And he was trying to throw a glamour over her. Glamour was one of the Fae’s most convenient tools, a mixture of illusion and desire that somehow crept past all conscious defences, like the very best sort of insanity. She felt a burning across her shoulders as the Library brand on her skin flared in response, and drew herself up straight in her seat with a little sniff. She hoped she hadn’t been staring like a gawping idiot.
‘Such pretty skin you have, little mouse,’ Silver said, his smile broadening.
Irene gave him her coldest glare, summoning memories of particularly frosty and upright teachers from school. ‘I repeat my question. If this is true, why should you want to help us?’
Silver swayed a hand backwards and forwards. ‘Let’s suppose that it might not be so much that I’m helping you, as that I’m hindering someone else.’
Irene glanced sideways at Kai. He gave her a very slight nod of cautious agreement. She looked back to Silver. ‘Which you can’t tell us about, of course.’
‘Precisely,’ Silver said. He took a sip of his coffee.
There had to be some way Irene could exploit this situation. But the Fae couldn’t be trusted. It was practically written into their implied social contract. They weakened any world where they congregated, increasing its tendency towards chaos, and she totally agreed with Kai that they should be stopped wherever possible.
‘Your skin is very nice too, sir,’ she said as blandly as she could. His skin was perfect, actually, with the sort of idealized golden tan that came with an inner glow and a feeling of warmth that invited one to lean over and touch it - damn it, he was trying his glamour on her again. She decided to go on the attack. ‘Tell me, does the name Vlad Petrov mean anything to you?’
‘Vlad Petrov?’ Silver looked perplexed. He leaned backwards to murmur to his servant. Kai took advantage of his distraction to whisper in Irene’s ear, ‘Wasn’t that the cabby they mentioned last night?’
Irene nodded in response, as Silver leaned forward again. ‘Well,’ he said lazily. ‘I have no idea why I should remember every driver on my Embassy staff. I cannot see why you expect me to be aware of the fact that he was assigned as driver to Lady Guantes while she’s been staying here, even if she’s been monopolizing the Embassy network of informants. Goodness knows what she’s been doing with them. Guests can be so inconvenient, and so difficult to refuse. Honestly, if this is an example of your pettifogging concerns, I am going to be bored to tears.’ But there was a glint to his eyes that suggested she was on the right track.
Lady Guantes. And the woman who hired those thugs was a Lady … But that’s scarcely enough to go on. Something else tickled the back of Irene’s mind. Guantes. Gloves. The woman had worn a scarf pin showing a pair of hands … or a pair of gloves? If Silver was reliable, Irene now had a name to investigate. If. This could all be a complicated lure into an even bigger trap. Frustration gnawed at her guts. What she needed was more information about this Lady Guantes.
‘Now, to return to our previous subject,’ Silver said. ‘What do you intend to do?’
‘Ask more questions,’ Irene said promptly. ‘Which means that we need to be on our way. I will leave you to your coffee, Lord Silver. Since you haven’t warned us about anything, we have nothing to thank you for.’
Silver nodded. ‘In the meantime, you may therefore consider this to be an open invitation to my Embassy.’ He reached into his coat and picked out a card, flicking it across the table towards Irene. It slid across the table’s glossy inlay, pivoting round and coming to a stop exactly in front of her.
It was a heavy cream card with a secretive sparkle in every letter of the print. On the one side it gave a full list of Silver’s titles, in a tiny font, to fit them all in. The other side was bare, except for a scrawled: To be admitted to my presence at once - S.
‘You think we’ll need that?’ Kai asked, reading it over Irene’s shoulder.
‘I plan for the worst,’ Silver said. ‘That way, at least I’m dressed for the occasion.’ He rose to his feet in a swirl of cape. ‘Johnson! We must not keep Lord Guantes waiting. The bill!’
‘Already paid, sir,’ Johnson murmured.
Silver bowed to Kai. He bowed to Irene. He almost managed to grasp Irene’s wrist and kiss her hand, but she successfully stepped back, while thrusting the visiting card into her handbag.
‘What do you make of that?’ Kai demanded as Silver swept out.
‘That he left us to tip the waiter,’ Irene said. ‘Typical.’
‘No, no. Other than that. He’s going to talk to Lord Guantes?’
‘We don’t know enough,’ Irene said, frowning. ‘And we’ve been delayed, in any case. Let’s hope that wasn’t his objective in the first place. Kai, I’m going to take the Stoker book to the Library and do some digging on Lady Guantes. Or Lord Guantes. If they’re a notable threat to Librarians, then something may have been recorded. I want you to update Vale, ask questions and get his advice. I’ll meet you at his lodgings. I shouldn’t be long.’ And by that time she should know if retreat to the Library, or a vacation to another continent, would be the best option.
‘Irene …’ Kai reached out to touch her wrist. ‘Be careful.’
She managed a wry smile. ‘Yes, of course. And you too. Even if we aren’t dressed for the occasion.’