Jack let go of Lark’s hand, and the glamour vanished.
At the sight of them, the king gave a shout of astonishment. The air filled with the thunder of the guards’ feet. Lark’s hand twitched toward her Smith & Wesson before she remembered Jack had taken it.
But the twitch was enough to alarm the help. Hands grabbed her, forcing her to her knees. She went down hard, the carpet barely cushioning the impact. The guard wrenched her arm behind her. Lark gave an involuntary yelp as pain shot up her shoulder.
“Don’t touch her!” Jack commanded.
Just as quickly, she was free again. Through the curtain of her hair, Lark saw Jack lifting her attacker—one hand hauling him into the air by the front of his jacket, the other wrapped around the man’s throat. Lark gasped, relieved and afraid at once. The look in Jack’s eyes was feral, the pale blue of the iris disappearing as his pupils enlarged. He snarled, lips drawing back. Predator eyes and predator fangs. Not quite the demon she’d seen that night she’d betrayed him, but close enough. Fear froze her lungs.
There was the unmistakable clatter of weapons getting ready to fire, but the king held up a hand. “Wait.”
Time stopped, filled only with the rasping breath of the guards. Lark remained perfectly still, knowing better than to come between a beast and its prey. “Jack,” she said softly. “Put down the human. He’s only doing his job.”
Jack let the guard go without ceremony. The man stumbled awkwardly, giving the vampire a filthy look. Jack turned his back, dismissing him, and immediately bent down to help Lark back to her feet. His eyes resumed their normal arctic shade.
“Are you hurt?” he asked. For a moment, concern softened his expression—and then it was gone, vanished like a trick of the light.
Her stomach twisted, wanting that softness for a moment more. “I’m fine.”
He gave a slow blink and bent until his lips nearly brushed her cheek. “No one else handles you.”
His words, the brush of his breath, raised the fine hairs along her neck. She wasn’t sure if it was a threat or a promise. “How flattering.”
Jack made a noise that might have been a laugh, and dropped her hand. Then he turned and bowed to the king, his manner instantly somber and respectful. “Your Majesty, I have dire news to report.”
Catching his mood, the king’s face darkened. He waved to his guards. “Leave us and say nothing of our visitors.”
Obediently, the royal guardsmen bowed and withdrew without a word. As soon as the door was shut, King Renault folded his arms. “What is this, Jack? And who is your companion?”
Jack spread a hand toward Lark. “Your Majesty, this is Jessica Lark, an agent of the Company. She also designed Princess Amelie’s wedding gown.”
As introductions went, it could have been much more damning. Perhaps the double-agent part would come later. Counting her blessings, Lark sank into a deep curtsy.
“Ah, I thought you had perished in a fire, madam,” the king said drily. “The agents of the Company seem to have a phoenix-like talent for resurrection.”
Lark rose from her curtsy, reading curiosity in King Renault’s expression. Though in his middle years, he was extremely handsome with his neatly trimmed beard streaked with gray.
“Your Majesty,” she said. “Forgive the intrusion, but as Jack says, we have dire news.”
“Then, speak,” the king said. “Whatever worries both a fey and a vampire has my full attention.” He gestured to a cluster of armchairs, inviting them to sit. It was a gesture of royal favor, and there was little they could do but obey.
Once settled, Jack related what they had seen in the woods. As he spoke, Lark felt her pulse begin to quicken, her body reliving the horror through Jack’s words. She wasn’t the only one affected. The color drained from Renault’s face until he was ashen.
The king immediately rose and picked up the phone sitting on the desk in the corner. Although Lark only heard his side of the call, he was checking the duty roster. All of the Company guards who were scheduled to work at the palace had booked off that night to attend a meeting, leaving the human guardsmen in charge. That fit with the email Jack had found. The king set down the phone, even paler than before.
“We shall find the authors of this outrage,” Renault said as he returned to his seat, rage snapping in his dark eyes. “I will inform the other Company leaders as soon as we are done here. Los Angeles, Paris, Bombay—they should be able to send reinforcements. My loyal agents will not go unavenged. But fine words are nothing without action, and action is useless without intelligence behind it. I have heard your account, Jack. What do you have to add, Ms. Lark?”
Lark’s throat had clogged with aching grief, and she cleared it. “I saw what Jack saw, Your Majesty. There was nothing left of the compound.”
The muscles of Jack’s jaw twitched as he turned to her. “But there are things left to tell us, aren’t there?”
“Such as?”
Lark braced herself, her stomach sinking. His mood had darkened as he’d told his tale, and whatever softness she’d seen in him minutes before was gone. All that remained was the Company agent who’d seen the grave of his friends. “What exactly brought you to Marcari?” he asked.
“I’m here on behalf of the Light Court. The Light is well aware of the attempt to steal Princess Amelie’s ring and open the gates to the Dark Queen’s prison. We also know that they are likely to try again. As I told you before, Jack, our aim is to keep the gates to the Dark Queen’s prison firmly closed.”
“Is that all?” Jack asked.
“We’re also tracing one of our own.” That much was true. Of course, there was more she hadn’t said.
“Who are you seeking?” asked King Renault. “Is there some official assistance Marcari could offer?”
“Perhaps, Your Majesty,” Lark replied.
The king gave a nod, his expression carefully neutral. “Go on.”
“The spell that would release the Dark Queen requires very specific ingredients, including blood from the Haven clan of the Light Fey. My mission is to locate the two remaining members of that family and ensure their protection. After years of living under a false name, the last full-blooded member is on the move.”
“Therrien Haven?” Jack asked, sitting back in his chair.
“Yes. A week ago he paid cash for a plane ticket from Prague to Marcari under a false name. It seems he has a half-human daughter living here whom he hasn’t seen since she was a girl.”
“Her name is Lexie.” Jack frowned. “I had no idea Therrien was aware of Lexie’s whereabouts.”
“The photographer who is to shoot my daughter’s wedding?” King Renault asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Haven has followed his daughter’s photography career,” said Lark. “His apartment in Prague was filled with clippings from magazines that featured her work. He must know she will be at the wedding. He might have come hoping for a reunion with his daughter.”
“Or to protect her,” said Jack. “She’s a potential target of the Dark Fey, too.”
“A father would be likely to do either,” Renault murmured, no doubt thinking of the princess.
“Haven booked a room but never checked in,” said Lark. “As far as I can tell, he’s vanished. My next step is to question his daughter.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “I can tell you right now, she doesn’t know a thing.”
Lark bridled