Control’s Undoing (Trinity Masters: The Spaniard #2)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Franco: If you had a superpower what would it be?

Colum: What’s the solvent for dissolving?

Franco: Answer my question first.

Colum: Invisibility. Then no one would talk to me.

Franco: …

Franco: Juliette thinks you need therapy. I think you’re dumb because obviously the answer is teleportation. That’s the best superpower.

T ension made the air heavy, and Colum seriously considered sliding from his chair and trying to sneak out of the Long Room at Trinity College Dublin.

“You can’t leave, you’re the host.”

Colum startled, looking over at his best friend, who was seated beside him at the long conference table.

“Sure, I wasn’t planning to leave,” Colum lied.

Franco smiled, a genuine, amused smile. There had been plenty of smiles in this meeting so far, but they’d been sharp ones that made Colum’s social anxiety hit fever pitch.

Colum didn’t like people.

No, that was wrong.

He loved people. It was one of the reasons he loved history and information. People were interesting and tragic and funny…when he read about them. In person, people were emotionally draining, and socializing made him want to fling himself into a slurry pit. A particularly disgusting way to die, but better than interacting with others for hours on end.

Juliette Adams and Eric Ericsson, leaders of two powerful secret societies, stood side by side, speaking into a phone balanced on Juliette’s palm. Only moments ago, they’d decided to arrange an inter-society marriage and were informing the newly created trinity.

There were significant differences between the Trinity Masters and the Masters’ Admiralty, but the similarities were greater than the summed differences. Which made sense, because the Trinity Masters was the American version of the Masters’ Admiralty.

The Masters’ Admiralty had been formed during the Black Plague in a desperate bid by academics and scholars to keep the world from descending into darkness. The foundation of the society was secret trinity marriages. The leaders of the Masters’ Admiralty—though it had been called something else back then—arranged the marriages with an eye to creating connections and relationships that strengthened society. A military leader with the scion of a powerful family and a priest. A nobleman married to a scholar and an artist.

Colum looked around the table at the people attending this inaugural Trinity Council meeting. It was the first time since the founding of the Trinity Masters that the societies were formally meeting to work together, versus the previous times when their association had been driven by outside forces. It was an historical moment, though no one outside the societies would ever know about it.

The one drawback was just how many people were here.

Colum leaned toward Franco, away from the simmering anger he could feel coming off Nikolett and Hande. If he could, he’d have just walked out of the meeting rather than sit there, awkwardly aware of the emotional tension but with no idea how to defuse it. More than once, when his social battery and tolerance for other people’s emotions ran low, he’d simply walk away, not even bothering to make excuses as to why he was leaving. And most of the time that had been fine because he’d had Josephine to offer up acceptable reasons for his abrupt departures.

Thinking of his sister made Colum’s gaze slide to the side, down the center aisle of the long room to where?—

He wouldn’t be thinking about that right now.

Colum forced his attention back to the table. He should make a list of who was here. Lists always made him feel better.

Eric Ericsson—Fleet Admiral. The leader of the Masters’ Admiralty, and a man Colum considered his brother. Former mercenary with a terrifying temper but an easygoing manner the rest of the time. Josephine had once told Colum that he was the reason Eric had mellowed. When Eric first came into their lives, the rage and grief in him had made Colum freeze up every time they interacted. Josephine was sure that young Colum’s panic helped spur Eric to process and put aside the dark emotions that had gripped him after the loss of his wives.

Regina Kagy—Captain of the Spartan Guard. The Spartan Guard protected the fleet admiral and lived with him at the Masters’ Admiralty headquarters on the Isle of Man.

Arthur Billings—admiral of England. Though Eric was the head of the Masters’ Admiralty, his position was like being president of the EU. He had power, and even some veto rights, but each of the Masters’ Admiralty territories was a governing body unto itself, with an admiral at the helm.

Sophia Starabba—the power behind all the thrones. Sophia came from a long line of Masters’ Admiralty leadership but was placed in an arranged marriage with Arthur and James Rathmann, back when Arthur went by another name and was a territory knight. Once he stepped into the admiral of England role, Sophia left her home territory of Rome. Which brought him to…

Antonio Starabba—admiral of Rome and Sophia’s brother. He was quiet and dangerous, and hadn’t wanted to be admiral, though he was doing an excellent job.

Hande Demiratar—admiral of Ottoman, who’d recently gotten married to her trinity. Since the trinities were created by the admirals, Hande got to pick her own partners. Eric could have vetoed the marriage, if he felt it wasn’t a strong trinity, as the fleet admiral had to approve all trinities when they came to the Isle of Man to officially register their marriage.

Percy—a knight, but more importantly coleader of the Masters Protection Force. The MPF was a joint task force with members of both societies that had been deployed to handle large-scale threats to the societies.

Nikolett Varda—admiral of Hungary. Dangerously smart head of a territory that had been in shambles until she wrestled it back under control. She was not only intelligent but driven and brave. She hadn’t originally been invited to this meeting, but Colum was glad she was here.

Colum’s gaze jumped back to Eric, seated at the table once more. Eric was leaning forward, elbows on the table as he spoke.

Eric and Nikolett were…dating? Colum was absolute shite at figuring out interpersonal interactions and relationships, so given how they acted around one another, Colum would have sworn they hated each other. Except they were actually in love? In lust? He wasn’t sure. What he did know for certain was that they’d had sex. Or maybe it was just that they’d done sex stuff? He wasn’t clear on that part. Eric himself had told Colum some of what happened between them six months ago, but Colum knew there was more to the story.

That completed the Masters’ Admiralty side of the table. Looking to his right, he started cataloguing the Trinity Masters’ members?—

“Colum.” Franco hissed his name as he kicked him under the table.

“What?”

“It’s our turn.”

Colum blinked. “Our turn to…”

Franco made a weird face—what the feck was that supposed to mean? When Colum still didn’t get it, Franco pointed to a display case. What was in that case? If memory served, it was letters written by…

“Ah, go on, it’s our turn,” he muttered, annoyed at himself for woolgathering.

“Have you been paying attention at all?” Eric asked him, faint exasperation in his voice.

Colum cleared his throat. “Ah, sure it’s all grand.”

“Was that yes or no?” Hande asked, clearly confused. “I think my English isn’t good enough.”

“No, I was confused too,” Owen Fraser said. He was the Trinity Masters’ coleader of the MPF.

“I understood,” Franco declared, hand on Colum’s shoulder. “And now, we’re going to tell you about an issue that’s way more fun than the rest of these scary and dangerous ones.”

Colum hid a wince. Had he been woolgathering for the discussion about all the various threats facing the societies? The point of this meeting was to start addressing issues before they happened, and to work together to do it. The first one had been about blackmail in Crimea. Based on the pages of notes spread out in front of Percy, Colum had missed a good chunk of the discussion.

Colum mentally shrugged. If they’d said anything truly interesting, he would have noticed and started paying attention. Probably.

“We found an issue,” Colum said, pointing between himself and Franco.

“A…current issue?” Eric asked gently.

“Yes. Ah, well, not as such.”

“The original issue isn’t current, but there is a current element,” Franco added.

“The archivists have known about it for a while,” Colum added.

Eric pressed his fingers to his eye. Was it twitching again?

“What’s the issue?” Nikolett’s tone was calm and curious, her smile kind as she looked at Colum. That sure as shite wasn’t how she talked to, or looked at, Eric.

Colum cleared his throat. “Oscar Wilde.”

Arthur closed his eyes while Percy winced. They clearly knew their territory’s history.

“He was a member?” Rose Hancock, one of the Americans, asked. “Actually, that makes sense.”

“He was a member,” Colum said, happily slipping into information-giving mode. “Oscar Wilde was placed in a trinity as a young man with Abraham and Florence. They had a falling out when they decided that Bram and Florence would be the ones to legally marry and live as a couple.”

“Bram…” Rose said slowly, one brow raised.

“Bram Stoker,” Colum confirmed.

“Oscar Wilde was married to Bram Stoker. Damn.” Owen shook his head.

“They weren’t subtle about the falling out. Well, Oscar wasn’t,” Franco added. “But luckily the public assumed Oscar had been in love with Florence and was upset she chose Abraham.”

“I thought Oscar Wilde was gay?” Hande asked, frowning. “If I’m thinking of the right man.”

“Bisexual, though he was tried and convicted for being gay,” Colum replied.

Owen leaned forward, expression pinched in thought. “But Wilde got married at some point, didn’t he?”

“He did, to a nonmember. By that point, he was ignoring all orders from England’s admiral at the time.” Arthur winced. “According to England’s records, his refusal to obey orders was one of the reasons the Masters’ Admiralty didn’t step in and stop him from going to trial and subsequently to prison.”

Everyone took a moment to process that.

“What’s the problem?” Hande asked. “Did he tell his wife about us, and his great-grandchild is going to say something?”

“As far as we know, Constance Wilde never had any idea about the Masters’ Admiralty.” Arthur looked at Colum, brows raised in silent question, asking if his information was wrong.

Colum shook his head. “It’s not that. There are rumors going around on the dark web about a recently discovered Oscar Wilde manuscript.”

“I found them,” Franco added proudly. “The rumors. And I knew to tell Colum about them because we’re sharing information .”

Colum eyed his friend. That was a bit ham-fisted way to lay the foundation for what they wanted to ask later.

“Colum, why does that matter?” Eric asked. “ Is there a recently discovered manuscript?”

“Yes, there is. I know because the archive has part of it. The first part.”

Silence descended. Franco cleared his throat and leaned over. “You have to tell them what it’s about if you want them to panic and freak out.”

“Ah, right.” Colum looked around. “The manuscript is a tell-all book about the Masters’ Admiralty.”

“I have a concern,” Hande said twenty minutes later, after Colum and Franco had outlined the intricacies of the Oscar Wilde issue, including why they needed to involve the Trinity Masters in what seemed like a Masters’ Admiralty issue.

Franco knew he’d been talking too much, and too fast, based on the way his husband Devon’s lips were twitching, but he was excited. Colum too had grown animated as they outlined what they’d discovered to date. Franco was a little disappointed Juliette had said he couldn’t be the one to investigate with Colum. Her exact words were something along the lines of, “No, you can’t go on a scavenger hunt with your best friend. We have work to do.”

“What’s your concern?” Eric asked Hande.

“We only know about this potential threat because those two are talking about things that maybe should be a secret.” Hande tipped her chin at Colum and Franco.

Franco grinned. “Great lead-in, thanks.”

Hande looked confused.

Franco looked at Juliette, who nodded for him to go ahead.

“Colum and I want to propose a joint archive,” Franco declared. “A single Trinity Archive that serves both societies.”

Everyone took a minute to digest that. Eric and Juliette were silent, watching their people. Colum and Franco had approached them first, and they were okay with the idea, but unwilling to approve it without at least hearing from other high-ranking members within the societies. Franco had wanted to tell their people back at home, and go in as a united front, but Juliette said that wasn’t fair to Eric’s people.

“A joint archive for things related only to both societies?” Nikolett asked. “Or a complete merging of all our historical records?”

“A complete merge housed here in Dublin because it’s neutral territory,” Colum said, Franco nodding in agreement.

Sebastian Stewart, one of the Trinity Masters’ counselors, was frowning at Juliette. “You can call Dublin neutral, but it’s in Masters’ Admiralty territory. They’d have easier access to it than we would.”

Franco wanted to kick Sebastian, but the other man was too far away.

The group went back and forth about that for a while, with the Trinity Masters’ members slowly coming around to the idea.

Approval of the Trinity Archive was within reach—Franco had his hand on Colum’s knee under the table and kept shaking his best friend’s leg in his excitement—when Hande spoke up.

“But what about Colum?”

Everyone paused.

“What about him?” Eric asked.

“The archive will be here in Europe and the access will be controlled by the archivists.” She pointed at Colum and Franco. “Yes?”

“Correct.”

“Franco is a member of the Trinity Masters. He’s also married to their leader. They will have close ties. Good access. But for us?” Hande gestured to the Masters’ Admiralty end of the table. “The archivist position is neutral. The existence of the archive isn’t widely known. He reports to no admiral.” Hande stared at Colum. “And he is exempt from even the fleet admiral’s orders. Once the fleet admiral appoints an archivist, the Masters’ Admiralty has no control over them.”

“I’m a member,” Colum said slowly, even as under the table his hand moved to grip Franco’s wrist.

Franco swallowed hard, trying to figure out Hande’s endgame so he could counter it.

“There could come a day when Trinity Masters’ members walk in and out of the archive, but our own people have to seek approvals and fill out forms.” She waved a hand to indicate vague bureaucracy.

“That wouldn’t happen,” Franco assured her.

“I believe it, for you . You have close ties to your society. She is your wife, yes?” Hande tipped her head to Juliette.

“Yes, she’s my wife.” It felt weird, but good, to say that out loud. Every member of the Trinity Masters present knew the identity of the Grand Master, but for all but a few members, the Grand Master’s identity was a secret.

“What ties does our archivist have to us?” Hande went on. “He isn’t even in a trinity marriage.”

“The archivist is exempt from the rule about getting married,” Colum rushed to add.

Franco winced, squeezing Colum’s knee and willing his best friend to shut up because he wasn’t helping their case.

“You see my concern? The archivist doesn’t follow our core and most basic rules. There is already a disconnect, and I think the merger will make it worse.” Hande glanced around the table and—fuck—the other admirals present nodded.

Eric’s expression was completely unreadable.

“What do you propose?” Sophia asked.

“If we do this, the archivist must have stronger ties to our society.”

“Be specific,” Eric bit out.

“The archivist should be a regular member, and Dublin should no longer be neutral.”

“Absolutely not.” Colum didn’t even hesitate.

“The Trinity Masters’ archivist isn’t neutral. He is a member like any other, yes?”

Franco shrugged in half-hearted agreement, not wanting to really concede anything to the woman who was currently messing up their plan.

“To have our archivist exist outside the normal rules, and the archive itself in neutral territory is not good.”

Colum leaned forward. “When it was formed, the admirals at the time didn’t want one territory to have exclusive control over the contents, which is why a neutral area was created.”

“And has that worked?” Hande demanded. “I had never even heard of the archive until nearly six months after I was made admiral. Were other admirals informed immediately?” She raised a brow.

Eric sighed. “We need to do a better job of letting everyone know the archive exists, and how to ask our archivist for information.” Eric glanced briefly at Colum.

“Fine,” Hande said, “but the real power lies in relationships.”

Everyone paused, and Franco studied her, trying to anticipate where she was going with this.

“That’s the true core of our societies,” Nikolett said slowly. “The secret trinity marriages provide support and stability because they form meaningful relationships between three people who might otherwise never even know one another, but who could benefit from the support.”

Hande blinked in surprise at Nikolett, then said, “Yes. That.”

“Okay, that’s fair,” Eric said.

Colum adjusted his glasses, then looked around, staring everyone down. Franco almost cheered for his friend. “Dublin, and the archive, remain neutral,” Colum said firmly.

Hande looked exasperated. “Fine, but the archivist must marry. And…and I think they should be married to someone in a position of leadership. To mirror what the Trinity Masters has.” Hande gestured to Franco, then Juliette. “An archivist with an emotional tie to the leadership of the society.”

“No,” Colum said, a little frantically.

Franco leaned over. “Shut up, you’re making it worse.”

Colum looked at him with wide eyes.

“You’ll be fine.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Yes, you will.”

“I hate people.”

“You don’t hate people. You’re just an introvert and don’t want to waste energy figuring out social interactions.”

Colum paused. “That’s fair enough.”

“Colum.” Eric’s voice yanked their attention back to the group at large.

“What?”

“If you want the Trinity Archive, the rules for the archivist will have to change. Meaning, you have to agree.”

“It’s a loss of autonomy for the position,” Nikolett warned.

Colum sighed. “What do you want the archivist to do?”

“Marry,” Hande said. “The archivist must be married to a leader within the Masters’ Admiralty, in a trinity appointed by the fleet admiral, or chosen during a meeting of all territory admirals.”

“He should pick his own trinity,” Nikolett countered. “The way admirals do.”

Hande shook her head. “No, access is too important. The fleet admiral decides.”

“One of the privileges of being an admiral is, unless the fleet admiral chooses for us, we select our own trinities,” Nikolett shot back. “The archivist should have the same option. After all, the fleet admiral will still have final approval, since it’s a Masters’ Admiralty marriage.”

“That’s fair, Hande,” Eric said.

Hande was quiet for a moment, and everyone tensed. “It needs to be chosen by the fleet admiral. The fleet admiral chooses the archivist, and at the time of a new archivist’s appointment, the fleet admiral also chooses their trinity.”

“That’s fair too,” Eric said, almost reluctantly, his attention on Franco and Colum.

“But that means any admiral who is unmarried at the time of a new archivist appointment could lose their right to choose their own spouses,” Sophia pointed out.

“We have the choice only if the fleet admiral doesn’t choose for us,” Hande countered.

Colum tensed as Eric looked at him, and Franco’s stomach sank. His friend was about to be put into an arranged menage marriage. Franco hadn’t been in an arranged marriage, not really; he’d more or less chosen Juliette and Devon. Juliette had been the newly appointed Grand Master when they met and able to make her own trinity.

Both societies were founded on arranged marriages, but Franco knew that for his friend, this was going to be an unpleasant shock. Colum was happiest on his own.

Or at least, he said he was happy on his own.

Franco studied Colum’s profile. Sometimes he worried that his friend was more than just alone; he was lonely, even if Colum himself would deny it.

“Colum, do you, as the archivist of the Masters’ Admiralty, agree to change the duties of the archivist?” Eric asked. “If you agree, you’ll be placed in an arranged marriage of the fleet admiral’s or collected territory admirals’ choosing.”

It would be okay, Franco was sure. Eric was like Colum’s brother. He’d find a way to make this work.

“And,” Eric went on, deep voice resonating along the bookstacks, “at least one of your spouses must be a member of the Masters’ Admiralty leadership.”

Eric looked to Hande, who nodded. Antonio and Arthur also nodded.

Nikolett didn’t move. Franco thought she almost looked…scared?

Why?

“Do you agree?” Eric was looking at Colum.

Colum inclined his head in an almost formal gesture. “Yes, Fleet Admiral, the archivist agrees.”

“Good.” Eric smiled. “The Trinity Archive is now official.”

Franco and Colum grinned at one another, though Colum’s expression was strained.

“Once the archivist is married,” Hande interjected, brow arched. Franco had the distinct impression she was still irritated by how the Crimean blackmailer issue had been assigned, and it was making her confrontational.

Eric’s expression went flat, and the bottom dropped out of Franco’s stomach. Something was about to go really, really wrong. He looked frantically at Juliette, who was leaning forward, focusing intently. She was picking up the same vibes he was.

Eric cleared his throat. “As the fleet admiral?—”

“Don’t,” Nikolett interrupted, her hands gripping the edge of the table.

Nikolett was a step ahead of him and Juliette, because it was pretty clear she knew what was coming. Franco scooted closer to Colum, putting his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Eric didn’t look at Nikolett and ignored her interruption. “As the fleet admiral, I hereby place Colum O’Connor, archivist for the Masters’ Admiralty?—”

“Don’t do this,” Nikolett said urgently.

“—in a trinity marriage with Sarah Ritter?—”

Franco had no idea who that was until he saw Percy and Owen exchange a look, and remembered where he’d seen that name. Sarah was a knight from Germany—which should have been obvious from her last name—and one of the MPF.

Colum didn’t react to the name. Actually, Colum wasn’t reacting at all. Shit.

“—and a member of the Masters’ Admiralty leadership, per the new terms of the archivist position.”

Nikolett shoved to her feet, and all around the table gazes bounced from her to Eric and back.

“No, Eric.” Despite her quick action, her voice was quiet and calm, almost resigned.

“Colum O’Connor, Sarah Ritter,” Eric was speaking through his teeth, “and Admiral Nikolett Varda, are hereby placed in a trinity.”