Page 20 of The Gargoyle's Gift
It was a very poorly keptsecret that the archives master had an outrageous sweet tooth. I’d wheedled some extra slices of cake from Jorna on my way out of the meetinghouse, claiming it helped with my digestion. She’d rolled her eyes but still packed them up in heavy paper for me and sent me on my way. One I left in the basket full of things I’d set outside Lovette’s apartment door, and the other was hopefully a passkey into the archives.
Sol shifted foot to foot, visibly uncomfortable when I appeared in front of him. “Gaius. I didn’t realize your privileges had been reinstated, welcome back.” He widened his stance in front of the intricately carved double doors that led to the archives, eyeing the package I carried.
“You know they can’t ever make up their minds,” I said, offering the cake. “Jorna sends her regards as well.”
He licked his lips, hand stretching out to receive the bundle greedily. “It has been a long while since I enjoyed the hospitality of the conclave. Give her my thanks.”
“Of course.” I gestured to the doors behind him. “I’m expected.”
Sol’s head tilted to the side, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “They never have anyone else with them.”
Idiot. He’d just confirmed that they were indeed inside, having a meeting. That they did so regularly.
“They sent for me. New assignment.”
While he considered, he unwrapped the cake, blatantly salivating over the cinnamon and sugar confection.
“What’s the passcode?”
I covered my anxiety with anger. “Are you being serious?”
“Just doing my job, Gaius.” He shrugged.
I shook my head and considered making a grab for the cake. But I knew these men, knew their egos and the way they would only use something they too could easily recall.
“Clandestine,” I guessed, infusing the word with as much confidence as possible.
He smirked, shaking his head as he leaned his face into the cake. “Go on,” he mumbled over the bite, stepping aside as he pushed open the double doors.
How people who were nothing if not predictable constantly got away with the conspiracy they did was beyond me. As expected, Hugo and Augustus were in the smallest room of the archives, sitting at a round marble-topped table, gossiping loudly about their latest exploits in Revalia.
I crept around corners and hugged the shadows as they dropped my name yet again, telling me everything I needed to know about how informed the council at large was about what happened on the roof.
“No need to raise alarms, the guards have all been debriefed. They were all dosed as well. What happened will remain a secret.”
“You are too confident in that magic, Auggie. There were a dozen men up there, all of them saw two stone kin escape. Stone kin who threatened us and killed our men. Do you truly think a little potion is going to keep them quiet forever? That none of them will have even a shred of recollection?”
“It’s worked so far, hasn’t it? Lots of folks have been dosed for years, Caledon included. You worry too much.”
My blood turned to ice hearing my name. They’d been drugging me? For years? That had to be what they’d meant by me not remembering. Horror warred with relief. While I wanted to latch on to the idea that I hadn’t been fully responsible for the things I’d done, the person I’d become because it was who I’d pretended to be, it didn’t change anything.
As I crept closer, Hugo grumbled to himself, drinking from a ridiculously dainty cup of tea. I lingered in the shadows for nearly an hour, listening to them talk entirely too freely about exploits that were beyond damning. Simply killing them would not be enough. They needed to face the larger council for their crimes. And I needed a new plan.
Every nerve bristled, because this was not something I could accomplish alone. I needed allies, help, and the backing of as many other council members as I could get. Something I’d done the opposite of cultivate all these years.
Which meant at the very least, I needed to speak with Magnus. My skin itched at the thought, but there was no way around it. He had the position, the power, and the logical mind to help me sort this out.
While they wrapped up their little gossip session, I blended further back into the shadows and made my way toward the door.
When I waked back through, Sol was nowhere to be found. Cursing his untidiness, I used my foot to scatter the pile of cake crumbs he’d left on the floor and strode through the council building with enough haste to not be bothered by any passersby but not so much it would raise concern.
As I turned the final corner before the staircase to freedom, I nearly stumbled, and not because I still refused to use my cane in public. I should have known things were going far too smoothly.
Magnus stepped out of the double doors to one of the council chambers down the long hall, our eyes meeting as I continued on my way. Fate was playing games with me, that was the only explanation. It was as though my thoughts had summoned him, but I hadn’t yet even had time to settle into the idea of having to talk to him, let alone organized what I wanted to say.
“Gaius?” he asked, looking around. “What brings you here?”
“Same as you,” I groused, continuing on toward the stairs.
