She gave me a disdainful look. ‘Of course it’s good. What else do I have to do all day but to learn the latest lingo?’
I coughed. ‘Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be rude.’
‘I’ll let it go, young man.’ She frowned at me. ‘But you’re not a man, are you? You’re a shifter.’
I inclined my head. ‘I am. My name is Corrigan. I’m the Lord Alpha of the Brethren.’
She laughed uproariously. ‘Of course you are!’
‘Is that funny?’ I frowned.
‘No,’ she said, wiping her eyes, ‘it’s just you don’t seem the type.’
My eyes narrowed. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Corrigan.’ Leah touched my arm.
I nodded. She was right. We weren’t here to discuss me. I took a deep breath and changed the subject, bowing slightly to indicate my respect. ‘I am here to request knowledge.’
‘I’d suspected as much.’ She leaned over and looked at the bag of burgers which Leah was still holding. ‘Can I have one of those?’
‘I thought you didn’t like them.’
She patted her stomach. ‘It’s not my body, is it? In the absence of any stuffed dormice, they’ll have to do. Besides, I’m rather partial to the gherkins.’
I was beginning to get the impression that the old Queen was rather mercurial. I’d have to tread carefully. In my experience, the more changeable a person was, the more likely they were to take unbridled offence at an innocuous comment. ‘Please,’ I said, offering her the one I was holding, ‘have mine.’
Without a word, she took it from me and began stuffing it into her mouth. It disappeared in three bites. It took almost everything I had to keep my expression bland. When she was done, she let out a loud belch. ‘That’s better,’ Boudicca said. ‘Now tell me, what is it you wish to know?’
I got to the point. ‘There’s an object that’s causing some problems. We are aware it was in the Romans’ possession for some time and thought you might be able to shed some light on it.’
‘Romans? Hah! I showed them, didn’t I? Where are the Romans now? Eh?’
Leah stared at her. ‘In Rome.’
I jabbed her with my elbow. ‘You did indeed show them,’ I said. ‘You were an esteemed warrior who lives on even now. Many a young girl nowadays wishes they could have your strength and wisdom.’
‘Pah!’ Boudicca said, although there was a pleased gleam in her eye. ‘What is this object?’
‘It’s called the Palladium. It’s a...’
‘Statue of Athena.’ She nodded. ‘I know of it. So it’s still around? Interesting.’
‘We’ve heard,’ I said, ‘that it has no power.’
Her eyes gleamed. ‘Have you now?’
‘Is that not true?’ I asked, worry suddenly gnawing at me. If there was more to this Palladium than we knew, then leaving it in the vampires’ possession could be a very bad thing indeed.
‘That depends on your point of view,’ she told me airily. ‘It came from Troy, you know.’
‘I’d heard that.’
She tilted her head to one side and regarded me thoughtfully. ‘Did you know it caused Troy’s downfall?’
I stiffened. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Just that. It was said that as long as the Palladium remained safely within the walls of the Trojan city, they would remain undefeated. So naturally Odysseus stole it. I’m sure you are aware of the rest.’
I rubbed my chin. It was a prophecy that had echoes with modern day Britain and the crows of the Tower of London. I thought of Corux as further vestiges of concern trickled through me. ‘Why did the Romans want it?’
‘Why did the Romans want anything?’ she scoffed, repeating Staines’ words about the wraith almost verbatim. ‘They took whatever they wished.’ She touched her chest, a pained expression crossing her face as if she were remembering old wounds.
‘Did they give it to the vampires?’
‘Eaters of blood? Why would they be interested in it?’ Her eyes took on a thoughtful cast. ‘Although it does have tinges of death attached to it that...’ her voice trailed off and she shook herself. ‘It’s of no matter.’
‘Death?’ I asked alarmed. That wasn’t good. ‘Can you elaborate?’
‘Why?’ Boudicca hissed with a sudden spark of anger. ‘Are you afraid of dying?’
‘No. I just...’
‘No warrior should fear the Underworld. What kind of leader are you?’ She gazed heavenward. ‘The shapeshifters are different now than in my day.’
I stiffened. ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘we are. Because nothing can remain static. If you don’t move with the times then...’
‘Pah!’ she exclaimed again. Her body trembled. She raised up her arms as if to attack.
‘Corrigan!’ Leah said warningly.
‘Wait,’ I told her.
A heartbeat later, the hard expression was gone and Beulah fell forward. I only just managed to catch her in time.
‘Oh, that was awful.’ She straightened up and brushed herself down with a visible shiver. ‘What did you say to annoy the Queen?’
‘I don’t think she thought much of my warrior side,’ I said.
Beulah nodded. ‘She can be like that.’ She smacked her mouth and stuck out her tongue in a moue of disgust. ‘Good grief! What have I been eating?’
Rather than tell the banshee the truth, I simply shrugged. She rolled her eyes. ‘Did you get what you needed?’
I nodded. ‘I have to get back to London right now.’ I couldn’t shake my concern about the similarities between the Palladium and Troy, and the ravens and the Tower. Not to mention that at this point I wouldn’t put anything past the damn vampires.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Considering the hour, I’d been expecting the Tower of London to be shrouded in darkness. Instead it was lit up, highlighting its apparent impregnability against the night sky. While the lights were certainly placed to make the tourist hot spot look appealing, to me they actually made the entire edifice all the more imposing. I snuck past a pair of young policemen berating a group of drunk youths and headed up towards the main gate. Getting inside might prove to be a problem. Anywhere that housed the country’s crown jewels was hardly going to be a piece of cake, of course.
I circled my way round, dodging the odd few Beefeaters posted at strategic points. I needed some sort of weak point. Unfortunately, the entrance Leah and I had used the first time around at the Front Gate was pretty much my only option. I frowned up at it. It probably wasn’t much higher than twenty feet. Challenging – but not impossible. Maybe it would be wiser to wait until daytime, and return with an actual ticket in my hand. After speaking to Boudicca, however, my hackles were fully raised. I wanted to speak to Corux now.
I tilted my head back and examined the gate, planning out my route. Once I was confident that I had the optimum path firmly mapped out, I stepped back.
‘Good evening, Sir.’
I sprang a foot up into the air. Shit. ‘Er, good evening.’ It was a Beefeater, wearing the smart traditional costume of black and red.
‘Can I help you?’ His tone was polite but he was eyeing me suspiciously.
I pasted on a smile. ‘It’s just such a magnificent building,’ I told him, affecting a remarkably dodgy American twang.
‘Yes, it is.’
‘I should have brought my camera,’ I told him. ‘I didn’t think it would still be so well lit at this hour.’
‘Indeed, sir.’
‘I’ve got jet lag. It’s a ridiculous time to be wandering around the streets and I knew everything would be all shut up but...’ I shrugged and gestured as if to say there was nothing to be done. Then I made a point of looking over his uniform. ‘So you work here?’
‘I do.’
‘Have you ever seen any ghosts?’
His face relaxed slightly. ‘Personally, no.’ He tapped the side of his nose with one gloved finger. ‘One of my colleagues swears he saw two boys running up the stairs behind Trai
tor’s Gate though. He ran after them but, when he got to the top, there was no-one there.’
I widened my eyes. ‘Who do you think they were?’
‘Oh, there’s only two boys it could have been. The princes in the Tower.’
Deciding that a foreign tourist might not necessarily know the story, I leaned forward and feigned ignorance. ‘Who were they?’
‘Edward V and his brother Richard. Twelve and nine years old. Mere children, although Edward was preparing for his coronation. They both disappeared and their uncle, Richard III took their place.’
‘So he did it then? He murdered his own nephews in order to become King?’
‘There’s no proof but he does seem the likely suspect. That’s not the best part though.’
‘No?’ I asked innocently, wondering how in the hell I was going to shake him off.
‘No, indeed. Three sets of skeletons have been discovered so far. One pair underneath a staircase, one pair walled up as if they were buried alive and one pair in a vault. The first skeletons uncovered were believed to be the Princes and were re-buried but...’
‘If that wasn’t them then they still haunt the Tower.’ I shook my head, making a mental to ask Beulah what she knew about them. ‘Amazing. You know,’ I confided, ‘I thought I maybe saw a ghost just round the corner. It’s the atmosphere of this place. Every corner in London has so much history, I keep expecting to see one. Silly, isn’t it?’
The Beefeater smiled politely, humouring me. ‘Not at all.’
‘Yeah. I even thought he was a carrying a weapon.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘That is until I got closer and realised it was just a cannon.’ I laughed to myself.
He looked at me as if I were mad. ‘A cannon, sir?’
‘Oh, sorry. That’s what we call spray cans. You know for graffiti? I love street art.’
His entire body stiffened. ‘Where did you see this person?’
‘Oh,’ I said vaguely, ‘just around the corner there. It looked like he was contemplating a swim in the moat.’ I shivered. ‘It’s a bit cold for that though, I think.’
‘Stay here,’ he commanded, ‘I might need to talk to you again.’ He marched off in the direction I’d pointed towards.
I sucked in a breath. As far as strategies go, saying’look over there’ was hardly the most sophisticated. I couldn’t even believe it had worked. Despite my apparent success, I’d only have scant seconds to gain entrance to the Tower before he came back. I waited until I was sure he wasn’t about to suddenly turn around, then I made my move.
Shifting into my were-panther form wouldn’t particularly help me here. It was certainly true that felines were well suited to climbing – but only when there were helpful tree boughs and ledges to spring up to. Here I would be forced into using my fingertips. Nonetheless, I knew even my human shape possessed enough of a litheness to make this slightly easier. It helped, of course, that I was well versed in the art of falling. I wouldn’t break any bones if I took a tumble. I might end up in prison though.
I started by leaping upwards and curling my fingers round the first window ledge. It was a reasonably deep recess, allowing me to bring my feet up too. The wall behind me curved round at an angle, providing the perfect surface from which to gain some momentum. I tightened my core, focused on the spot I wanted, and jumped. My feet glanced off the side, allowing me to return to the original wall. I had a scary moment where I thought I would suddenly plunge back down because I’d veered too far to my left. I just managed to cling onto a break in the brickwork, however. I clawed my way further up, reaching the second window just as the Beefeater returned. My position was remarkably precarious. I didn’t dare move a muscle for fear he would catch the movement and look up. The stone by my hands, however, was old and crumbling. It wouldn’t hold for long. My biceps were already beginning to ache. I gritted my teeth and waited. Come on.
He tutted to himself, obviously annoyed that I’d ignored his instructions and, finally, began walking back off in the opposite direction, his arms swinging sharply in military fashion. That gave me an idea. I twisted my neck round and eyed the opposite wall again. The carefully laid stones there looked fresher, as if they’d recently been restored. If I could reach that window slightly higher up, it would be an easy feat to reach the top. I’d be able to gain more purchase and push myself up.
I dropped down, until only my fingers were stopping me from falling to the ground below. Then I swung my legs out, back and forth like a pendulum to give myself the necessary momentum. At the very last minute, just when I could cling on no longer, I let go and flew through the air. I flung my body up, stretching as high as I possibly could. When I over-reached by half a foot, I grinned to myself. Easy peasy.
I shot up the last section, taking care to keep my body low when I finally pulled myself over the edge of the small tower. There was no telling what would greet me when I got there. I was equally concerned about the lights. As much as I’d been admiring them before, being silhouetted against them like the most obvious cat burglar in the world was hardly going to help my cause.
I kept my senses alert, flicking hard glances in every direction. As soon as I was certain that the coast was clear, I began to run, remaining hunched over to ensure I was less of a visible target. The stones up here were smooth and well worn, making it easy to speed up. I stayed light-footed, listening for any sign of danger. It was only when I was forced to drop down into the courtyard below that things became particularly risky.
Although I was in the shadows, I could hear the regular breathing of a guard around the corner. He was directly between me and the place where I knew the ravens were housed for the night. I gnawed on my bottom lip. This could cause problems. I could knock him unconscious but that seemed colossally unfair. After all, he was only doing his job. I mulled it over and came to a decision.
Stepping out, I straightened my posture, giving it an almost military bent. Then I marched right past him, snapping out a salute. The guard blinked at me, obviously startled. He saluted back - and I continued merrily on my way. It took a great deal not to fist pump the air at how easily I’d managed it.
I was still smiling when I reached the ravens’ enclosure, a fenced off cage filled with all manner of creature comforts. Towards the back was a wooden hut where no doubt Corux and his buddies slept. Fortunately, the Raven Master appeared to be long gone, no doubt to his own comfortable bed.
‘Corux!’ I whispered. ‘Where are you?’
There was no answer. I hissed through my teeth. Obviously, I didn’t want to have to shout to wake him up. I edged closer. ‘Corux!’ I tried again.
When nothing reached my ears other than distant traffic, I cursed inwardly and looked for an entrance. There was a small door at the front. I unhooked the latch and darted in, treading as quickly as I dared across the wood chip laden ground. I crouched down by the hut and poked my head inside. There was, however, nothing. No ravens remained. My stomach dropped. I spotted a single black feather in the corner, dotted faintly with fresh blood telling me that my instincts had been right. I thought again of the prophecy that if the birds left, the Tower of London – and the kingdom with it – would fall. I had no doubt as to who had done this. For the sake of one bloody ceremonial seal, I couldn’t quite believe it though.
I backed out, re-latching the cage and wondering what on earth to do. The abrupt and unwelcome onslaught of footsteps and shouting made up my mind for me. The guard I had slipped by just moments earlier had apparently suddenly grown suspicious and come to investigate. With all other options out of the window, I did the only thing I could do – I ran.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
My sole focus was to avoid capture. I could extricate myself from this situation and call in the Ministry to mess around with the guards’ memories. The Arch-Mage had promised – or rather threatened – to never help the shifters out again but that kind of mind wipe wasn’t particularly uncommon. Besides it served all our interests.
Staines! I yell
ed, flinging out my Voice and hoping it would be enough to wake him. I’d heard his snoring in the past; it was no trifling thing.
To give the old werebear credit, he snapped to attention. My Lord. What is it?
I need a vehicle in front of the Tower of London for a fast exit. I also need the Ministry to ensure no-one remembers my presence.
Have you shifted? His tone was such that he might have been inquiring about the weather.
No.
Then do it, my Lord. The Ministry will have no choice but to get involved.
I nodded briefly to myself. He was right, even if it was somewhat of a ball-ache. I sped round a curved wall and tensed up, ready for the change. A heartbeat later I was on all fours. I bared my teeth in grim amusement. Perhaps when they discovered the ravens were missing, they’d think a panther had snuck in from London Zoo and chewed them up.
From somewhere deep inside, a siren began to ring. I had to get out of here quickly. The longer I waited, the more likely it would be that more police and armed forces would show up. I was nowhere near the damn crown jewels but, at this point, they didn’t know that I had no interest in them. My muscles bunched up and I flew across the ground, the sensation of slightly damp dew under my paws from the manicured grass surrounding the main complex. Until a uniformed figure appeared up ahead, I could have almost believed I was enjoying myself. My heart sank when I registered that this wasn’t any tourist friendly Beefeater – instead it was a member of the private security firm that did the real job of guarding the nation’s treasures. Not only that, but he was also holding a gun.
Still, he might very well have been an experienced professional, but the last thing he was expecting was the sleek dark form of a panther. My size and colour camouflaged me enough against the night shadows so that I was almost upon him by the time he spotted me. The whites of his eyes flashed, then he swallowed and raised the muzzle of the gun. I zigzagged and the first shot went wide.
His radio crackled and a tinny voice could be heard urgently requesting information. He didn’t pause to answer though, he simply took aim again.