Page 11 of Kiss of Steele (The Royal Occult Bureau #9)

ELEVEN

PEOPLE WERE ARGUING around me. Men. They shouted, but one of them shouted louder than anyone else. He sounded furious, almost murderous. He sounded like Rennie.

My head hurt so much that I didn’t have the energy to tell them to be quiet. I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Nausea was roiling my stomach. I couldn’t open my eyes. If I opened them, I was sure I would die from the pain. So I drifted back into sleep.

Strange dreams flashed across my mind. But somehow, I knew they weren’t dreams. They were memories. Things I’d forgotten. I was trekking along a path in the Dolomites. Yes, I’d been used to travelling with my parents. They’d taken me everywhere with them. No restrictions. No rules. Only freedom. We didn’t see touristic places, though, but remote locations with poisonous plants, wild creatures, and spiders bigger than my hand. I loved it. Travelling with them and seeing new places always excited me and made me happy.

It was a sunny day, one of those rare days when not a cloud darkened the sky. We’d been hiking up and down mountains for weeks. Mother was walking next to me. Father brought up the rear.

My parents were chasing a creature, an Unnatural, a beast that had attacked a few climbers, but they weren’t sure what the creature was. Both my father and mother were occult agents for the Royal Occult Bureau. It was their job to capture Unnaturals who killed humans, from vampires to ghosts and witches. I was learning how to be an agent during our trips together. I learnt things they wouldn’t teach me at a normal school. We paused in front of a panoramic view. The breeze carried the scent of flowers and wet grass. But Father was nervous, always searching the shadows. His hand twitched over the grip of his gun.

“It’s so beautiful,” I said, dabbing my sweaty forehead with a handkerchief.

“Listen,” Father said, “I’ll take you back to the hotel, and your mother and I will search this part of the forest for the Unnatural. I think it’s going to be too dangerous for you.”

“Nonsense.” Mother rolled her eyes. “Monia is strong and clever enough to stay with us.”

“Laura.” The slant of Father’s lips showed his displeasure. “What we taught her isn’t enough. We’ve been searching for this creature for days. It’s clever, elusive, and I’m worried. There’s a strange smell in the air.”

I cleared my throat, not liking that they were talking about me as if I weren’t there. “May I say something?”

Both of them whipped their heads towards me, matching frowns on their faces.

“I wish to stay with you,” I said, tugging at the straps of my rucksack. “Perhaps the creature isn’t clever or elusive. It simply isn’t here. This place is too beautiful to spend the day in a hotel room, and I can take care of myself.” Those proved to be my last famous words. I spun around to face the forest and started up the path. It winded through white spruce trees and tall birches that formed a green tunnel around me.

“... she isn’t a child,” Mother said.

“She needs to learn how to fight an Unnatural.” Father had a point, but in the few years during which I followed my parents, nothing had ever happened.

As I stepped into the shadows, the cold seeped into me. Behind me, my parents kept arguing in hushed tones. A sense of oppression choked me, and I paused to loosen the collar of my shirt. The moment I put a hand on a tree bank to rest, an animal that looked like an eel came out of the ground. Its sharp teeth dribbled with drool. The long, sleek body coiled around me, shutting up my scream. My ribs cracked. A burning pain struck my wrist when the beast closed its toothy mouth around it. My entire arm was burning. My bones were breaking. I couldn’t breathe.

Father and Mother wrestled against the beast, punching, stabbing, and kicking it, but the pain blinded me, and I couldn’t see clearly what was happening. The monster’s powerful grip loosened until sweet air rushed back into my lungs. I fell to the ground, my body limp and sore.

“Monia.” Mother took my face, her features contorted by worry and tears clinging to her lashes. “You’ll be all right.”

But I wasn’t all right. I was broken, scared, and scarred for life.

Even after my body healed from the wounds, my mind wouldn’t. The attack had ruined me. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I didn’t want to leave the house. I didn’t want to travel with my parents. I didn’t want to be an occult agent any longer. I didn’t want to see anyone.

That was when my parents told me that an occult agent could remove the bad memories, make me forget, so I’d get better. At first, I wasn’t sure. Forgetting everything sounded good, but what if the fear lingered? I wanted to be normal again.

Besides, recovering the memories was possible but extremely dangerous. My mind could be permanently damaged. My heart might stop from the stress and pain.

But I wanted to stop the nightmares and the constant, all-consuming fear of being attacked. Tired and in pain, I agreed to be cleansed. Every trace of the Royal Occult Bureau and the Unnaturals was deleted from my mind.

After the cleansing, I started to live again. The fear disappeared with the memories.

My parents kept me in the house as much as possible, worried about me. All those years I’d blamed them for doing what I’d told them to do. I’d agreed to have my memories removed. It’d been my choice, and I understood why my parents were overprotective. Guilt was a bitter taste burning the back of my mouth. A lump swelled in my throat. Hurt, remorse, and shame formed a powerful combination.

Oliver and Rennie were occult agents. Their grey suits and strong bodies gave them away. Oliver had forced my memories to surface again. Now I understood why my parents had sent me away. Sandro was an Unnatural, but I couldn’t tell which species. My knowledge was limited. They’d sent me away because they were worried I might be hurt again or remember everything if I became too close to Sandro. Rennie had been right. He couldn’t tell me anything. If he had, he would have risked causing my memories to resurface, hurting me, and destroying my brain.

But I remembered now. Everything.

I opened my eyes, panting. The room was quiet, no loud voices. Every inch of my body was in pain, and the light from the gas lamps hurt my eyes. But I wasn’t in my cabin. The room was too wide. It had a soaring ceiling with frescoes of flowers and animals. Little roses were painted on the wall, crawling up towards the domed ceiling. Where was I? I sat up, waiting for my head to stop spinning. The white nightgown I was wearing had long sleeves that covered my bandaged hands. Even my leg was bandaged. I flexed my fingers. Pain shot up my arms.

After putting my feet on the marble floor, I tried to stand up. When my legs didn’t tremble, I took a slow step towards the diamond window, walking past a polished nightstand and dresser. My unbridled hair fell in waves to my waist as I slogged onwards.

There wasn’t a cobbled street below the window, but a narrow canal where murky water flowed. The opposing building was so close I could touch it if I stretched out my arm. Narrow tripartite windows, decorated with complicated motifs, opened to the view. There was only one city so beautiful. Venice. The SS Florentia had arrived in Venice. Where was Rennie?

I slid on a dressing gown that lay at the foot of the bed and left the bedroom. “Is anyone here?” My voice sounded coarse. So I cleared my throat and said again, “Hello?”

Everything was narrow here, even the corridor. A door was flung open. My heart gave a thump of anticipation before taking a dip to my stomach. It was Detective Norton. His eyes widened when he spotted me.

“Miss Fitzwilliam, how are you?” he asked, hurrying towards me.

“Spectacular. Where’s Rennie?” I put a hand on the wall not to fall.

“It’s complicated.” He adjusted his glasses.

All the blood flowed down from my head. “What happened to him?”

“Why don’t you sit down?” He took my elbow and led me back to the bedroom. “We are in a hospital of sorts. A small practice that offers rooms to the patients as well.”

“Fascinating. Where’s Rennie?” I was growing tired of asking the same question.

The detective didn’t speak until I was sitting on a stuffed chair and—if I’d been more relaxed—I would have appreciated how soft and silky it was.

“You’ve been sick for days.” He started. “The doctor on board the Florentia didn’t know what to do. So we had to disembark you here in Venice. Rennie and his friend Oliver had a furious brawl. They came to blows. Then Rennie sent a wire to your parents?—”

“Oh, no!” I clamped my hands over my mouth. “What did they do to him?”

He opened his mouth, but the door was pushed inwards, and my mother rushed inside. Her face, so similar to mine, was stricken with grief. Lack of sleep clouded her dark eyes.

“Monia.” She held me in a tight embrace, caressing the top of my head. “I left your side for a moment, and you woke up.”

“Mother.” I clung to her with all my strength and wept on her shoulder.

She didn’t say anything but let me cry while stroking my head.

When Mother wiped my tears with her handkerchief, Norton wasn’t in the room. I hadn’t heard him leave.

“We were so worried.” She took my face and studied it, peering into my eyes with clinical interest. “You could have died.”

“Mama.” I took her hands. As much as I was happy to see her, I needed to know Rennie was safe. “Where’s Rennie?”

Her face straightened. “He knew the consequences of putting you in danger.”

“It wasn’t him.” Pain burst within me as I raised my voice. “It was Oliver who unlocked my memories. Rennie tried to protect me. Mama, please don’t tell me he was hurt.”

“He’s with your father. Here in Venice, there’s an occult department called the Demonic Unit. Rennie is in a cell there, waiting to be judged.”

“Mother!” I thumped a fist on the armchair, sending a fresh shot of pain up my arm. “He didn’t do anything. I demand to see him. Immediately.”

“You need rest.” She gave me the stern look she always wore when I was about to disobey. “The process of making your memories resurface caused your skin to burn, and your body to weaken. It needs time to recover.”

“Sod the rest.”

A gasp left her as she stepped away from me. “Monia! Manners.”

I folded my arms over my chest, sending a fresh shot of pain up my arms. “I want to see Rennie. Now.”

VENICE WAS INDEED the most elegant and beautiful city in Europe. I could easily believe it. The architecture was stunning with all those palaces, balconies, and cathedrals that looked like wedding cakes. But holy smoke, the smell wasn’t impressive. Some canals smelled of mould. Others filled the air with heavy humidity that hung on my hair and skin. Thank goodness the sea breeze refreshed the alleyways.

The knot of worry in my belly didn’t ease when Mother and I entered St Mark’s Basilica. The church was truly stunning. The gable shone with blue enamel and was dotted with golden stars. The inside was an explosion of light with rays of sunshine flooding in from the windows and the soaring ceiling. It was like being engulfed in sunlight and colours.

“Is Rennie here?” I asked, admiring the frescoes.

“This is the entrance to the Venetian Demonic Unit. There aren’t many underground tunnels here, obviously. The Demonic Unit stretches on the rooftops, and every church allows you to enter it.”

We crossed the nave, and Mother headed for an anonymous wooden door in a nook. A flight of stairs started leading up. I might have overestimated my strength because I was wheezing after two minutes of going up. The skin on my hands and feet burned, causing me to wince at each step.

“Do you want to rest?” Mother asked. She wasn’t even breathing hard. But then again, she’d been an occult agent for nearly twenty years. Her brows drew together as she regarded me with concern and so much love it warmed my chest.

“No, I want to see Rennie.”

She exhaled, shaking her head.

With new determination, I resumed going up. We arrived at a landing where a window offered a spectacular view of the Venetian Lagoon and the city’s canals. I could get used to a view like that, compared to the dark underground tunnels of the Royal Occult Bureau in Oxford. The long corridor lined with doors was a more familiar sight.

Gentlemen and ladies in blue velvet uniforms walked along the corridor, casting polite glances at us. I craned my neck to take a better look at their outfits. Blazes. They were so much better than the dull grey uniforms of the Royal Occult Bureau. Mother took a corridor on the right, then another on the left, then another... I lost count of the turns. Why were the occult bureaus so complicated? After a few minutes of walking, we entered an area with thick stone walls and marble floors.

“It’s here.” Mother stopped in front of a door reinforced with iron bars. She knocked. “Ernest, it’s me.”

The door swung inwards, and Father swept into view. His long beard and sagging eyes spoke of sleepless nights and worry that came from the heart.

“Darling.” He hugged me fiercely, muttering that he loved me. He shivered, a sob leaving him. “I was so worried.”

“Oh, Papa.” I inhaled the familiar scent of verbena and tobacco coming from his grey suit.

He patted my back before releasing me. “It shouldn’t have happened like that.” Tears glistened in his brown eyes.

Mother scoffed. “There is no need to become sentimental, darling. Monia is fine, as you can see.”

“Yes, yes.” He wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. “My little Monia.”

Not so little, but anyway. “It’s all right, Papa. I survived.” With a lot of pain and blood, but I survived. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Later, I would be more than happy to talk with them about my lost and recovered memories, but for now, I only wanted to see Rennie. “Where’s Rennie?”

“Everything for you, sweetheart. Follow me,” Father said, a hand on my shoulder.

Using a brass key, he opened yet another door. A breath was punched out of me when I saw Rennie. He was sitting on a wooden bench in a small room with bars on the windows. He was staring at the floor with his shoulders hunched and elbows propped on his knees. A plate of bread, cheese, and fresh fruits lay untouched next to him.

“Rennie.” The word came out strangled.

He bolted upright, revealing the cuts and bruises covering him. “Monia.”

I rushed towards him and wrapped my arms around him. Dry blood soaked his shirt. One eye was swollen shut, and a cut on his lip showed a thick crust.

“You’re all right,” he whispered, burying his face in the crook of my neck. “Not seeing you was killing me.”

“What have they done to you?” Anger burned in my chest. Had my parents done that to him? I glanced at them. Mother pursed her lips in a silent challenge, and a flush reddened my father’s cheeks.

“It was Oliver.” Rennie grinned, releasing me and stepping back. “When I realised what he’d done, I told him I was going to denounce him to the bureau for misconduct. He wasn’t too happy.”

“Where’s Oliver?” The scoundrel.

He caressed my cheek gently. “I don’t know. I lost sight of him when we docked in Venice, and I was too worried about you to care about him. But your parents told me the bureau is taking care of him and considering his conduct.”

“I hope they give him the sack.” Holding his hand, I turned towards my parents. “Papa, you must release him. I’m all right now, and what happened wasn’t Rennie’s fault.”

“Can we talk to you for a moment?” Father held the door open and beckoned me to follow him.

“But—”

“Go, don’t worry,” Rennie said. He laced his fingers through mine for a moment, eyes filling with happiness, before releasing my hand.

An ache pounded in my chest as I stared at him. At that moment, watching him bruised and defeated because of me, I realised one thing: I’d do anything for him. I wanted to help him and take care of him as he took care of me. Images of him smiling and watching me flashed through my mind. I felt safe and loved when I was with him. How was it possible I’d considered him brusque and harsh? There was nothing harsh about him. Could he tell my feelings had changed? Could he sense my affection for him warming my whole body? Before I ran to him and kissed him, I lowered my gaze not to stare into his shining eyes.

Our fingers remained brushing against each other until the distance between us became too great. But his warmth lingered on my skin. And in my heart.