Hearts Lost: An MM Retelling of Lost Hearts (Monsters & Mayhem) by Gillian St. Kevern

Author:Gillian St. Kevern [St. Kevern, Gillian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-10-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Fifteen

Urquart bustled around, putting his study to rights. “Help yourself to an armchair.” He took a tray and gathered up a collection of notes, empty glasses and a full ashtray. “Don’t hold the state of the room against me. I’ve been working all afternoon.”

Ira’s gaze fell on the desk. Books were stacked both beside his desk and on top of it. Even more lay on the floor. The vivid remembrance of Urquart’s anguish of the night before appeared before Ira. He gathered up the discarded books, stacking them into piles.

The books in Urquart’s study were those describing alchemical theories and ancient rites. As Ira raised one, it fell open to a section entitled transmutation, the text heavily underlined by Urquart’s hand.

Ira smoothed out the page, scanning the text. It concerned the principle of equivalent exchange, the notion that alchemical transformation was possible, governed by the value of the object that was transmuted. If one wanted gold, then one must use a like item of equivalent value to attain it.

The unknown author listed various factors that enhanced value: youth, health, necessity for life and livelihood, thoroughbred status for animals and lack of impurities. Precious objects rated low on the scale, as they were, though valuable, not essential for life.

Urquart had underlined ‘youth’ and ‘health.’ In the margin he’d noted ‘gold—code?’

Was there a hidden message within the paragraph? Ira reread it. This time, he realised why Urquart had underlined ‘youth’ and ‘health’—these were not attributes that one assigned to objects, but those of living things. According to the author, gold could only be formed by transmuting the equivalent value of metal… The inclusion of living things in this system made little sense—unless Urquart was right, and gold was a stand in for something else.

Ira frowned at the text. It clearly meant something to Urquart, but he could not decipher it… Nor did the other titles give him any clues. Ira gathered the books, setting them back on the shelves. I know precious little about what Urquart’s study is. He knew the subject—or at least his interests, but nothing about what the man sought, or what he was working on.

“Put those down!”

Ira jerked, almost dropping the books. He stared at Urquart, the books clutched to his chest.

Fury mingled with fear in Urquart’s glare as he strode across the room, snatching the books from Ira.

What on earth? Ira’s hand brushed the bookcase, and he gripped it, leaning on its steadying presence.

Urquart set the stack of books down. “Forgive me. I should have said ‘leave those to me.’” He laughed, making his way to the drink trolley. “You have worked hard enough today without doing the tidying too.”

Ira pressed his palm flat against the wood of the shelf. If only he were as calm and as strong as the wood beneath his hand. “You hired me to put your books in order.”

“Not tonight!” Urquart waved a finger at him. “I want to ensure that what little time we have together is as pleasurable as possible.”

Little time? Ira flinched.

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