Chapter 17
Once we were safely away, Illuminata dropped down from a gallop to a trot. Lady Syra turned to look at me with obvious displeasure.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Hexe. You should have known better than to bring a human to such a gathering."
"It's not his fault," I explained. "It wa shoulds my idea to sneak in there. He didn't even know I was in the building."
"It doesn't matter whose idea it was or wasn't-it was still a stupid one!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "You could have been seriously hurt! What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that all my life I've been looking for the place I belong, and I've finally found it in Golgotham. If Esau and his croggies are going to try and force the humans out, I want to know what I'm up against."
"You didn't need to go so far as to infiltrate an anti-nump rally!" Hexe said tersely. "I would have told you what happened when I got home."
"How was I to know that?" I countered defensively. "You said you weren't going to the damned thing!"
"I was afraid if I said anything about it to you, you'd insist on accompanying me!"
"Damn straight, I would have!" I shot back. "You know I don't believe in quietly knitting by the fireside."
"Now, now, children," Lady Syra said, holding up her hands for quiet. "This is neither the time nor the place for your first lovers' quarrel." She turned to look at me for a long moment and then shook her head. "I don't know whether to condemn you for your stupidity or commend you for your bravery, my dear. Either way, that hair color definitely does not suit you."
Lady Syra dropped us off at the boardinghouse, stopping only long enough for Hexe to run inside and fetch a healing salve for the lacerations on Illuminata's back.
"Thank you for what you did back there," he said as he handed the ointment to the centauride. "It could have gotten really ugly."
"I only did as my lady commanded," she replied humbly. "It is my honor to serve her, as, Chiron willing, one day it will be my honor to serve you."
"Stop trying to butter up the next boss," Lady Syra chided. "You're not going to be rid of me anytime soon."
"By the way, Mother, before you leave, do you mind telling me how you not only knew I might need help making a speedy getaway, but also that Illuminata should break out her ceremonial armor?"
"A contact in the PTU informed me of the raid on Hodgson Hall," Lady Syra replied, appearing flustered by her son's question. "I deemed it wise for my driver to dress for the occasion. Now, if you'll excuse us, I must return home and tend to Illuminata's wounds."
Scratch was waiting for us inside the door, as always, his hairless tail upraised like a living question mark. He gave a wary growl as he sniffed the air. "I smell brimstone and feathers."
"That would be Edgar," Hexe replied as he hung up his jacket. "We had a little run-in with him earlier."
"That overglorified feather duster?" Scratch grumbled. "What was he doing? Pecking at his reflection in a mirror?"
"He attacked the royal carriage."
The familiar's eyes widened in surprise. "So ol' Esau is finally taking off the gloves."
"It would appear so," Hexe said with a sigh.
"This could get very interesting." Scratch grinned, licking his lips. "It's been generations since the last palace coup."
"That's because there's no palace anymore, just a condo," Hexe pointed out.
I headed upstairs to take Beanie out of his crate. The moment I walked into Hexe's bedroom, he began scratching at the door of his kennel.
"Mommy's home, sweetie! Are you glad to see Mommy?"
Beanie replied with an excited little yap that was his way of saying Yes, I'm glad you're home. Let me out now!
As I opened the crate, I heard a knock on the front door. I scooped up the puppy and looked over the balustrade at Hexe, who was standing at the foot of the stairs.
"I'll see to that," he said firmly. "You stay up there-just in case it's one of your 'admirers' from the rally."
I leaned against the newel post on the landing, listening to Hexe as he opened the front door while Beanie licked my face.
"Please forgive me for calling at this hour, Serenity. . . ."
I exhaled in relief as I heard Captain Horn's voice, and promptly hurried downstairs to see why the head of the PTU was stopping by in the middle of the night.
Horn was in the front parlor, awkwardly perched on the purple velour sofa, with Hexe seated in the chair opposite him. As I entered the room, Captain Horn got to his feet and removed his hat, revealing close-cropped maroon hair.
"Hello, Ms. Eresby. Please forgive the lateness-" He stopped in midsentence and smiled as he saw Beanie tucked under my arm. "Well, hello, li'l fellow!" Beanie wiggled in delight as Horn scratched him behind the ears; then he nibbled on the PTU officer's fingers.
"Beanie! Stop that!" I scolded.
"I don't mind at all, Ms. Eresby," Horn chuckled as he resumed his seat, wiping the puppy slobber off with a handkerchief. "I had a gargoyle when I was a lad, too."
"So, Captain, what brings you to my home at this hour?" Hexe asked pointedly.
"Come, now, you know perfectly well why I'm here," Horn replied with a good-natured smile. "I saw you and your lady friend take the side door out of Hodgson Hall with my own eyes."
"You know we were at the rally, then."
"Yes. And I know why you were at the rally," Horn said. "It was brave of you to call out your uncle the way you did. There aren't many in Golgotham willing to stand up to Esau right now."
"How do you know about that?" Hexe asked in surprise.
"There were a couple of undercovers in the audience, keeping tabs on things," Horn explained. "I had Lieutenant Vivi and the rest of the PTU waiting down the block, in case trouble broke out. We swung into action when we got word Esau was using a human as a living yo-yo. I had no idea it was Ms. Eresby, at the time-though I really shouldn't be surprised. She does have a knack for finding herself in the thick of things, if I remember correctly."
"You're my mother's contact at the PTU," Hexe said, realization suddenly dawning in his golden eyes.
Horn nodded his head. "Lady Syra is a very old, very dear friend of mine. And as a loyal Kymeran, I would do almost anything for both her and the royal family. Including turning a blind eye to the fact that you have been harboave whenring an unlicensed shape-shifter in your boardinghouse for several months."
"You know about Lukas?" I gulped.
"Of course I do." Horn chuckled. "There is very little that goes on in Golgotham that does not reach my ear at one point or another. As for Lady Syra, when I discovered that you were actively confronting your uncle at the rally, I contacted her immediately. I am glad you and Ms. Eresby were able to get out of that madhouse in one piece." The PTU chief leaned forward, his voice becoming serious. "Your uncle is stirring a very toxic cauldron, Hexe. The people of Golgotham are scared and anxious. And when people are scared, they can be manipulated into doing things they normally would never countenance. Esau understands that, and he is exploiting the riot and this Sons of Adam business to force his way onto the Council and gain a platform on which to run for mayor."
"I agree with your assessment of my uncle's agenda, Captain," Hexe replied. "But I don't think you made a special trip just to get my opinion of Esau's political aspirations."
Horn sat back, eyeing Hexe like a gambler studying a racing form. "You're very direct. Just like your grandfather, Lord Eben. Unlike him, however, you are far more comfortable interacting with, shall we say, the lower orders of Golgotham society."
"If that is a polite way of saying that some of my friends and clients are unrulies, then, yes, that is true," Hexe replied.
"The PTU could use someone like you right now. Someone who can use his contacts on the street to keep tabs on the KUP, and give us a heads-up as to what they're planning."
Hexe shifted about uncomfortably, and when he finally spoke, his voice was uncharacteristically stern. "I have made it clear that I find my uncle's misanthropy odious, and consider his little tea party to be a pathetically transparent means of manipulating others in order to grab power. Will I publicly refute him? Yes. Will I fight against what he's trying to do? Most certainly. But I refuse to spy on him, whether for you, the PTU, or the Council.
"Not out of any lingering familial responsibility toward Esau himself, but simply because, despite everything he's done, my mother still loves her brother. If she ever found out I conspired against him-and believe me, she would find out-it would break her heart. And that is something I will never be party to."
"I understand perfectly, Serenity," Horn said as he levered himself off the couch. "I'll take my leave now. Good night, Ms. Eresby. Have your friend, Lukas, stop by my office in the next day or two, and I'll see that he gets registered and receives a proper license to live in the city."
"Thank you, sir," I said gratefully. "That's very kind of you."
"It's the least I can do for a survivor of the Malandanti's fighting pit."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you, Captain," Hexe said as he opened the door. "I trust you understand my reasons for not wanting to be involved in spying on my uncle. I do not intend any disrespect."
"You're a good son, Hexe," Horn replied with a sad smile. "And you're right: It would break her heart."