Shattered Circle

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Goliath supervised Risqué being moved onto a stretcher, then two Beholders lifted her and kept her level as they carried her down the steps from the court witch’s suite.

One of the Beholders asked, “The new infirmary, boss?”

“Yes.” When Ivanka had broken her arm, he’d decided it would be to their advantage to have a triage and small infirmary on-site to manage the occasional injuries his people incurred in the line of duty. The space that was formerly used to store stage props was reclaimed for this purpose.

He’d been so busy lately, he had not had time to check the progress. So, he followed the Beholders across the area behind the scrim.

He was only a few yards from the door when a strange smell met his nostrils and he stopped. Glancing around, he sniffed again. It was an oily odor. One present only when the service elevator was in use. “Continue,” he ordered the guards.

Running to the gate, he saw the new hydraulic that had been installed; the car had gone up. To his best guess, it remained one level above the ground floor. He pressed the button to bring the car down. Impatient, he paced as the elevator returned, then entered, shut the gate, and pushed the button to lift him up.

When it dinged softly and stopped, he stood stock-still, listening, sniffing.

Ailo had come this way with Beverley.

He opened the gate and searched the area until he found a broken window.

Goliath rode the elevator down. When it stopped, he walked to the infirmary. Voices were coming from a hallway in the rear. He proceeded in that direction and found the hall had four doors. The voices were behind the last one—but lights were on in both of the rearmost rooms.

He peered into the second-to-last room and saw Mero in the bed. Seven stood to one side, watching as their esteemed guest fed from a Beholder’s wrist. It was clear, even from a distance, that Mero had been severely beaten.

Goliath raised a brow at Seven; she made an irritated face at him and waved him on.

Looking into the last room, he saw Risqué—still on the stretcher that now rested on an exam table. Ivanka was holding a compress to Risqué’s side.

Seeing him, Ivanka said, “I learn field medicine.”

“The doctor we’ve employed is on her way.”

“We have a doctor now?” one of the Beholders asked.

“Yes,” Goliath answered.

“He give us this hospital,” Ivanka said.

The Beholder grinned. “You’re gonna make a fine Haven Master.” The two Beholders left.

Sil entered seconds after they left. “What is going on?”

He nodded. “Too much to explain just now. You and Ivanka need to stay with Risqué.”

Sil nodded and, for a moment, he and Sil stared at each other. Then he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her.

When their lips parted, he left the infirmary. It would take Menessos only a few minutes to locate Ailo and verify her getaway path; Goliath guessed his former master had nearly accomplished this task by now. Still, he had time. . . .

Goliath jogged to his own quarters, pulled off his formal jacket, and tossed it on a chair. Unbuttoning the collar of his shirt, he walked to the table near his bed and lit an incense stick. For a long moment he stood before it, focusing on his intention and breathing the sweet scent of juniper. “I will make sure she’s safe, Lorrie. I promise.”

A buzzing erupted from within his bedside table. Light seeped out from the edges of the drawer. He frowned. His phone was across the room in his jacket pocket. He pulled open the drawer and saw an old cell phone, folded shut. Persephone Alcmedi had given it to him.

The protrepticus.

His dead brother, Samson, had spoken to the court witch via this magical device.

He reached slowly for it, cautiously picked it up, and then turned it over.

The window on the phone’s case face was lit up in a soft green. The caller ID flashing on the screen read: SAMSON.

Opening the phone, he held it to his ear. Tentatively, he said, “Hello?”

“I hope you’re ready for all the shit coming your way, Haven Master.”

“Samson?”

Silence.

“Samson?” He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it, but the screen was now dark.