Caliazo played with the fork on the table. He’d been to Longbourn. He’d seen Cassia as soon as she arrived home. Maybe she’d written him. Clearly they still had feelings for each other. Whatever feelings he thought Cassia possessed in the Pemberley woods for himself must have been imagined.
Gaius wanted to ask more, but the sound of a man across the room met their ears.
“I’ll take you again, I wager. Double or nothing.”
Gaius exchanged a glance with his cousin and stood. Leaving a shilling on the table, they made their way to the door. Following the echoing voice, they descended the grimy stairs to the gambling part of the pub. This room was mostly hidden, unless one knew how to find it.
It was then that Gaius felt the relic. As they stood in the corner of the stairway he saw the copper-colored glint shimmer in Malum’s pocket. How had he accessed the power? His back was to them and together the cousins walked toward him.
“I wouldn’t allow him to play, if I were you,” said Gaius to the dealer, as Malum turned toward them.
“I am armed,” yelled Malum, pulling a pistol from his boot.
Gaius lunged forward and kicked it to the floor. Caliazo placed a boot over the gun as Gaius turned toward the dealer. “This man has been using a relic, that pocket watch there,” he gestured, “to take all the best hands.”
“That explains it,” yelled a man from the corner, who looked as if he owned the establishment.
Another stocky chap slammed his mug down. “Youdidcheat.”
“Get him,” yelled another. Dirty, angry men started closing in on them.
A large man came in behind them and clamped his massive, filthy palm over Malum’s mouth. One of the other men drew his own weapon and pointed into Malum’s back, whose flailing and kicking stopped when he felt the weapon. Gaius embraced the pandemonium. Confusion would only make this easier.
“Throw him out!” someone cried. The mass of men scrambled up the stairs, pushing Malum along with them.
When they reached the outside, Gaius grabbed Malum by both shoulders and threw him to the ground. “We’ll take it from here,” called Caliazo to the group as he pinned Malum face down with his boot, using most of the weight of his body as the men backed up. Gaius bent down on the ground until he paralleled Malum’s face.
“Hand me what is mine.”
Caliazo eased up for a moment as Gaius flipped Malum over. Caliazo replaced his heavy boot at the man’s neck. Gaius extended his hand as a wincing Malum withdrew the pocket watch from his vest and dropped it into Gaius’ palm. It was still warm, heated from use.
“Now tell me, how did you access the power of it?”
Malum remained silent.
“Tell him,” Caliazo echoed, and Malum groaned under the weight of his boot.
“I watched your father many times, hidden in his study. I knew the special way to wind it like he did. When he did that, he could get anyone to capitulate to him when he proposed a business deal. I thought I could do the same gambling, having people give away secrets and give in to my wagers.”
Gaius clenched his jaw. How many times had this awful man plotted against their family? “And how,” he asked through gritted teeth, “did you use it undetected? A heb like you could never use such magic discreetly.”
“You never did have faith in me.” Malum’s voice was hard. Caliazo’s boot pressed with more weight. “The truffles,” he finally wheezed. “When mixed properly with root powder, they conceal magic output like that of your relics, so I knew you couldn’t trace me.”
“How did you discover such a thing?” said Gaius with a snarl.
Malum closed his eyes. “Master Clovis has been my supplier.”
Gaius’ jaw set. He came closer to Malum’s face. “Did you use the same kind of persuasion on Alyria?”
Malum didn’t move. He had used the relic to gamble. Now Gaius suspected he’d somehow also used it to convince Alyria to run away with him. The power of persuasion had been put into it from generations past. Using it to seduce Alyria? This was the most evil of magic. Caliazo applied more pressure.
“Yes.” Malum hissed.
“Where is she?”
“I’ve convinced her to stay at the apartment and let me go and make us money.”
Gaius wondered what kind of state the poor girl was in. She must not know what Malum was when she left with him. “Take us to your apartment now.” Gaius felt the urge to increase Malum’s pain by employing his magical pressure. Surely the man deserved it. But he wouldn’t use his power for dark influences any longer. There would be a better way to administer justice to the man.
