“Do you know who it is?”
Dominic’s hand clenched around the cloth he held. “You won’t like this.”
Behind them, Genevieve gasped.
Kendrick turned to see her in the mouth of the alley, her face stark white. He crossed to her immediately and took her hands. “Genevieve?”
She stared up at him with eyes rimmed red. “It’s Laurent.”
Genevieve stepped over the threshold of the house in a rush, her skirts clenched in her hands. Kendrick squeezed her shoulder as he called for Robbie and Joseph. “Send a message looking for volunteers,” he commanded. “We’re hunting a vampire, and time is of the essence.”
Genevieve lifted her chin and hurried up the stairs to find Fletcher and Elspeth. “Fletcher, dear—would you like to come with me? August and June—” her voice wavered. “August and June’s mother is missing, and they need a friend. Would you like a little change of scenery?”
“What happened to their mum?” Fletcher demanded. “I can help. I know some places to look.”
“We don’t know yet. We shall be glad of places to send the searchers, but I think the best thing you could do is be a friend to them. We’ve moved them to a home where a nice lady named Kate can help with June, but I’m sure August would like to see a familiar face so he isn’t afraid. Do you need help getting dressed?”
“Naw,” he said scornfully, throwing back the covers. “What about Wulfric?”
“He’ll be all right here; he’s napping in his basket and Robbie will look in on him. Are you sure you don’t need?—”
“I can do it, missus!”
Genevieve and Elspeth left the room. “What’s happened?” Elspeth whispered as they waited on the other side of the door. She peered closer at Genevieve. “There’s something you’re not saying.”
“Oh, Elspeth.” Her shoulders slumped, the jitters and shakes from pent-up anxious energy draining away into despair. “Their mother was taken. By Laurent.”
Elspeth froze, her hand clasped against her chest.
“I’m going to take Fletcher to Dominic Penrose’s home and then join the search. Kendrick is organizing it. We must hurry—rain is coming on. I’m so sorry. This must be so upsetting?—”
“No!” Elspeth shook her head. “He—the one we should concern ourselves with is their mother. Don’t worry about me.”
The door latch lifted. Fletcher stepped out in new, clean clothes.
“Are you ready?” Genevieve asked, extending her hand. Fletcher seized it without hesitation, which made Genevieve’s throat tighten.
“I’ll try to think wherehemight be and help with the search’s organizing from here,” Elspeth whispered.
“Thank you,” Genevieve said gratefully. She hurried down the stairs with Fletcher to the waiting hackney. Thunder rolled, advancing on the city.Do not rain, she commanded the skies sternly.Do not rain.
ChapterTwenty-Five
The scent of blood and pain turned her stomach and roused old ghosts, but Elspeth steeled her resolve and followed Laurent’s underling into the hideout north of New Oxford Street. The new thoroughfare had pushed much of the poverty and the Rookery south towards Seven Dials, providing much convenient hunting ground for Laurent and his ilk, but Laurent was too lofty to lodge among them.
“Elspeth,” Laurent said, wiping his lips free of blood in the sparse interior. “I was not expecting you.” He advanced on her with the gait of a predator.
“You commanded me to report on Genevieve’s doings, master,” Elspeth said, heart in her mouth.
He seized her jaw and squeezed. “Mmm, I did. So why did I hear about hermarriageand elevation toqueenfrom Oxley?” Laurent smiled. It was not a happy expression.
“I th-thought it would be more suspicious were I to try to leave at a time she wanted me close,” Elspeth mumbled through his hold. “But I’ve come now to warn you now, master!”
Laurent paused. “Warn me?”
Elspeth kept her gaze away from the prone figure behind him, the blonde hair so like her own strewn across the dirty, bare floor. She could hear the woman breathe—for now. “They are searching for the missing woman. Kendrick caught your scent in the surrounding streets. They are hunting you—all the volunteers Kendrick could muster.”
“Huntingme? With no proof?” Laurent raged. He threw a chair across the room and swore.
