The Dark Remains - Mark Anthony [163]
Grace said nothing as she tucked the necklace back beneath her sweater.
The limousine came to a stop. Farr asked Travis one more question Deirdre couldn’t quite hear. There was so much they hadn’t had time to learn about Travis’s and Grace’s experiences. And now, if their plan worked, they would be losing their two prize subjects. What kind of Seeker was she?
Then again, lately she wondered if she was still a Seeker at all. There had still been no word from the Philosophers. True, Farr had won them a dispensation in this case; they didn’t need to ask the Philosophers for approval for their actions. All the same, the silence felt … strange. Back at the hotel, when Deirdre had called the Charterhouse in London, Sasha had seemed oddly rushed on the phone, her voice clipped, as she explained there was still no message for Deirdre or Hadrian from the Seekers’ governing body.
You’re doing the right thing, Deirdre. It’s better to let them go than let Duratek capture them.
Only it was more than that. Travis and Grace wanted to return to the world they called Eldh. And who in this world was Deirdre to tell them they couldn’t go? Maybe the question wasn’t what kind of Seeker she was, but what kind of human being.
The limo door opened, sunlight flooded in. A lithe, black silhouette stood against the glare.
“We are here,” Vani said.
Deirdre climbed out and waited on the sidewalk as the others followed. Farr shut the limousine’s door, and together they entered a dim storefront.
Cool chimes sounded as the door shut behind Deirdre. The sound of wind and birdsong floated on fragrant air, and for a second she believed she had once again found herself in an impossible forest. Then she saw small stereo speakers mounted on the walls, and the wire that suspended the gnarled branches from the ceiling.
A waterfall of blue beads clacked, parted.
“Well,” a husky voice said, “it’s about time you’re all here. There’s trouble in the cards.”
And dark fingers beckoned them deeper with long, red nails.
55.
They gathered in a cozy room behind the shop. Small windows were covered with heavy velvet, and the only light came from candles positioned all around. On a round table, carved with mystic symbols, tarot cards were laid out in an intricate pattern. Deirdre knew it was nearly noon in the outside world, but here, in this room, she had a feeling it was always midnight.
“Marji,” Grace said with a tentative smile. “It’s good to see you again.”
Marji laughed, her teeth brilliant against her ruby lips. “Of course it is, queen. But didn’t I tell you we’d meet again? It’s fate—there’s no denying it. Now sit down, everyone. I know we have lots to chat about.”
The drag queen Marji made a sweeping gesture with a lean, dark arm, and as if the motion had the power of a spell, Deirdre found herself sitting along with the others.
Marji stood above the last empty chair. She wore an improbable ensemble consisting of a chartreuse minidress, a sequined, short-sleeved evening jacket, and a choker of gigantic faux pearls. Deirdre felt a slight twinge of envy. She had never looked that much like a girl in her life.
“I’ve gathered you here today,” Marji said ominously, “to read you the last will and testament of your greatgrandfather, lately deceased.”
Five pairs of eyes stared.
Marji stifled a laugh, then sat, adjusting her jacket demurely. “Sorry. I’ve always wanted to say that.”
Farr glowered at her. “Really, madam, this is no time for jests. We have items we need to purchase, then we need to be on our way.”
“Well, I see someone’s put on the dark and brooding just a little thick today.” Marji coiled a hand beneath her chin, purple eyelids drooping. “It’s cute on you, sugar, but I bet Sister Marjoram could turn that frown upside down.”
Deirdre clamped her jaw to keep from laughing. Farr muttered something incomprehensible and looked away. A small vein throbbed at his temple.
Vani leaned over the table, studying the cards. “These look like T’hot cards. You are an oracle, then.”
Marji gave a delicate shrug. “I have a gift. But I’ve never