Page 29 of Arcane Entanglement

Evander took a shallow breath.

Magic swirled inside his chest, warming his blood and filling his body with a subtle flow of power. He was fairly confident he and Ginny could take on the men in the room. He wasn’t sure if they could do thatanddeal with the two Brutes present on the premises at the same time.

Ah, well. In for a penny, in for a pound.

“Tell Mr. Stonewall Evander Ravenwood is here to see him.”

The silence that spread out from where they stood was so sudden and deep Evander could have heard a pin drop. A muscle jumped in Ginny’s cheek when she registered the immediate hostility on Finn and Solomon’s faces.

Finn’s eyes shrank to slits.

“You brought theIce Magehere?!” he spat at Ginny.

He made to lunge for her.

“Razor, wait—!” Solomon started.

The soft click of the derringer sounded like a bomb in the hush.

Finn stared unblinkingly into the barrel of Ginny’s pistol, feet rooted to the floor.

“Stand down,” Evander warned, his cane in hand where he’d flicked it out from his sleeve. His gaze swept the room and the mass of angry faces turning towards them. He raised his voice. “We did not come here to fight.”

“What’s all this ruckus?”

Evander looked around.

A burly man in his late fifties with greying hair and a weathered face was crossing the chamber towards them. His sharp gaze skimmed Ginny and the gun.

“How about you put that down, miss? Nothing is going to happen to you.” He stopped and lowered his brows at Solomon and Finn. “Am I right?”

Solomon and Finn traded a morose look.

“Yes, sir,” they muttered.

Ginny hesitated before lowering the derringer. She grimaced. “What are you, their keeper?”

“No,” the man grunted. “I just happen to have known them since they were snot-nosed little brats.” He offered his hand to Ginny and Evander. “Jack Stonewall. I ownIronclad Shipping.”

Surprise jolted Evander as he shook the older man’s strong, rough fingers. “You are related to Viggo Stonewall?”

“I am his uncle.” Jack eyed the sea of onlookers. “I suggest everyone get back to their own business,” he said sharply. “Ain’t nothing like sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong to lose it.”

“We’re an information guild, sir,” someone said sullenly. “Sticking our nose where it doesn’t belong is our calling card.”

Jack’s frown deepened. The crowd dispersed.

Evander slowly relaxed. Viggo’s uncle didn’t look like the kind of man who’d stand by and let the guild members do whatever they wanted to him and Ginny.

“Care to explain why my two boys here looked like they wanted to tear your heart out a moment ago?” Jack asked Evander lightly.

Finn jutted his chin out.

“This posh nob says he’s Evander Ravenwood,” he said in a peeved tone.

Jack stiffened. Surprise rounded his eyes for a fleeting moment before his face turned carefully blank.

“You’re Duke Ravenwood? The Ice Mage?”