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Back Dangerous Remedy
Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. Contents
  7. Paris, June 1794
  8. PART ONE
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 7
  16. PART TWO
  17. 1
  18. 2
  19. 3
  20. 4
  21. 5
  22. 6
  23. 7
  24. 8
  25. 9
  26. 10
  27. 11
  28. 12
  29. PART THREE
  30. 1
  31. 2
  32. 3
  33. 4
  34. 5
  35. 6
  36. 7
  37. 8
  38. 9
  39. 10
  40. 11
  41. 12
  42. 13
  43. 14
  44. 15
  45. 16
  46. 17
  47. PART FOUR
  48. 1
  49. 2
  50. 3
  51. 4
  52. 5
  53. 6
  54. 7
  55. 8
  56. 9
  57. 10
  58. 11
  59. PART FIVE
  60. 1
  61. 2
  62. 3
  63. 4
  64. 5
  65. 6
  66. 7
  67. PART SIX
  68. 1
  69. 2
  70. 3
  71. 4
  72. 5
  73. 6
  74. 7
  75. 8
  76. 9
  77. 10
  78. 11
  79. 12
  80. 13
  81. 14
  82. Postscript
  83. A Ship in Le Havre Port
  84. Acknowledgements
  85. About the Author
  86. About Zephyr

Al slapped his paper down on the table. ‘God save us from the philosopher and his principles.’

Camille looked up at Ada, meeting her eye for the first time since they’d got back to the Au Petit Suisse. ‘What do you think?’

Ada felt her cheeks flush. Cam’s slate grey eyes fixed on hers still had the power to make her stomach flip.

‘I think … if Olympe doesn’t want to go to either of them, then we should do everything we can to help her do what she wants. It’s her choice.’

Al snorted, but didn’t fight any further.

Guil began to pack away the weapons. ‘Which leaves us with the question: how do we help her?’

‘If we were clever, we’d have started running the moment we found out we’d kidnapped a devil instead of girl,’ said Al.

‘Where would you have us go?’ replied Ada. ‘You said yourself there’s nowhere safe to run to.’

To her surprise Al went as white as a sheet and abruptly got up to pour himself a drink.

Camille prodded the embers angrily with a poker. ‘I’m not abandoning my home and the life we’ve built just because some old men think they can threaten us.’

‘But they can threaten us,’ replied Guil. ‘Indeed, I believe their threat is rather serious.’

‘They underestimate me if they think we’re easy marks.’

Al took a long pull on his glass of brandy. ‘So we don’t run. We don’t hand the girl over. What’s left?’

A determined light came into Camille’s eyes. ‘We fight.’

Before Camille could continue, they were interrupted by a commotion at the door. Ada startled, and as one the battalion braced for action. Camille reached for a weapon and across the room Guil did the same.

The door swung open. A tall young man in sopping wet travelling clothes stood on the threshold. His hair was dark with rainwater, plastering it to his forehead, framing his defined features and sharp cheekbones.

Camille lowered her weapon, face pale with shock.

The man turned to her with a blazing smile.

‘Cam! Thank goodness, someone let me in downstairs, and I’ve been knocking on all the wrong doors.’

Camille went perfectly and utterly still.

Ada’s face crumpled in confusion. ‘What’s going on?’

Camille, as white as chalk, took a few hesitant steps backwards.

‘My name’s James Harford.’ He proffered a hand to Ada. ‘I’m Cam’s fiancé.’

PART THREE

And the Devils were Unchained

1

The Parlour, Au Petit Suisse

16 Prairial Year II, four days until the deadline

‘Fiancé?’ Al looked from Camille to Ada to James, eyebrow raised. ‘That’s … illuminating.’

Camille felt hot and cold at once. This was impossible. This couldn’t be happening.

‘What are you doing here?’

James gave a sheepish grin, running his free hand through tousled damp locks.