Page 50

“My absence may be noted. Why are you doing this?”

“Because I don’t have a choice.”

Adam explained about the book and the gap in Jack’s library, that they couldn’t find any reference to the elven religion.

“That is passing strange,” Dautre said. “Such belief is considered archaic, out of fashion if you will, but it is not forbidden.”

“Do you have any idea why the royals would want to hide information about it?” Vic asked.

“No, but I am neither an expert nor a zealot.” The way he said it, with a bit of disdain, made Adam think that Dautre didn’t think too highly of those elves who kept the ancient faith.

Vic tensed but gave a little nod of acceptance.

“I guess we’re heading to the hotel.” He stood and went to the bedroom.

“The mortal authorities may have alarms on the building,” Dautre said.

“Jack’s got that covered.” Adam held up his phone. “I’ll text him when we’re on our way and he’ll shut down the systems.”

Vic returned with a pair of flashlights. He was wearing his leather jacket, which meant he was armed.

Adam wished he had his sword.

“Do you think Wilcox set a trap for us?” Vic asked.

“No. I think he’ll just enjoy the discomfort going back there will cause me, and with Dautre taking us in, no one should see us coming.”

“No splitting the party,” Vic said.

When Dautre blinked he clarified.

“We stay together. If anything does go down, I want you to pull us out. Quickly.”

“He means if anything bad happens,” Adam explained.

The elf gave a stiff nod. “I understand.”

They stood together. Vic took Adam’s hand, and the world shifted.

Light tilted to darkness. The temperature dropped. An odor of something sterile, whatever they’d used to clean the floors, tickled Adam’s nose.

He took a moment to breathe, to let his eyes adjust as much as they could. The only light was ambient, the dim glow of the exit signs and whatever leaked in from the boarded-over windows.

Vic let Adam go and knocked his shoulder against Adam’s before passing him a flashlight.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Keep the lights low.” Vic aimed his at the floor.

They’d arrived in the lobby.

It hadn’t changed from when Adam had last seen it, though at the time he hadn’t absorbed many details.

“They didn’t even take out the plants.” Vic briefly aimed his light at a withered ficus. Most of its leaves ringed it on the floor like the leftover confetti from a lonely parade.

“That’s a good sign, right?” Adam said. “It means no one’s bothered the place.”