Page 211 of The Dark Mirror

I lifted my chin.

‘Under the tyranny of Haymarket Hector, the London syndicate almost crumbled,’ she said. ‘Jaxon Hall prevented that by removing him. Rohan also informs me that Jaxon was a valuable member of the team who put a stop to the conquest.’

Jaxon inclined his head. ‘My boundlings should take the credit, Beatrice. But thank you.’

‘Yes, Jaxon, you showed courage. Nonetheless, we believe the evidence offered by Dr Nygård – the memories of the Underqueen, as delivered by Arcturus Mesarthim – to be authentic. While oneiromancy is an unprecedented gift, you personally acknowledged its existence in the third edition of your pamphlet,On the Merits of Unnaturalness.’

‘As a possibility,’ Jaxon said, his tone icy. ‘A theory.’

‘We have every faith in your instincts, Jaxon,’ Mistry said, offering him a smile.

I decided, in that moment, that I liked Rohan Mistry very much.

‘Jaxon, you have aided Scion. We understand you did this to gain knowledge for your fellow voyants,’ Sala said, ‘but the memories Paige provided call some of your methods into question. You have also expressed contempt for the Council of Kassandra. Now, it is true that Paige has also made some questionable choices. Nonetheless, her alliance with the Ranthen has proven essential. Half of us now favour her as Underqueen, while the other half favour you. The Triumvirate is divided on this issue. Antoinette has cast her vote for Jaxon, while I have cast mine for Paige. The tiebreaker is Rohan.’

Carter gave Jaxon a nod, not sparing me a glance. I felt a twinge of exasperation.

‘Both of you have won a scrimmage, earning the right to rule London,’ Mistry said. ‘If possible, I would prefer that the Council of Kassandra did not interfere with the established laws of the syndicate, as upheld by the Spiritus Club. I therefore recommend – andfirmly believe – that you should rule the syndicate together, as Underlord and Underqueen.’

Jaxon and I looked at each other, then at the Council of Kassandra.

‘Absolutely not,’ I said. ‘You’ve accepted that he worked for Scion. He sold his own kind.’

‘As a means of earning their trust, to—’ ‘Where is the proof of that?’ ‘Paige, if you refuse this, you rule without our blessing.’

And without their funds.

The money I needed to honour Terebell, and ensure our alliance could weather the storm.

‘Most of the Council of Kassandra prefers Jaxon as the older and more experienced candidate, who controlled a successful part of London for years, and has provided money to our enterprise,’ Mistry said. ‘But you saved Rome, and it may be that we need the Ranthen. You are also the voyant with whom Le Vieux Orphelin has a firm alliance.’

‘Each of you comes with your advantages,’ Sala said. ‘Why squander them?’

She really was a fine politician.

‘Ignace won’t accept Jaxon as Underlord,’ I said. ‘He was in the prison Jaxon oversaw.’

‘Le Vieux Orphelin will accept you. He already has,’ Sala said. ‘And you will still be Underqueen.’

There was a long and tense silence. Jaxon drew himself up, his grip on his cane tightening.

‘Shall we discuss this in private, Paige?’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I think we must.’

The guards opened the doors for us, letting in a flood of sunlight. We walked out of the Basilica Arcana and up a dusty path to Palatine Hill, finding an open-air terrace that afforded us a dazzling view of the Forum.

‘Well done, Jax,’ I said coolly. ‘You came very close to pulling off your little coup.’

‘No hard feelings, darling,’ he said. ‘But is this not your coup as well?’ I looked away. ‘I had the whole Council in my pocket. In a matter of days, you plucked half back out. It bodes well for our reign.’

I would have folded my arms at that moment, had one of them not been stuck in a sling.

‘As little as I enjoy the thought of sharing my throne with the person who stole it, it might be fun,’ Jaxon mused. I ground my jaw. ‘I always meant to rule the syndicate with you beside me. Between us, we have secured an impressive amount of coin for the Mime Order. Your work for Domino, the Ranthen assets, my savings from various schemes – together we could escalate this humble rebellion into a splendid revolution. A revolution with panache.’

‘You do not want revolution,’ I said. ‘And I do not trust you with the Mime Order.’

‘I will never betray the syndicate, no matter what name or form it takes.’

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