“Yeah,” Peter said, a trace of that familiar mischievous smile flashing across his face. He shifted into a new position but kept his hand pressed against his side and closed his eyes again. “I’m not telling you where it is, though. Are you going to arrest me now?”
Before Lochlan could answer, Marta and Nora came over. Neither woman looked concerned in the slightest by Peter’s injury and ignored where he lay on the floor, eyes half-closed, and still panting for air.
Marta turned to the Nightsworn officers and pointed at Roderick. “Take that man out and have a physician tend to him. I want him alive for questioning, if possible.”
Roderick was dragged away, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
Once all the Nightsworn officers besides Lochlan were out, Marta turned to Nora. “So you’re the elusive Employer I’ve heard so much about.”
Nora met her gaze without a flicker of fear or embarrassment. “Not anymore.”
“We aren’t going to just let you go, Miss Davenport.”
Nora smiled. “Ah, so you do know me.”
Marta’s eyes narrowed. “Everyone with two shillings to rub together has heard of the Davenports. You might have married into a wealthy family, but there are still laws that need to be upheld. I just didn’t realize until now that you were so intimately involved in the Syndicate. I’d have thought you’d think it was beneath you.” Her eyes flicked over to me. “Good work on finding her, Jillian.”
I took an automatic step closer to Nora. She might have money, but I got the impression she didn’t know how to fight. If it came down to it, I would defend her until my dying breath.
“You’re very loyal to your Employer,” Marta said.
“No, I’m loyal to mysister,” I corrected her. “I won’t let you take her.”
Marta’s eyebrows gave a jump upward and she looked between me and Nora. “You know I need to bring her in, sister or not. Justice must be satisfied.”
Nora placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke so calmly that one would’ve thought we were simply having pleasant conversation at a garden party. “I know what you want to do. But I also know that everyone has a price. Name yours.”
Marta ran a finger along her chin. For all her talk of wanting to take in the Employer, she certainly wasn’t doing much to capture Nora. “I can’t just let you walk away from all this. It doesn’t work that way.”
“Doesn’t it?”
Marta glared. “My loyalties can’t be bought.”
“I’m not attempting to buy your loyalty at all,” Nora answered silkily. “I’m offering you a golden opportunity for more control. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”
Marta hesitated. “I’m not following you.”
“Just imagine what will happen if you put me in prison and try to drag me into a trial. My husband will pay bail to the crown and have me out before nightfall, and you’ll never see a single shilling of it. Or”—she bent to retrieve an enormous bag of coins from a drawer—“you can leave here with influence over the Syndicate and enough gold to make the transition without any oversight.”
At that moment, Elvin and Ambrose came bursting through the door. Ambrose sank to his knees, panting and gasping for breath, and Elvin came over, looking between his mother and Nora, clearly torn on who to protect, while Lochlan stood next to me with his arm out, prepared to step in if Elvin tried anything.
Marta gave no sign of recognition as her eyes swept past her younger son to settle on Ambrose. “You’re the man who was brought in for questioning.”
Ambrose finally looked up and he took a step back. “What are you doing here?”
“Coming to arrest your Employer,” she said with a cold smile, reaching out for Nora.
I stepped between them. “If you arrest her, every bounty hunter from Berkway to Haven Harbor will be coming for you. There won’t be a single place you can hide.”
“I’ll manage,” Marta said. “I have all the Nightsworn on my side.”
Nora placed a restraining hand on my shoulder. “If she wants to arrest me, I’ll gladly let her. My family will have the bail posted by the end of day and I’ll be out. You see, this woman may have all the Nightsworn on her side, but I have all of the criminalundergroundanda massive financial empire on my side. Once I’m out, I can send all the bounty hunters I want.”
Marta tensed. “Are you threatening me?”
Nora smiled. “I tried to bribe you first to avoid it, but since you weren’t interested, I’m just as happy to use other methods.”
Ambrose gave a slight cough to hide his laughter in the corner.
