Carrow put the torn-out pages of the book in her bag and went to the office door. She flattened against the wall, hidden from whomever entered. I joined her, lining up on the other side.
We made eye contact.
“I’ll take the first,” I whispered.
She nodded, reaching into her bag for a potion bomb.
A guard rushed in. I tripped him, yanked him up, and punched him hard in the jaw. His head snapped back, and he collapsed, unconscious.
I spun around, spotting Carrow as she hurled a potion bomb at the next guard. The brilliant red orb exploded against a female shifter’s chest, soaking her in gleaming liquid. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she went down like a sack of rocks, landing with a thud.
Two more men rushed in. One of them reached for the comms charm at his neck. I lunged at him and snatched the charm off. He swung at me, landing a blow to my cheek. I saw stars, and my head spun, but I shook off my dizziness and kicked him in the midsection. He crashed into a bookcase. The wooden shelves rattled, and dozens of books tumbled off. Behind me, Ubhan made a pained noise.
Carrow took out the other guard with a potion bomb while I reached for the man buried beneath the pile of books. I dragged him upright and delivered a punch that knocked him out.
Carrow peered around the edge of the door. “No more are coming.”
“They’ll come when these four don’t report back,” Ubhan said. “Then you’ll regret this.”
“Then we’d better be quick,” I said.
Together, Carrow and I bound the fallen guards with their shoelaces and belts.
I turned to Ubhan. “We’d hoped to not have to do it this way.”
“I’ll have your head for this,” Ubhan spat. “Hers, too.”
I didn’t know how deep this cover-up went—whether it would be a battle with Ubhan or the entire council—but we’d figure it out. “You’re hardly in a position to make threats.”
Carrow pulled the book’s pages out of her bag. “Why were you hiding these in the wall?”
Confusion flickered in his eyes. “The wall?”
She pointed to the section of wall that was still missing a stone. “I found the missing pages of A Most Elucidating History of Guild City in there. And on your desk, we found the redacted meeting notes from when the Council made the decision to hide the Shadow Guild.”
“What the bloody hell are you talking about?” His gaze moved to his desk. “What is the Shadow Guild?”
“You can’t tell me you’re unfamiliar with all of this.” I spoke smoothly, imbuing my voice with my power. “What do you know, Ubhan? What have you done?”
His lips twisted. “I’ve read the redacted meeting notes—what I can see of them, at least. I discovered them while researching the history of the Council and found it to be highly suspect that they would redact their notes. We do not engage in such behavior, as you know.”
I nodded. “Continue.”
“I knew the Council of 1642 was trying to hide something, which is also highly unusual and suspect.” Irritation flickered in his eyes. Ubhan hated breaking the rules. “It was long ago, but I wanted to get to the bottom of it. So I’ve been researching.”
“And part of that research involved stealing the pages from A Most Elucidating History of Guild City?” Carrow asked.
“I don’t know what the bloody hell that is.”
“I found them in your wall.” She held up the papers.
“For your information, I am not the only person who has ever occupied this office.” His eyes flashed. “You slight my honor when you suggest I would deface a history book and hide the pages here.”
I studied his features, looking for the truth. For the lie.
I hated to think he might be innocent, but it seemed more and more likely. Ubhan was a pain in the arse and a miserable bastard, but he was a true stickler for the rules. And my power was compelling him to tell the truth.
Carrow flicked through the pages in her hand. “So you knew nothing of the Shadow Guild or the fact that the Council of 1642 voted to disband it and hide it from history, making all magical misfits in Guild City outlaws?”