Page 81 of Arcane Entanglement
Evander flushed and moved out of Viggo’s arms. Viggo released him reluctantly and frowned at the inspector.
“Thanks for coming to help, Viggo,” he said sarcastically. “I really appreciate you saving my ass back there.”
“What?” Confusion wrinkled Rufus’s brow.
Evander sighed.
The inspector finally understood Viggo’s jibe and had the grace to look contrite.
“Oh. Yes, er, thanks.” Suspicion clouded Rufus’s face all over again. “Whyareyou here anyway?”
Viggo cursed under his breath.
Evander intervened. “What’s our status?”
“Most of the mages escaped,” Rufus said grimly. “But we managed to capture two of the ones they were controlling.”
Surprise jolted Viggo. “You did?”
Evander stared. “How?”
“Their shadow manipulation wasn’t enough to make all of them vanish. The pair we’ve taken into custody reappeared after you left the building. They’re unconscious, but alive.”
Viggo’s scalp prickled at the name of the dark magic ability the mages had used. It was clear Evander and Rufus had come across it before in their line of work.
“What of our men?” Evander asked tensely.
“There are no serious injuries among them, thank God.” The inspector blew out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
“And Constable Weir?”
Rufus’s expression softened a little at the concern clouding Evander’s face.
“He’ll be fine once he sees a healer. Those cuts might leave scars though.”
“Better he lives with scars than be six feet under,” Evander muttered. “Have Griffiths take the mages back to headquarters.” A muscle twitched in his cheek. “And make sure no one touches the cursed gems on their neck. I want Mrs. Scarborough to examine those devices as soon as possible."
A heavy silence fell between them as the sun began to set over the scarred buildings of the slum, casting their shadows across the church yard.
Viggo could almost see the wheels turning in Evander's mind, piecing together the puzzle of what had happened here.
“We need to regroup,” Evander said in a preoccupied tone. “This incident changes everything. We're dealing with something far more dangerous and coordinated than we initially thought.”
Unease tightened Viggo’s gut at his words.
“You suspect there’s an organisation behind this?”
Evander hesitated before bobbing his head, his expression troubled.
“Possibly. Or someone extremely determined who has a definite objective in mind. One that goes well beyond murdering a Charm Weaver.” Frustration underscored his voice. “What that goal is we don’t yet know.”
“I’ll have our men secure the area and take statements from witnesses who might know what went on in that church,” Rufus grunted.
Viggo frowned. “What's your next move?”
“We go back to the beginning.” Evander looked from Viggo to Rufus, his jaw setting in a hard line. “Alastair Millbrook’s workshop. There has to be something we missed there, some clue as to what that vial is and why they want it so badly.”
The mage hesitated a moment before squaring his shoulders and turning to Viggo.
