Page 3 of Dark Night of the Soul

The one and only time I’d met Silas was in Dublin, when he’d helped us get some explosives. Since then, I’d been through hell—literally—and my hair had turned from black to stark white. A present left from the surge of power through my body from the Ark of the Covenant and my near-death experience.

His gaze flickered to Kincade behind me.

“I hoped you’d be here with her,” he said in his gravelly voice with a hint of an accent.

Not just here. With her.

I glanced at Kincade. His expression had gone unreadable.

“How did you know where to find me?” I asked.

I’d never shared my home address with him. It wasn’t like we were going to exchange Christmas cards.

“I have ways of finding out information I need,” he replied.

That was unnerving. But then, it was easy to find me if one knew where to look.

I waved him to a nearby chair. Kincade took the one opposite him. Before I took my seat, Piers wheeled in the cart with a pot of coffee and a platter of bacon and toast. The aroma of both made my stomach growl again. I gave the butler a nod of thanks and moved to the cart.

“Coffee?” I asked.

“No.” He shook his head and turned his attention to Kincade. “I come with news.”

I added cream and stirred, watching as Kincade remained perfectly impassive while Silas sat on the edge of the seat.

“What’s so important you showed up on Anna’s doorstep at this ungodly hour?” he asked.

There was a hint of annoyance in his tone, one I shared since we were interrupted.

“The Brotherhood’s leadership is gone.”

I froze, staring at Silas as I held the cup in my hand. Kincade didn’t move. It wasn’t even apparent he’d taken a breath.

“What do you mean, gone?” he asked, his tone quiet and his words slow.

“I mean the grandmaster—and the rest of his inner circle—are dead,” Silas said. “There was a coup.”

“Who?”

“Sebastian,” Silas said.

Sebastian Crane. I scowled. I’d crossed his path before and walked away thinking it was finished.

“I should have killed him when I had the chance.” I set the cup on the tray, no longer interested. Anger pounded through me.

Silas nodded agreement. “Aye, lass. You should have. But what’s done is done, and now there’s no going back.”

“What about the Brotherhood?” Kincade asked, ignoring both of us.

“Sebastian’s taken control of it himself,” Silas said.

“Decker?” Kincade asked.

His brother—who’d chosen the wrong side.

Silas’s mouth tightened. “You won’t like it.”

Kincade’s hand curled into a fist, knuckles bleaching white. “Tell me.”