Lila glanced at Robur who was now leering. Sebastian had stepped up next to him, and James was lurking behind.
“How long has it been here?” she asked.
“Fifty years,” Hamill answered proudly.
She addressed her next question to her other host, Robur.
“Why was it made for the elders?”
“Because it is the Chosen One,” he answered tersely. Then his voice changed to condescension.
”That is what we were expecting, not...you.”
Sebastian snapped his head to look angrily at Robur, but before he could say anything,
Lila smiled blithely at him and said, “I’m equally disappointed not to have wings, Elder Robur. I’d rather enjoy flying around instead of having to use a car and sit in traffic.”
Hamill and Sebastian both laughed, while Robur looked constipated. Lila decided to go for broke.
“Thank you so much for inviting me here tonight. If nothing else, I will have enjoyed the statuary.”
When Lila smiled, both Hamill and Robur leaned in closer like flowers reaching for the sun. Then Robur seemed to notice, and shook himself free of Lila’s magical attraction.
“You should allow your elders to guide your interactions tonight. We can introduce you to the most useful allies.”
“Isn’t everyone here ...useful? Since you sent the invitations?” Lila asked innocently.
“Some more than others,” Robur replied, looking over Lila’s shoulder and sounding a lot like Professor Snape from Hogwarts.
Lila turned to see Frederick Van Reed approaching, Isobel De Medici on his arm. Evan tensed.
“Good evening,” Van Reed said, bowing to Lila.
“Happy Holidays, Mr. Van Reed.” Lila returned.
“You are more beautiful every time I see you.”
Lila noticed Isobel giving her the evil eye and inwardly smirked.
“Thank you.”
“And your necklace is exquisite,” Van Reed purred.
Was he admiring the necklace, or Lila’s cleavage? Evan growled, and Van Reed glanced at Evan and seemed to come to his senses. He blinked, pulling his gaze up to Lila’s face again.
“I suppose if you had to mate outside of our race, at least you chose someone who knows how to show his gratitude for the honor.”
That was a very different tune from the last time they had met.
“I’m grateful to have found a man so deserving of my affection. His heart is the only gift I need. Everything else is for public appearances.”
“If that’s the case, then you must value your public’s opinion quite highly.”
“I prefer to think of it as choosing the right lure in order to catch the most fish,” Lila said brightly. She noticed that Isobel was eye fucking her mate.
Van Reed chuckled.
“I see that Xander has been coaching you in the art of politics.”
“Evan,” Isobel interrupted, her Italian accent as thick as ever, “Don’t you find escorting the Chosen One to be a tedious chore?”
“Not at all, Miss De Medici. I enjoy every minute spent with my mate. Both alone, and in public.”
“I would think that a man of your considerable experience would quickly bore of her lack of knowledge and worldliness.”
Isobel was so focused on taking Evan’s attention, that she did not notice how her thinly veiled insults were offending the male mages.
“On the contrary, Miss De Medici, my mate shines a new light on everyt’in for me. I am experiencing the world in a whole new and interestin’ way through our bond.”
“I don’t believe it!” Isobel spat.
“I don’t imagine you ever could.”
Isobel turned green with envy at Evan’s words, and looked like she wanted to kill Lila.
“Isobel!” Van Reed sounded annoyed with his date.
“We must allow the Chosen One to mingle with all the guests, Frederick,” Hamill interjected, “Please enjoy the evening.” He gestured for Lila to follow him towards another group of guests, and Lila let go of a relieved sigh to be walking away from the toxic jealousy of Isobel De Medici.
Servers carrying trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres wound their way around the guests, and a piano played something classical in the corner. Lila recognized the tall forms of Franklin and Elton as Hamill led her to their conversation cluster. Out of the corn of her eye, Lila caught a flash of a tall blond, but when she turned her head, she only saw a marble sculpture of a nymph and satyr getting acquainted. Before she could think anything about it, she was being greeted warmly by Josh and Sam. She turned her attention back to them and was startled by the man standing with them.
It was Westin, it had to be. He looked just like Lash, only older and more severe. Her shock must have shown, because Sam grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing server and handed it to her. She smiled at him and took a gulp as Franklin introduced Westin. Westin looked at her like he was appraising the value of an artwork. It was simultaneously assessing and wanting. Lila had to remind herself that her magical attraction was working, and that she was surrounded by her guards and mate. She took a breath and smiled.
“How do you do, Councilman, what brings you to our territory so close to the holiday?”
“You do.” His manner was direct and unapologetic. His nose flared, scenting her.
“You are mated,” he said, and for a moment, Lila thought he might ask her to turn so he could inspect her claiming mark.
“Yes, this is Evan O’Connell, my first mate.” She said. The three men stared at her.
Oops. Why had she said that?
“Your first mate?” Westin asked.
Oh well, maybe her subconscious had a plan.
“Yes, according to the prophecy, I’m fated to have three. No clues yet as to when or how.”
Westin looked at Evan as if measuring him.
“I wouldn’t guess that a vampire would be open to sharing a mate.” He said.
“Depends on the person,” Evan said mildly. “There’s already an alpha in this family.”
Lila wanted to laugh and cheer. Josh’s eyes got big, and Sam was smiling broadly. Westin did not look pleased.
“Does the impotent consort to the Chosen One have a say in who joins her...family? Surely an heir is to be expected.”
Well that was nasty and inappropriate and medieval.
“The middle ages called, they want their sexist patriarchal society back.” Lila dead panned. To her left, Lila could practically see Sebastian smacking his forehead with his palm.
“Surely the mages know better than to allow so much power to go unchecked. If it were up to me, I’d put a collar on you and train you properly to obey your elders.”
Everyone around him blinked, momentarily stunned by the unabashed insult and downright villainous statement. Then Evan’s hand shot out, gripped Westin by the throat, and lifted him off the floor. The shifter was taller, but dangled helplessly as he tried in vain to get air. Both his hands clawed at Evan’s without result. Westin’s eyes looked around for support but got none from Franklin, Elton, or Sebastian. Even Hamill was silent and still.
Lila watched the scene from far above. Westin’s words had sent her into some kind of altered state. He wanted to collar and train her? Wasn’t it bad enough that the mages didn’t like her thinking for herself? Who else wanted to control her power? Was Isobel gathering an army, or just trying to get rid of her? Lila felt her power rise with her anger. It connected to something very large and powerful behind her. She heard a groan and a scrape, and then the room collectively gasped. The giant marble statue of the winged Chosen One turned its head and looked at Westin. Its half lidded gaze now looked disappointed by Westin’s audacity to insult the flesh and blood incarnation of itself.
Lila let her light glow, and the piece inside of Evan glowed too. He eased his grip on Westin and lowered him to the floor. Westin coughed and sucked in some air. He recovered so quickly, that Lila wondered why he hadn’t shifted
when Evan grabbed him. Surely he could have fought a vampire in his cat form.
A loud crack brought Lila’s attention back to the situation and back into her body. She reached out and took Evan’s hand. When she did, she felt a power surge, and the light in the room brightened. The crowd gasped and cried in amazement, fear, and awe, as the statue folded its wings and lifted a leg off the base it had been standing on. It gracefully stepped down to the floor. Crumbles of marble bits plinked to the floor in its wake as it paced toward Westin. It brought its sword arm down to point at his throat. Westin backed up, the crowd moving away from him. He was forced to stop when his back hit the wall behind him.
The statue, glowing as brightly as Lila and Evan, gently touched Westin’s throat with the point of the sword. Just enough so that an indent could be seen above his shirt collar. Westin’s Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. With a loud crack and scrape, the statue opened its mouth and spoke. The room was so devoid of anything soft and absorbing other than the people in it, that the voice boomed, echoing around the hard walls and ceiling, making the chandeliers chime delicately as the crystals swayed against each other.
“Do not presume to command the Chosen One. The gift was given by magic for magic. None other will rule it. None other may question it.”
With a sound like tires crunching on gravel, the statue froze. Lila’s light faded out quickly, followed by the light in the statue and then Evan. Lila swayed on her feet.
“Lila!” Evan caught her before she could stumble. Her champagne glass slipped from her hand and smashed loudly, breaking the spell that had overcome the party.
Evan and Lila were suddenly surrounded by her team plus Franklin and Elton. There were shouts of alarm and amazement all around them as the other guests found their voices.
“Are you all right, Angel?” Evan asked.
“I...don’t feel too good,” she gasped, as if she was trying to catch her breath.
“The library,” Sebastian said, and Evan picked Lila up and carried her out of the ballroom as guests gaped at the group.
He led them into a much smaller and cozier room where Evan made Lila lie down on a comfortable leather couch. Lila closed her eyes and waited for the vertigo to pass.
“What can I get for her?” Hamill’s voice asked someone.
“Water,” someone else said.
“Don’t touch her,” Evan warned, and then Lila felt him sit next to her and take both her hands in his. Lila took in a deep breath and let Evan’s comfort wash over her as she felt his love touch her through their bond.
“Someone asked for water in here?” a new and familiar voice asked. Lila struggled to place the melodic purr, but by the time that she decided to open her eyes, all she saw was a tall blond server exiting the room and closing the door behind him. Then she was distracted by Evan helping her to sit up and drink some water.
After a few sips, she pushed it away.
“Thank you.”
She still felt out of breath, and leaned into Evan, wrapping her arms around his waist inside his jacket. His warmth felt good.
“Are you cold, Angel?”
Lila couldn’t say what she was, but someone placed a jacket on her shoulders as Evan embraced her.
“You’re all right, Angel, I’ve got you.” Evan murmured.
I’ve got you.
“Lash,” Lila wanted to shout his name, but she felt weak, and her voice was muffled by Evan’s shirt, so only he could understand the word.
Above them, the other men were talking among each other, deciding who would get the car and who would inform their hosts that Lila was fine but going home.
Lila lifted her head and looked at Evan.
“What about Lash?” he asked.
“I heard him. His voice. His hair. He was here.”
“Are you sure, Angel? You’re not just wishin’ it?”
Lila nodded.
“The water---he brought it.”
“What is it?” Sebastian asked, kneeling next to them. The warmth from his hand soaked through the fabric of his jacket and into Lila’s back.
“She thinks Lash was the server who brought the water,” Evan explained for her. Sebastian looked at Lila, then at Evan, and then back at Lila. Then he jumped up and looked at Xander.
“Lila says she saw Sawyer. Serving.” He ran for the door. Xander recovered quickly.
“James, go help Bastian look for him. Franklin, can you make sure that Westin is secure? Elton and Hamill, we are looking for a younger version of Westin in a server’s uniform.”
The men left the room, leaving Lila and Evan alone. Evan brushed the hair away from her face and looked into her eyes. Lila sighed, brought her hands to his face, and kissed him.
“Thank you, Baby.”
“For what?” Evan kissed her back.
“For tolerating my crazy life.”
“It’s our crazy life, now,” he said, kissing her again, “and I wouldn’t change it for anyt’in’.” He kissed her deeply, and then shifted into a more comfortable position to hold her until Sebastian came back for them.
Seeing Lila surrounded protectively by all those men made Lash feel better about leaving her in someone else's care for the time being. She may not need protecting in the traditional rescuing-hero way, but their time together in the jungle had shown him that she had a sensitive soul. She needed people who would protect her heart. He’d recognized Evan and the mage from the jungle, and could only assume that the others were part of her team. He knew Alexander Hammond was the east coast ISF commander, and he’d recognized the shifter Franklin. If they were hanging around her, she was in good hands.
Now he could do the errand he’d come to town to do, and then focus on making sure that Westin could not follow through with his plans to get his hands on the Chosen One. Now that she had shown him how much power she had, Westin was sure to try and take her power. He might be arrogant enough to think that he could control her in spite of what he saw tonight. He was also capable of outright killing her so that the prophecy would not come to pass. Lash couldn’t care less about the prophecy, but Lila was his mate, and he wouldn’t allow the man who’d fathered him to harm her.
Sebastian returned to the library thirty minutes later.
“No sign of Sawyer, he must have left right after he delivered the water. I’m sorry that I didn’t take notice of him at the time.”
“It’s all right, Teacher, I’m just glad to know that he’s back in the states.”
Lila was sitting, no longer feeling dizzy.
“Most of the guests have gone home, and Robur is winding up the mages who are left. He’s out there now arguing with Xander to have you locked away and watched 24/7 until your power is controlled,” Sebastian sighed, looking worried.
“My power is controlled, what’s he talking about?”
“He seems to think that you were not controlling the statue.”
“Why?”
“Because you demonstrated your control of Air at the presentation. You couldn’t possibly have that much control over Earth as well.”
“So what, the statue took my power and decided to move?”
“Mages know that the statue was sculpted by a mage who put his own power into it.”
Was that what Lila had sensed when she’d first laid eyes on it?
“He’s saying that you were thinking about doing something to Westin when your power got away from you. Possibly attracting the power inside the sculpture. It picked up your intention, and went after Westin.”
“But it spoke. It sounded like the Oracle.”
“I didn’t say that Robur was making sense, but emotions are high, and the mages are scared. Xander is doing his best to calm everyone, but by the morning, every mage on the east coast will have heard about what happened tonight.”
“And it will likely be blown way out of proportion,” Lila finished for him.
Sebastian’s mouth closed in a flat line.
Lila stood and started for the doo
r.
“Where are you going?” Sebastian asked.
“To stop the madness.”
She handed Sebastian his jacket, and stepped into the hall. She followed the sound of raised voices, Sebastian and Evan on her heels.
In the ballroom, a group of about twenty mages, mostly men, were standing on the opposite side of the room from the statue and arguing with their council Head. Westin and the other shifters were nowhere to be seen. The statue was as she’d last seen it, facing the wall, its sword arm pointing at a spot about six feet off the floor. The statue itself was about twelve feet tall, an intimidating size for even the tallest man in the room.
With so many voices speaking at once, none could be understood clearly, but single words reached Lila. Words like dangerous, and menace, and worse: command and control. Those words instantly got Lila’s blood boiling again. She felt her power snap to attention inside of her, but she kept a tight rein on it, and didn’t allow it to glow as it wanted to. She felt Evan’s hands caress her shoulders, and his calming affection slide into her with the touch.
Lila could feel her power reaching for Evan’s and for the power in the statue. Shit, maybe Robur was right. Was she controlling the power, or was the power controlling her? No. Lila would not let it control her. She took a few long breaths in and out and calmed her mind. She allowed herself to feel the power, but not go anywhere. She stood still for a full minute keeping all of it contained. The voices in the room quieted.
Every mage in the room stared at her. Lila closed her eyes to their fear and anger. She focused on the three wells of power. Through his touch, Evan’s mixed with her’s, and then she sent it, carefully, into the statue. She let the power build until the stagnant molecules inside the marble began to vibrate. Then she sent her message into it. Return to rest.
The statue cracked and scraped, and then began to move. It was not as fluid as it had been before, reminding Lila of the stone monster from some old B movie about some Greek hero. Hercules? Perseus? Whatever. The statue stomped back to the pedestal and mounted it to assume its original position: wings wide, sword raised, eye gazing at a point about fifteen feet in front of it. Lila made sure that all the cracks made by the figure’s movement healed before pulling her magic back. Then she paused to reconsider that decision. She left the cracks around the feet as a reminder of what she was capable of, and what had happened here tonight. Then she pulled back on the magic and let it fade. She swayed, and Evan’s arms went around her waist to keep her upright.
Magic's Love Page 38
