Lugh glanced at me. I shrugged. “You might as well tell him. He’s declared intentions of tracking down the bastards who keep damaging him, and given they’re the same bastards we’re trying to find, we might as well join forces.”

Lugh quickly updated both Mathi and Darby, though he omitted the fact he’d scanned the notes to keep a secure copy. And that was probably prudent. While I absolutely trusted both, Borrachero had already been used on Mathi in order to get information, and while both he and the council had taken steps to ensure it couldn’t happen again, there was no guarantee.

“And no,” Lugh added, “I didn’t mention them to Rogan. It’s pointless until we know for sure whether they’re actually useful or not.”

“So, what’s our next step?” Darby said.

Lugh glanced at her in surprise. “Our?”

She gave him a deadpan look. “If I’m going to be the medic on call, I want to be included on the hunt. And I will not take no for an answer.”

“Well, I guess that means you’re in.” He didn’t look concerned by that prospect. Maybe her declaration had finally helped him realize she was utterly serious about wanting a sexual relationship with him. Of course, whether he’d take the logical next step was another matter entirely.

“I’ll transcribe the rest of the notebook tonight,” Lugh said, “and tomorrow, Beth and I will talk to Alinda and see if she knows anything. We’ll decide our next step from there.”

Mathi nodded. “I’ll talk to my father and see if he’s gained any further information from the men who kidnapped me or those who forced us off the road.”

I frowned. “The men who kidnapped you were after the rubies belonging to the Shield of Hephaestus, not the Claws.”

“And the shield is?” Darby asked.

“It belongs to the Greek god of smiths, fire, and volcanoes and gives control over the latter two elements,” Lugh said. “It’s missing because the Ljósálfar guarding the hoard it was a part of dropped the ball.”

“That remains a debatable point,” Mathi commented. “And you should not be talking openly about it. The council would not be pleased.”

“Given the council basically accused me of being part of that theft, they can go fuck themselves as far as I’m concerned.”

“I do love the polite manner you two use when speaking about the council.”

“When they show me some respect,” Lugh grumbled, “I’ll show them some.”

“And I would think the situation we find ourselves in deserves more understanding and tolerance from all parties involved.” Mathi glanced at his watch, then downed the rest of his wine. “I have a meeting to get to and need to detour home to dress more appropriately. Beth, would you like a lift home?”

I shook my head. “It’s not raining here yet, and I really need to stretch my legs.”

He nodded. “Then I’ll call tomorrow, and we can arrange a meeting to compare notes.”

As he rose and quickly left, Darby’s gaze caught mine and glared at me rather pointedly. I smiled, finished my drink, and slid off the stool. “I should probably get going too. I’ve tavern accounts to do.”