The Serpent's Curse by Lisa Maxwell (read an ebook week .TXT) 📕

Riley. The two had been more than helpful in manipulating Harte Darrigan into helping with the job at Khafre Hall, but James knew that Torrio was already chafing under Kelly’s control. It was one thing to be taken in, trained, and groomed by one of the most powerful criminals in the city. It was another to remain his lackey when you’d outgrown that particular role.

James himself understood that feeling. It had been difficult to take orders from Dolph in those final few weeks, when James had known how close he was to his own victory. It had taken patience and fortitude to continue pretending, to hide what he was planning from Dolph, but his effort had paid off. Unlike James, Torrio was every bit as impatient and fiery as his boss. It was a convenient weakness that James had every intention of exploiting.

He gave Torrio a small nod of acknowledgment, but continued on, walking in the direction of the Strega. It took a few blocks for Torrio to finally come up beside him.

“You have news about Viola?” James asked, not pausing as the two strolled side by side.

Dolph’s journal had gone missing the day after Viola had charged into the Strega, and James knew she’d been the one to take it. The loss hadn’t bothered him, not when the Aether suggested that the theft had been necessary. The journal was nothing more than a pawn to be sacrificed in order to move his game forward, and besides, James had already read over Dolph’s nearly obsessive notes enough to no longer need them. But he still needed to understand exactly what Viola was up to, and the Aether didn’t reveal those sorts of details.

“I got the information you asked for… if you have what you promised.” Torrio jerked his head toward one of the basement bars that populated the area.

James decided it wasn’t worth arguing about the meeting place. Not when their timeline had been cut so much shorter, and not when he needed Torrio on his side.

The saloon was like most of the basement bars in the city—dark and stuffy, smelling of sweat and stale lager. It was also the type of place where no one paid attention, and if they did, they certainly didn’t talk.

“Your boss might not be smart enough to see that the world is far bigger than New York City, but I’m certainly glad that you are.” James pulled the thin packet from inside his vest and held it out. Torrio grabbed for it, but James held firm. “Now, about Viola…”

“She’s still spending her days up in Harlem,” Torrio told him.

“With the same group as before?” James asked. He hadn’t quite understood how Viola had come to know the person who owned the house—a colored man who operated a small newspaper in the city—but she’d been sneaking off from her brother’s watch to meet people there fairly regularly.

Not people, James thought. Sundren. The same Sundren he’d seen with Jianyu at Evelyn DeMure’s apartment before the gala. It wasn’t a coincidence. It meant that he’d been right. With the missing journal and Viola’s continued meetings, it indicated that Jianyu was likely in play now as well… and that it was past time for them to be brought to heel.

“That isn’t news,” James said, impatient. He still held firmly to the envelope. “Is there anything else?”

Torrio’s eyes narrowed a little. “Maybe. If your information there is good.” He nodded to the envelope.

“You won’t know unless you share what you have on Viola,” James told him, pulling the envelope back and moving to tuck it away again.

“There’s nothing new about Viola,” Torrio said. “But that toff she goes around with has been doing some interesting things lately. Seems he’s been spending his days with Morgan and some of the Order types.”

“Has he?” James asked, suddenly more interested. It began to make sense now why the Aether had insisted that Viola was so essential. If she had a link to the Order, that was likely a connection James could use to his favor. “You still haven’t told Kelly anything about his sister’s other activities?”

Torrio shook his head. “Not a word, like you insisted.”

“Maybe it’s time we let your boss know about where his dear little sister is going when he’s not paying attention. Don’t let him know anything about the toff, but I think it might be a good thing for Kelly to doubt his sister a little more.” With the right pressure, Viola would be back where he’d wanted her—Jianyu as well. Both of them would be firmly under his control, and with a little luck, her connection to the Order would come with her.

James released the packet, handing it over to Torrio. “It’s all there,” he said when Torrio started to open it.

Torrio turned the envelope over like he wanted to pry inside of it. “It doesn’t look like much.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” Then he gave Torrio a pat on the shoulder and headed out.

He had work to do and only four days to do it. Four days to bring Viola to heel, four days to discover what corrupt magic the Order might use, and four days to plan. The Aether bunched again, shifting with a shivering awareness of his certain victory. Four days, and the ring, along with all the power it contained, would be his.

THE TUNNELS

1904—San Francisco

Esta followed the boy through the streets of the city, leaving the confusion of the docks behind them. She wanted to ask him a million questions, but mostly, she didn’t want to scare him into running, especially if he could provide some clue to Harte’s whereabouts. Instead, she kept her affinity close, ready and waiting for her to grasp the seconds at a moment’s notice, and she held a vial of incendiary laced with Quellant tucked in her fist, cool against her palm, because she knew that a pair of gray eyes meant very little. There were too many who might have known