Chaos Broken (30 page)

‘The City Watch's duty is to uphold the law, Lora.' Caleb sounded offended. ‘We must restore order, before the streets are overrun with anarchy. This new High Grigori might be bending rules to suit him, but that doesn't mean we ignore the laws of the city. Someone has to maintain order.'

My eyes pointedly focused on Caleb's blocking hand and he dropped it. ‘I need to look at one of the books, Caleb. It's important.' I waved at the circlet. ‘Not to mention they're kind of mine, now.'

Caleb shook his head. ‘Now I
know
the Aldermen are desperate.'

‘Sticks and stones, Captain,' I said, hurrying to the table and shifting the books around, searching the titles. Caleb watched over my shoulder.

‘Would you know anything about my friend, Reuben Crowhurst?' I asked without looking up. ‘He was shot in Abraham's Alley and I don't know —' I tried to say,
if he's dead or alive
, but I couldn't form the words.

‘Barclay!' Caleb shouted across the noisy room.

One of the Sergeants cleaning a flintlock looked up with a surly expression. ‘What?'

‘Were you on patrol in Abraham's Alley yesterday?' Caleb asked.

‘Yeah. With Piloski.'

‘Was there a disturbance?'

‘It's Abraham's Alley. You're gonna have to define “disturbance” for me.'

‘Anyone get shot by a Regulator?'

The man put down the weapon. ‘Yeah. A citizen got it in the guts. No one would give us any details though. Just that a Regulator did him.'

‘What happened to him?' I asked quickly.

The man's eyes flicked to me, then back to Caleb. ‘We took him to the south-east hospital.'

‘Was he…' I licked my suddenly dry lips. ‘Was he hurt bad?'

‘For a fella with a gut shot, he looked to be doing remarkably well. Had an otherkin guarding him the whole time, some bitch with a dagger and a crazy tail. She tried to slice anyone who came near him. Almost got herself shot as well.'

Caleb turned to me. ‘That your guy?'

‘Sounds like him.' I couldn't even measure how relieved I was that Crowhurst had a fighting chance. Knowing he was probably going to pull through made everything seem a little more bearable. My fingers paused when they brushed over a book with the symbol of the Aldermen; a flaming torch nestled inside a wreath of olive leaves.

‘You know, I can't let you take that book, Lora,' Caleb said.

I picked it up and hugged it to my chest. ‘I have a plan.'

He looked pained. ‘I don't want to know.'

‘I'm going to summon the Defiler and he's going to cast judgement on the High Grigori.'

Caleb groaned. ‘Lora, I just
told
you I didn't want to know.'

‘You have to let me take the book.' I lowered my voice. ‘You owe me.'

‘You're serious.' Caleb stared at me like I was crazy, which I was getting kind of sick of. ‘The Defiler is a fairy tale, told to scare children.' He shifted, casually positioning himself between me and the exit. ‘And what's in that book are powerful spells, Lora. Spells that would bring the full force of the Order upon the caster.'

‘You know nephilim from the Outlands are in city,' I said.

‘I did hear that.'

‘These are the nephilim who were going to be killed by the Order. They had been in discussions with Grigori Fowler to reconcile and create a new Order, where the nephilim are free. They see the High Grigori's rule as a threat to this treaty, so they will strike back. And hard.'

Caleb's jaw worked for a moment, then he said, ‘That…I did not know.'

‘They'll attack the Order, and soon,' I said. ‘Blood will run in these streets and there'll be nothing you can do.'

‘The City Watch will be there to try and stop any violence.'

‘Are you listening to yourself?' I gave a bitter laugh. ‘Do you really believe the City Watch can stop a fight between warring nephilim factions? Between craftusers and Witch Hunters? What will the City Watch do then?'

‘The Defiler is a myth,' Caleb was shouting now, the room silent as all eyes fixed on us. ‘Your plan is a fantasy. It's time to grow up, Lora. There is no defender of the realm.'

‘I've seen him with my own eyes,' I said. ‘He's appeared to me. He's real.'

Caleb blinked a few times. ‘Why did he appear to you?'

I pursed my lips. ‘Right, well, that's a complicated issue. The point I'm trying to make here is that he's real and he's our best bet to head off the wave of violence coming our way.'

‘Fine.' Caleb folded his arms. ‘But whatever spell you're going to do, it has to be here. That book isn't leaving this station.'

‘I can't do it here.' My knuckles turned white around the book. ‘I have to be in the High Grigori's presence.'

‘No.' Caleb's mouth was a thin line. ‘Forget it.'

‘You. Owe. Me.' The words ground out. ‘And I'm cashing in.'

Caleb hesitated, eyes skittering around the room over the watching men.

‘Did you hear the stories about me fighting a hellspawn?' I pressed. ‘And killing it with an Outland weapon?'

Caleb looked doubtful. ‘I heard you were helped by sixty Regulators.'

‘Sure,' I said. ‘That sounds a little more plausible, but that's not what happened. I did it. Just the same way I do anything dirty that's got to be done.'

‘I don't know, Lora. You don't look so great.'

‘Yeah? Well, I've never felt more sure of anything before,' I said, lying my little heart out. ‘This has to be done, before the city is lost. This is the window of opportunity, right now, before they become entrenched.'

The man called Barclay spoke up. ‘What if she's right, Captain? We've all heard about the female Witch Hunter who could do weird shit. Worth I shot, I'd say.'

‘I heard she could vomit lighting,' someone at the back of the room piped up. ‘And she has hellspawn slaves to do her bidding.'

‘I heard she was an old hag with a third eye in her bellybutton that could see the future,' someone else added.

‘How about the one where she seduces sailors so she can feed on their souls?'

‘Hello? I'm right here.' I waved my hands about. ‘I can hear you all.'

The room erupted in animated talk, as everyone compared wild stories they'd heard.

‘Enough, enough.' Caleb raised a hand for silence.

‘You're not breaking any laws by giving me the book,' I told Caleb in the following silence. ‘You want to prevent violence, that's noble, but it's coming with me anyway.'

He rubbed his eyes, as if trying to clear his vision.

‘Please, Caleb. Trust me.'

He opened his eyes with a resigned sigh. ‘What's your plan, exactly?'

‘Plan?' When Caleb looked like he was going to snatch the book back, I quickly added, ‘I've got to be near the High Grigori, so I'll just go and request an audience with him.'

‘When?' he asked.

‘I've got one more thing to do first. Maybe an hour?'

Caleb's voice dropped. ‘I'll meet you at the Harken Bridge with some men.'

‘Thanks,' I said, making for the door.

‘Even if we get you to the front doors of the Order,' Caleb called after me. ‘There's got to be fifty Thesma Regulators inside the Order compound. What's your plan for getting a face-to-face with your target?'

I glanced over my shoulder, not breaking my uneven stride, book tight in my grip. ‘I've met the High Grigori. I'm pretty sure I know how to get under his skin. He'll want to throttle me with his own hands.'

Sneaking along the streets, I made my way back to the warehouse, stopping on the way to ask a Mercury boy to send a quick message to Blackgoat. He didn't grumble when he realised I couldn't pay and just scampered away without a glance back.

Two Thesma Regulator patrols passed me and each time I pressed back into the shadows, heart pounding. While I had my daggers and a vial of elixir still stuffed in my corset, I felt naked without my cane and work-belt.

When I reached the warehouse, two nephilim melted out of the shadows, barring my way. After they recognised me, one of them retreated inside and returned with Casper.

‘Where have you been?' he hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside. ‘Didn't I give you a big speech about staying put? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?'

‘Ease up.' I shook myself from his grip. Inside nephilim were huddled in groups, eating and talking in low voices. Roman stood with a group at the far end, deep in conversation.

‘I had an errand to run,' I told Casper.

He blew out a long, shaky breath. ‘I found out about your friend, Crowhurst. He's in a hospital. Not critical, but he'll be there for a while.'

‘I heard. But thanks.'

His eyes dropped to the book in my hands. ‘What's that? And what's with the tiara?'

‘I'll explain in a minute.'

‘Lora.'

Roman broke away from the table and stalked over, wings bristling and snapping behind him. ‘Where did you go?' His eyes narrowed on the circlet. ‘What are you wearing?'

‘Long story.' I took a breath. ‘Basically, I went looking for a way to get rid of Laeonder that doesn't involve bloodshed.' Then I explained my plan. By the time I'd finished, Casper was staring sceptically at the circlet, but Roman's eyes were locked on me, mouth set to a grim line.

‘Explain to me again why the Defiler isn't going to just cut you down?' Casper asked.

‘Because he'll see the truth, that Laeonder means harm to citizens of The Weald,' I answered. ‘And it will be a blow against the Order in Harken. They'll have no choice but to consider your treaty after Laeonder is gone.'

A muscle in Roman's jaw twitched. ‘I'm sorry, Lora. But I can't allow it. It's too risky.'

‘You don't get to tell me what to do,' I told Roman. ‘This is my city as well, you know. I get to try and fight for her, too.'

‘I saved your life yesterday,' Roman said bitterly. ‘For what? So you could just throw it away?'

‘I'm not throwing it away. I'm doing everything I can to see my home isn't torn apart. The City Watch will escort me and I've sent word to Blackgoat for more back-up.'

‘Wait a minute.' Casper held up his hands. ‘Let's just all take a breath here. Lora, we can't send any nephilim with you. Any Regulator who has defected from the Order would be killed on sight.'

‘Laeonder won't kill
me
on sight,' I said grimly. ‘I pissed him off. He'll want to see me burn up close. Then I'll call the Defiler and command him to take the High Grigori out on charges of being a traitor to the city.'

Roman and Casper exchanged a glance. Roman had been present when the Defiler had appeared to me, so he knew it was possible, and I'd told the story to Casper often enough over beers and pizza. The question I knew they were tossing up was whether the risk was worth it. Of course, I knew the answer to that and I hoped they realised it too.

‘This is a chance to halt the bloodshed before it starts. Tell me you see that.' I looked around the bustling room, full of voices threaded with adrenalin, then touched Roman's arm. ‘Tell me you believe in me.'

He rested a heavy hand behind my neck and pulled me close. ‘I'm not convinced the High Grigori is going to give up his seat of power so easily.'

‘He won't have a choice,' I whispered.

Roman closed his eyes. ‘I believe you, Lora. And I'll have your back.'

Casper's face was tight with worry. ‘Brother, please think about this. It's too dangerous.'

Roman dropped his hand from my neck. ‘Those who follow us must see we are willing to try to divert the oncoming bloodshed. And if Lora is going, then so am I.'

***

A light drizzle of rain had set in as I left to meet Caleb's team near the Harken Bridge. Roman and a small team of nephilim shadowed me from the rooftops. Keeping my eyes fixed ahead, I tried not to look up to catch the occasional flicker of their movement. The streets were deserted and an ominous silence had settled. The Alderman grimoire was secured in a satchel slung over my shoulder, along with my borrowed bag of salt. I'd checked out the summoning spell before heading off and was relieved to see it didn't require a Calling Circle. It seemed summoning the Guardian of the Weald involved nothing more than salt, spell and being a Craft Alderman. I
wasn't
relieved to see the spell written in a mish-mash of bastardised Latin and Coptic text. My understanding of the Coptic language was sketchy at best, but I'd done enough summoning spells to know I could probably fudge a few words.

The Harken Bridge sat in the distance, partly obscured by a midday fog, the imposing walls of the Order of Guide beyond it on a rise. A low whistle caught my attention and I spied Cloete across the road, wearing a long coat and a bowler hat pulled low over her face. She sauntered across the street, droplets of water shedding off the rim of her hat as she gave me a nod.

‘How's Crowhurst?' I asked when she was close.

‘He's going to be fine.' One of Cloete's hands disappeared inside her coat, then reappeared with my cane. ‘This was returned to Blackgoat yesterday. Thought you might like to have it. Doesn't really match with your new headgear though.'

‘Thanks.' The grooves of the goat-head felt good in my hands and my confidence soared.

‘Your message was a bit sketchy,' Cloete said. ‘But I got the back-up you need for your death-wish trip to the Order. Grubber is leading some of the Runners across the river in fishing boats. They'll stay under cover, until you need them and give the signal.' She hesitated. ‘I told them the signal was you screaming for help.'

‘Sounds about right,' I told her.