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“Free.”
My eyebrows shot up. “How can they afford to do that?”
“They say they do it for the sake of showing the city’s history to travelers and locals alike.”
There was something in his voice that caught my attention. “But you don’t think that’s why they do it.”
He stared ahead and pursed his lips. “They are very. . .enthusiastic in their care for the dead. A century ago they were wont to marry off a few of their visitors to those in their care when the magic willed it.”
I cocked my head to one side. “Those in their care-” Realization struck and my jaw hit the carriage floor. “The dead people?”
He leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. “Unfortunately, yes. It was a rather macabre affair, and the brotherhood wouldn’t fret over whether the new bride or groomsman approved of the marriage, or even if they were already married.”
“But marrying somebody offto the dead?” I repeated.
Will furrowed his brow as he glanced out the window. “I completely agree, as did the city leaders fifty years ago. They banned the practice.”
“So why bring it up?” I asked him.
“While you and Helen were having your discussion, Alex informed me that his connections in the underground hadhinted that some matrimonial trouble was brewing in the catacombs.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “But is that really something you need to worry about? I mean, why not tell the local authorities and let them handle it?”
He turned his face to me and smiled. “One need always worry about their neighbors’ problems lest they become your own, but Alex did tell me that some of the monks ran illicit trade through the city. They may have information to give to us about the Agency.”
“What makes you think they’ll talk to us?” I wondered.
“We have something they don’t have.”
I blinked at him. “What’s that?”
“You.”
My eyes widened and I pointed at myself. “Me? What about me?”
A sly grin stretched across his face. “It’s a very little known fact that dragon brides are more apt to be ‘chosen’ by the dead to be their betrothed.”
My jaw hit the carriage floor. “You-! You’re going to marry me off to a corpse?!”
Will burst into laughter, and my ire was somewhat softened by the sound. He got control of himself and shook his head. “Nothing of the sort, but you will make good bait.”
Okay, my ire was back. “So let me get this straight. We’re going to use me as bait to lure them into doing something illegal and hideous to me, and then we’ll blackmail them into telling us what we want to know assuming they know it?”
Will sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s our only lead for finding the Agency’s exact location.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t just tell the police or whatever they have here that there’s something going on?” I suggested.
Will reached across and wrapped his hand around one of mine. He captured my eyes in his gentle gaze. “You have nothing to worry about when I’m around.”
I pursed my lips but set my other hand over his. “Do you have a leash?”
He blinked at me. “What for?”
“So I can keep you that close to me.”
He chuckled as he swept his arm around my waist and drew me close against his side. I blushed at the gentle heat that emanated from him. He leaned in close and brushed his lips against my neck. “We’ll never be far again, my bride.”
A sensual warmth flared up between my legs and I reluctantly pushed him away. “Not in public.”
