Page 130 of Arcane Entanglement

Relief washed over Mrs. Sinclair’s face. “As you wish, my Lord.”

She left, closing the door quietly behind her.

Viggo began howling with laughter.

“You’re a dead man, Viggo Stonewall,” Evander hissed at the Brute. “Just you wait until I can move again!”

Viggo kissed him.

Chapter51

The letter arrivedon a dismal morning, inside a cream envelope that gave no indication as to its unsettling content. Penned in red ink, the polished cursive script was as elegant as it was cold.

“My dear Duke Ravenwood,

I must commend you on your impressive defeat of Caine Renwick. He was a talented pawn, but a pawn nonetheless. You and your Brute have piqued my interest. Rest assured, our paths will cross again. This game is far from over.

Until then, my worthy adversary.

I.”

The thick, cream paper crumpled at the edges as Evander’s grip tightened on it.

It had been a week since he’d received the chilling missive. The forensic mages at the AFD were still no closer to figuring out its origin or the identity of the man who’d written it. There were no magical traces on the letter, nothing to indicate its source or even a single clue as to where the paper and ink had come from.

Rufus and Shaw had wondered briefly if it was a bluff.

Evander had pointed out that Renwick’s identity as the criminal responsible for the incident at Charing Cross had still not been made public. Whoever ‘I’ was, he was real.

A sigh distracted him.

“That’s the third time you’ve read that letter in the past fifteen minutes,” Viggo muttered, his large frame filling the plush seat beside Evander.

Their carriage rattled over cobblestones on the way to Belgravia, the enchanted interior dampening the jostling they would have otherwise experienced.

“Forgive me,” Evander murmured apologetically.

He put the correspondence back in its envelope and tucked it inside his coat. They were on their way for afternoon tea with Ginny, following an enigmatic summons that had come the week before.

“There’s nothing to forgive.” Viggo clasped his fist where he’d rested it on his knee. “I share your frustration.” His voice hardened. “We’ll find him, don’t worry.” He uncurled Evander’s hand and slipped his fingers through his.

Evander slowly relaxed, the Brute’s warmth seeping into him. He leaned against his lover.

“Have I told you lately how much I like you?”

Viggo grinned. “You screamed it pretty loudly last night.”

It was Evander’s turn to let out a sigh. “Is your mind perpetually in the gutter?”

“When it comes to you, yes,” Viggo said bluntly.

Evander pursed his lips, not sure whether to be annoyed or pleased. There was no denying that they were perfectly matched in the bedroom.

“I still can’t believe you convinced William Millbrook to join the Charm Weavers Guild,” Viggo said thoughtfully.

“It wasn’t that difficult.” Evander glanced outside the window. “He has his father’s talent and passion for the craft. He just needed a gentle push in the right direction.”

It had taken him a few days to convince Martha Millbrook and her son to return to London. With William now officially a guild member, their future in the capital was assured. Still, there was a risk their presence in the city would endanger them once more. BothNightshadeand the Met had assigned men to guard them for the time being.