Fortune's Ashes (The Firebrand Series Book 7), page 1
Fortune’s Ashes
FIREBRAND
BOOK SEVEN
HELEN HARPER
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Helen Harper
Chapter
One
My inarticulate cry of frustration echoed around the gloomy room. From the far corner, where a teenage gremlin was sitting hunched over a laptop, its dim glow giving her youthful face an eerie hue, there was a loud tut followed by a hissed mutter. ‘Shhhh!’
I pulled a face, aware that she couldn’t see my expression but still feeling slightly guilty, then slammed the heavy book shut and added it to my pile of rejects. I’d been coming to the Arcane Works section of the Carlyle Library for days. I’d pored over countless books, both modern and ancient, and not a single one of them had given any suggestion as to how a Cassandra could rid themselves of their powers.
I knew bitter rage was getting the better of me, but I couldn’t help myself. This was my life I was worried about. My future. I didn’t want to babble random prophecies or deal with visions of what was to come; I had enough on my plate already.
I raised my hand, preparing to sweep the towering stack of books to the floor in a fit of pique, then I thought better of it. I pushed back my chair and trudged towards the furthest shelves. I had to be missing something. There had to be a clue somewhere about what I could do, but I’d covered most of the shelves and I was running out of options.
I picked up a heavy tome that I’d already looked through. It was several inches thick and last time I’d only skimmed through the index. It was possible I’d not examined it closely enough.
Before I could heft it over to my little table, my pocket started to vibrate. I frowned; mobile reception down here was patchy at best, so it was a wonder that any calls made it through. I returned the book to its original position and slid out my phone to check the caller ID. Detective Chief Inspector Lucinda Barnes. That didn’t bode well.
I pressed the little green button with the base of my thumb, genuinely intending to answer it in a professional tone of voice with a smooth greeting. Barnes was my boss after all, and I truly respected her.
‘What is it?’ I snapped. Then I winced at myself.
The line crackled. ‘…Bellamy? … need … get … problem. Man….’
There was an annoyed tut from the studious gremlin. I ignored her and scowled at the phone, holding it up in the air to try and get a better signal.
‘Come … headquarters … best…’
For fuck’s sake. I rolled my eyes. ‘This isn’t a good line,’ I said loudly. ‘I can’t hear you properly and I’m busy right now. You’d better contact DS Grace and ask him instead.’
The only answer I received was the spit of static. I looked at the phone again, realised I’d been cut off and sighed heavily. Damn it all to hell. I ought to go and see what Barnes wanted.
Supe Squad had been quiet for what seemed like endless days, with little more to deal with than a stolen bicycle last week, which turned out only to have been misplaced, and some misguided graffiti that had pissed off a few pixies. I needed something to focus on beyond my own woes and, despite my best efforts, the Carlyle Library clearly wasn’t going to yield any helpful secrets.
I grunted to myself and tidied away the books, preparing to head out. When I reached for my bag and looked up, the young gremlin was glaring at me. ‘I’m sorry about the noise,’ I said.
Her nose twitched. ‘I am trying to study!’
The youth of today. ‘Sorry,’ I repeated. I meant it; I knew I had to get a grip on myself and my emotions, I just wasn’t quite sure how to do it. I nodded at her to emphasise my apology and silently vowed to do better, then I left. I had to accept that I wasn’t going to find the answer to my problems in books. Not this time.
Once I was outside in the warm air of the early summer, I tried calling Barnes back but she didn’t pick up. I’d worked out enough from the stuttering phone call to know that she wanted me to go to the Met headquarters. New Scotland Yard wasn’t too far away so I grudgingly set off in that direction.
I ignored the three vamps who peeled away from the wall of the Carlyle Library and followed me. If they were all I had to worry about then I’d cope. Unfortunately, before I’d even crossed the busy road to retrieve Tallulah and make the short drive to see Barnes, I was joined by another vamp.
‘Good afternoon, detective,’ she said.
I didn’t look at Scarlett and I didn’t ask her why she was there. Instead I shoved my hands in my pockets and marched ahead. Despite her extraordinary stilettoes, she kept pace with me, Unless I decided to break into a sprint to escape her, I wasn’t going to avoid this chat. I scowled and waited for the inevitable.
‘We’ve been told,’ she said, in a mellifluous drawl that set my teeth on edge, ‘not to approach you.’
‘And yet here you are,’ I replied. I jerked my thumb at the trio of trailing vamps. ‘And there they are.’
‘They won’t come near you,’ Scarlett said cheerfully. ‘They’re only following to keep you safe.’
Lukas knew I could look after myself – I didn’t need babysitters – but there was no point arguing with Scarlett. None of this was her fault. To be fair, none of it was Lukas’s, either.
‘Aren’t you worried that they’ll rat you out for chatting to me?’ I asked.
‘I am completely loyal to my lord,’ she replied. ‘But sometimes he doesn’t know what’s good for him. Apparently neither do you. He’s been storming around for weeks now, yelling at anyone who puts a foot wrong and plenty who don’t. It’s time somebody put a stop to it.’
‘My relationship with Lukas Horvath is none of your business.’ My tone was icy. I skirted around a wide-eyed group of men in suits, all of whom were staring at Scarlett with their tongues hanging out. I looked her over properly for the first time and registered that she was wearing a skin-tight red-leather catsuit. Scarlett didn’t do quiet and unobtrusive.
‘I’m not asking you to tell me what the problem is,’ she said. ‘I’m asking you to tell him. He proposed to you and you ran away. He’s confused and he’s angry, and the very least he deserves is an explanation.’
A well of sadness rose up from the pit of my belly, threatening to overwhelm me. I swallowed it with an effort but the stabbing pain in my heart refused to go.
‘He loves you,’ Scarlett said. ‘Heart and soul. Until recently, I believed that you felt the same. If you don’t, if you were only playing with him, he deserves to hear it from you so he can move on.’
A sudden flash of fury zipped through me and I stopped walking and turned to her. I bared my teeth in an animal snarl. Scarlett’s expression didn’t alter. ‘I was not “playing with him”,’ I bit out. ‘And I love him as much as he loves me.’
I saw the faintest spark of answering anger in her eyes. She was here for Lukas and she wanted nothing more than to protect him. ‘Then what the fuck is your problem?’ she hissed.
The threat of violence simmered between us. I took a step back in a bid to give us some space – and to clear the air. ‘He told me that he gave you five million pounds to buy a ring that allowed the wearer to see into the future. And that once you’d gotten the ring for him, he had it destroyed.’
The tiniest frown appeared between her eyes. ‘Is this about money?’ she asked disbelievingly.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ I snapped. ‘It’s about power. Lukas despised the idea that such a ring could even exist, and he despises the existence of Cassandras who can also see into the future. He can’t help himself. He knows it’s blind prejudice and it’s not their fault, but he still hates them.’
Scarlett shrugged. ‘So?’ I folded my arms and gave her a hard look. ‘Wait,’ she said slowly. ‘Are you telling me that you’re…’
I jerked my head angrily in assent.
Her mouth dropped open. ‘You’ve been a Cassandra all this time and you kept it quiet?’
‘No, It’s a new development.’ I muttered an expletive under my breath. I had no idea why I was telling Scarlett all this, because I hadn’t told anyone else. Maybe it was because I thought she was the only person who might understand. After all, she knew Lukas; she probably knew him better than I did.
‘Look,’ I said, ‘I know Lukas loves me. I have no doubts on that score. But I’m now a Cassandra and I know how much he hates them. If I tell him what’s happened to me – if I tell him what I’ve become – he’ll hug and kiss me and tell me everything will be alright. He’ll tell himself the same thing. He’ll believe he can still love me and that we’ll be fine.’
Scarlett watched me with dull horror.
‘And then,’ I continued bitterly, ‘I’ll get to spend the next months or years, or however bloody long it takes, watching the love in his eyes turn to disgust. It’ll be a slow death rather than a quick one. He deserves better than that.’ I sniffed. ‘So do I. So it has to be this way.’
Scarlett didn’t say anything.
‘I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell him any of this,’ I said stiffly. She still didn’t utter a word. ‘Scarlett,’ I warned.
She held up her hands. ‘I won’t tell him. It’s not my place to do that. But you’re kidding yourself if you think you can keep this from him. He’s not going to slink away into the shadows, not where you’re concerned. Sooner or later, you’ll have to tell him the truth.’
I looked away. I might yet find a cure and, if I didn’t, maybe the break would give me the strength I needed not only to tell Lukas the truth but also to make him realise that our relationship had to end. I couldn’t bear to watch his love for me change to hatred. I wasn’t strong enough to deal with that.
‘Who else knows?’ Scarlett asked, her voice much softer now.
A single tear rolled unbidden down my cheek. I dashed it away with my fist. ‘Nobody. You’re the only person I’ve told.’
She shifted her weight from foot to foot, her discomfort obvious. ‘You can’t keep it secret forever. True Cassandras can’t control their visions, and they often can’t control what they say.’
I lifted my hands in frustration. ‘And that is a huge part of the problem.’
She licked her lips, displaying her single fang. ‘Yeah,’ she admitted. ‘I can see that.’
Her sympathy was harder to deal with than her anger. I took another step backwards, suddenly desperate to get away.
‘I won’t tell him,’ Scarlett repeated. ‘But he’s going to find out. If you need someone to talk to before then, I’m here for you, Emma. Any time.’ She reached into the tiny bag hanging from her shoulder and drew out a small white envelope. ‘Here. I was going to give this to you anyway, so you might as well take it. My phone number is inside. Call me,’ she said. ‘Whenever you need.’
I swallowed hard. Scarlett and I weren’t enemies but we’d never been friends, and her offer of help was almost too much. ‘Thank you,’ I whispered. I took the envelope. ‘What is this anyway?’ I asked.
A faint smile crossed her mouth and I registered sudden reluctance in her eyes. She didn’t want to tell me, but I was obviously going to find out sooner or later. ‘It’s a wedding invitation,’ she admitted.
My mouth dropped open. No wonder she hadn’t wanted to tell me. ‘Yours?’
She nodded. Despite the seriousness of our conversation, she couldn’t keep the glow from her eyes.
‘To…’ I shook my head in vague disbelief. ‘To Devereau Webb?’
‘Crazy, right?’ She raised her eyebrows meaningfully. ‘If that idiotic werewolf and I can get it together, then you can do the same with Lord Horvath.’
I wasn’t so sure about that. ‘Congratulations. He’s a lucky man.’ A very lucky man.
‘He certainly is.’ She winked at me, but I could see that her delight at her own good fortune didn’t erase her worry or discomfort.
‘Lukas will be fine,’ I said firmly. ‘We both will.’ I hesitated, then added for my own benefit as well as hers, ‘Sometimes things simply aren’t meant to be.’
Chapter
Two
It wasn’t easy to put my conversation with Scarlett out of my mind. She’d understood as soon as I’d explained the situation to her, but I guessed part of me had been hoping she’d tell me I was being stupid and Lukas wouldn’t give a flying fuck that I could glimpse the future. The fact that she hadn’t argued suggested that she agreed with me – leaving him was the best course of action, no matter how much it hurt. Or made me physically sick.
I rubbed a hand across my eyes and passed through the main doors of New Scotland Yard, waiting for a second or two at the metal detectors while I tried to focus on my job and not my messy personal life. Coming here was good, I told myself. I needed the distraction.
Barnes wasn’t in her office but a woman passing by told me she was conducting an interview on the third floor. Vaguely irritated, I headed up there and announced myself to a young man sitting at a desk by the lift. He looked more relieved than surprised when I told him my name. Huh. So Barnes really did want to speak to me in person, then.
I cooled my heels for several minutes. First I sat down on one of the uncomfortable chairs along the wall, then I stood up and paced around. Nausea was continuing to plague my poor stomach in such a way that I wasn’t convinced Scarlett’s unexpected chat was the cause. I tried to remember when I’d last eaten. I was certain I’d had breakfast, if not today then yesterday.
Just as I was debating the practicalities of finding the nearest loo and heading in there to stick my finger down my throat to make myself throw up, I heard DSI Barnes’ shoes squeaking along the shiny corridor. I turned around and raised a hand in greeting. She smiled at me but it didn’t reach her eyes. Hmm. Something was definitely up.
‘Emma,’ she said. ‘Thank you for coming.’
I bowed with more of a sarcastic flourish than I’d intended. ‘Far be it from me to gainsay an order from you, ma’am,’ I said.
Barnes raised an eyebrow. ‘Did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?’ she enquired. ‘Or is your recent break-up with Lord Horvath causing you problems?’
I shouldn’t have been surprised that she’d heard that Lukas and I were no longer living together. I knew she kept tabs on both Supe Squad and the supes themselves.
She peered at me more closely. ‘While you have my sympathy,’ she continued, ‘it’s important that you don’t allow your personal problems to affect your professional life. It’s fine between the two of us, and I’m always here if you need someone to talk to, but I am the exception. You need to leave your home life at the door.’
‘I’m not on shift yet,’ I said. Barnes looked at me. My shoulders slumped an inch. ‘I’ll do better,’ I mumbled.
Her expression wasn’t judgmental. ‘I often find that immersing oneself in work can help. Are there any interesting developments at Supe Squad? Any cases to help focus your thoughts?’
I was certain she already knew the answer to that. ‘Not really.’
‘Hmm. Well, I’m sure something will come up soon enough,’ she said. ‘Not that I’m wishing for any crimes to be committed just to keep you busy, you understand.’
I nodded then I lifted my chin. ‘I couldn’t catch much on the phone – you kept breaking up. Why did you ask me to come in?’
She pursed her lips. ‘We’ve received a complaint.’
Uh-oh. ‘Against Supe Squad?’
Barnes met my eyes. ‘Against you.’
My stomach lurched with even greater force. Bugger. Although I was well aware that my attitude in recent weeks hadn’t been perfect, I didn’t think I’d done anything to warrant a formal complaint. I’d certainly not done anything that justified a summons like this. ‘Okay,’ I said warily. ‘What have I done?’
‘It’s not what you’ve done that’s the problem, Emma,’ Barnes told me. ‘It’s who you are.’
DSI Barnes led me into an empty room and gestured at a chair beside the table. Exhaling loudly, I sat down; the strong smell of disinfectant in the room wasn’t doing me any favours. I spotted the water cooler in the corner and stood up, grabbed a cup of water and gulped it down.
Barnes was watching me. ‘Are you alright? You look a bit ill – and rather tired.’
In other words, I looked like shit. I pasted on a smile. ‘I’m fine,’ I told her.
