‘He wouldn’t hurt her,’ Kai said firmly. ‘Not an innocent child.’ But his face was troubled.
‘It’s his future at stake.’ Evariste countered, his voice acid with bitterness. ‘He might regret it, but that’s not going to stop him. It’s a matter of the greater good, as he sees it: for him, for his family, for his court. And what’s one human being’s life against that?’
Irene nodded. She felt very cold. It was easy to imagine someone trying to put that sort of pressure on her own parents, to get to her. Even if she was adopted, even if they’d been lying about that throughout her life . . . They’d have tried to save her too.
She held up a hand to stop Kai from protesting. ‘It’s Qing Song’s life at stake as well,’ she said to Evariste. ‘He wouldn’t have told you the full details, but there’s a competition going on for a high-ranking post between him and another dragon. The loser isn’t going to survive. And even if you did what he wanted and he returned Miranda, that sort of arrangement would come back to haunt you. You’d never be free of him.’
‘Yeah, I worked that one out.’ Evariste stared at the wall as though he was visualizing possible futures, and all of them bad. ‘It’d just be the first small favour of a long, long list. And Miranda would never be safe outside the Library, because anyone who wanted to put pressure on me . . .’
He turned back to Irene and Kai, his hands extended as if he wanted them to understand.
‘So anyhow. I said yes. I figured I’d work out how to fix things later. I thought that if I could get the book, then I could set my own terms. And I’ll be honest with you, I was kind of panicking. I was afraid if the Library knew about it, they’d put me under house-arrest right away, even if it meant Miranda—’ Evariste broke off. When he spoke again, his head was bowed as though he’d already given up. ‘I reported in. I said Julian had had a heart attack. I asked for compassionate leave to tidy things up. Qing Song said this would be over in a few weeks, so I figured that was long enough. I went back to G-14, and Qing Song and Hu took me between worlds to here. That was freaky.’
‘So he just left you here to do the research?’ Kai asked.
‘Kind of.’ Evariste shrugged. ‘I’ve had people watching me most of the time. Qing Song, or Hu, or one of his human goons. The only time I left was to visit the Library for research. The Traverse from this world, it’s in Boston . . . But I guess you’d know that, since you’re here now.’
‘It’s been blown up.’ Irene could hear the flatness in her own voice as she struggled for control. It was still hard to remember the utter ruin of that library. ‘I’m fairly sure Hu was behind it, though I’m not entirely sure why.’
Evariste lowered his head into his hands. ‘That’s my fault,’ he said, his voice muffled. ‘Oh shit, that’s my fault too.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I told them that was where the Library could access this world. I thought that if I told them that, it’d keep their attention there and it’d give me a better chance of escaping. And maybe they wouldn’t watch other libraries so closely. When I went on the run, they must have thought that’d stop me leaving this world—’
‘Tell me one thing,’ Kai interrupted. ‘Why are we here in America? Why aren’t you looking for the book in China?’
‘I lied.’ Evariste didn’t look up. ‘I know America – even if it’s not this America. I don’t know China. I had a plan. But I needed to make sure I’d have the chance to run when the right moment came. So I found a reference to a copy of the book right here, and I fed them that. They’d already run into problems trying to find the book in China, plus Qing Song said that someone else was looking for the book there too. That must be the other dragon who’s competing, right? I’d send them flowers and good-luck wishes, if I had the chance. So Qing Song was only too glad to go somewhere else to find a copy. I said I just needed a little longer to locate exactly where it was. Then a few days ago I skipped out on my guard. I figured if I got hold of the book myself, I could bargain from a position of power. Get Miranda back, get them to promise never to come anywhere near me again. But they were on my tail before I had the chance to grab the book. They’ve been searching the city. And I was afraid that the moment I stepped out of my rooms for more than a few minutes, they’d grab me. But I can’t stop thinking about Miranda. I didn’t know whether to give myself up or run for the Library and beg for help – or what to do. And then you show up.’ He made it sound as if Irene and Kai weren’t much of an improvement on Qing Song.
‘We arrived about ten minutes before Qing Song did,’ Irene pointed out. ‘Even if you’d gone out the back window the moment you heard his wolves, how do you think things would have turned out?’
Evariste’s shoulders slumped. He looked sick. ‘So what happens now?’ he asked bluntly.
And that was the million-dollar question.
‘We need to think,’ Irene said firmly. ‘And we don’t have much time before someone catches us. Kai, would you mind stepping downstairs to see if you can spot any watchers? And Jeanette Smith might still be in the news – so pick up a newspaper while you’re out.’
Kai frowned, but nodded, coming smoothly to his feet. ‘Don’t go anywhere,’ he said, closing the door behind him.
‘Did you really send him out for a paper?’ Evariste demanded.
‘Kai’s not a sworn Librarian – at least, not yet – and I am. And I don’t have any second loyalties. So if there’s something you want to tell me that you didn’t want Kai to hear, this is the time to do it.’
‘Actually, yeah,’ Evariste said slowly. ‘There is something.’
Irene nodded. ‘I’m listening.’
He moved without warning, and his fist took her squarely in the stomach. As she folded over, gasping for breath, he made a break for the door.
But while Irene was surprised by his speed, she’d been expecting his bid for freedom. It didn’t take an FBI agent to realize that Evariste might want to handle things himself.
She tumbled to the floor, sweeping her leg round in a wide kick which took him at the ankles. He went down with a thud, face first, and she threw herself on top of him. She hooked her arm round his throat and dragged his head back, bracing her knee in the small of his back as she choked him. ‘Tap the ground if you surrender,’ she grunted, her own breath still coming with difficulty.
Evariste struggled underneath her, clawing at her arm across his neck. His breathing rattled harshly in his throat as he fought for air, unable to form words, let alone the Language.
Irene gritted her teeth and held on. ‘Tap the floor. Surrender. Or I swear I’ll choke you unconscious and have Kai carry you back to the Library here and now. But if you work with me, then I’ll try to help you.’