“Okay, Remi,” Asher mocked.
“Out of the two of you, Remi is much more fun, so I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Yes, I know. He reminds me regularly.”
I felt Merri before she stepped into the room, her energy pulling my focus like a magnet. I couldn’t help myself, as soon as I saw her, I smiled. Even though her expression was serious, her presence put me at ease. Especially since the emotions I sensed from her were contentment and calm. A marked difference from the last couple of days.
“Hey, kitten,” I greeted, immediately pulling her in for a hug when she reached me.
“You figured it out?”
“Yeah, we think so.”
“I knew you would,” she murmured, gifting me with a sweet kiss as more people filed into the room.
Lilith was the final addition to our group, her blue eyes sweeping across the room’s occupants until she stopped on me. “Well? What are we waiting for? Tell us what you found.”
“We’re looking for the Reign of Terror guillotine blade.”
Murmurs broke out almost immediately, but it was Kingston who was the first to pipe up. “You mean that old thing they used to display at Madame Tussauds?”
Sunday was more than a little surprised when her attention snapped his way. “How do you know anything about that?”
The shifter shrugged. “Mom took me on our family vacation to London. It was pretty cool, the sort of thing that leaves an imprint, ya know?”
Thorne shook his head. “I am baffled to hear you traveled outside of your pack lands before Ravenscroft.”
“You really don’t know me at all. I may have to revoke your wankmate status if this keeps up, Thorne.”
“So does this mean we’re heading to London?” Remi asked.
Gavin cleared his throat. “No, actually. The exhibit Kingston is referring to was closed ten years ago. The blade was then stolen and sold at a black-market auction.”
Crombie surprised me by stepping forward. “One of mine, actually.”
I glanced between the two men. “Okay, so where’s the blade now?”
As one, Crombie pinned his stare on Thorne while Gavin looked at Rosie.
“I certainly don’t have it,” Thorne objected immediately.
“Me either,” Rosie said with a quick shake of her head.
“No, but your grandfather did. Elias Blackthorne was quite the collector of oddities and wicked weapons,” Crombie said.
“His collection was notorious amongst vampire aristocracy.” Gavin plucked at his cuffs as though they needed straightening. “It was widely believed he was creating his own chamber of horrors at Blackthorne Manor.”
Thorne straightened his shoulders, chin defiant. “This is all news to me, but I’ll take your word for it. My father told me often enough about Grandfather’s sadistic ways and how he went mad at the end.”
“He said the same to me,” Rosie echoed. “Grandfather was mad even before the sun sickness took him.”
“Isn’t the manor in ruins?” Moira asked, glancing between the siblings before focusing on the younger Blackthorne. “That was part of your escape, wasn’t it?”
“Parts of it, but the dungeons would be below ground and mostly untouched,” Rosie explained.
“So if there was a secret museum of horror, the blade would still be there,” I surmised.
“We can only assume so,” Thorne agreed.
