Quiver of Cobras Page 4

  Rubus smiled again. ‘That’s why we’re going to bring back your memory. I need to know what’s inside that pretty little head of yours.’

  A complicated mixture of both dread and joy snaked through me. ‘You know how to get rid of my amnesia?’

  ‘Not yet,’ he answered. ‘But I know someone who might.’

  ***

  The remainder of our journey was conducted in silence. I debated asking about the mysterious Plan B but decided I’d already put too much effort into playing the role of loyal minion. I didn’t want to unravel all the goodwill that I’d established with Rubus. I was a super spy; I’d just have to spy to find out more. That way I could keep him sweet and save the world all at the same time. Go me.

  Unfortunately, when we finally arrived back at Rubus’s latest hideout, I was escorted to my small nondescript room without any opportunity for either sneaking or spying. It was hard to believe that I’d stayed here before on a regular basis. Not only was the room tiny but it had all the charm of a wart-covered bullfrog. Before I could protest, I was unceremoniously locked inside. Nope, Rubus definitely didn’t trust me yet.

  I lay down on the narrow bed and locked my hands beneath my head. Whatever my old self was really up to, it was clear she’d been playing the long game. Spying antics aside, I wasn’t sure I could be arsed with that; the long game could take decades. Sure, I’d been selfless and come here of my own volition when I could have escaped with Morgan but I had my limits. I’d been here for three days already and it was testing my patience. There had to be a way to stop Rubus in his tracks for good but he had to trust me first.

  I was drifting off to sleep, because every good villain needs a nap from time to time, when there was a faint knocking at the small window. Frowning, I opened my eyes and peered up. Several sycamore seeds had plastered themselves against the glass. I closed my eyes again. A moment later, I sprang upwards and opened the window so I could scoop them in.

  It wasn’t autumn yet.

  As soon as the seeds touched my skin, the tiny pods began to unfurl. I should have realised. I knew that Morgan had the power to command nature to his bidding; after all, he’d used dandelion seeds to track me when I’d been with Julie. This had to be something along the same lines. He’d obviously seen the error of his ways and was sending me a grovelling apology. I grinned when tiny pieces of paper appeared, each one in a tightly curled roll inside the pod. I unfolded each one eagerly and laid them out on the bedspread.

  The writing was miniscule. With only one word written on each piece of paper, I had to squint to read and it took some time to arrange the messages into an order that made sense. I’d been hoping that it would also tell me that the whole message would self-destruct in sixty seconds; alas, it simply stated that I should dispose of the paper before anyone noticed it. The rest of the message was equally disappointing.

  You are in danger. Rubus will test your loyalty. Be careful. A friend.

  I stared. Was this supposed to be news to me? I knew I was in danger; it didn’t take a genius of my level to realise that Rubus would go all out to make sure I was on his side and not Morgan’s and that I should take every care. What a bloody waste of time. I wasn’t even convinced that it was Morgan who’d sent the message. After all, he hadn’t apologised and hadn’t left any scribbled kisses for me to sigh over. And, thinking about it, he probably wouldn’t know which hideout Rubus was currently using or which window belonged to me.

  No, this was the work of a different Fey. The trouble was that I had no idea who. I tapped my mouth thoughtfully. I was going to gamble that it was someone in Rubus’s employ, someone who was a super spy like me and flying under the radar to stop Rubus’s nefarious plans. I’d have to keep my eyes peeled for anything suspicious.

  There was a sudden sharp knock at the door. I hastily scooped up the scraps and shoved them into my mouth, swallowing them down. The door swung open and one of my Fey buddies from the rooftop appeared. ‘He wants you,’ he said gruffly. ‘In the laboratory. He’ll meet you there shortly.’

  I stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of my clothes and smiling disarmingly. ‘I assume you’re going to escort me,’ I said. ‘I don’t know where the laboratory is. Does it contain a mad faery scientist? I certainly hope so.’

  The Fey didn’t blink but simply waited stoically. Honestly, these guys were no fun at all. I sighed melodramatically and gestured at him to lead the way. Without so much as a flicker of acknowledgment, he turned. Like any good little captive, I followed.

  ***

  I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting of somewhere ominously titled ‘the laboratory’. Steaming potions and a few cauldrons, perhaps. The reality was disappointingly mundane. There were a lot of shelves with a lot of vials and bottles and pretty colours. I recognised the pixie dust almost immediately but there was nothing else I could confidently name and none of the vials had identifying labels.

  I thought about what Artemesia, the apothecary Morgan had introduced me to, had suggested about her uncle’s over-reliance on his own knowledge. This had to be his place and, at least by its appearance, he seemed to know what he was doing.

  There were some herbs on a rack, tied up by their stems so they could dry out. There was even a workbench. It was spick and span and without a single speck of dust. There weren’t even any grinning skulls lying around.

  The Fey who’d escorted me left me at the door. In the absence of anyone else, I was free to wander around and inspect everything. I opened a few bottles and sniffed surreptitiously. Some of them smelled even worse than Rubus’s aftershave. There was no paper to be seen; neither were there any books.

  The fact that I’d been left here alone couldn’t be an accident. Perhaps this was the scenario my mysterious sycamore friend had been trying to warn me about but I couldn’t see why. Nothing in here was recognisable and, after my bout of rowan poisoning, I had a healthy suspicion of any strange potions or lotions. I hopped onto the nearest table and started swinging my legs.

  It was almost fifteen minutes before anyone joined me. When the door finally opened, I was so bored that I could have happily chewed off my fingers just to pass the time.

  I swung a head lazily in the direction of the incomer. A small bespectacled Fey, whose green eyes were magnified by his bottle-top lenses, edged in. He looked rather young to be Artemesia’s apothecary uncle. All the same, I played along. ‘Are you the mad scientist?’ I asked. ‘You’re wearing glasses, so I assume you’re intelligent.’ I glanced over him critically. ‘Your hair looks a bit too neat and tidy though.’

  I jumped off the table and wandered over to him then I reached up and mussed his brown fringe. The fact that he allowed me to do so was telling in itself.

  ‘N–no,’ he stammered, once I stepped back, satisfied with my hairdressing attempt. ‘I’m Galanthus. We’ve met. Many times.’

  ‘I have amnesia,’ I informed him. ‘I don’t remember anyone.’

  He lowered his voice and swung his eyes from side to side, as if double-checking that we were alone. I watched him carefully. Unless I was mistaken – which was unlikely – he was over-acting. ‘We’re friends,’ he said. ‘Good friends.’

  I beamed and opened my arms expansively. ‘Then we should hug!’ I reached forward, drawing him into a massive bear hug. He didn’t resist – but he did have the faintest lingering scent of Rubus’s aftershave clinging to him, like a dissipating cloud. Ha! I was right. This guy was a plant – and I didn’t just mean because of his daft faery name.

  I released him from my hold. ‘It’s so difficult to know who’s an ally and who’s not around here. I wish I could remember more.’ I trilled a laugh. ‘I wish I could remember anything.’

  He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. ‘There’s not much time,’ he told me. ‘I don’t want Rubus or anyone else to see me here. I had to take this opportunity to talk to you, though. We’ve been working together to bring him down. Even if you don’t remember, you’ll understa
nd how dangerous he is. I really work for Morganus.’ His eyes widened. ‘But don’t tell anyone.’

  ‘You work for Morgan?’ I repeated breathlessly.

  He nodded vigorously. ‘There’s a meeting tonight. It’s only a few streets away. If you can get out, you should come along.’

  I did my best to look disappointed. ‘I don’t think I can. They keep locking me in my room and I can’t remember how to use magic to open locks.’

  He pointed to one of the bottles nearby. ‘That’s dreadwort,’ he whispered. ‘It’s been imbued with magic. Take three sips and you’ll have the temporary ability to unlock any door. It’ll help you escape.’

  I raised my eyebrows and walked over to the green bottle. I had no way of knowing what it really contained so I simply nodded wisely. ‘Excellent! This is just what I need. How long does it last?’

  ‘At least a day. If you take some now, it’ll still be working tonight. We’re meeting Morganus on the corner of Prue Street and Leith Road. At midnight exactly.’ He gave me a final meaningful look and shuffled out again.

  I snorted. If this was the sort of test that Rubus was going to come up with, I reckoned I’d be back in his inner circle within hours rather than days.

  I wondered whether the green bottle contained a lethal poison and this was Rubus’s way of killing me while avoiding the strictures of the truce. I uncorked it and sniffed. It was completely odourless. Maybe it wasn’t poison at all; maybe it was nothing more dangerous than water. Either way, hell would freeze over and I’d ice skate a dance with the devil before I’d let any of it touch my lips.

  It wasn’t much longer before Rubus himself appeared. An older man hobbled behind him. No doubt this was Artemesia’s uncle in person – maybe he would have a way to cure my amnesia. As nervous as I was by the thought of what revelations might ensue, right now I decided I’d happily snog his thin chapped lips if he could. Amnesia could get rather tiresome after a while.

  ‘Ah,’ Rubus said. ‘Madrona. You’re here.’

  ‘You say that like you’re surprised to see me,’ I commented. ‘You did order me here. I was frogmarched all the way on your instructions.’

  He waved a dismissive hand. ‘One never knows what might happen. Not every command I issue is followed immediately.’

  There was no way that could be true. The arsebadger ran an extraordinarily tight ship. ‘Indeed,’ I said. ‘Or when you might have traitors who pop in and encourage me to flee this place at midnight for secret assignations with your brother. Honestly, between you and Morgan you’re supposed to be the better bet but if you can’t trust your own people then I’m not sure what I’m doing here. I want a general who keeps his troops in order.’

  Fury lit Rubus’s face before he quickly shuttered his expression. Hopefully my gibe would at least stop him from using his own people again to try and weasel betrayal out of me. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

  I shrugged. ‘Some Fey came in here, told me to drink that potion,’ I pointed out the offending bottle. ‘He said that I’d be able to walk through locked doors and sneak out to meet Morgan at midnight tonight.’ I gestured at myself. ‘Look at me! I need my beauty sleep! I’m not going anywhere at midnight.’

  Rubus looked me up and down. ‘Yes, you certainly need some sort of makeover. Have you put on weight?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘I can’t—’

  ‘—remember,’ he finished for me. ‘Yes, yes.’ He looked at me with malice. ‘What was the name of this supposed traitor?’

  ‘Galanthus,’ I said, without missing a beat. And then, because I was on a roll and needed to gain Rubus’s full trust, I glanced at the man behind him. ‘I suppose you’re Artemesia’s uncle. She really doesn’t like you very much.’

  This time there was real, not faked, surprise in both their expressions. ‘You’ve met her? Recently?’

  ‘Obviously it was recently,’ I drawled. ‘Morgan took me to her.’

  Artemesia’s uncle leaned forward. ‘Where is she?’

  ‘She seemed rather concerned about keeping her whereabouts secret from you,’ I told him.

  His face scrunched up. ‘Morgan has been filling her ear with evil whispers. She’s my family. She should be by my side.’

  ‘Because you want to protect her? Because you miss your niece and your family gatherings?’

  ‘No,’ he snapped. ‘Because she stole from me. She has several books of mine that I’d like back. Not to mention that I could do with a proper lab assistant. She has no right to set up in direct competition against me.’

  Well, I thought, at least he was being honest. I shrugged. Fair enough.

  I reckoned I was taking a calculated risk. It would speed me towards my goal of getting Rubus to trust me again, plus I was convinced that Artemesia would already have moved on. She’d been nervous enough that I’d blab about her location so she wouldn’t trust me to stay quiet, especially now that I was back in the villainous bosom of Rubus himself.

  ‘She has a shed,’ I said. ‘Or at least it looks like a shed from the outside. Inside it’s quite remarkable. It’s by the river.’ I outlined how Morgan and I had got there. ‘She’s probably gone by now though,’ I added. ‘She wasn’t very happy when I showed up and she made it quite clear that she’d have to up sticks to keep herself safe.’

  Rubus tutted. ‘Children these days.’ He looked at me assessingly. ‘That’s very helpful though, Madrona. Thank you.’

  I curtsied. Artemesia’s uncle turned to leave. ‘I’ll go now.’

  Rubus caught his arm. ‘I’ll send someone else, Carduus. If Artemesia is still there, she’ll run a mile if she sees you. Besides,’ he pointed at me, ‘Madrona needs help.’

  Never was a truer statement made. ‘I’ll need to take samples from her. Until I know what caused her amnesia, I’m unable to cure it.’ Carduus glared at me as if all this was my fault. ‘It wasn’t as a result of anything I gave her. I even checked my own supplies and potions. Nothing is missing.’

  That was something at least. I stretched out my arms. ‘Sample away.’

  ‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Rubus said. ‘Once you’re finished, Madrona, I’d appreciate it if you would fetch your soap-star friend for me.’ It was clear that he wasn’t making a request.

  I shrugged. ‘I’ll do my best.’

  ‘You’ll do better than that. I want to meet her.’ He placed his palms together and held them up to his lips as if in prayer. ‘I do hope it’s Stacey,’ he murmured to himself. ‘She’s my favourite.’

  Gasbudlikins. No wonder my career as Julie’s bodyguard hadn’t lasted more than two days. Her character was indeed Stacey. Instead of keeping her safe, I was virtually being asked to deposit her in the lap of an evil faery with delusions of grandeur.

  ‘Are you going off to punish Galanthus now?’ I enquired.

  Rubus appeared momentarily surprised. He’d forgotten all about the supposed traitor, proving once and for all that it had all been a set-up. ‘Yeah,’ he murmured unconvincingly. ‘He’s going to pay for what he’s done.’ He was halfway to the door before he turned and glanced at me. ‘By the way,’ he added, ‘before you got amnesia, you took a large quantity of pixie dust with you to sell. I’d like it back.’

  ‘I don’t have it now. I don’t know where it is.’

  Rubus shrugged. ‘I don’t care. Just find it.’

  He didn’t add ‘or else’ at the end of his sentence. Somehow he didn’t need to.

  Chapter Three

  After being prodded and poked by Carduus, along with being stuck by various needles and swabbed in some unmentionable places that I’d rather not think about again, I left the laboratory and made my way towards the main entrance. I was expecting at least one – if not more – Fey goons to fall into place alongside me. When my journey was uninterrupted and I was left alone, however, I allowed myself an imaginary high five.

  Rubus didn’t have any evidence that I had was involved with his missing sphere or t
he lost bogle. He didn’t even have any evidence that I trusted Morgan rather than him. It looked like I had been granted enough freedom to move around the city unhindered. I was still on a leash but it was one of those extendable ones rather than a choke collar. All to the good.

  I skipped along, pausing every so often to check my reflection in shop windows and car side-mirrors. As far as I could tell, I wasn’t being followed but that didn’t mean that Rubus hadn’t planted a darned dandelion-seed tracker on me. I shook out my hair and brushed down my clothes as best as I could but I couldn’t be sure that I was clean, no matter how much I wiggled around.

  It would be far safer to avoid going anywhere near Julie’s home. Anyway, at this time of day she was at work. With that thought in mind, I headed for the nearest taxi rank, slid into the front seat of the first cab and buckled up.

  ‘Where to?’ asked the driver. He was a friendly looking fellow with a shock of pure-white hair and a lot of laughter lines around his eyes.

  I gave him the name of the television studios. He bobbed his head and set off.

  Fortunately the traffic was light at that time of day and it took less than an hour to reach the studio gates. Along the way, the taxi driver and I exchanged the sort of typical inanities that passed for small talk.

  ‘Weather’s been good lately.’

  ‘Yep. It’s nice to have some sunshine for a change. Have you been busy?’

  ‘Ticking along. There are a lot of tourists at this time of year so I’ve not done too badly, especially with ferrying people to and from the airport.’

  ‘That’s good.’

  ‘Certainly is. Especially with all the doom-and-gloom news about tax rates rising.’

  ‘It’s all doom and gloom these days.’

  ‘Terrible, ain’t it? Did you see the bit about the Chinese place that went up in flames? I’ve driven the bloke who owned it. Nice bloke. Chen Lee, I think he was called.’

  I’d only been murmuring my responses and half paying attention until that point. Suddenly I sat upright. This had to be that freaky amnesia thing working again – the magic was trying to reassert natural order by leading me to where I needed to go.