Rogue Angel 49: The Devil's Chord by Alex Archer Page A

a domineering mortal? She had to admit Sirena worried her. Maybe she would give her a call later.
    Annja had learned so much since taking Joan’s sword in hand. It was as if the sword wanted her to experience the marvels this realm was capable of producing.
    “You’re thinking about it,” Scout said. “Excellent. A crack in the woman’s tough skeptic armor.”
    “I haven’t been told what the key opens, so there’s nothing for me to believe or disbelieve right now.”
    She held his gaze, waiting for him to back down from his pout. With a conceding exhale, he did.
    Scout motioned to the waitress and borrowed her pen. He then scribbled a diagram on his napkin. Annja divided her attention between the man’s drawing and the canal; some activity across the way alerted her that she should be on guard. After nearly being taken out twice while diving, she wouldn’t be surprised if she and Scout were being followed.
    “So this is the Lorraine cross.” Scout turned the napkin toward her.
    “Yes, I’m familiar with the double-barred cross. You’ve drawn it with the bars equally distributed along the main bar. Others push up the parallel bars to keep it more in the form of the Christian cross.”
    “Right, but the one Jeanne d’Arc was reputed to have given René was like this.”
    “Did you ever see the cross when it was displayed in the museum?”
    “Yes, er, no, not displayed in the museum. So, uh, here’s where the story takes a slightly science-fiction turnabout.” Scout tapped at the napkin drawing.
    Annja grimaced. And yet, she kept her ears wide open. For as much of a skeptic as she tended to be, she was the first to jump when the idea of proving a myth to be real was presented. Because how cool would that be?
    “Hear me out,” Scout said, making a few more notations on the cross before him. “René d’Anjou was all about the occult and stuff like that. And the connection to Leonardo—who knows? Still, I’m going to guess or assume that there is one between the two men.”
    Maybe. Maybe not. Whether there was a connection by association between symbols and da Vinci’s works through d’Anjou was pure speculation
    “I’m not saying any of this is true, but if it were...”
    “Just spit it out, Scout. What magical properties does the Lorraine cross possess?”
    “The cross isn’t magical. It’s a key. But what that key fits into is truly remarkable.” Scout glanced across the canal, then averted his gaze along the outside tables, before leaning closer and saying in a whisper, “There’s a couple of suspicious-looking men standing at the corner of the entryway. Don’t turn around.”
    Signaling to the waitress to bring them the check, Scout tucked the napkin inside his shirt pocket.
    “Wow, you do the avoid well,” Annja said. “Tell me what it is the key to.”
    “No time.” He signed the credit-card receipt for the waitress and stood up. “It’s time to get out of here. You still in on the project or not? Because my feelings won’t be hurt if the babysitter decides to pack up and head home after getting her skull cracked open.”
    “It was a scratch.” She’d dampened his excitement and he was pouting. Treasure hunters. “I’m in. Tomorrow morning, same time as today?”
    “Ten. See you at the boat. I’m going to head east. Why don’t you leave through the restaurant to give them the slip? Ciao, Creed.”
    She turned as Scout took off, and eyed the two men standing in the corner. Thugs in suits. Her favorite kind. But were these goons really stalking her and Scout, or were they merely businessmen waiting for a table?
    Deciding to give Scout the benefit of the doubt, she exited through the restaurant and noted one of the men did indeed follow Scout in the direction he had left, while the other...she could no longer see.

Chapter 7
    Annja sprinted toward a courtyard, hoping that if she could attract the thugs’ attention by running, maybe the one guy wouldn’t follow Scout. Why