“Very well,” Michael said. “If that is your wish.”
“It is.”
The carriage stopped, and they stepped down. Nathan was unsure how many times he’d walked this particular path in the years since he’d been enlisted into Alexius. He and his brothers were part of a secret group of noblemen who protected the monarchy.
“Let’s go.” Gabe led the way up the stone path, worn from years of just such a walk by men also clad in cloaks and those that worshipped within the old church walls.
Gabe raised a hand as their eldest, and the only one among them who wore the gold ring that had been handed to him by his father.
“We’ve never asked, but I wonder who would wear the ring if something happened to you, Gabe?” Zach asked as the eldest Deville knocked four times on the wooden door.
“And you want to discuss this now?”
“I will of course wear it as second eldest,” Nathan said. “Then if something were to happen to me, Michael.”
Zach exhaled. “Seems rather unfair, as we all know I am the best brother.”
The others snorted softly before entering the building. A single candle burned in the dark interior. Every time they entered the church, the setting was the same. The candle, no other people, and a man seated at the round, scarred table.
Geraint, they knew him as, and the Deville brothers had speculated about him often. Tall, well-built, he had a solemn demeanor. It was he who gave them their orders.
“My lord,” he acknowledged Gabriel and then the others.
“I serve bene tibi erit,” Gabe said.I will serve you, Nathan translated.
He wondered, as he often did, who else had sat here as they were and listened to Geraint. Other noblemen, they were sure. Alexius had started with ten, but it was now many more. Geraint had increased their ranks as the danger to their king and country grew.
“A source tells us of another threat.”
“Is there ever not a threat?” Zach sighed.
“This threat comes from Russia,” Geraint said, ignoring him. “We have reason to believe there is an English spy working for the Russians and it is he that is here in London. We think he has infiltrated society and is gaining entry into households to obtain information of a sensitive nature.”
“Which is?” Nathan asked.
“An informant has told us the information relates to the government and those close to the king,” Geraint said calmly.
“Then make sure those with that sort of information put it in a better hiding place,” Zach said, annoyed.
Geraint’s smile was small. “I fear some information has already gone missing.”
“Who is gaining from this?” Gabe asked.
“The tensions between the governments of Russia and Britain have been rising. Russia feels that we are too liberal in our ideologies and we should take a stronger stance in some things.”
“And this affects our monarch?” Gabe asked.
“He has many close to him. Many who know his thoughts and secrets. We fear someone getting that information and it falling into the wrong hands. Plus, any threat to our country is a threat to our monarch.”
“We can hardly know who has the king’s confidence,” Zach protested.
“I understand that, but it is important you understand the king has information that is highly sensitive, such as Alexius.”
There was not a great deal of noise in the room anyway, but just then everything fell silent. Zach was no longer exhaling loudly, as he often did, and Michael was not breathing through his teeth.
“And you believe the king has given information about us to another?” Gabe said softly.
“I do not,” Geraint said in the same tone he always used. It never changed. “But Alexius has foiled many attempts to harm the monarchy and indeed England over the past century. Many enemies know you exist, and some have even managed to obtain the identity of a single member, but not all.”
