‘What’s wrong?’ I ask.
‘That fucking bastard.’ He steps past me and walks over to one of the walls, stopping in front of a painting which shows a city with architecture like Osgiliath from Lord of the Rings.
I have no idea what it is that’s set him off, but I cross the room anyway and touch his arm. ‘What’s going on?’ I signcarefully.
‘What you’re seeing is a glamour. There are no pictures.’ His hand movements are wild and angry, a complete contrast to his jubilant mood a minute ago.
I still don’t understand. ‘What’s really there?’
His eyes blaze. ‘My hoard.’
Chapter Seventeen
BRYN
I can’t fucking believe my dad sold my hoard to Lance. We’ve had our differences of opinion over the years, but for my dad to do something so against our culture is diabolical on a level I never thought he’d stoop to.
Staring through the glamour and seeing every bass guitar that used to be mine is almost as painful as being separated from my dragon was. I practically vibrate, I’m seething so much, and my dragon gives a strong warning tremor in my chest, ready to shift and rip my basses off the wall.
Did Lance put these up in here as trophies? He successfully destroyed my life, so it wouldn’t surprise me. Fae can’t see through one another’s glamours, so he and the person who erected it for him are the only ones who know my basses are there. Does it give him some twisted pleasure to lord it over me from up here, his victory spoils on secret display?
I grit my teeth, unsure how to process the anguish that this is where my hoard ended up. That instead of being sold off separatelyto people who genuinely wanted to play, my basses have been decorating Lance’s walls all this time.
I reach for the closest one, but Raj grabs my arm before I can touch it. When I try to shake him off he grips me tighter, only letting me go once I lower my hands and take a step back, my eyes narrowed at him.
‘These are mine, treasure.’ My hand movements are stiff, my jaw tight with the effort of holding back my scales. Shifting can’t fix this.
It probably doesn’t help that Raj can’t actually see what I’m talking about. At least he’s not looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.
‘I believe you,’ he signs carefully, ‘but I need more information before we proceed. You mentioned once that you lost your hoard. Did Lance steal these from you?’
‘No.’ My hand movements are jerky. ‘My dad sold almost my entire hoard to pay legal fees. I just didn’t know he’d sold everything to Lance of all fucking people.’
Raj winces. ‘So legally… Bollocks. Whatever’s beneath the glamour is definitely yours?’
I walk over to the first bass in the line of eight, a red Squier P bass I got when I was ten and slightly too small to be able to play it comfortably. It still bears the scratches from when Milo repeatedly ran his toy car all over it, because my brother was a little shit when he was a kid.
‘Yes, they’re all mine.’ I lift my hand again, barely stopping short of touching when my dragon urges me to close the distance.
I already know what Raj is going to say; we can’t take something that legally belongs to Lance and doesn’t fall under the criteria of evidence for the case. Lance would undoubtedly make sure I was charged with theft. No consultancy role with the task force would protect me from that—the contract Ethan and I agreed certainly wouldn’t.
A piece of my heart splinters off as I lower myhand and turn back to Raj. My dragon vibrates unhappily, unwilling to accept that we need to leave our hoard behind for paltry reasons like the law, so I vow that we’ll find a way to get it all back. I have no idea how, but surely getting Lance put in prison is a good place to start. My dragon reluctantly stops pushing for us to shift, barely appeased.
Raj frowns at what will look like a row of pictures to him, as if he’ll be able to see through the glamour if he stares hard enough. ‘Unfortunately we can’t take them today, but what about if we get Ayo up here to put protections on them? Like a ward or something that will prevent any possible damage and stop Lance from being able to move them. That will give us time to figure out how to get them back for you.’
He’s right that we’re not acing this communication thing, because I don’t think he realises that he’s already seen the one part of my hoard I have left. Yet even not knowing exactly what my hoard is, he’s on my side, thinking up solutions. I didn’t think I could love him any more than I already did, but he keeps proving me wrong.
‘I guess it’s better than nothing. Ayo will have to add a camouflage layer as well.’
‘If he can do that it’ll certainly help, but the UK arm of Far Out Freight will close in a few days. Frankly, I’d hope the CEO has bigger things on his mind than us using magic when we searched his office.’
‘In that case, let’s do it.’ I don’t exactly feel better, but it’s enough of a plan for now.
When Raj taps his earpiece, Kit waves to get my attention then beckons me over. They’re right that we’ve got work to do, so I cross the office to them as my phone buzzes with a message.
Kit
Can you check the desk drawers?
