Authors: Susan Squires
“
None other,” Lanyon said, doing his best imitation of suave sophisticate.
At that poin
t, Michael took one of his arms and Kemble the other. “Ta-ta, girls,” Kemble called over his shoulder as they dragged a sputtering Lanyon away. Kemble leaned down and whispered, “Man up, kid. There’s a Talisman in the next room. We’re regrouping at home.”
Lanyon looked, up, shocked, and glanced to Michael. Their expressions must have told the story. Michael was looking grim enough anyway. Lanyon shook off their hold.
“Okay. I get it. Not the time to party.” Then he looked around. “Can I see it?”
Kembl
e shook his head. “No time.” What he didn’t say was that if the Talisman was here, the Clan might be here too, whoever wasn’t in Athens. That meant their ranks could number more than twelve. This was getting bad.
Lanyon strode on his own power over to where the family was making their way to the doors, Michael and Kemble right behind him.
No one said a word as they waited under the portico for Edwards and crew. Kemble wasn’t the only one examining every shadow for signs of the Clan. Michael, Tristram, and Devin all held their women close and glanced around with wary eyes. Senior had one arm around his wife and one around Tamsen.
Kemble started.
What was he thinking? Where was Jane? Her hand slipped into the crook of his arm just as panic rolled up from his belly. “Jane,” he sighed in relief. He put his hand over hers where she held to his biceps. “I thought you’d gotten away from me.”
She shook her head, obviously worried.
“Did you see it?” he asked quietly. He could still hardly believe there was a Talisman in an exhibit hall at a very public museum.
She nodded.
“There’s no question that’s what it is. No one but the family got within twenty feet of it. I think even people without magic were affected by it.”
“
Drew’s vision said it was shaped like a flower, wider brim, about a foot tall. Covered with rather big jewels by the silhouette.”
Jane looked up at him with big eyes. “That would be it.”
The cavalcade of limos and SUVs pulled into view. Ernie and Rory jumped out of the limos and opened doors.
“
Kemble, you’re with us,” his father snapped. He glanced over to where Jane held firmly to Kemble’s arm. “Jane, you too.”
Kemble
escorted Jane over to the far side and helped her into forward seat of the limo, beside Drew and Michael, tucking the train of her dress in around her feet. He got into the far side of the back seat himself, beside his mother.
Senior didn’t get in until all the others had
been secured and the various car doors had slammed shut. Then he jumped into the back seat, saying, “Go,” and pulled the door shut behind him. The first thing he did as they pulled around the circle and out onto Wilshire Boulevard was to take his wife’s hand. “Are you feeling better?”
Kemble’s
mother nodded. “Much. What was it?
Senior shook his head.
“The Cup. It’s the Chalice of Aachen, belonged to Charlemagne. But in its presence, there could be no question but that it’s also a Talisman.”
“
A Talisman, here?” Edwards exclaimed. He’d been brought in on the family’s secrets after he’d helped defeat the slithery things when they’d lost the Wand, at the cost of a savage burn. When Kemble’s mother had Healed him . . . well, that had raised even more questions and Edwards deserved answers. Knowing they weren’t a “normal” family hadn’t shaken the man’s loyalty. Nor had the danger. He was a good guy. Now his eyes never ceased roving from the road to the rearview mirror, the side mirror and back again. “In the middle of an art exhibit?”
“
Yes. I don’t know how it got here, or who else knows it’s here. But we’ve got to get it. It’s imperative that we keep it from the Clan.”
“
How do you suggest we do that?” Kemble asked.
Senior took a breath, let it out.
“We’re going to steal it.”
*****
Jane hovered in the background, helping Mr. Nakamura serve coffee as the family gathered round the huge dining room table. Mr. Edwards had also pulled up a chair. He was practically part of the family these days. Even Tamsen and Lanyon were solemn for once. The others didn’t yet know Brian’s plan, but they would shortly. Would it strike as much fear into their hearts as it did into hers?
“
I don’t think we need the children here,” Brian began.
Oh, dear. Not auspicious.
Brian could be a little tone deaf.
Tamsen gasped.
“We’re as much a part of this family as anyone,” Lanyon growled, in a voice as deep as any of the men at the table. “Just because we don’t have magic yet. . . .”
“
Kemble and Jane don’t have magic and they get to stay,” Tamsen complained.
“
Tammy,” Kee protested. “That’s not nice.”
“
I say let them stay,” Drew said. Jane thought her best friend was looking even more peaked than she had going into the museum tonight. And very, very worried. “Whatever happens here, it’s going to change things for all of us.”
That
was ominous, coming from someone who could see the future.
“
Have you seen something, dear?” Brina asked, into the stunned silence.
Michael quietly rubbed her back, saying nothing. Jane knew how much the strong and constant presence of her gentle giant of a husband steadied Drew.
“Nothing specific,” Drew choked. She gathered herself. “But it’s bound to affect us, isn’t it, having a Talisman, or going to jail trying to get it?”
Jane didn’t believe her friend
knew nothing. And from the look on her face, what she knew wasn’t good. But the others seemed to be mollified. She glanced to Mr. Nakamura as she took two coffees from him. He was looking at Drew narrowly. The man must really not be getting enough sleep lately. He looked worse than Drew did, with red-rimmed eyes and hollowed cheeks. It occurred to her that no one questioned the fact that Mr. Nakamura would be witness to the planning. He was so much a part of their lives. He’d been with Brian and Brina since his wife died. His daughter had grown up playing with Tamsen. In some ways, he was another orphan the Tremaines had adopted. But he was a pillar of quiet strength for them too.
“
Very well,” Senior said. The intensity of his expression kept Tamsen and Lanyon from any celebration of their victory. “But this is a job for those with magic. You’ll not be going with us on our little expedition, and if you’re going to argue about it. . . .” He held up a hand against Tamsen’s incipient protest. “You can leave now.”
Tamsen shut her mouth with what was almost a snap. Jane glanced to Kemble as she set a cup of coffee in front of Brina. He was trying not to show how crushed he was that he
would not be with the family in their moment of need.
“Sir…” Mr. Edwards began.
“No dice, Edwards. We’re not letting you do anything illegal for us.”
Mr. Edwards shut his mouth, but Jane could see his jaw working.
Everyone else looked at Brian. “Well, what’s the plan?” Michael asked.
Brian sighed.
“You act as though I have all the answers. The plan is what we’re here to figure out.”
Jane
glanced around and saw that most of the family was appalled. Brian always had all the answers. Brina looked concerned. It occurred to Jane that being an Adapter might actually be a burden sometimes.
Kemble cleared his throat
. “Well, we have to find a way around security. You probably know as much as anybody the arrangements that Knight, Inc. put in place for the exhibition.”
Jane was so proud of him. He had so much more courage than he gave himself credit for.
Brian looked relieved. “I do.” Then his brows creased. “It’s first-rate stuff. I made sure of that before I signed the contract with them.”
“
And if . . . I mean when we get past that, then there are the guards inside,” Michael muttered. “I could take them out, but. . . .”
“
We aren’t hurting anybody,” Brina said in a tone that said she would brook no contradiction. Brina looked at Michael’s expression, which Jane couldn’t see from where she was pouring coffee for Keelan and Devin. “I didn’t mean you wanted to hurt anyone, Michael,” Brina hastened to add. “But with all that Delta Force in your background—well, I just wouldn’t want there to be any accidents.”
“I think Michael stays here
with Drew,” Brian said. Jane saw Michael’s face fall. “I want to know that your skills are available to those not on our little expedition.”
“
Nobody counts my power for anything,” Maggie announced in a disgusted tone. “Or don’t you all remember that I can Calm people into a stupor without hardly even breakin’ a sweat? I can take care of the guards.”
“
Baby,” Tristram protested, “You aren’t going anywhere near that museum when we’re trying to play cat burglars at someplace locked up tighter than Fort Knox.”
“
Don’t you go protective man all over me, Tris Tremaine. We’re in this together.” Maggie might be all of five feet tall, but she was a force to be reckoned with and Tristram knew it.
Jane moved
around the table. Mr. Nakamura brought in a tray of cream and sugar with some shortbread cookies and some that looked like chocolate chip. Jane saw Tristram press his lips together. He was worried. Who wouldn’t be? He was about to say something more when Brian spoke up.
“
She’s right. She held those shadow things up at Pendragon’s at bay. Maggie, you’re in. Tristram, we’ll need you to make any weapons they have unusable, just as backup.”
Tristram looked relieved that he had a part to play.
“Too hot to handle, coming up.” He looked down at his spitfire little wife with love in his eyes. “Always been my specialty.”
Maggie rolled her eyes, but a half
smile hovered around her lips.
“
I don’t think I’ll be much help,” Devin said quietly. “If I draw the water, I risk ruining some pretty priceless art.”
“
Those Russian triptychs,” Keelan breathed in horror.
“
And the Book of Lindisfarne,” Brina added, sighing. “And the Codex Aureus of St. Emmeram.”
“
No. We can’t have that.” Brian had the last word, of course. “Sorry, Devin. You’re out. We’ll be taking only those that we absolutely need.” Devin’s face fell. “If something happens and we’re caught, you help Michael and Kemble hold the fort while Miles bails us out.”
“
I can just see us trying to explain this to Miles,” Kemble muttered. The thin line of his lips said he knew that he and Jane would also be relegated to staying behind. Without magic, what use were they? That would be hell for him. Jane, on the other hand, was glad Kemble wouldn’t be going, and felt guilty for that. She sat at the only empty seat and folded her hands in her lap. She was afraid they might shake if she didn’t.
Brian looked up suddenly.
“Kemble, you may be the answer to the security question. Can you hack the Knight, Inc. system? That may be the only way we can get around it. We’re not David Niven.”
“
David who?” came a chorus from Tamsen, Lanyon, Devin, and Keelan.
“
He played a daring jewel thief,” Brina said, smiling at Brian’s disconcerted expression.
“
Must have been in the Dark Ages,” Tamsen muttered.
“
The point is,” Brian continued, frowning at them, “we’re not proficient thieves. We’ll need all the help we can get, and that means circumventing the security system.”
“
You’re proficient at everything, aren’t you?” Keelan asked. She wasn’t being sarcastic. The family was used to depending on Brian to do everything well, know everything, be everything they needed him to be.
“
Too much at stake here, darling, not to use our most skilled resources, magic or not,” Brian said softly. “Everything I hold dear is at risk.”
“
So we’d have to shut it down,” Kemble muttered. “But they’ll have precautions up, safeguards. And they can’t know anyone has compromised their software or they’ll do something unpredictable, like change versions, or reverse hack us.”
Jane saw him thinking a mile
a minute. Her heart swelled. She loved seeing him valued for his contributions. And he still wouldn’t have to go to the museum.
Br
ian’s comment about risk sank in for everyone around the table at about the same time it dawned on Jane. Brian wasn’t just talking about some members of the family going to jail. Well, if no one would say it, she would. “You’re worried about the Clan.”
Brian’s piercing blue eyes
snapped over to her. “Yes,” he said after a moment. “They’ve been right behind us on the last two Talismans. They may be planning something similar now.”
“I thought they were in Athens,” Brina protested, indignant
. She probably thought she’d been misled about the safety of the outing.