Black London 05 - Soul Trade

get us out of here, or he’s going to run, and I’m going to help him. Then you’ll never know how far the Prospero Society has gotten into your ranks, and you’ll still have a soul well spreading all over the UK.”
    Victor started to move for her, to separate Pete from Morwenna, but Morwenna waved him off. “Fine,” she told Pete. “You have my word.Now get out of my bloody way.”
    Pete lifted her hand from Morwenna and retreated to stand with Jack and Margaret. “I think we’re all right now,” she said to Jack under her breath. “Donovan’s not going to let himself be taken, so get ready to duck.”
    “Miss Caldecott,” Margaret said, tapping her. Pete shushed her.
    “It’ll be all right, luv. Just stand by me.”
    “And that’s my cue,” Donovan said.“It’s been fun, but I’m off.”
    “What a shock,” Jack mumbled as Morwenna and Victor drew closer, forming a loose line to keep Donovan from rushing them. Pete thought that was a supreme display of overconfidence—she would have brought a lot more men.
    “Jackie, believe me when I say that this isn’t how I wanted to end things,” Donovan said. “Now I’d best be going. You take care, boy.”
    Pete bracedherself. There was going to be a shitstorm when Donovan ran, but Morwenna had to take them out of here. She simply had to. Pete didn’t allow herself to worry that Morwenna might be vindictive enough to go back on her word. Or might figure out Donovan escaping was part of Pete’s plan. At least Margaret would be safe. She was innocent. Morwenna had to see that.
    “Miss Caldecott!” Margaret hissedurgently, grabbing at her arm. Pete turned.
    “I said it’ll be fine, Margaret. You’ll be on your way back to Manchester soon enough.”
    “That woman is dangerous,” Margaret whispered.
    “Miss Morgenstern leaves something to be desired in personality,” Pete said. “But she’s not a bad sort, Margaret. Calm down.”
    “ No ,” Margaret hissed. “I know her.”
    Pete blinked. The cold was back, curling around thebase of her spine. Morwenna was less than ten steps away. Pete crouched, looking at Margaret’s thin face, her eyes almost impossibly large with fear.
    “How do you know Morwenna?” she said quietly. “Tell me exactly.”
    “I saw her,” Margaret mumbled. “When that Crotherton bloke came round, she was with him. She waited in the car, but I saw her. She was staring up at my window.”
    Pete felt a stonedrop into her guts, the weight of knowing she’d been wrong smashing into her like a lorry. Wrong, stupid, and decieved.
    “Pete…” Jack said, and when she looked up he had his hands raised, fingers spread as if he were waving to her.
    “Stand up,” Donovan told her. “Don’t make me force Jackie to harm himself, because that’d be a real heartbreak on my part.”
    Donovan wasn’t just chattering—Pete lookedat his fist and saw a slim black pistol there. “I guess when your only hex is so limp, that’s necessary, yeah?” she said.
    “It does the trick,” Donovan said, giving Jack a gentle prod. “Stand still, Jackie. This isn’t going to get ugly if I can help it.”
    Pete straightened up slowly, keeping her movements easy and calm. She put one hand on Margaret’s shoulder and stretched the other out to Donovan.“There’s no need for that.”
    “There’s a very great need,” Morwenna said. She folded her arms, the smug curl of her lip just begging to be smacked out of existence. “We’re not going to rough you up, Pete, but you are slippery. So forgive the harsh treatment.”
    Get it under control, the part of her that sounded like Connor snarled. Stop staring and start thinking.
    “Got to hand it to you, Morwenna,”Pete said out loud. “Getting Donovan to flip—that was pretty tricky.”
    “Oh,” Morwenna said, patting Jack down with efficient movements, “not at all.”
    Jack grinned at her, showing all his teeth. “Little higher and to the left, luv.”
    Morwenna sent him a disgusted look and then stood, brushing off her hands. “Spare me, Mr. Winter. You’re not nearly as charming as you think.”
    “A Prospero goon inyour pocket,” Pete persisted. “It’s like you didn’t need me at all.” There was a lot about this she didn’t understand, but the machinations of the Prometheans didn’t interest her. All that mattered was that she’d been set up, and their ride out of Overton had vanished.
    “Pete, Pete,” Morwenna sighed, performing the same patdown on