Page 42 of Empire of Shadows

Desperately, Ellie nodded her head toward the door.Out, she signaled.

“No,” Jacobs silkily countered. “That’s not quite right. Is it, Miss Mallory?”

A darker, more uncomfortable fear itched along Ellie’s spine. Jacobs seemed to have an uncanny ability to see right through her answers—but how was that possible? How could the man tell she was lying when the only clue she gave him was a shake of her head?

“I suppose she might have it on her person,” Dawson suggested uncomfortably.

“How very logical of you,” Jacobs replied.

Ellie wondered whether Dawson had noticed the slight edge of sarcasm in Jacobs’ response.

Jacobs’ hands moved neatly and impersonally to the pockets of her skirt, checking their contents. His examination slipped to her waist and then up her torso.

Dawson looked away, reddening a bit.

“Ah,” Jacobs said as his fingers patted against the stiffer portion of Ellie’s corset through the fabric of her blouse. With neat professionalism, he opened the top three buttons of her shirt and plucked the folded packet of the map from the pocket she had cut into the lining of her undergarment.

He extended the parchment back toward the ginger-haired man without looking at him.

“Professor?” Jacobs prompted when Dawson did not immediately move.

“Right. Yes.” Dawson snapped to attention and took the map. He opened it and scanned the page.

“Ecclesiastical Latin,” he muttered, bringing the document closer to the lamp. “Sixteenth or seventeenth century, though I should have to examine the fibers in order to be absolutely certain…”

He began walking absentmindedly toward the door with his eyes still glued to the parchment.

“You’re forgetting something,” Jacobs announced flatly

Without taking his eyes from Ellie’s face, he grasped the ribbon around her neck and gave it a quick, sharp tug.

The string snapped loose. He drew the black amulet out from under her blouse and tossed it to the professor.

Dawson fumbled to catch the disk, nearly dropping the map in the process. His eyes widened as he turned the stone in his hands.

“Marvelous,” he exclaimed quietly, blinking with surprise.

He jumped a bit as he remembered that Ellie was still there and looked toward her guiltily.

“What about the woman?” he pressed tentatively.

Jacobs stood. The mattress shifted with his movement.

“Check the hallway,” he ordered.

Dawson held the map and medallion to his chest, stiffening.

“This really isn’t the sort of thing I do…” he began.

“The hall,” Jacobs repeated flatly.

Dawson grimaced but hurriedly dodged out of the room. He reappeared a moment later.

“It’s clear,” he reported.

Jacobs hauled Ellie off the bed and tossed her over his shoulder like a fainting damsel. Though he wasn’t a particularly large man, his body felt like iron under her gut.

He stalked from the room into the deserted hallway, carrying Ellie along it until he neatly kicked his way through another door.

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