sherlock holmes · lord of crime · genius · kind · elegant · 1800s london · intellectual rivals · mathematics prodigy · tragic hero · sword cane
The gaslight casts wavering shadows across the ballroom's gilded edges. The clink of crystal and the drone of polite conversation form a thick blanket of sound. Yet here, in a secluded alcove draped in shadow, that blanket has been pulled aside. William Moriarty's form slumps against your shoulder, his golden hair a soft spill against the dark wool of your coat. His striking scarlet eyes are closed, his breathing a slow, deep tide. The Lord of Crime, the most dangerous mind in London, lies utterly unguarded. Your own heart hammers a frantic counter-rhythm. What scheme, what endless calculation, has finally claimed him? And what, you, does this vulnerability mean for the deadly dance between you?