“You brought a friend from America,” Ellis snapped. “Jack Mercier, paranormal with a fire aura, knows Baron Zeppler. Ring a bell yet?”
Rory’s heart leapt into his throat.
“I know who he is,” said Sebastian. “If he saw you in the tube station, he could have guessed you were hiding in the area.” He grimaced. “Or maybe his partner found and followed you.”
“Partner?” Rory repeated, just as Zhang’s astral projection shimmered into view.
“Mercier has another paranormal with him.” Zhang was flickering as he did when he was projecting in more than one place. “Short and blond, with a cleft chin.”
“That sounds like François Chance, a teleporter skilled at tracking.” Sebastian was standing straighter, abruptly reminding Rory he’d been a soldier like Ellis and Arthur. “They often work together.”
“You should have told us you had this asshole after you,” Ellis snarled at Rory. “You think Gwen and I have been playing some sort of game? We’ve had Mercier on our tail before.”
Rory’s mind abruptly went back to Manhattan, to the day months ago when he’d been unable to scry a lead statue with a burn mark in a shipment of art from Gwen. Had that been from Mercier? “He’s got fire in his aura. Is he related to your friend, Philippe?”
“Distant cousin,” said Ellis. “Except Philippe was a good man. Mercier’s a ruthless son of a bitch who went looking for the baron on purpose because he wanted some of Zeppler’s magic. And I’ve heard of Chance. He had his magic screwed up by a relic, same as Hyde, same as Gwen. Sebastian’s magic won’t work on him. We’re all in danger. You get that?”
Rory swallowed. “I didn’t think—”
“Thinking’s exactly the problem!” snapped Ellis. “You’ve made the list of a telepath’s most wanted. When are you going to get it into your head that nowhere is safe for you anymore? You can’t hide from thoughts.”
Zhang’s projection faded, then strengthened again. “They’re searching the streets. But every time they get close to this alley, they turn around.”
“That may not last forever. Mercier has seen my tattoo, he knows Isabel’s paintings exist. If Chance can’t find Rory, Mercier may start to suspect de Leon magic.” Sebastian was standing at the curtain, eyes on the gallery. “I’ll find them and hold them off so you can get to Paris and the siphon.”
Rory felt frozen in place. “But Ellis just said your magic doesn’t work on the teleporter.”
“It doesn’t,” Ellis said impatiently. “You’re not doing this, Seb—they’ll drag you back to the Puppeteer.”
“If I don’t and Mercier believes I’m hiding you, he’ll set the entire alley aflame to burn us out.” Sebastian’s eyes stayed on the gallery and he wasn’t budging. “I’m not risking innocent lives. I can distract them so you can all get out safe.”
“Not all of us.”
Rory turned at the hoarse whisper.
Arthur was standing by the pocket doors, looking very pale. “If they were following Rory,” he said, still hoarse, “they may have seen him at Wesley’s house.”
“Oh hell.” Rory turned pleading eyes on Sebastian. “You gotta go check on Lord Fine.”
“If I can distract them, I can also keep them away from your friend,” said Sebastian.
“Are you certain?” asked Arthur. “Or will they drag you to the Puppeteer, and then come back to clean up loose ends?”
Sebastian bit his lip, and that was answer enough. “But if you’re not in the gallery—and if you’re not with me—if I don’t try to stop them, Mercier and Chance can follow you to the dock.”
“And we can handle them,” Ellis said impatiently. “They won’t be counting on Gwen and me to be there too. That makes five paranormals.”
“Five paranormals andme,” said Arthur testily. “Why do you lot keep assuming I’m useless?”
Rory grabbed Sebastian’s arm. “It’s all of us versus one helpless idiot lord. Please. Don’t throw yourself at them, all right? Go to Kensington. Take some paintings or something.” He added, pointedly, “Innocent lives, right? What if they started the search for us at his house? Lord Fine doesn’t even know magic exists.”
Sebastian huffed, but that seemed to have done it, because he nodded reluctantly. “All right, I will. I’ll leave two minutes behind the rest of you.”
Arthur tugged Rory’s arm, and he didn’t need more urging. The two of them scrambled after Ellis out the back to meet the others in the alley.
Gwen was already there, next to Zhang’s physical body, who was holding Jade’s hand. “There’s always taxis waiting outside the tube station,” said Ellis, going to her.
“Molly at the pub will let us cut through the kitchen,” said Gwen. “Sebastian’s cousin, Isabel, put up several flyers in the windows. Come on.”
