Zach sensed that Nora’s priest desired his company for a reason or reasons he didn’t care to find out. But he decided to use it as a bargaining chip.

“Will you let Griffin go?” Zach asked.

Søren seemed to find this amusing.

“I’d hardly be a sufficient tour guide with a corpse in my hand, would I?”

Zach glanced worriedly at Griffin who thankfully still seemed calm even as the priest continued to hold him in his vicious grip.

“I suppose not. A tour would be fine.”

Søren let Griffin go. Zach noted that on Griffin’s neck right under his jawline were distinct red impressions of the priest’s fingers. “Shall we then?”

Reluctantly, Zach left Griffin at the balcony. As flirtatious as the young man was, Zach far preferred his genial company to Nora’s priest.

“What’s Nora doing?” Zach asked as Søren guided him from the balcony to an unmarked exit at the opposite end of the bar.

“Eleanor is doing what she is always doing, Zachary—anything she wants to.”

* * *

At Nora’s touch the sleeping boy’s eyelashes fluttered open. She bit her bottom lip to stifle a laugh as the boy scrambled into a sitting position.

“It’s all right. Don’t be scared,” she said as if talking to a frightened animal. “It’s only a dream.”

He looked at her with silver eyes moon-wide. His face flushed and he pulled his knees tight to his chest.

“Do you talk?” she asked.

“Not usually.” He raked his hands through his long hair and shoved it behind his ears.

“You can talk me to me. You can say anything you want to me. I want you to. Do you understand?”

The boy nodded and Nora nodded back. She was gratified to hear a small, nervous laugh.

“Okay, I understand.”

“Good boy. Do you know who I am?”

He nodded again and Nora raised her eyebrow.

“Yes. Father S., he told me about you, that he knew you.”

“What did he tell you?” Nora asked.

“He said you were an old friend of his. I mean, not old—”

“We’ve known each other a long time,” she said, coming to his rescue.

“Right. And he said you were the most beautiful woman who ever lived.”

Nora blushed slightly. “What else did he tell you?”

The boy inhaled sharply and met her eyes.

“He said you’d help me.”

Nora cocked her head slightly. She reached out and touched the top of his foot.

“Do you need help?”

The young man didn’t answer at first.

Slowly, the boy relaxed his arms from around his legs. He started to take off his watch but his fingers fumbled too much and he exhaled in exasperation.

“Sorry,” he said.

“Here. Let me.”

The boy tenuously stretched out his arm. Nora unbuckled his watch and nearly gasped when she discovered why he wore a watch with such a wide band.