Chapter Nine
I was unlocking my door when my phone started to ring. Hoping that it was Iqbal with information about how I could break the binding, I experienced a surge of energy and bolted in to answer it. I leapt for the handset, ignoring the puzzled look I received from Brutus at my uncharacteristic speed.
‘Hey,’ I said breathlessly. ‘This is Ivy.’
‘Ivy! How are you? How are things going?’
My heart sank. Eve. What the hell was I going to tell her? With any luck, someone had already been in touch and I wouldn’t have to break the bad news that I’d effectively stolen her dream job. ‘Things are … interesting,’ I said, prevaricating. ‘How about with you?’
She sighed. ‘It’s a real mess up here. First of all, the coven here didn’t know I was coming. Secondly, they’ve got themselves into terrific trouble involving some frogspawn. Honestly, you really don’t want to know the details. It’s quite horrific.’
She was right; I really didn’t want to know. ‘Have you heard from the Order headquarters?’ I asked, in an overly casual tone.
‘Nothing.’ She sounded put out. ‘Given that I’m up here trying to sort out this mess alone, they should have been in touch. It’s not normal for First Levels like me to complete this kind of assignment on their own.’ She dropped her voice. ‘I think it’s a test. If I do well, they’ll let me take the exam and proceed to Second Level. Or maybe it’s to gain entry into Arcane Branch.’
I winced. ‘Mmm.’
‘Anyway, I can’t stay on the line for long. I just wanted to check how Harold is doing.’
‘He’s fine. In fact, I’m just about to go and check on him now.’
‘Brilliant.’ She sounded relieved. ‘I know he’s not as smart as Brutus but I love him to bits. I hope he’s not too lonely without me.’
I could tell her that he had company so he probably wasn’t feeling lonely at all but somehow the phone didn’t seem the right way to break the news to her. That, and the fact that I was a total coward. ‘I should probably go,’ I said awkwardly.
‘Right, yeah, yeah. Thank you so much for all this, Ivy. I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
I grimaced as she hung up. I doubted she’d still be singing my praises in a few days’ time when she returned. This is exactly why I hate keeping secrets: they are always trouble in the long run. Skulking around just doesn’t suit my temperament.
Brutus gazed at me narrow-eyed. ‘Bored.’
I reached for a piece of paper, screwed it into a ball then tossed it in his direction. He immediately brightened and attacked it with immense vigour. Then he tapped it underneath the sofa and swung balefully round in my direction, as if blaming me.
I shrugged. ‘Sorry. I’d retrieve it for you but I need to check on Harold and his new housemates.’ I was almost convinced that Brutus rolled his eyes. I gave him a look to suggest there was nothing I could do and vamoosed into the bathroom, snagging up my pyjamas, a towel and some shampoo. With my boiler still out of action, the only shower I was likely to get in my own flat would be ice cold. At least this way I could kill two birds with one stone.
Harold had moved from one end of the sofa to the other. When I entered, he didn’t even twitch. I was pleased to note, however, that he had one slitted eye on the pair trussed up in the middle of Eve’s floor.
‘Hey y’all,’ I said cheerfully. ‘How’s it going?’
Nobody answered. Dumping my things on a chair, I dealt with Harold first, giving him a big fuss before making sure he had enough food and water. If he was annoyed at being cooped up all day long on babysitting duty, he didn’t show it. I received several head butts and a deep-throated purr. ‘Why can’t Brutus be as sweet as you?’ I asked, tickling him under the chin. Harold’s purr increased. He knew where his food was coming from – at least for the next few days.
When I was satisfied that Eve’s familiar was content, I moved over to Bell End. I peeled off his gag and offered him some water. He glared at me with the ferocity of a captive bear but he still took it, gulping down several mouthfuls. Once he was done, I waved one of the burgers I’d picked up on the way home. I’d made Winter stop before he dropped me off. Fortunately, he hadn’t commented on the fact that I bought three separate meals but his expression told me exactly what he thought of me. Whatever.
‘Want this too?’
Bell End nodded reluctantly. Feeding him like a baby was too much trouble so I undid his restraints and let him eat it himself while I kept a close eye on him for any sudden movements. His partner twitched the entire time. I even heard her stomach grumble. Tough. She could wait.
Once Bell End was finished, I re-tied his bonds and patted him on the cheek. ‘There now. Isn’t that better?’
He scowled. ‘You can’t keep us here forever.’
‘Tell me what you were doing here and I’ll let you go.’
He looked away. I replaced his gag and moved to the woman. ‘What’s your name?’ I asked. She didn’t answer. ‘Tell me your name and I’ll give you food and water.’ I wafted my hand in front of her face. ‘Mmm. Smells good, doesn’t it?’ Her eyes followed the burger in my hand. Yep, she was pretty hungry. I unwrapped it and started to eat. ‘Yum.’
Resignation flickered in her face. I grinned, grabbed the final burger and raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s Alice,’ she said. ‘My name is Alice.’
Bell End sagged against her. I didn’t know why he was upset; he was the one who’d been stupid enough to come out with identification on him.
‘Alice what?’
‘Fairclough.’
‘You’re in the Order.’
She nodded reluctantly.
I took an educated guess based on the magic she’d used against me during our fight. ‘Adeptus Minor?’ I asked. ‘You seem Second Level to me.’
‘Yeah.’
I pointed over to the pile of herbs. Harold helpfully leapt up beside them, his tail whipping from side to side. He apparently thought I should get on with it. ‘What are they for?’
‘Just give me the damn food,’ Alice snapped. ‘I told you my name.’
True. Never let it be said that Ivy Wilde went back on her word. I undid her bonds and she lunged for the burger, cramming into her mouth with gusto. I watched, fascinated. She didn’t even seem to chew.
Alice was still on her final mouthful when she made a move. She shifted to the right slightly, dropping her hand behind her knee where it was just out of sight. Before she could finish the rune, however, I grabbed her hand and held it up. She squirmed.
‘That’s just rude,’ I told her, tying her up again. ‘But at least you’re more interesting than your partner.’ I sat down cross-legged in front of her. ‘Did you break in to foretell Eve’s future?’
She stared at me as if I were nuts.
‘No,’ I murmured, ‘I didn’t think so. Twelve minutes of her future self wouldn’t get you very far.’ I wiped away some ketchup from the corner of my mouth. ‘Perhaps you wanted to see what she’s been up to in the past.’ I doubted it would be very interesting. Eve was a workhorse. If anyone wanted to spy on her, they’d see someone studying, keeping fit, practising magic and maybe, just maybe, sleeping occasionally. I smirked at the idea of someone trying it on me. The report would involve me wandering to the fridge, turning on the kettle and shifting around on the sofa.
Alice Fairclough’s expression remained studiously bland. ‘So,’ I said, ‘you must have wanted to track her.’ It would have been fairly easy to manage. Neither Alice nor Bell End had expected Eve to be home, so they must have been planning to sprinkle the herbs in the right places so they’d brush off on Eve’s skin. As a First Level witch, Eve wouldn’t have had guards in place to combat such a spell. I leant my head to the side curiously. ‘The question is why.’
Alice pressed her mouth shut. She obviously wasn’t going to say anything more. Her choice. I felt like I was inching closer to the truth. It was just as well because between these two and Winter, I had my hands full. Another day or two and I reckoned I’d get what I needed. I replaced her gag and smiled. If I was feeling kind I might let them have a pee break soon. I was all heart.
‘Not to worry. You two stay here. I’m off for a shower and I’d hate to think you were peeking at me.’
Alice glared at me. I nodded slowly. ‘Oh yeah. You can’t move, can you?’ I grinned. It was a hard-knock life.
***
The next morning, every single alarm I possessed went off at the same time. It was the only way I could be sure that I wouldn’t fall asleep again. My early start had nothing to do with the upcoming thrill of watching Winter question the Ipsissimus and everything to do with lulling my sapphire-eyed partner into a false sense of security. If I could make him believe that I wasn’t quite as lazy as he thought, I reckoned I’d be able to get away with more – by which I actually meant less – in future.
I stumbled around, bleary-eyed. The sun rose for a reason. It wasn’t natural to crawl out of bed when it was still dark outside. I muttered irritably to myself as I tried to get ready. My limbs were stiff and unyielding and the more I moved around the more they seemed to hurt.
Winter had told me that I should dress appropriately for our appointment with the Order head. The only clean clothes I could find, however, were so wrinkled that I wasn’t sure even an industrial strength iron would make them look presentable. I shook out yesterday’s T-shirt and frowned at it. It didn’t smell too bad. Then my gaze fell on the box that Winter had procured for me. Hang on a minute. This could work.
I rummaged around, pulling out the red robe that was folded neatly on the bottom. As much as I hated dressing like all the Order geeks, this would satisfy Winter and it would mean I didn’t have to bother getting dressed. I could just shrug it on over my pyjamas and no one would be any the wiser. I grinned. I bet other witches did this all the time.
Smoothing down my hair as best as I could, I gave Brutus a sloppy kiss on the head, spat out the fur that inevitably ended up in my mouth, and headed for Eve’s flat. I double-checked that its occupants, both feline and human, were alright and gave them enough refreshments to last the day. I’d be relieved to get them out of my hair. Hopefully, Bell End and Fairclough would cough up the answers I wanted before too long. They were becoming a drain on my time that I could do without.
Once I was satisfied they’d been dealt with, I went downstairs. Winter had insisted on picking me up again. It suited me; it meant I’d be able to nap on the drive in and catch up on some of my precious lost sleep.
I made it to the corner about twenty seconds before he pulled up. He stuck his head out of the window and blinked at me. ‘You’re here.’
I made a show of checking my watch-less wrist. ‘I’ve been waiting for at least fifteen minutes.’
He frowned. ‘I’m bang on time. We said six am. It is six am.’
‘I didn’t want to miss you,’ I told him, clambering into the passenger seat. ‘You were grumpy enough yesterday to last a lifetime.’
‘I was not grumpy,’ he growled.
‘Yes, you were. Throwing water over an innocently sleeping woman is not the action of someone with a sunny attitude.’
Winter’s mouth twitched. ‘The last thing I would ever call you is innocent.’ He put the car into gear and began to drive.
‘If the opposite of innocent is experienced and worldly-wise,’ I commented, ‘then I’ll take it.’
‘You certainly seem experienced at sleeping.’
‘Oh,’ I purred, ‘when it comes to the bedroom, I have lots of experience. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I’m very skilled.’
Unfortunately, Winter wasn’t easy to embarrass. ‘Is that so?’ he murmured. The faintest hint of mocking disbelief coloured his words.
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him I’d give him a demonstration if he so wished but somehow it didn’t seem like a good idea. If he were anyone else, I’d have continued with the banter but with Winter it made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Goodness knows why.
‘Now buckle up,’ he instructed.
I smiled slightly, grateful for the change of subject. ‘Are you concerned for my safety?’
‘If you end up splattered against the windshield, the paperwork would be a pain in the arse. Not to mention the cleaning.’
‘See?’ I said smugly. ‘You don’t enjoy extra work any more than I do.’
He rolled his eyes. I clicked in the seatbelt and grinned. Sometimes Winter was almost human.
***
‘We should be grateful that the Ipsissimus has agreed to come in early to answer our questions,’ Winter informed me.
Should we? I opened my mouth to say as much but Winter held up a hand to forestall me. ‘It’s good that you dressed appropriately. He will be pleased that you’re showing that you’re willing to be a real part of the Order for the next hundred days.’ I pressed my lips together tightly. ‘But, as I said yesterday, it’s important that you let me do the talking. This is a delicate situation which requires careful diplomacy.’
Considering I hadn’t seen much yet in the way of careful diplomacy from Winter, I was amused by his words. All the same, I could let him worry about the stupid sceptre and the Ipsissimus and spend my time thinking about what to do with Bell End and Alice. Or better still, daydreaming.
‘Adeptus Exemptus Winter,’ I began.
‘You really don’t have to keep calling me that.’
‘Adeptus Exemptus Raphael Winter,’ I said instead, ‘do you know everyone in the Order?’
‘There are thousands. Of course not.’
I arched an eyebrow. ‘You strike me as the kind of person with his finger on the pulse.’ Truthfully, I’d imagined him being conscientious enough to pore over the names, photos and identities of each and every Order witch. He seemed that kind of person.
Winter sighed. ‘Who is it you’re looking for?’ His eyes narrowed slightly. ‘Do you want to know more about Philosophus Villeneuve?’
He was referring to Tarquin. I shook my head. ‘No. Do you know Alice Fairclough?’
‘Second Level Adeptus Minor,’ he answered instantly.
Ha! I knew he’d be aware of her. ‘And what kind of person is she?’
‘I know her name, Ms Wilde. I don’t know her shoe size or whether she’s an adept witch or not. She is Second Level, however, so I assume her abilities are reasonable.’
It appeared that Winter lived and died by the Order’s hierarchy. He wasn’t denying knowledge of her; if he had anything to do with her shenanigans at Eve’s, I’d have expected him to deny having heard of her. ‘Does she have a partner?’ I enquired. ‘Or a mentor?’
‘Adeptus Exemptus Diall.’
Hmm. Something about Winter’s tone suggested that he didn’t think much of Diall. That was interesting.
‘How about Matthew Bellham? Have you heard of him?’
Winter turned to me. ‘What exactly is all this about?’
‘I’m just curious.’
‘No,’ he answered. ‘I have not heard of him.’
Probably because Bell End was First Level and beneath Winter’s consideration. I nodded amiably. ‘Thanks.’ Winter looked shocked. ‘What is it?’ I asked.
‘You thanked me. You have manners after all.’ He shook his head melodramatically. ‘I never would have believed such a thing were possible.’
I suppressed a grin. ‘Hey, if you want manners, then you’ve got manners.’ I dipped into a low curtsey, just as the door opened and a tired-looking witch peered out. ‘The Ipsissimus will see you now.’
Winter pushed off the wall. ‘Excellent.’ He walked in through the open door. ‘Come on, Ms Wilde.’
I coughed. ‘I need a bit of help.’ I was still in the curtsey. Unfortunately I’d over-estimated how low I could go without toppling over or requiring a hand up. I blamed the gym session yesterday; my muscles were still in agony.
Winter looked as if he were trying very hard not to laugh.
The other witch offered his hand. I grabbed it gratefully. ‘Note to self,’ I muttered. ‘Perform fewer acts of obeisance.’
‘This is why you need to get fit.’ Winter smirked and headed in. I glared at his back. Yeah, maybe he had a point. But that didn’t mean I had to like it.
***
This time around, we weren’t in the grand meeting room but in the Ipsissimus’s study. I could only imagine that Winter had suggested this meeting should be conducted in private so that we didn’t accuse him of stealing from his own Order in front of all his minions. He was seated behind a grand desk, with a delicate china teacup in front of him. There was also a toweringly large pile of paper. Somehow, I didn’t think it would be fun to have his job.
Winter and I took our places in front of the desk. I opened my mouth to speak but received a hard jab in my ribs and an irritated glare. Miming a zip, I closed my mouth once more. Yeah, yeah. Winter could do all the talking if he was that desperate.
The Ipsissimus took off his half-moon spectacles and looked at us. ‘So,’ he said, ‘what can I do for you?’
‘First of all,’ Winter began, ‘thank you very much for coming in at this early hour to talk to us.’
The Ipsissimus gestured at the paper in front of him. ‘It’s no trouble. I might as well come in early and make a start on this lot.’ He smiled pleasantly, although there was a hard questioning expression in his eyes. ‘Have you made any headway with the theft of the sceptre?’
‘We have made some progress,’ Winter answered. ‘There’s nothing concrete to report yet but I’ll write up our findings this evening to keep you abreast.’
The Ipsissimus inclined his head. ‘Excellent. And how are things working out between the two of you? Ms Wilde?’
I didn’t say a word. Winter jabbed me in the ribs again. ‘Oh? I’m allowed to talk now?’ I asked. I beamed. ‘Things are just peachy. Adeptus Exemptus Winter is an absolute joy to work with. He’s a little ray of sunshine in my otherwise grey and dull life.’
I could feel the man in question getting ready to throw me out of the room. The Ipsissimus merely smiled again, as if oblivious to my sarcasm. ‘I’m thrilled to hear it. We are very proud to have him in our ranks.’
‘Thank you,’ Winter murmured before I could leap in and say anything else to embarrass him. He paused. ‘I am here to ask about the warding spell you had in place over the sceptre. It had degraded quite badly.’
The Ipsissimus grimaced. ‘So I’ve heard. I can only imagine that I didn’t reset it properly after last year’s ceremonies. It was my error.’
I thought Winter would leave it at that but now that I’d called the Ipsissimus’s integrity into question, he was going to prove that he’d examined every possibility. ‘Is that typical?’ he asked.
The Ipsissimus let out a short laugh. ‘I certainly hope not. I admit, however, that I pay less attention to such spells than I should. Generally speaking, the belief that strong wards are in place is enough to deter sticky fingers.’
Winter nodded. ‘And there were still strong wards in place on the ground floor. It must have been an incredibly powerful witch who breached them to get the sceptre.’
‘Yes. I’m told also that there are no apparent weaknesses. It’s very unusual to pass through a ward in that manner and leave it untouched. Among other things, the second ward requires crushed cypress leaves picked at midnight on midsummer’s day. Those are not easy to obtain.’
‘Or to use,’ Winter pointed out.
‘Indeed.’ The Ipsissimus appeared amused. ‘So I imagine your list of potential suspects are high Level witches.’
‘We are looking at Third Level only,’ Winter agreed.
The Order Head took a sip of his tea. ‘On the night in question, I was attending a soireé at number ten. The Prime Minister wanted advice on introducing magic to border controls.’
Winter threw me a look of triumph. He had a point; I reckoned that was a pretty rock-solid alibi. I’d never really believed the Ipsissimus nicked his own sceptre but this had been kind of fun. And it had given me a good reason to avoid another sweat-inducing session with the weights and treadmills.
‘I will ensure that every Third Level witch clears their schedule in order to meet with you and discuss their movements,’ the Ipsissimus said. ‘The sceptre might only be ceremonial but it does have value and it is certainly worrying that it’s gone missing. I’ve instructed every ward to be reset this afternoon. It will take time, effort and energy but it will be worth it. We cannot have more items walking out of high-security buildings.’
‘That is wise,’ Winter said. ‘I admit that I’m very concerned that someone could achieve this, even if the display cabinet’s ward was no longer effective.’
The Ipsissimus knitted his fingers together. ‘Do you think that the sceptre is recoverable? It will be a blow to the Order if we cannot find it intact.’
Winter heaved a sigh. ‘Frankly, I have no idea. It’s not even clear why someone would take it because it has no real power beyond the ceremonial. The trouble and effort they have gone to is extraordinary. Whoever is responsible, they must have had good reason to go to such lengths.’
I understood that the sceptre was intrinsically valuable, considering it was made of gold and encrusted with jewels, but this all seemed ridiculous to me. I thought about saying something but I had my orders.
At my side, Winter frowned and began to scratch at his arm. The Ipsissimus didn’t notice. He had embarked on a long speech about the merits or otherwise of the other library warding spells. ‘The fact that there was no blood spilt or that these thieves managed to circumnavigate…’ He paused mid-sentence and glanced at Winter, who had now yanked up his sleeve to stare at his mottled skin. ‘Is something the matter?’
Winter cursed. ‘An allergic reaction perhaps.’
The Ipsissimus tutted. ‘That’s no allergy.’ He swung his gaze to me. I smiled meekly in return. ‘What is it, Ms Wilde? The binding is making its presence known and I can only assume that it is as a result of you.’
Winter turned at glared at me. I held up my hands. ‘Hey!’ I protested. ‘I’ve not done anything. In fact, I’m doing as I’ve been told and staying quiet.’
‘The nature of the binding requires that you work in tandem with Adeptus Winter. It will not permit you to stay silent when you have a salient point to make.’
Well, well, well. So the binding worked both ways.
‘Out with it,’ Winter growled.
I raised my shoulders. ‘Make your mind up, buddy.’ I tilted up my chin. ‘It’s obvious, isn’t it? The amount of effort needed to remove the sceptre negates any actual value it could possible have.’
‘What’s your point?’
I glanced at Winter. ‘Easy. The sceptre hasn’t yet left the building. It’s still there.’
‘Don’t be idiotic. It was removed from the case. Maidmont and the other librarians would have noticed if it was simply shoved behind a shelf somewhere.’ His voice hardened. ‘Not everyone is as lazy as you are.’
‘It’s not about laziness.’ Well, actually it was. ‘It’s about what makes sense. Even a Third Level witch would need to sleep for several days after performing the kind of spells you’re talking about. Hence, the sceptre must still be in building.’
Winter gritted his teeth. ‘It cannot still be in the building. That’s impossible.’
‘It’s a big place,’ I argued. ‘It could have been hidden away anywhere.’
‘To what end?’
I was getting irritated. I didn’t have all the answers. ‘How the hell should I know?’
The Ipsissimus cleared his throat. ‘Enough.’ Winter and I fell silent. ‘I can see that your partnership is going to prove … interesting.’ Winter let out a snort of derision. ‘Ms Wilde does make a good point. I suggest that you return to the library and scour it for any sign of the sceptre. It’s possible that what we are looking at is nothing more than a First Level prank.’
Arse. ‘The librarians know the area best,’ I suggested. ‘They should look for it.’
‘This was your idea, Ms Wilde. Take ownership.’
I sniffed. ‘I’m not sure that’s entirely necessary…’
‘Deal with it.’
So much for Mr Nice Ipsissimus. Winter had stopped scratching and his skin had returned to its natural tanned colour. Next time I should really keep my bright ideas to myself.