Page 43 of Whispers of Wisteria (The Garden of Eternal Flowers #5)

“Gloria Protean.” Her name cut smoothly through the night as a man in a dark suit stepped through a gap between two angel headstones. He walked with a calm purpose, casually touching the cuff of his sleeves, and when he tilted his head, his gold earring reflected the light of the electric lantern.

He tossed a sleek ponytail over his shoulder and he faced the older woman. “You’re certainly a difficult asset to pin down.”

“Jameson,” Gloria replied, frowning deeply. “I’m working.”

My heart pounded as I stared at him—was this the same Jameson who was supposed to mentor Damen?

“Yes, I know,” Jameson replied. “You lost your shikigami and had to come all this way to retrieve it.”

Gloria pressed her lips together as the cat came to sit at her feet. “You trapped Cécile.”

“Don’t ignore my summons,” Jameson said with a shrug. “And I won’t interfere with you and Sao’s agreement.”

“Fine,” Gloria sighed, yet the tension still thickened around her. “What is it that you want?” Her other hand twitched as she opened her eyes and glanced at the other men emerging from the shadows. “And why do we need an audience?”

“So you won’t be tempted to run off again,” Jameson said. “I have a few questions for you.”

She narrowed her eyes. “And this couldn’t have been an internal memo?”

“I want to talk about the fae,” Jameson responded. I’d been peeking around Ada’s stiff form, and I pulled the cape closer around my face and held my breath as his attention landed on me. “And speaking of, I see you’ve found a new one. This wasn’t approved.”

Gloria tilted her body toward me, but remained rooted in place. “What I do in my non-official duties doesn’t concern you.”

He frowned, and she added, “And if you want to discuss the fae, then talk to Declan.”

“This is not a subject that a fae would disclose even to their closest allies,” he glanced at me once more. “However, it is imperative that I know regardless. As you happen to be the fae’s darling, and privy to Mu’s archives, I assume you would know.”

I had no idea what he was talking about—but Gloria certainly seemed to.

“That’s not a topic for discussion,” Gloria stated, crossing her arms. Her attention moved to the men surrounding us.

“If not Declan, then perhaps Gregory could be persuaded to talk. Who knows, they might make an exception.” When Jamson narrowed his eyes, she lifted a brow.

“Or perhaps he’s already rejected you. So now you’re desperate enough to come to me. ”

“Official rankings don’t appear to matter,” Jameson said. “The fae would die before talking.”

“As will I,” she said. “So your theatrical play was for naught. What a waste of resources.”

Her gaze followed one of the men as he pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.

“Jameson.” He barely spoke, but I could still see his mouth under the moonlight. “We have him.”

An instant later, Ada’s watch lit up. She looked down and froze.

“Gloria.” Her voice dropped to something colder. “Titus has been taken again.”

“What?” Gloria looked at her. “That idiot.”

Ada tilted her wrist, showing the tiny screen. “The signal cut two minutes ago.”

There was a short silence before the women swiftly turned their attention to the men.

“You,” Gloria breathed, zeroing in on Jameson.

Jameson casually adjusted his collar. “Me? The dragon plays this stunt all the time.”

Gloria took one step forward. “Then why are you nervous?” she asked. “Your pulse just spiked.”

Ada crouched and touched my leg to push me further behind her. My hands began to shake as I looked between them, and I held on to the cape so tightly my fingers hurt.

Something was wrong.

“He was tracking the Guild tonight,” Ada said.

Gloria showed her teeth. “You’re working with them.”

Jameson hesitated only a beat longer before his expression hardened. “I see I’ve no choice.” There was a tension in the air as he waved his hand. “Take them in.”

Ada yanked me to my feet before the words fully landed. “Run,” she ordered, shoving me hard in the opposite direction.

My heart surged into my throat. My legs moved—but only barely. I got two steps, maybe three, before something collided with me from behind.

A weight wrapped around my arms and knocked the wind from my lungs. The cape wrapped around me almost suffocatingly and I hit the ground face-first. The world spun sideways as voices roared, teeth flashed, and something snarled close to my head.

I lifted my face just enough to see a blur of gray and fur—Ada’s hyena form—stalking towards a wall of wolves. A fight of growls and snarls broke out as only two humans remained standing: Gloria and Jameson.

“You’re not going to shift?” Jameson asked.

“It’s not necessary,” Gloria said. Her pink dress fluttered around her calves as she stepped closer to me. I was still silent, although not from choice anymore, even though I wanted to argue that, yes, it was very necessary that she shift.

Wasn’t she an Elder Tongjun? If the stories about animal hierarchy were true, then by that alone, she should outrank every wolf here.

So why wasn’t she doing anything?

Then Cécile—whom I had almost forgotten about—dashed out in a silver blur and landed in front of Gloria. Jameson barely spared her a glance before she leapt through the air, claws extended, and her once-fluffy form sharpened into something jagged and dangerous.

Jameson twisted as she passed, and her claws sliced through the fabric of his pants near the thigh.

He turned, unbothered, and she didn’t have time to strike again before she vanished into smoke.

Jameson watched Gloria as if she were a disappointment. “You should have known better. Lee Sao couldn’t even beat me on his best day.”

Gloria’s jaw tightened.

A presence moved over me, and I couldn’t see them anymore as a large hand grabbed both of my arms. The sudden pressure made my wrists ache, and before I could scream, fabric dropped over my head. The rough texture scraped my skin as darkness collapsed around me.

No, no—

They said something, but I couldn’t make it out.

I tried to kick back, but I hit nothing. The touch turned harder, wrapping around my ribs, and held me in place. I couldn’t see, couldn’t fight. I was drowning.

This was my first real mission, and I was already failing.

I was supposed to prove I could handle this. I was supposed to prove I belonged.

It was supposed to be so easy.

I tried to scream, but nothing made it past the weight in my throat.

And just like that—

Everything I’d fought for disappeared into silence.

Titus POV

(About the same time…)

“I’m telling you, there’s something off—”

Maria ranted as she walked beside me around the warehouses to the requested meeting location. I didn’t pay attention to her words. Right now she was in a rant, and her words blended into the background.

She was always complaining about something.

“—and Albert, Albert of all people!” She flipped her hair. “He’s nothing more than a brown-nosing pencil pusher. What information is he going to have?”

“I don’t expect him to have anything you haven’t found already,” I told her. “You’re better.”

“Damn right I’m better,” she said.

“But if there’s a chance—” I continued.

A chill shot down my spine at the look she gave me.

I ignored it.

“—that he knows anything about Jason Patterson that you don’t, I want to know. For Bianca.”

“Fine.” Maria nodded.

I wouldn’t have to explain further; she was already sucked in.

She glanced at the tall buildings as we passed. “Why did you ask me to come?”

“I wanted to surprise you. I shredded the memo before you could see.”

She blinked at me.

“I figured you’d want some exercise,” I explained. After all, she deserved a bonus for making Bianca happy.

Not that she did it for that reason.

“Are—” She placed her hand over her mouth, and her eyes lit up. “Are we going to get Taken?”

I nodded, and she squealed.

“Oh my God,” she said excitedly. She began to smooth her hair. “I’m so ready for this. It’s been ages.”

“Don’t kill Albert,” I warned.

She pouted.

“He thinks he can take me,” I answered her unspoken question. “He’s mine.”

It was a matter of pride.

“Whatever. You know, Bianca and I were just talking about this,” she told me. “She understands me.”

“Does she now?” I looked at the sky.

“Plus, she’s a bit scary herself,” Maria continued.

I scoffed.

“No, really,” she insisted. “She low-key threatened me. I was so proud.”

That, I could understand. I’d been attacked by her before. Twice.

Those were some memorable experiences.

“You’re going to have to keep an eye on her,” she warned.

I stopped walking entirely. “What?”

What did she know that I didn’t?

“What are you two up to?” I asked.

So Bianca was starting her long-term plans earlier than I’d expected. And she’d recruited Maria.

Of course.

What could it be this time? I suppose it would be too much to hope that she’d choose something mild and traditional, like calligraphy or floral arranging.

No, Mu always did something crazy in every lifetime. With Maria involved, it was sure to be nothing less.

“Nothing to worry about,” Maria said, turning to face me. “I can handle it.”

I frowned. What was she supposed to handle? It should not require ‘handling.’

I didn’t like this already.

“I’m just saying, in other matters.” She shrugged. “Watch out for her, or else she’ll blink those big green eyes and you’re both done for. Her cuteness is your greatest weakness.”

“Her eyes are hazel.”

She gave me a look.

“Well, they are!” I snapped.

Suddenly, a quiet fell over the night. Maria tensed a second after me as the air began to turn dark.

“It’s happening!” she breathed. She was lightly bouncing on her feet, her hands clenched in tight fists against her thighs.

I sighed. She was going to give us away.

It appeared that Albert wasn’t going to even try to meet me first. He was probably afraid I’d kill him. That I’d like it.

I would and I will.

But it had to be done a certain way.

Humanely.