Constantine Capers: The Pennington Perplexity Natalie Brianne (best summer reads of all time .txt) 📖

in to take care of a smuggler’s problem, and why Selene was involved at all. Circe connected them through an underground network. Her eyes drifted back to the lines about the airship accident. The year her parents died. The crash they died in. She knew the smugglers were involved, but now they were directly connected with Circe. Find the smugglers, find the truth. Mira closed the file and put it back in the filing system before replacing the filing key in his jacket pocket. The door opened in the front hall. Byron came into the living room and set his coat down on top of his jacket. He carried a small package wrapped in brown paper.

“Let me get some tea going.” He trudged into the kitchen. She followed him and leaned against the counter as he filled a kettle with water and set it on the hob.

“Do you need any help?”

“Not with this I don’t think.” He turned towards her and studied her. He opened his mouth to say something, shook his head, and went to a cupboard to get out some teacups. He set them out on a tray along with the other tea things. She watched as he meticulously prepared everything. He opened the brown paper package and pulled out a few different pastries and placed them on the tray. The kettle whistled, and he transferred the hot water into a waiting teapot before picking up the tray and walking into the living room.

“We need to talk,” he said.

He set the tray down on the side table and sat down in his armchair. She sat in her chair across from him. He hesitated as he poured her a cup of tea and looked her over again. He opened his mouth and then closed it, unsure of what to say, and then silently gave her the teacup.

“We’re in danger, aren’t we Byron?”

“The short answer is, yes.”

“And the long answer?” She took a sip of tea. He sighed and looked down.

“One or both of us may die tonight.”

“I’m aware of that, Byron.”

“I’m afraid it might be you.”

“I know.”

“Once I go to sleep tonight, I forget all of this ever happened, Mira. They have my latest journal. But you are,” He stopped mid-sentence and stared at her. “Wait. You know?”

“These people are dangerous. I’ve interacted with them before, and they have certainly threatened me on more than one occasion.”

“Then you shouldn’t come.”

“I think that is exactly why I should come.”

“Mira, no.”

“You and I are both in this together, Byron.”

“Maybe not this time.”

“And why not? If I don’t come, they’ll just find another way to keep me quiet. This way, at least, we can have some sort of expectation.”

“Mira, I may have just met you today, but I am not going to let you die.”

“Then don’t let me die. But let me come with you.”

He went silent. She simply sipped at her tea and kept her eyes level with his. He eventually looked away, setting his teacup down, leaning forward and rubbing his temples. She finished her tea and nibbled at a croissant. Silence filled the room until the bag of pastries was empty, and the teapot stood cold.

“For now, let’s get you home.” He stood and offered her a hand. She took it and he pulled her to standing. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, paused as if to say something and then went quiet again, dropping her hand and heading for the door.

He led her outside and down the steps, calling for a carriage. They got in and he hesitated.

“I’m afraid I don’t know the address.” Byron looked at her.

“Swan Walk please.”

The driver nodded and urged the horses forward. The cab bounced back and forth down the cobblestones to her uncle’s house. Mira’s stomach lurched, her anxiety returning. What on Earth were they doing confronting a crime syndicate? How were they going to get out of this? Byron must have taken notice as he took her hand and held it in his, squeezing it reassuringly. But Mira saw fear in his eyes. Something she hadn’t seen since Circe kidnapped her. Part of her felt relief that he cared again.

He helped her out of the carriage once they got to her uncle’s and went up to the door with her. Landon opened it.

“Miss Mira! You look so pale. Is everything alright?”

“I think she just needs to lay down,” Byron said.

“No, I’m fine.”

She let go of Byron’s hand and pushed past Landon. She faintly heard Landon telling Byron to come in. She went into the parlor and took a seat near the fire. Byron closed the door and came to sit across from her.

“You aren’t fine. Halfway over here you turned white as a sheet and started shaking.”

“Landon doesn’t need to know. Neither does my uncle.”

“This is your uncle’s house?”

“Yes. Mine was destroyed a week or so ago by the Shadow.”

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“Not today. No. Usually you read your journal. And it just didn’t seem important for today.”

“Everything is important, Mira.”

“There were death threats. I was kidnapped before that. There have been warning signs all along. Even yesterday a man came up to me and warned me. You’ve tried to get me to stop time and time again.” She felt her voice rising.

“Then why do you keep coming back?”

“I just want to know what happened to my parents!” she yelled. She looked up at him with more conviction than she felt. And then the tears formed. He stood there searching her features again, and she turned away.

“I just want to know. I know they were murdered, but I don’t know how or why, or anything.” She paced. “That’s why I came in the first place, that’s why I’ve stayed.” A few tears escaped. She walked to the side table and picked up the picture of her mother.

“I’m so sorry,” Byron faltered, “but I don’t remember talking about this.”

“I know. I know you don’t. You don’t remember me, or my case, or this case, or anything. How