Chapter 12
“If he betrays you, stab him.”
- Octavius Septimus Stalk, Key King
Ithad beenthree weeks since Buster’s kidnapping. At first, we held out hope he would be swiftly found and returned, but as days passed, we began to lose that hope. Our street contacts were either unaware of the kidnapping or avoiding us, which meant it was a larger problem than suspected. Someone knew something and was afraid to speak out. I had little optimism that Buster survived his abduction. Oss thought if they had taken Buster, they knew what they were doing. I proposed they used him for parts. Call me macabre, but experts at kidnapping didn’t equal knowing what to do with a mechanical person.
I bet the magistrate was involved somehow. Justin claimed I was biased. I just think if you see a hawk constantly eating your hens, when another one goes missing, it was probably the hawk. Justin blathered on about proof and alibies, but I was going with my gut instinct.
Oss suspected Brenson. The butler claimed he’d been held at knifepoint when the men entered the house. Neither of us believed him. Unless they were the city’s most considerate kidnappers, there should have been some signs of struggle. Other than a rumpled cravat, Brenson hadn’t appeared to have any damage and neither did the townhouse.
I wasn’t sure of Brenson’s involvement, but I’d learned not to question Oss’s instincts, no matter how much Justin doubted mine.
Loud knocking pulled me out of my thoughts and my workshop. Frustrated with my lack of progress in my latest project, I tossed down my screwdriver, then went to answer the door.
Finding Justin on my doorstep in the middle of the night didn’t improve my cranky mood. “Why can’t you visit me during regular hours?”
“You don’t keep regular hours.” Justin’s eyes were red, and his face had new lines as if the days had trod across him wearing spiked horseshoes.
I grabbed his coat lapels and dragged him inside. He didn’t object. I’m almost certain he barely noticed.
“What happened?” I released his jacket in the entryway, then headed for the kitchen. My attention had already turned to making us tea. He could follow or remain in the hall. At this time of night, I had little concern over his choices.
Justin stumbled into the kitchen just in time to accept a cup of tea fixed like he preferred. I might still be hurt over his behavior, but I wasn’t uncivilized.
“My son was born tonight.”
I froze. A lump formed in my throat. I forced it back so I could speak. “And why aren’t you there with him? Shouldn’t you be busy admiring the heir you so wanted.” It was petty to be jealous of a child.
I’ve always been a petty bastard.
“There were complications.”
His dead tone made my heart ache. I might have been upset with Justin’s choices, but I hadn’t wished his baby dead. “He didn’t survive?”
“No.” Justin blinked as if fighting back tears. “He’s alive. Sort of.”
“It’s the middle of the night, Justin. Why are you here? What do you want?” His vague answers snapped my limited patience.
“I-I need your help.”
I groaned. His pretty, pleading eyes should be illegal. I tugged at my hair trying to both wake up and fight back the urge to scream. A deep breath, in then out. I released my hair and picked up my teacup.
“What do you need me for?” I took a sip. I kept my attention on the steam wafting up. His eyes lost their power to bend me to their will if I couldn’t see them.
“He was born deformed.”
“And what do you think I can do about that? Contact Ballinger and see what he suggests.” I wasn’t a miracle worker.
He gave a shattered laugh and rubbed the heels of his palms across his tired eyes. “He has gears instead of a stomach.” Another broken laugh escaped him. “I know Buster went from mechanical to flesh, but how can it be the other way?”
“You weren’t there when Buster told us of Torren’s builds, were you?” I quickly recapped what Buster had shared.
“Why would this come back if they had already evolved past that stage? Buster began to evolve after you released the magic. Why would my heir be born this way if there aren’t any more people who are part mechanical?”
“Buster believes there are still some of them out there.”
“Then where are they, Marbrey!” Justin shouted. “Don’t you think we would know if people were walking around with gears instead of proper body parts?”
