy tone persisted. “All I require are your ears. I have some news which concerns you.”
She gripped the edge of the dresser, steeling herself to hear an accusation about her attempted escape.
“You might be interested to learn that an intruder was discovered on the grounds about a week ago.”
Her features hardened into a mask of bored apathy.
“I don’t suppose you’d care to speculate about why he might have come?” Joshua paused for dramatic effect. “No theories, eh?” Folding his arms across his chest, he tilted his head to consider. “I have one. Would you like to hear it?”
Hannah kept still, her fingers pressed hard against the lip of the dresser.
“I believe this man came to rescue you. It’s unfortunate my sentries killed him before we could extract a confession.”
The girl felt herself growing dizzy from the shock of Joshua’s announcement. A dozen questions were screaming inside her head. Did he mean Zach or Erik? Had Zach climbed inside the enclosure to help his friend and been shot?
“I must say you wasted no time among the Fallen reverting to the corrupt nature of your sex. First, you practiced your wiles on the dark-haired youth in the photos I saw. Then you seduced the blond man who came here to rescue you.”
Blond man? He must mean Erik. So, Zach had escaped unharmed. Hannah felt a flood of relief that the boy she loved wasn’t dead. Her relief was quickly followed by a wave of guilt that a man she’d never met had lost his life attempting to save her. Hannah reined in her thoughts and focused on the present conversation.
Joshua was studying her face intently, analyzing the most infinitesimal change of expression. “What? No tears?” He affected mock surprise. “I should think a scheming creature like you would show a little regret at the loss of such a useful tool.”
Hannah drew herself up and walked toward the door. She stood beside it and glared at Joshua, clearly signaling that their conversation was over.
Her visitor chose to take the hint. He brushed past her on his way out and murmured, “Too bad my father can’t see your deviousness as clearly as I do. He will. Once I’ve made you talk, I will surely make him listen.”
Chapter 4—Don’t Ask, Don’t Call
Daniel tried to control his nervousness as he entered the reference department reading room of the downtown Chicago library. He hadn’t seen Chris since the librarian had kissed him, causing Daniel to flee in panic. So much had happened in the few weeks they’d been apart: Daniel’s unexpected alliance with the crew of relic thieves, the abortive plot to rescue Hannah, and then its tragic aftermath. The scion found he needed his friend’s advice but wasn’t sure how to leap the awkward chasm that Chris’s attempt at intimacy had created.
Even now, Daniel recoiled at the memory of it. Being party to an act which his faith condemned as an abomination bothered him less than his own fleeting, and quickly suppressed, desire to reciprocate. He shook these troubling notions out of his head and timorously approached the counter. Chris was immersed in a computer search and didn’t notice his arrival.
Daniel cleared his throat self-consciously. “H... hello.”
The librarian looked up sharply. He gave a relieved smile. “Danny Boy! It’s so good to see you. I’m
