“It’s not something I see, exactly. But it’s like a scorch mark on the sidewalk—it’s hard to explain—”
“It’s your subordinate magic,” said Zhang. “You’re picking up the echo that even Jade and I can’t.”
Rory’s hand hovered over the sidewalk for a moment more, and then he drew it back quickly. “I don’t like this magic,” he said tightly. “It—it tastes wrong.”
“Tastes?” said Jade.
“Like it’s making my throat close up, or my tongue dry out.”
Arthur’s stomach twisted. “You never talked about the ring or the amulet relics like this.”
“’Cause they didn’t feel like this. It’s like this relic left a shadow behind and it’s making my skin crawl just being close to it.”
Zhang took a soft, quick breath. Rory glanced over at him. “That’s not good, is it?”
Zhang exchanged a glance with Jade. “I don’t want to be an alarmist before I’m sure,” he said hesitantly. “But if it’s what I’m thinking, then very muchno.”
Arthur folded his arms to hide a shiver.
Rory quickly straightened up. “Let me try the lion.”
“Can you scry something that big?” Jade said, walking at his side up the steps with Arthur and Zhang just behind. “It’s more like a landmark than an object.”
“A month ago, I would’ve said no.” Rory looked grim. “But I’ve been scrying relics. I feel like as long as I got something to put my hands on, I can get its history. I’ve only gotta go back an hour.”
As Rory moved toward the base of the lion, Arthur insinuated himself at his side. “Fair warning, if you look like you’re too far gone, I’m grabbing you and pulling you back.”
Rory shot him a grateful look, showing the edges of a lot more apprehension than he was letting on. Arthur’s chest hurt knowing that Rory was going to have to relive a double murder. From the looks Jade and Zhang were giving each other, he was certain they didn’t like putting the twenty-year-old civilian through this any more than he did. “Maybe there’s another way—”
“We gotta know where they went.” Without another word, Rory reached for the base of the statue and shut his eyes.
Jade and Zhang were whispering behind him, but Arthur made himself watch Rory, looking for any signs of entrapment.
“Blood turns snow to red.” Rory’s voice was too dreamy for such a horrifying statement. “Claws sharper than knives.”
Arthur reflexively touched his chest.
“She has the relic. She’s annoyed at the mess, but he says he’ll put the bodies in the sewer. They must rejoin the other quickly—” Rory suddenly opened his eyes. “Grand Central,” he said tightly. “That’s where they were heading from here.”
The four of them ran the two blocks to Grand Central. The morning rush was just getting underway, the cavernous room full of men and women in coats and hats jostling each other for space under the towering zodiac ceiling. There were lines at every ticket window along the wall and a crowd of people around the circular information booth topped with its beautiful clock.
Zhang went toward the phone booth. As Arthur was trying to decide whether to follow, Rory pushed his way forward. “Cover for me.”
That was all the warning Arthur had before Rory was shoving past the crowd to put his hands on the information booth. His eyes fluttered shut as a bunch of angry New Yorkers began to curse.
“Sir? Sir!” The man in the booth stood from his seat. “You can’t cut the line. If you want information, you must wait in line with everyone else—”
“Sorry, he’s with me,” Arthur started, scrambling for a story as Rory’s eyes moved under his closed lids. He went for the same thing he’d once told a police officer. “First time here, he’s a country boy who doesn’t know the rules.”
“I don’t care if he’s the King of England! He’s going to the back of the—get back here!”
Rory had started wandering along the edge of the information booth, hands on the wooden counter, bumping into other people like a man possessed.
There was a loud mechanical squeal.
“Oh no,” said Jade, from behind Arthur. “One of your machines appears to have suddenly stopped working.”
“What an odd coincidence,” Arthur said dryly.
