Saville was a tall man, thin shouldered and bespectacled. Kane ought to have expected he would be here, yet the prospect hadn’t so much as crossed his mind over the last few days.Fool, he chided himself as Saville’s sparse brows drew together.
“How the hell did you get in here? Conned your way in, did you,the way you conned me?” The lord’s scowl deepened. “I don’t appreciate men who enter my employ only to disappear. I’ll have you know, I’m not inclined to—”
Kane grabbed Saville’s elbow, steering him away from the crowd before his voice could carry any farther. The weight of a dozen eyes was tangible. “You must have me confused with someone else,” Kane said loudly, injecting a jovial note into his laugh. Then he hissed, “My lord, I really must insist you keep your voice down.”
Anger flashed in Saville’s eyes—he was quite clearly unaccustomed to having anyone insist anything of him. He puffed his chest out, wrenching his arm from Kane’s firm grip. “Hunt, I can get you thrown out of here faster than you can flutter your lashes.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kane said, head spinning as he fumbled for a plan. Had Saville been anyone else, he would have killed the man. He couldn’t have anyone here knowing he was not, in fact, Theodore Wright. But Lord Saville, owner of Saville Shipping Co., was a complicated problem, and one Kane couldn’t simply dispatch. Had he seen Fletcher, too, and recognized him despite the constable’s uniform?
And with that thought, a solution came to Kane.
This was the thing about cons: You had to commit to your character in order to truly sell it. If your character was impatient, your impatience had to be such that no one would dare question it. If your character was confident, the type who didn’t take no for an answer, you had to make it clear that refusal wasn’t an option. Kane had always been good at that. He slipped into a role with little to no trouble at all, and had no difficulty imagining how he might behave if he were truly that person. Perhaps it was that he longed not to be himself, if only for a moment. Perhaps it was the fact that he forgot, for amoment, the persistent sensation of wanting to claw his way out of his own skin.
“Listen, my lord,” he murmured to Saville, pitching his voice even lower. “I didn’t think it would come to this, but since it appears we can’t avoid it… I hope we can rely on your discretion the way you’re going to have to rely on ours.”
“And just what isthatsupposed to mean?” Saville said, drawing himself up tall.
Kane gave an audible sigh, beckoning Saville over to one of the glass windows where no one would be within earshot. “Mutual discretion,” he reminded the lord firmly before continuing. “Fletcher and I are part of a special task force put together by the Metropolitan Police to investigate dark market vendors. Magical items are a rarity, as I’m sure you well know, but they’re becoming more common as demand increases. Luckily foryou,” he intoned, because Saville showed signs of wanting to interrupt, “we’re not focused on buyers right now. Our instructions are to go directly to the source. Walk with me.”
Saville opened his mouth, then closed it again, appearing not to know what to say. Kane couldn’t tell whether the lord believed him, and his question was answered a heartbeat later.
“You’reboys,” Saville hissed, overlarge eyes narrowed in suspicion behind his spectacles. “You expect me to believe the police entrustedyouwith such a thing?”
“We’re older than we look. It’s part of the job, you know, to appear unassuming. And before you say anything else, my lord, I would suggest you not encourage us to rethink our policy of not prosecuting buyers.”
“I’m not—” Saville sputtered, face reddening. “What I mean to say is, I’m notbuying—”
“Don’t make a fool of yourself. We both know exactly what I saw and heard while in your employ.”
Saville quieted, fury still lingering in the lines around his mouth. “Say I pretend to believe you. What are you doinghere, at the Exhibition’s private viewing?”
“Why, my lord.” Kane pretended to be miffed. “I think we both know that to be none of your business.”
Saville snorted, an indelicate sound. When Kane came to a halt, so did he, rotating so their gazes locked. “And I think we also both know I’m never going to believe this little charade without proof.”
“You’re right,” Kane allowed. “You’re the type of man who doesn’t accept anything at face value. I expect that’s why you’ve had so much success.” He flashed a cold smile, indicating with his chin. “It’s also why I’ve brought us here.”
Saville followed Kane’s gaze. It was clear the moment his eyes found Fletcher: They bugged out even more prominently, shock entrenching itself between his brows as he took in the uniform. “I—”
“Say nothing,” Kane said. “Say nothing to anyone. Even if you do, they will pretend not to know what you’re talking about. Do I make myself clear?”
Saville nodded, never looking away from Fletcher. “With regard to my own involvement—”
“Nothing, my lord. You’re a powerful man, and we aren’t looking to meddle. But keep a low profile from now on, would you? You can never be too careful when deciding who to trust.”
Saville nodded a second time.
“Now go,” Kane urged him. “And remember—mutual discretion.” He made it a warning.
“You’ve made that very clear,” Saville said smoothly. “You needn’t worry.”
Kane didn’t relax until the lord was gone, swept into the slews of important patrons. One potential disaster averted.
How many more would he have to contend with before this was over?
ZARIA
ZARIA LOST TRACK OF THE HOURS THEY SPENT IN THECRYSTALPalace. Kane was unrelenting in his need to know every detail of the place, and it somehow seemed even larger on the inside. Fletcher was in charge of learning about security, Kane told her, but it didn’t stop him from marking the places coppers seemed to congregate or how often they left their stations. He took note of every exit, and there were fewer than Zaria would have anticipated for a building of this size.
