Page 68

“Says the man who not so long ago said that if Mom had kept us more informed, she might be alive today.”

“You always knew where I was, Beth,” he said gently. “But I nevertheless get your point, and promise that in the future, I will do my best to respond more quickly.”

“Excellent.” I paused and couldn’t help adding, “I’m sure Darby will appreciate it, too.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to give up until we’re married with dozens of kids, are you?”

“All I want is to see you happy, whether that’s with Darby or someone else. I know you’ve been avoiding long-term relationships because of your job and how dangerous it can be, but loneliness doesn’t sit well on you, brother mine.”

He caught my hand and squeezed it gently. He didn’t say he loved me or that he wanted the same for me, but he didn’t need to. It was all right there in his eyes.

He released me and returned my phone. “I’ll contact Rogan in the morning and give him a false location.”

“We’d need to keep an eye on said location to confirm whether he’s the leak or not, and it wouldn’t be practical for us to do it.” Not if we want to concentrate on finding the ring. “It probably wouldn’t even be wise for either Cynwrig or Mathi to be involved.”

He nodded. “Which is why I suggest you give Sgott a call, tell him what we’re up to, and see if he can spare a couple of shifters to keep an eye on the place.”

“You’ve a location in mind?”

“Cwmorthin. It’s an old slate mining town that’s been abandoned for a long time now. Aside from the buildings, there’s a deep network of caverns and tunnels, many of which were too unstable for exploration. He’s aware I was running a search through the mine research society’s records and the industrial heritage listings, so it’s a believable starting point.”

“And you’re sure there’s no chance of it being the actual location? Because that would be pretty ironic.”

“Not one hundred percent sure, but quarrying at the site began in the early 1800s and no relics of any kind were ever found there, even during the archaeological explorations that happened much later.”

“And how do you know all this? Were you or Nialle involved in a dig?”

“No, but I did date one of the archaeologists involved in a more recent exploration for a while.”

I drained my tea and then rose. “I’ll ring Sgott in the morning and request a watch be placed, then. What time are we leaving?”

“I ordered breakfast for eight, and the innkeeper said our clothes should be ready by then, so I’m thinking about eight-thirty?”

“I don’t suppose you thought to ask about car hire?”

“I did indeed, and I even have an address.”

“I applaud your efficiency, brother mine, especially after the long day we’ve had.”

“The ability to adapt on the fly is all part and parcel of what I do,” he said in a dry sort of voice. “So it’s not surprising I’m thinking a little clearer than you right now. Go get some rest, Beth. We’ll plan the finer details in the morning.”

I bid him goodnight and headed into my room. To say I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow would have been something of an understatement.

I woke just before seven-thirty. Our clothes were pressed and hanging on a little hook in the corridor next to our doors. I grabbed mine, had another shower in an attempt to wash the lingering tiredness from my limbs, then made my call to Sgott.

“Glad to hear from you,” he said. “I was getting a mite worried, especially given both Mathi and Cynwrig were at the hospital in the early hours of the morn.”

Alarm flicked through me. Cynwrig had said there’d been no major damage, but maybe he simply hadn’t wanted to worry me. “Did you see them? Talk to them?”

“I didn’t see them; I just got the reports. Mathi had a broken arm, Cynwrig a broken wrist. Both had multiple cuts and scratches, but they were healed and released after a couple of hours. Cynwrig went home, and Mathi went straight to Ruadhán’s office. He’s been scrolling through IIT archives.”

A smile twitched my lips. “Undoubtedly thinking you are none the wiser.”

“Undoubtedly,” he said, voice wry. “Both he and Ruadhán have a tendency to underestimate my reach in this organization.”

And did so at their peril, I suspected.

“Do you know what he was researching?”