Page 71 of Horn of Winter

“And you did not think to report her theft?”

“I can hardly report the theft of what the police would consider stolen goods. Besides, for all intents and purposes, I gave the thing to her—and she has a recording to prove it.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t got this place lined with a multitude of charms and magic preventing such a thing from happening,” Mathi said.

“I have, but the woman who accompanied her obviously disarmed them.”

Was that woman Stace? Or someone else? Someone like Keeryn Gordan perhaps. “Did you get the other woman’s name?”

“No.”

“What about the house’s security system? Did it record the two of them approaching the house, or were you ordered to erase it?”

“The latter.” He smiled. “But there is a smaller, unconnected system within the vault. I was not ordered to delete that.”

“Do you still have the files? Are you able to bring up their images?”

“Indeed, I have them right here on the computer.”

“How convenient,” Mathi said, in a dry sort of tone. “I take it you’ve been canvassing revenge possibilities?”

“I merely wish a return of what I paid for.”

I daresay the collector Riayn had stolen it from was saying the exact same thing.

He turned the laptop around. The first image was definitely my aunt, but she looked older, more time-worn and ragged thanwhen I’d last seen her. The woman standing to one side of her was the spitting image of Maran Gordan.

“Well, well,” Mathi said. “At least we now have confirmation that Keeryn is working with your aunt.”

“But not who the damn ice witch is.”

“Does that mean the ice events in Deva are related to the horn?” Reginald asked. “It does actually work?”

My gaze returned to his. “Yes, it does.”

“And it is for that reason you are unlikely to ever get it back,” Mathi said. “I would advise you to put in a compensation claim with the fae council.”

His demeanor instantly brightened. “Is that possible?”

“Presuming you have a full record of the transaction with Riayn, and the record of them forcing you to enter the vault and hand over the horn, it should provide plenty of justification for compensation. It would not be the first time the council has paid out to secure a dangerous relic from a so-called ‘legitimate’ owner.”

I motioned to the image on the screen. “Are you able to send that photo to my phone?”

When he nodded, I gave the number and, a few seconds later, my phone pinged several times.

“I included the shots of their number plate I got from the gate cam. That system is also separate.”

“Canny,” Mathi murmured.

“Careful,” Reginald replied. “Who do I have to contact regarding the compensation claim?”

Mathi gave him the details, then added, “Is there anything else you can tell us about the two women?”

“Riayn had acquired a limp, but other than that, no.”

Which confirmed my guess that the woman who’d spoken to our ghul the week before me was indeed my aunt. I rose from the chair. “If you do think of anything else, you have my number.”

He nodded. “Sorry about the gun. No hard feelings, I hope?”

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