The city was already stirring to life when the carriage arrived at Cordelia’s flat on Wicker Row. After the long night, the group was anything but lively.


    Cordelia and Elsbeth headed to the second-floor flat, leaving the boys to deal with the carriage. On returning, they would find a bakery and pick up something to quell their hunger. Elsbeth instructed Percy to keep Hex on track but didn’t expect them to return soon.


    The second-floor apartment was cold. One of the great windows stood open, letting in the morning’s chill and the sounds of the alley below. Corvus perched on the sill, his dark eyes watching as Elsbeth shut the door behind them.


    “In or out, Corvus?” she asked, grasping the frame. The bird squawked and flew to a perch by Cordelia’s desk. The desk was little more than towering shelves of books, each overflowing with loose notes and scraps of paper.


    Cordelia knelt by the hearth and scooped coal into the grate with practiced ease. She laid peat and crumpled paper atop the coal, struck a match against the hearthstone, and watched flames begin to crackle. The small fire offered little warmth but would suffice to heat water for tea. And coffee, Cordelia''s preferred indulgence.


    Elsbeth hung her coat by the door, regretting it immediately as the chill bit her through the second layer. She removed the shoulder-strap holster and placed it with the coat.


    Rubbing her arms as she crossed the room, she sank into the worn settee near the hearth. Cordelia headed for the pantry, the floor creaking beneath her bare feet. She shivered again as she pulled a blanket around her shoulders.


    “Must you walk around like that?” Elsbeth asked, eyeing the exposed calves beneath Cordelia’s raised hem.


    Cordelia smirked. “I live here.”


    “You might give Percy the wrong idea. You know how he gets around you.”


    Cordelia smirked, pouring water into two pots over the fire.


    “I do. But we have a bigger problem with Percy than his youthful exuberance.”


    Now it was Elsbeth’s turn to smirk. They both laughed as Cordelia joined her on the small settee, tucking her feet beneath her.


    “Percy is not an idiot. He will put two and two together—if he hasn’t already.”


    Elsbeth hesitated. Despite Percy’s status as a servant, he was family. He had always been the odd one out, yet always loyal. He deserved honesty.


    “What are you suggesting? We tell him everything?”


    Cordelia thought about this for a moment.


    “I don’t think we have any choice. He’ll feel like we don’t trust him if we don''t. And, if we get ourselves into a situation—”


    “Like being chased by a cab in the dead of night?” Elsbeth interrupted.


    Cordelia nodded. “Exactly. He becomes a liability if he doesn’t know what’s happening.”


    “And if something happens to him, we’ll never forgive ourselves,” Elsbeth said.


    Cordelia nodded. “And let’s be honest. We need him. He’s another pair of hands we can trust. That’s not something we can buy.”


    "I’m not sure this is a trust issue. He’s not exactly eager about what we do. He doesn’t share Hex’s devil-may-care attitude. He doesn''t want to know."


    Cordelia’s grin turned wicked. “Let me worry about that. I have a way with him.”


    Elsbeth deadpanned. "I''m sure you do."


    Cordelia leaned back, eyes half-lidded with exhaustion. “Besides, he got the best view of the growler. We need to know what he saw.”


    Elsbeth doubted he had seen much. He had likely spent the entire episode clinging to the carriage. Eyes squeezed shut, whispering prayers through trembling lips.


    Their discussion about the mysterious growler was important. But right now, all she wanted was for the kettle to boil.


    Tea first. Answers later.


    <hr>


    The tantalizing scent of hot sausage rolls filled the room. Percy carried a small package tied with string. Elsbeth hoped it contained Chelsea buns.


    Percy looked annoyed, and Elsbeth caught Hex’s mischievous grin. As usual, Hex had been teasing him mercilessly. Their dynamic was as predictable as it was amusing, and despite herself, she gave a small smile. After everything that had happened, seeing some semblance of normalcy was reassuring.


    Hex pulled a chair beside the small sofa and handed Elsbeth a sausage roll wrapped in brown paper. Her stomach growled in response, but she hesitated, waiting for the others to gather.


    “Percy has the jelly tarts,” Hex said through a mouthful of food. “Three raspberry, three strawberry, and two plum. I’d say I made an excellent choice.”


    “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Elsbeth chided, hiding her disappointment. Next time, she would instruct him to get Chelsea Buns.


    “Someone’s tired,” Hex grumbled, taking another large bite of the sausage roll.


    Cordelia returned with two cups and carefully poured tea for Hex. Her movements were slow and precise to avoid stirring the leaves.


    Percy lingered near the kitchen table, clutching his hat.


    “Will it be tea or coffee, Percy?” Cordelia inquired, her voice warm, though touched with unmistakable amusement.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Percy hesitated. “Coffee, if you please.”


    Cordelia poured the steaming liquid into a cup and handed it to Percy.


    “Pull up a chair, Percy, right next to me.”


    Her tone was soft and lilting, a voice that made Percy’s ears burn. He complied, dragging the chair over with a loud scrape of wood against the floor. He sat close to the fire but not so close to Cordelia. Though enchanted by her, some instinct kept him wary, like prey sensing the spider’s web.


    With everyone settled, Elsbeth finally allowed herself to eat. The greasy pastry was warm and satisfying, the perfect antidote to the long, cold night. She sighed as warm food filled her, the tension in her shoulders easing.


    Tired and dirty, after the warm meal, sleep wouldn’t be far behind. They needed to discuss the night’s events, and it couldn’t wait any longer.


    <hr>


    Cordelia opened the discussion with a question.


    "Did the growler follow us from Widdershire?"


    Percy hesitated before deferring to Hex.


    "It came from a road that leads to a farm near Acton. The road behind us was clear when we left Widdershire. Then, right after we passed the farm road, it appeared. That’s correct, is it not, Percy?"


    Percy nodded. "I observed nothing until we were past Widdershire. When it did appear, it was moving at an alarming pace. At first, I thought it was a hackney cab, but now I''m certain it was a private carriage."


    Elsbeth spoke up.


    "The Miller farm belonged to an elderly couple who recently died. With no heirs and years of unpaid taxes, the property defaulted to the Crown. Two weeks ago, it was leased through an agency. The agency declined to disclose the tenant''s identity.”


    Everyone turned to stare at her.


    Elsbeth had extensive knowledge about many subjects. But this information seemed oddly specific and relevant.


    "What?" she said, uncomfortable under their stares.


    Her mouth made a clicking noise.


    "Father mentioned it not long ago. An associate of his conducted the post-mortem. He remarked upon the peculiar circumstances of their deaths. Father passed the information to me, likely expecting I''d tell Cee. I investigated but found nothing noteworthy. I have watched the matter, which is how I became aware of the recent lease.


    The other three exchanged knowing looks but remained silent.


    Cordelia shook her head, though she was hardly surprised.


    "Percy, you''re sure the carriage was pursuing us?"


    Percy shifted in his seat. "They weren''t out for a casual pre-dawn stroll. If Hex hadn''t urged the horses on, they would have overtaken us in less than a minute."


    Then, hesitating, Percy added, "That smoke slowed them down."


    He glanced at Elsbeth, hoping she wouldn''t explain the exact nature of the effect. When it came to the two women, his curiosity died a quick death—'' ignorance is bliss'' was his motto.


    "Smoke bombs. Of my invention," Elsbeth said, pride clear in her voice.


    Cordelia brought them back to the core issue.


    "So, the carriage joined the road from the farm, then pursued us toward Uxbridge Road and London. The only questions that matter—who were they, and what did they want?"


    Hex offered a suggestion. "Could be they were pressed for time—or a band of highwaymen eager for an easy mark?"


    "Highwaymen might explain their retreat as we approached the city," Elsbeth said.


    Hex and Cordelia nodded, weighing this theory.


    "Or," Elsbeth added, "the sun was breaking. Did they find a cause for concern?"


    It was something she immediately regretted saying. The look on Hex''s face told her everything she needed to know. Despite all they had seen and heard, the mere possibility of vampires struck him as absurd.


    "What now? Are you saying Varney himself pursued us?"


    Elsbeth snapped back, "Varney the Vampire? As if I would lower myself to reading such rubbish as penny dreadfuls." She continued with aristocratic disdain. "If anything, I prefer Polidori''s Lord Ruthven. It’s far more refined. The vampire character reflects Lord Byron himself.”


    Elsbeth didn''t like feeling ridiculed, even if she deserved it.


    "Let''s be honest, vampires are the vain invention of decrepit men. Forever preying upon and betraying innocent young women. Nothing but lewd seduction leading to a lady''s ruin. It''s all thinly veiled vice—utterly indecent if you ask me."


    "So you do read them?" Hex said, arching an eyebrow.


    Elsbeth shrugged, a slight smile playing at the corner of her lips.


    "Only in the privy," she said, "then I use them to—"


    She left the statement unfinished, letting their imaginations do the work.


    Hex laughed. "Fitting, I suppose."


    Percy stared at the cold cup of coffee clutched in his hands. Then, he spoke, immediately regretting it.


    "That''s not why they stopped."


    They turned their heads, waiting. Percy groaned. Why hadn’t he held his tongue?


    "Well—" he began, then stopped.


    He settled back into his chair, the color draining from his face. His hands trembled as he tightened his grip on the cup, unwilling to look up.


    Cordelia’s voice softened. “What is it, Percy? You may speak freely.”


    "You’ll think me mad,” he muttered, his gaze fixed on his cup, unwilling to meet their eyes.


    Cordelia caught Hex''s eye, her meaning unmistakable. Say something.


    Hex cleared his throat. “Look here, Percy. You''d also call me mad if I told you what I saw last night. Whatever it was, we must know.”


    Percy inhaled, weighing his options. If he told them the truth, they would laugh—or worse, they would believe him. Percy looked up. They had all been through something last night. He could see it written on their faces. The faces of his friends. If he couldn’t trust them, he couldn’t trust anyone.


    Before he could begin, Corvus squawked as if commanding him to speak.


    “Blasted bird,” he grumbled, waving a hand at the annoying raven.


    He looked at Hex, who gave him a firm nod.


    And so, with an exhale, he began. The words were hesitant at first, then came tumbling out in a steady stream.


    “It happened right after we hit Uxbridge Road. The growler had fallen behind, thanks to Corvus and the smoke. I’d juststarted to relax when I felt something brush my leg.


    “At first, I thought it was a branch, but when I looked—” He swallowed. “Something was climbing the rail.”


    He paused, his breath coming in shallow gasps.


    Cordelia leaned in. “Describe it.”


    Percy’s grip tightened around his cup.


    “Black as tar. Featureless but shifting like it was deciding what shape to take. Clawed fingers—first two, then three, then four. No eyes, empty sockets, but I swear it was watching me.”


    His jaw clenched as he recalled the terror of that moment.


    “I kicked it with all my strength. It tumbled from the rail onto the road. The growler stopped soon after—I can only assume to retrieve it.”


    More silence.


    "That''s all that happened. It was over in seconds, and it was terrifying."


    Cordelia put her hand on Percy''s knee.


    “You were brave, Percy. You saved us all from that thing. I dare not think what might have happened had you not been there.”


    Percy looked at her in shock. Cordelia thought him brave. All he had felt was terror.


    “I—I am glad to have helped. I should never wish harm to come to you or Miss Elsbeth. But I did not feel brave. I only felt frightened.”


    Hex exhaled. “Courage isn’t the absence of fear, Percy. It’s standing against it despite wanting to run.”


    Percy wasn’t sure he believed that. The mere thought of that creature getting inside the carriage made him ill. Percy doubted his courage. Yet, he knew he would never forgive himself if any harm came to Cordelia or Elsbeth. But then, as he looked around the room, something else struck him.


    Not one of them looked surprised.


    None of them looked as though they doubted a word he had said.


    His stomach turned.


    “You already know what that thing is, don’t you?”


    Cordelia sat back, pressing her lips together.


    “Not exactly,” she admitted. “We know pieces of the truth, but we do not yet grasp the whole of it. Rest assured, there is more to discuss after we get some sleep.”


    Elsbeth stretched, rubbing her temples. “Right. Sleep. We’ll talk later.”


    Cordelia yawned, pulling a blanket over her head.


    “Everyone get some rest. There’s much left to figure out.”


    Exhausted, they each found a comfortable resting spot. Their sleep was restless, hampered by visions of the revived boy, the threat of a creature lurking in the shadows, and the pursuit of a mysterious carriage.