‘I think I prefer your brother to your sister,’ Irene said, staring into the mirror as she adjusted her glamorous blonde wig. She’d seen Kai’s deference to his older brother; the direct approach wouldn’t work. But after their recent clash, Irene needed to know a bit more about Shan Yuan. Did he genuinely care for Kai, or could he have other motives for wanting him to resign? Could he even want Kai’s position for himself? The thought was unsettling.

‘You have a very limited sample size to work from,’ Kai muttered from where he was sprawled on the sofa, miraculously not mussing his evening suit. ‘And that is faint praise, given that Indigo tried to kill us. And betrayed us.’

‘I suppose I’m just glad one of your family wanted to help you out.’ Though honestly, Irene wasn’t sure if Shan Yuan was helping. He was quite obviously interested in the artificial intelligence developments. Beyond that, he’d been completely overriding Kai whenever he tried to speak for the last few hours. He’d even suggested going back to Kai and Irene’s lodgings ‘to review the evidence there’. Fortunately everyone had unanimously pointed out why this was a bad idea, as their lodgings were bound to be watched, and spared Kai from having to disagree with him publicly. But in that case, what was he after?

She watched Kai in the mirror – his familiar posture, his dark hair, his eagerness, his casual precision of movement, all the things that had become so familiar to her in the last year. As her heart softened, she tried not to think about how much Shan Yuan’s suggestion had rattled her. She didn’t want to lose him. She didn’t intend to lose him. And if Shan Yuan thought that he could simply drop a word in her ear and she’d renounce Kai, like a handkerchief-clutching romantic heroine, then Shan Yuan was in for an unpleasant surprise.

‘I didn’t expect him to come here.’ Kai had evidently misinterpreted her thoughtful expression. ‘I thought he’d be content with just giving me the data analysis. I suppose he couldn’t resist seeing the technological marvels it promised, if we can find them.’

‘But they might not even be in this world,’ Irene had to point out. ‘If the process needs to be somewhere high-chaos, as we think, you and your brother couldn’t use your dragon forms there. You’d have to be prepared for that.’

Kai’s mouth twisted in disgust at the thought. ‘Any news of Sterrington?’ he asked, changing the subject.

‘The surgeon said he didn’t think she’d wake till tomorrow. She’s lucky to have survived.’

‘Do you find it irritating how our antagonists keep on cutting off our sources of information? Sterrington’s contacts could have been helpful – but now, who knows when she’ll be well enough to make use of them.’

‘It’s incredibly frustrating,’ Irene agreed. ‘Vale’s dream is to cross blades with a master criminal, but I’d far rather deal with someone who couldn’t out-think and outplan me. It makes me worry . . .’

‘Worry about what?’ He rose and came to stand behind her.

‘That we’re missing something. I’m concerned about unknown dangers, Kai, as well as the known ones.’

He stroked her shoulders, his hands warm and reassuring. ‘Is it Alberich? I know that for a Librarian there’s no threat quite like him.’

Irene tried to calm herself. ‘Yes. Yes, it is him. I’m trying not to panic, Kai. But what am I supposed to feel, now we’ve found out that he wants me – and alive too?’

‘I won’t let him have you.’ Kai’s hands tightened on her shoulders, possessive and protective. ‘Trust me. You’ve always come for me, through all perils and all obstacles. I’ll do the same for you. I’d never leave you to him. Do you have faith in me?’

‘More than I do in myself.’ Irene put her hands on his, grateful for his touch, drawing comfort from having someone she could depend on without limits. She didn’t always have to be the strong one. We can be strong for each other.

For a few moments they just shared the silence, feeling their closeness.

Then Kai released her shoulders, with one last fond squeeze, and adjusted her wig. ‘Blonde really isn’t your colour, though I like that purple dress. It’s a good thing attendees to this exhibition are supposed to be masked.’

‘I’m not trying to look beautiful – I’m trying to look unrecognizable. And if we weren’t wearing masks, you’d be the one with the problem – given how easy it is to recognize a dragon, when you know how to spot one.’

‘You could have taken me in there in heavy make-up, disguised as your latest biomechanical experiment,’ he suggested lightly.

‘That would have been interesting.’ She appreciated his efforts to distract her, but she was too keyed up for the evening ahead. ‘I realize that we’re depending on luck to some extent, hoping this lead will pay off. But we’re running out of time.’

‘Vale’s on the scent,’ Kai reassured her. ‘He’s in the sort of mood where he’d spend a week in disguise, staking out an opium den, in the hope of spotting something relevant.’

‘And I’m the sort of person who’d open a locked door, in the middle of a dangerous mission, just to find out what’s on the other side,’ Irene said ruefully.

‘Well . . .’ Kai looked amused. ‘If I’d been there, I would have been at your shoulder egging you on, so I can’t cast aspersions. And talking of missions, we should go.’ He helped her into her coat.

Irene couldn’t resist a bit of a dig at his brother, harking back to her previous worries. ‘I’m glad Shan Yuan’s not insisting on coming with us. I don’t think he has your experience with subterfuge.’

‘No, he hasn’t,’ Kai said, sounding distinctly smug at the idea that he might be superior to his older brother. ‘Probably best we’re not taking Catherine, for the same reason.’ Then he added, thoughtfully, ‘That does mean we have to leave them together . . . although I’m astonished that Shan Yuan’s getting on so well with her.’

‘She is on her best behaviour,’ Irene said. The lure of getting a place in the Library was still working.

‘I’m just surprised. Maybe it’s because he’s never actually encountered sensible, cooperative Fae before. If we can put Catherine in that category.’

‘She’s better than most,’ Irene said. ‘But let’s get moving. It’s nearly seven o’clock – and we have an exhibition to attend.’

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

One could compare the road leading up the hillside to the People’s Palace to a river of people. But if so, it was a river that had been dammed and was overflowing, while simultaneously trying to cope with an overdose of pollution. Police attempted to keep the flood moving ever upwards as night fell, while preventing it from spilling out onto the hillside, but people still seemed determined to demonstrate inventions and fight duels under the ether-lamps. Or, more prosaically, to escape to buy snacks from the vendors that had sprung up to serve the multitudes.

Irene was relieved to see that few in the crowded queue were solitary – she’d been worried that the three of them together might stand out. But whether they were associates, enemies, friends or a retinue of lab assistants, people clumped together in groups as they made their slow way forward. Occasional attempts to hasten the pace or bypass the queue altogether provided some amusement for those waiting – especially when these attempts went wrong. Irene had spotted chancers with nitrogen-powered rocket-boots, hang-glider wings, or extendable stilts. The most successful try so far had been an enterprising chap following his giant tunnelling badger. At least, Irene hoped the attempt had been successful. The huge creature’s ‘owner’ certainly hadn’t been seen since.