The Lost Heir (The Gryphon Chronicles, Book 1) (30 page)

Dani looked at him anxiously, but they got back on the horse. A short while later, Derek reined in before the stately Everton House in Richmond-upon-Thames.

It sat on the riverbank, but across the street from one of those fenced-in garden squares, like a private park for the wealthy residents of the square. The park gate was open, so Dani agreed to hide in there among trees and shrubs. Derek tied up his horse nearby.

“Be careful,” Dani warned.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said with a smile. “Just stay out of sight. This won’t take long.”

She nodded and watched him march across the street to where Jake’s uncle lived in solitary splendor.

The man Jake swore had tried to kill him.

As Dani watched the house, she was puzzled by the busy goings-on outside the mansion. The place swarmed with activity. Half a dozen men had stationed themselves just outside the wrought-iron gates of Waldrick’s property, including one with a bulky camera on a tripod.

Reporters?
Well, that made sense, considering Henry had brought the announcement to the newspapers, on Lady Bradford’s orders. The story was to run today, Dani remembered. Maybe the thought of sudden fame was part of what had made Jake run away.

If he had run away.

The reporters tried to talk to Derek, but he waved them off, walking through the gates when they were opened for one of the delivery wagons coming and going.

Dani saw the wagon dropping off loads of flowers. The servants carried the bouquets in through the side door. Another cart brought in cases of champagne. A third arrived at the portico’s side door, delivering an endless stream of bakery boxes, including one towering white box that surely contained a tall, fancy cake. It seemed like they were getting ready for some sort of party.

Meanwhile, Derek marched up to the front door and banged on it, his rugged fist encased in his usual black, fingerless gloves. He squared his shoulders while another carriage drove under the portico. Musicians climbed out carrying their odd-shaped instrument cases.

Then the front door opened; Dani had a good view into the house. The butler welcomed him in, and Derek warily stepped inside. Just before the skinny butler closed the door, Dani glimpsed a familiar figure in the entrance hall.

Jake!

She would know the shape of his wavy forelock anywhere, and when he flipped his hair out of his eyes with that familiar toss of his head, she just ran.

She couldn’t hold herself back. She was stunned to find him here of all places, but she was so relieved to see him! Dashing across the street, she didn’t stop and think or heed Derek’s orders. Jake was in there; she had to see him up close for herself and make sure he was all right.

The reporters called to her but she ignored them, barreling through the open gates, dodging around the wagons that were leaving after dropping off their goods.

She pounded up the dainty path to the front door and didn’t even knock. Without asking anyone’s permission—indeed, quite like Jake would do—she grasped the handle of the front door and burst into the mansion.

“Jake!”

To her dismay, no one paid her any attention, not even to protest. Uniformed servants were dashing about cleaning every visible surface with the utmost efficiency; others rearranged the furniture and decorated the fireplace mantel with candles and flowers.

Neither Jake nor Derek were now in sight.

“Excuse me—” she started, but the servants rushed right past her. They seemed awfully funny, and on second glance, she noticed they looked remarkably alike, as if there was one set mold for the maids and one for the footmen. Remembering the role that magic had played in changing the servants at Griffon Castle, she instantly suspected some sort of mischief here. All that mattered was that they showed no interest in trying to stop her.

She pressed on, checking each room she passed for Jake. Where had he gone?

Then she heard Derek’s voice, relieved but exasperated, echoing from a room ahead at the end of the gleaming marble hallway.

“How could you scare me like this? You had no right to run off like that! Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been? We’ve been looking for you everywhere!”

Following the sound, Dani stepped into Waldrick’s morning room. Sunshine streamed in through high, arched windows. Straight ahead, Derek’s back was to her. He stood before the table by the window, where Jake sat across from the sinister gentleman that Dani instantly recognized from that day at Covent Garden Market when all this had begun.

He and his nephew were both casually sitting there like old chums, sipping their cups of morning tea.

Jake appeared in fine health, a plate of breakfast food before him. He was neat and clean and dressed like a miniature version of Waldrick.

But something about his eyes looked…weird.

“Mr. Stone, if you care about my nephew as much as you claim, perhaps you shouldn’t have forced a young peer of the realm to shovel compost like some sort of peasant,” Waldrick Everton was saying. “Oh, yes. The poor lad told me all about it when he arrived here last night.”

“Jake, we talked about your punishment,” Derek said with frustration in his voice. “It was for your own good.”

Dani approached, still unnoticed.

Waldrick was shaking his head. “You always were a barbarian, Stone. You nearly let some brute called Magnus murder him yesterday—oh, yes, he told me all about that, too. But instead of showing compassion, you burden him with punishments! Shoveling compost? An unthinkable indignity for a young gentleman of his station! No wonder he decided he’d be better off with me.”

“Dani!” Jake blurted out, glancing over at her.

The two men also turned, and Derek glowered. “I told you to wait!”

“Well, well. If it isn’t Jake’s little friend.”

Bravely, Dani advanced into the room. She kept staring at Jake. Deep in his blue eyes, she could’ve sworn she saw panic and a plea for help. But this did not at all match his calm, outward expression.

“Tell me her name, Jake.”

“Daniela Catherine O’Dell,” he replied in a monotone.

“O’Dell?” Waldrick wrinkled his nose. “This won’t do a’tall.”

“Waldrick,” Derek warned quietly.

“I will not have my nephew tainted by such low associations. He knows he has to make a clean break from his unfortunate former life. Henceforth, he must reserve his friendship for children…on his own level.”

Dani looked at Waldrick, aghast. “He’s my best friend!”

“Was, my dear. So sorry. Run along now. My butler will give you a coin for your pains. Flickers! Goodbye, you young, bedraggled creature.”

“Waldrick,” Derek repeated, leaning closer.

“Jacob, tell this guttersnipe to go away. You will meet more suitable boys and girls of your class at the ball tonight.”

“Dani, go,” Jake intoned, not looking at her.

She stared at him in shock, barely able to draw a breath as she realized why he was doing this. He was still angry at her for telling on him yesterday.

But holding a grudge this long was unlike him! “Jake, I said I was sorry.”

Derek turned and also tried to reason with him. “Jake, however angry you may be at Dani for telling on you, or at me for doling out consequences, you must know we only did those things because we care about you.”

“Oh, really?” Waldrick interjected with a cool smile. “The way you cared about his parents, Stone?”

Derek’s face went ashen as he stared at Waldrick.

“If you cared so much about your dear friends, Jacob and Elizabeth, you would not have arrived too late when that deranged Hobbes came to murder them. I shall never understand it. Were you at a pub? Too busy with one of your vulgar female admirers to heed your Guardian instincts?”

Waldrick looked away, idly stirring his tea. “Whatever your excuses, you completely failed in your duty to save my brother and his wife, and now you want me to entrust you with their son’s safety, as well? I think not. You’ve ‘helped’ this family quite enough, Derek Stone. Leave us, and go crawl back under the rock where you’ve been hiding these eleven years. I’ll be taking care of Jacob myself.”

Derek wore a sickened look of shock, like a man who had just been run through with a sword.

He dropped his head. His voice was barely audible. “I-I’m so sorry, Jake. He’s right. It’s my fault. They counted on me. I should’ve been there.”

Dani stepped up beside the warrior and took his hand. “How can you say it’s your fault? I’m sure it’s not!”

“Are you still here?” Waldrick asked in irritation.

That does it!
Dani thought with her Irish rising up in her. She’d had enough insults about her lower birth. And as for Derek, well, it was time somebody stood up to defend the Guardian, she thought. She released his hand and leaned toward Waldrick, thrusting her finger right in his haughty face. “I don’t know what you’re up to, Mister, but you don’t fool me. Jake told me you tried to kill him that first day you came to the market looking for him! Don’t try to deny it—I saw you there myself!”

He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t go there to harm him, you silly chit. I only went to try to bring him home. The boy misunderstood my intentions. Goodness me, if I had any ill intentions toward the lad, why would we be sitting here enjoying a nice breakfast together, let alone my spending a fortune on a Welcome Home Ball tonight to celebrate his safe return? Sorry, but neither of you are invited,” he added with a bland smile.

Dani brushed off the hurt of this. “I heard you tell your men to hunt him down!”

“What are you talking about? This child is lying,” he said to Derek.

“You’re the one who’s lying!” Dani glared at Waldrick in suspicion, while Jake just sat there like a lump.

“How dare you speak to your betters that way, you impertinent flea? I am Jacob’s legal guardian. He’s staying here with me—of his own free will! Tell them, Jacob.”

Jake stared at Derek almost sorrowfully.

“I said, tell him!” Waldrick snapped.

“I am incredibly happy to be here and grateful to my uncle for rescuing me,” Jake intoned in a flat voice, his blank stare fixed straight ahead. “I wish to remain here forever with my wonderful uncle who cares about me.”

Dani gasped while Derek looked at Waldrick. “What have you done to him?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“That’s the most un-Jake-like sentence that ever came out of his mouth!” Dani grabbed Jake’s shoulder and shook him. “Wake up! What’s wrong with you?” she demanded.

Jake said nothing.

“Snap out of it! Jake! Can you hear me?”

He shrugged her off. “Of course. Let go of me,” he mumbled, sounding at least a little like himself.

“You’ve put a spell on him!” she cried.

“Young lady! Honestly,” said Waldrick, rubbing his brow. “Unlike Jake, I do not have any magic, as all the world knows. Now it’s time for you to go.”

“Waldrick, so help me, if you’ve put this boy under some kind of spell—”

“Stone, that is a foolish and unkind accusation. You know I don’t have the power.”

“His eyes are all glazed!” Dani yelled.

“Lack of sleep,” said Waldrick. “Plus a few tears shed after all the trials he’s suffered, poor thing.”

“Tears? Jake doesn’t cry! He’s a rookery kid!”

“I already told you, missy—”

“Why don’t you let the boy speak for himself?” Derek growled.

“That’s just it,” Waldrick said, tossing his napkin aside and rising from his chair. “He doesn’t wish to talk to either of you. He’s through with you both! And I can’t say I blame him. This conversation has grown tedious. Please leave. My nephew and I have much to do to prepare for tonight’s festivities.”

Neither Derek nor Dani moved an inch, holding their ground. She folded her arms across her chest. “We’re not leaving without him.”

Waldrick sighed and sat down again with an air of boredom. “Jacob, show your visitors to the door. I’ve tried to ask politely, but they insist on making a nuisance of themselves.”

“Yes, Uncle.” Jake stood slowly and walked past them toward the doorway.

Dani followed, her heart pounding. “I don’t know what he’s done to you, but you belong with us!”

“It’s time for you to leave,” Jake repeated his uncle’s words. He lifted his hand, palm up, his fingers outstretched.

Suddenly Dani and Derek found themselves levitated off the floor, floating toward the exit.

“Jake!” Dani cried.

“Put us down this instant!” Jake ignored the warrior’s orders, which just made Derek angrier. “Let me down, you insolent pup!” Derek tried to fight it, but there was nothing to shove against but thin air.

“Don’t worry, Jake! Whatever he’s done to you, we’ll save you!” Dani cried, but Jake’s stare was as cold as Waldrick’s as he walked slowly toward the entrance hall.

With his hand extended, he floated them toward the front door like two hot-air balloons. He opened the front door with a magical wave of his other hand, then sent them whooshing through it, and dropped them in a heap out on the lawn.

“Goodbye,” he uttered in a deadened monotone, and then slammed the door by magic.

Dani and Derek picked themselves up off the ground and dusted themselves off. “He’s enchanted!”

“I noticed.”

“But how, if Waldrick has no powers? What are we going to do now?”

Derek shook his head, then pushed his hand through his hair. “Normally I’d go in there and grab him. But he’s got that blasted telekinesis, so how can I get near him? He’s totally under his uncle’s control.”

“We can’t just leave him like that!”

“At least we know where he is now. He seems safe for the moment, and with that party tonight, Waldrick can’t do anything to him in front of a house full of guests. Come on, Dani-girl. We’ve got to get to Beacon House and find a cure. Or would you rather I take you home to your family now?” he offered.

“Crikey, no! I mean—you’re sure to need my help,” she informed him.

“Aye,” Derek answered, and he very nearly smiled.