“What are those end goals?” Oliver swallowed, his head still pounding, the nausea still threatening.
“The Predatory Shifter Regulations Committee wants the Summit meetings to fail, but they are under such scrutiny that they have been forced to go about their objective differently. Removing Emmeline O’Shea from the proceedings will go a long way toward achieving that end. Removing Emmeline O’Shea is also Miss Lysette’s primary objective. Since Lysette holds the reins of her titled father and soon, the family money, you see why an alliance with her is beneficial to me.”
Oliver bit his tongue. Lysette O’Shea would never see a penny of the “family money” but probably didn’t realize it. He made a side note to have Conley assign a bodyguard to protect Emme’s mother.
“So an alliance between you and the PSRC, along with the O’Shea influence, is worth all of this trouble? And I suppose you wrote the letter to Emmeline that caused such alarm?”
Lawrence chuckled. “No, that was the creative work of Lysette. Dictated to the young Mr. Stuart Rawley, who was only too happy to act as scribe. He is enamored of Lysette, Lysette hates Emmeline, and thus you have the makings of a perfect family tragedy.”
Oliver clenched his jaw until it ached. “I am going to enjoy ending Mr. Rawley. And the carriage accident?”
“Mr. Randolph arranged it, but at the time, Lysette hadn’t realized you would be keeping Miss Emmeline company. I understand she was most worried about your safety.” He paused. “And my, but you are determined to protect your ladylove.”
Oliver fought to remain impassive. “She is my charge, the object of my work task, not my ladylove.”
“Ah, good. Then you’ll not be alarmed when I tell you what Lysette has planned for her.”
Oliver’s anger grew, and for the first time since awakening, he knew he was in danger of reacting to Lawrence’s taunts. “Lysette will be forced to get past a vampire, who although mild-mannered, has been instructed to protect Emmeline with deadly force.”
“But, brother, mayhem erupted at the Grand Hotel after you and I departed.” He held up a transcriber. “Lysette is not a happy young woman right now because Emmeline foiled some carefully constructed plans. It appears Emmeline arrived at the lodge just in time—and without our friend Gus.”
Oliver looked at the curtained window, his fear and anger mounting.
“Regrettably, she is separated from her valiant little vampire, so you see, not only have you managed to get yourself captured, you failed her as well. Provided I can use my powers of persuasion on Lysette and prevent her from killing the little activist outright, I may just satisfy my own curiosity about the woman who has finally captured your heart. I’ll turn her, and then”—he smiled with malicious facetiousness—“she’ll have an eternity to convince the world that all creatures under the sun deserve the same rights.”
Oliver lunged across the carriage, enjoying the satisfaction of catching Lawrence off guard before Lawrence responded and sent him back into the dark.
Emme shivered and groaned as she shifted against the cold ground. Light and warmth flickered a short distance away, and she opened her eyes, struggling to reach the surface of her sluggish thoughts. She’d had laudanum once before, when she was young and had fallen out of a tree. Her mother had panicked, convinced that Emme’s pain was worse than it was, and Emme had slept for two days.
The feeling now was exactly the same, and she gritted her teeth against the fog and dizziness. The fact that she was waking up was the one bright thought she could manage. The downside, of course, was that whatever benefit the drug provided against pain was also wearing off. Her ankle was on fire, everything ached from her head to her feet, and as she shoved herself upright, a wave of nausea nearly overwhelmed her.
What time was it? How long had she been asleep, and who had given her laudanum? She blinked at her surroundings, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She was in some kind of cave, or maybe an underground dwelling. It was carved out, man-made, with low stone ceilings, walls, and floors.
It wasn’t the dungeon that had held the shifters; the construction there had been largely earthen. The firelight flickering in the far corner finally became bearable enough to look at, despite the pain in her skull, and she saw Lysette seated on a low stool next to the flames.
“I was beginning to worry I’d given you too much. You’ve slept an entire day and another night.” She smiled, and Emme’s blood ran cold.
“Where are we?” she croaked, and coughed.
Lysette pointed with her chin. “There is water for you. Can’t have you dying just yet.”
Emme grabbed the water pitcher and drank straight from it, bypassing the cup that sat beside it.
“Manners, Emmeline. What would Mother say?”
Emme swallowed the cold water, hoping Lysette hadn’t put anything nasty in it. “Where are we?” she repeated.
“You are in Edinburgh’s underground, where only undesirables live, mostly the undead kind. You are in a far corner where nobody will ever find you, and your bones will waste away until there is nothing left.”
Emme bit her tongue rather than snap that bones did not waste away for a very long time and that a scientist somewhere in the future would surely excavate before she disappeared permanently.
Think, Emme. Think. She had to get free. Lysette’s weak spot was always her arrogant pride, and Emme hoped she could manipulate it enough to buy herself some time.
“I realize you clearly want me to suffer before you leave me forever, so I’m certain you’ve devised something delightful.” She tried to shift and possibly stand but realized belatedly that a large manacle encircled her wounded ankle. She might inch forward, but she wouldn’t reach Lysette, the fire, or the gated door.
“Very well. This is my plan, Emmeline.” She pulled a bag to her side, and Emme realized it was her portmanteau, the one she’d managed to keep safe for days against all
