As it turned out, Zhang got to Rory’s room in the morning sooner than Arthur did. Arthur made it upstairs just in time to catch the end of their conversation, or at least Rory’s side of the end of their conversation. Rory filled him in on the rest: Gwen had sent a telegram to the warehouse via courier, nothing but a location and a cryptic message.

Arthur didn’t like it, but then, he didn’t like anything about the plan to get in touch with Gwen and Ellis. So, resigned as he was, he and Rory slipped out after breakfast to Liverpool Street and the Great Eastern Hotel. They walked through the stately lobby and into the nearly empty lounge, where tall glass shelves of fancy liquors stretched up to a gilded ceiling, ornate gold against the dark wood beams and walls. The bar was unmanned and Jade and Zhang were the lounge’s only occupants, sitting together on a velvet couch in a small booth and talking quietly with their heads close.

“You two continue to be ridiculously lovely together,” Arthur said, as they joined the couple. “Why did Gwen want us to meet here?”

Jade shrugged helplessly. “Her telegram said start at the Great Eastern and go for a walk.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow. “A walk where?”

“Your guess is as good as ours,” said Zhang. “I haven’t found her anywhere on the astral plane, so I suspect she’s still with Sebastian de Leon.”

“Oh good,” said Arthur. “I’d like to hit him again.”

Rory frowned.

“What?” said Arthur.

“I don’t like that he used his magic on you.” Rory was still frowning. “But Hyde would’ve ripped me and my mind to shreds if Sebastian hadn’t come between us.”

Arthur huffed. “Don’t go soft for him,” he chided. “Handsome men are perfectly capable of being villains too.”

Rory stiffened. “You think he’s handsome?”

Arthur opened his mouth, then snapped it shut.

“Why don’t we go for that walk?” Jade said hastily, standing. “Maybe Gwen’s missive will make sense outside.”

They walked down bustling Bishopsgate to a narrower side street near the tube station. Jade and Zhang were gazing appraisingly at the businesses at the bottom of the multistory buildings, a fish and chips shop, a pub, a chemist and an art gallery. “This is like being given a jigsaw puzzle without the box,” Arthur muttered.

“Yeah.” Rory’s gaze slid over the shops. Then he abruptly turned. “Let’s go back to the hotel.”

“Oh yes,” said Jade. “Wasn’t the Great Eastern mentioned in Dracula?”

“I loved that book,” Zhang said.

The three of them turned around and started walking back in the direction they had come.

Arthur blinked, then scrambled to get in front of them. “Why would we go back to the hotel?” he demanded. “We just came from there.”