It reeked of propaganda.
By the time Pedro returned with his arms laden with books, my head was swimming with thoughts about Queen Britannia’s untimely death. I swept the books aside so he could set the new ones in front of me.
“What do you know about Queen Britannia?”
As usual Pedro seemed thrilled by a request for information. “We have an entire wing devoted to her apart from the books currently on display for Britannia Day. Are you looking for specific information?”
“Not really.” I fell silent, uncertain what I wanted to know. “Have you ever wondered about the Battle of Britannia?”
He frowned. “Wondered what?”
“No one seems to question the sketchy details of her death. There were no eyewitnesses, only an announcement. She was the most feared vampire in the realm. She died during the decisive battle and House Lewis won despite her death. Why didn’t the other Houses charge in when they heard the news of her death to take advantage of the power vacuum? Why didn’t House Duncan take advantage of the turn of events?”
Maybe it was because House Lewis retained possession of the immortality stone. It was the stone from which all vampires were said to have been granted the power of immortality. The general population didn’t know of its existence, of course, but I did. I couldn’t underestimate its importance.
“The Highland King was gravely wounded during the battle, don’t forget. They weren’t sure whether he’d survive. He was hardly in a position to take advantage of the queen’s death.”
“What about Prince Callan?”
“He was still many miles away.”
“Birmingham,” I said softly. Everybody knew what happened in Birmingham. The city never recovered from the wrath of the young vampire. Although I’d never been there, I’d heard accounts of the toll his brief stop took on the city and its people. It also upset the residents that House Lewis didn’t make an effort to aid their recovery afterward. They felt abandoned by their king and queen, but there was nothing to do except clean up and carry on.
“Most travelers moving north and south circumvent Birmingham,” Pedro continued. “I haven’t been that way myself, but I’ve heard it’s a wasteland. Most respectable vampires have abandoned it for more hospitable cities.”
“Who controls it now?”
Pedro wore a thoughtful expression. “Obviously it’s under the official control of House Lewis, but once the vampires left, shifters felt comfortable moving in. They tend to be the species that fills a vacuum left by vampires.”
It made sense. Many witches and wizards enjoyed a decent standard of living thanks to vampires, but shifters didn’t share in that wealth. Packs weren’t willing to band together against vampires either. They were oftentimes too busy fighting amongst themselves for control.
Pedro shuddered. “What twelve-year-old has the power and brutality required to destroy an entire city? It was wise of House Lewis to take the boy as a hostage. I can only imagine what he’d be capable of now if he’d remained in his father’s care.”
An image of the deadly but handsome vampire flashed in my mind. “If he was such a threat, why didn’t they kill him?”
Pedro blinked at me. “Because that’s not how treaties work. If House Lewis had murdered the boy, there would’ve been an all-out war. The other Houses would’ve waded into the fray. At that point, the other Houses were willing to let Duncan and Lewis expend their resources and beat themselves silly. It was a tactical move.”
Yes, that was the same thought I’d had earlier about House Peyton. They’d stood back and waited to see where the chips fell.
“Don’t you think it’s strange that King Casek has never been a part of Britannia Day?”
According to reports, the celebration began at the request of a young Prince Maeron to honor his mother’s sacrifice.
“I imagine the king’s heartbreak prevents him from joining the festivities. It must be a terrible reminder of his loss.”
I stared at the book in front of me. “I suppose.” It was time to shift gears and conduct the research I was actually being paid to do.
“Is there anything else I can get for you, miss?” Pedro asked.
I tapped the book on the top of the pile. “I think I’m good for now, thank you.”
I dove right in. I’d always been a fast reader, a skill that served me well as a child when I wanted to finish every book on my nightstand before bedtime. My mother would have to pry books out of my hands and force me to go to sleep. Sighing deeply, I leaned an elbow on the desk. I’d give anything for those pointless arguments now.
I flipped through the indices of the books hunting for keywords like berserker and Albemarle. Although there were references to the earl and the history of the estate, there was nothing specific to the house’s construction. There was only slightly more information on berserkers. Of course, it was difficult to obtain information on a species you couldn’t get close enough to study without risking life and limb—assuming that berserkers were a different species.
What if we were wrong?
It seemed like the kind of thing we’d know by now. Then again, every day seemed to herald the discovery of a new species of fish or insect. And who could forget the monsters that arrived with the Great Eruption. If people could be mistaken about the existence of supernaturals, why not be wrong about the origin of berserkers?
After only a couple hours, I’d exhausted the available references. I learned a few facts I didn’t know, but nothing that shed light on Romeo’s questions. I’d have to rely on my visit to Devon for that.
Pedro seemed to take it as a personal failure that I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for. I assured him that I hadn’t expected to and it was only knowledge for knowledge’s sake. A lie, but one I knew would satisfy him.
As I exited the library, I checked my phone for messages. Two voicemails. Because of the atmospheric changes, satellites were unreliable, which meant phones didn’t always work properly.
I listened to the first voicemail from Minka who was conducting inventory and wanted to know whether I had the new crossbow. No one had checked it out but it was missing. It didn’t take a detective to figure out which one of us had the crossbow.
I skipped to the next voicemail. Stevie asked me to call her straight away, so I did.
“Hey, Stevie.”
“How busy are you on a scale of examining your cuticles to saving the world?”
“Somewhere in between?”
“Perfect. I need your help. I’ve got a lead on a thief I’ve been tracking and I’d love some company.”
Inwardly I groaned. “It’s Britannia Day. The last thing I want to do is traipse across the city when it’s teeming with vampires.”