Chapter 6
The next morning, Mark paced the kitchen. He’d made breakfast when he couldn’t sleep. They ate. Now Gina was getting ready for a trip over to Robert’s. Actually, he was more interested in talking to Tremaine. The man had far more knowledge about the unknown than anyone else he knew.
Kindra had been there in the cafeteria the night before. He didn’t know how, he hadn’t actually seen her, but he knew for a fact that had been his wife, watching him.
Did that mean his doppelganger was still alive?
He sank onto a chair and rubbed at his face.
Gina came running down the stairs. “What’s wrong, Mark? Is it what’s inside of me?”
He shook his head. “Not worried about that.” At least not in that moment. Mark was far more concerned with what lurked in his past and might still be alive.
“Talk to me.”
“I need to know if the doppelganger lived.” What would they do to Gina? And what if they came to Edenton?
Gina took his hand. “Then let’s go. Robert can find out easily enough. Do they know we’re coming?”
“Don’t care. It’s early enough Tremaine should still be home. If not, we’ll go to the book store.”
She smiled. “What are you waiting for?”
He kissed her nose. “You.” Taking her hand, Mark walked to the door.
The trip was quick. Once there, he helped her out of the truck and knocked on the door.
“Wish you weren’t so nervous,” Gina whispered.
He wasn’t sure what else he would be.
Tremaine opened the door. “Morning, Mark, Gina. Can I help you?”
Mark scrubbed a hand over his face.
Gina smiled. “May we come in? Maybe Robert is here, too?”
Tremaine nodded. “He is. You here for him?”
Mark shook his head. “No, for you, but he should hear this. Maybe even Preston.”
“Sure, come in.” He led them to the kitchen. “I’ll be right back.”
Mark nodded.
Gina took his hand and pulled him to a chair.
He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. He had no words for her. He wanted to comfort her, but he was the one who needed the comfort.
Robert entered the kitchen. “I wasn’t expecting you so early.”
Mark couldn’t wait. The sinking feeling in his gut was too big. “I’m not sure what you know about my origins, but I have reason to believe you need to know.”
Robert leaned against the counter. “Honestly, I don’t know much, other than you’ve been a werewolf longer than I’ve known you.”
Tremaine pushed fingers through his hair. “Remember the witches of Brightwater Bay?”
Robert’s eyes widened. “The doppelgangers?”
Tremaine nodded. “Mark was Anders Woeller.”
“He died. We arrived as he stumbled out. You took him for help, but said he died on the way.” Robert exclaimed.
Mark shook his head. “No, but nearly. And I thought I killed my wife, but I’m positive she was in the cafeteria last night.”
“The woman who was letting the doppelganger take your magic?” Robert asked.
“Not just my magic, my life force. But if she’s still alive, he probably is too. Which means there might be a child, well, not a child now. And the doppelgangers might still be alive.”
“All we found were four small corpses. Small, wrinkly, gray-haired humanoids.”
“The ones they killed when taking their place,” Mark answered.
“Most likely,” Tremaine answered.
“You left that investigation,” Robert said, then looked him in the eye. “You brought Mark here, didn’t you?”
Tremaine lifted a shoulder. “He was so far gone, there wasn’t much other choice. If he was going to live, he needed a fresh start as something without his magic.”
Robert raised a brow at Tremaine. “You led us to believe he’d died.”
“Felt like it,” Mark answered. “I became a werewolf and left that life in the past.”
Robert shook his head. “I wish I had known. I feel like a jerk.”
Mark shook his head. “When you saw me that night, if you did, I was a shell of what I was then. Don’t worry about that.”
“Still, I should have known.”
Mark changed the subject. “What happened to the coven? Do you know?”
“There was no sign of where they disappeared to. The only thing we found were the corpses.”
“A portal,” Tremaine said. “Damn it, it had to be a portal. That would be why Preston couldn’t track them.”
“Only back then, we wouldn’t have known that.” Robert paced away and came back. “Mark, I have a lot of respect for you. More so now. I don’t know any caster willing to give up their magic, not even to save themselves.”
Mark blew out a breath. “Didn’t have much left after that ordeal. I didn’t want to ever fall prey to something like that again. Maybe it would have been easier to give up, but the doppelganger would have found someone else to drain.”
Robert took a seat across from Mark. “So, Kindra is still alive?”
“Yeah. My wife.” He rubbed at his face.
Gina took his hand. “Don’t tell me you really consider her your wife now?”
“There were rituals binding us, Gina. It’s why I felt her before I saw her. It’s not the same as a mate bond. I feel no love for her, but I can still sense her when we’re close enough.”
Tremaine snorted. “I can look into a way to break that bond. She sure as hell doesn’t have the right to call you hers.”
“She doesn’t,” Gina answered.
“I don’t want her. She lost the right to call me hers when she chose that thing over me. But here’s the problem. The baby, did it live? Was it mine?” He shook his head.
Gina pulled his gaze to hers. “I feel your guilt, but, Mark, you didn’t harm her to harm the baby. You harmed her to stop her, to stop him, to escape.”
“I know, but that child didn’t do anything wrong,” Mark protested.
Tremaine squeezed his shoulder. “If she lived, the baby most likely lived. And we can find out.”
Robert nodded. “The coven disappeared after you escaped. We checked the area a few times over the course of a year. We never found anyone. But a coven moved in sometime after that. And we had little record of who lived there, so no one checked if it was the same coven.”
“Yeah, but there are witches here. Even one I would trust to go scope out the area.” Tremaine smiled as he leaned against Robert’s side. “Druciela. She knows how covens work. How they sometimes recruit. She’d be the one most likely to get answers, without giving anything away.”
“She prefers to avoid covens,” Mark said.
Tremaine gripped Mark’s shoulder. “Won’t matter. They won’t know the difference. You were targeted because you were stronger than the others. And it’s been close to fifty years. They’re going to be looking for new Others to take over, if not a new home.”
“Why?” Mark asked.
Tremaine ran a hand through his hair. “Doppelgangers tend to latch onto the land they inhabit, and the people closest to them. If they form a bond, those people become what they are. The land also tends to die. So they may have improved the coven’s situation, but as they fade away, the town itself will suffer, especially those closest to them.”
Mark gulped. “They’re all in danger?”
“They’ll be fine if we can convince them to move once we’ve dealt with the doppelgangers for good. I’ve done research into the species after getting you out of there. I have sources with even more information. We will stop them this time.”
“Okay, but what if they follow Druciela back to us?” Mark asked. “And consider the Others here. What if they try to take over Edenton?”
Robert nodded. “Would make finding them easier. We already know what they are, how they work. We
’d be able to stop them more easily.”
Gina held up a hand. “Where is this coven?”
“On the coast. It’s about a three-hour drive.” Mark sat back and sighed. “I don’t want anything to happen to anyone.”
Tremaine crossed his arms over his chest. “Here’s the problem, Mark. He didn’t kill you. If that creature is still alive, and knows you are, he will be back for you. Which puts everyone here in jeopardy. And that’s why it’s a good thing we know about it now. So why not let her find out what she can?”
“Why does he need me?” Mark countered.
“There are only two known cases where doppelgangers didn’t kill the original person behind the new identity. They couldn’t take a new form until their current face died, or they died instead.”
Mark nodded slowly.
“And Kindra is one of them now, and if the child survived, they are too.”
Mark blinked slowly. “What?”
“Well, until they fade enough to take a new form, they may be able to be rehabilitated.”
Mark blinked fast.
Gina smoothed her hand over his. “Relax, baby.”
He caught her hands and looked into her eyes. “Gina, I’m still bound to her in a way.”
“There might be a way to break that without either of you dying,” Tremaine stated. “If she chose to leave, to walk away, never look back, we could break that bond for you.”
Gina smiled. “Problem solved.”
“Can we break it now?” Mark asked.
“No. We’d need her physically here. Rituals can be broken, but we need both people to do it,” Tremaine explained.
“I didn’t know that was possible,” Robert answered.
“The rituals witches use to form bonds create man-made bonds, not natural bonds. They can be dissolved.”
“Fine,” Mark said. “As long as I don’t have to see her ever again after that point.”
“If she accepts that, then sure,” Tremaine answered. “If she’s going to fight to keep Gerard, then no.”
“So, now what?” Mark asked.
“I’ll call Druciela,” Robert said, standing. He left the room.
“Was that all you came for?” Tremaine asked.
“No, that has been on my mind since leaving Headquarters,” Mark admitted. “However, there’s something else. Something named Badb is inside Gina.”
Tremaine dipped his head. “Robert explained that to me. And I take it you’re worried that it’s the same as Crom Cruach?”
“She is not,” Gina answered. “I don’t even feel her now. I know she’s there, but she’s not interfering.”
Tremaine leaned closer. “The stories surrounding Badb have been misinterpreted over the years. Some call her a goddess of war. But she was a protector of the innocent. There are stories of her fighting off dark entities who wanted to break through the veil to take our world over.”
“That you know of,” Mark countered. “What if the negative stories are right?”
“I know Badb’s sister. In fact, I’m sure Preston is already looking into it, as he is closer to Morrigan than I am,” Tremaine answered.
“What? Another war goddess?” Mark asked. “Anything else?” he scoffed.
“Yeah, that Badb’s kingdom was lost thanks to doppelgangers,” Tremaine stated.
Robert came back. “What?”
Tremaine held up a hand. “Relax. Badb will only become active within Gina if she needs help keeping the other entities out. And if the stories I’ve heard are correct, she’ll find a way to re-manifest in her own body.”
“How?” Gina asked.
Tremaine shook his head. “I need more information before I attempt to explain that. The myths are hard to wrap your head around.”
Mark shook his head. “Just tell me Gina will be all right.”
“She will be. That I am sure of,” Tremaine promised. “Though I’ll work on finding more solid answers. I’m sure Morrigan would be willing to answer your questions.”
Gina turned to Robert. “Did you reach Druciela?”
Robert nodded. “She’s on her way.”
* * * *
Druciela moved around the shop, getting ready to open for the day. Not that she could concentrate. She had a feeling she’d have to call someone in. She couldn’t figure out why.
Her phone rang, and a smile spread across her face as she hurried to the phone and picked up. “Enchantments and Magical remedies, how can I help you?”
“This is Robert McCallister. Have someone available to work? I need to talk to you, possibly ask you to do something.”
Her brow shot up. “You’re going to ask a witch to investigate something?”
He sighed. “Is that so hard to believe? Have I ever given you a reason to believe I am, in any way, an elitist?”
Druciela rolled her eyes. “You have refused my help in the past.”
“Not because of what you are, but because at that point, the Council didn’t take outside help. I’ve worked hard to change that. I was only following a procedure I disagreed with.”
“True. You have made great changes. What is it you need?”
“We need to talk before I send you. Would you be willing to come over? You may decide not to get involved.”
“Why would you think that?” she demanded.
He sighed. “Please come over, Druciela. There’s more to this story than simply asking you to do this. You need details and I’m not the best person to answer all of your questions.”
“All right. All right. I’ll be there. Let me get Marise in here.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
She hung up and dialed the young witch who worked the weekends, busy days, and any day Druciela wanted to take off.
She couldn’t imagine what was so important that Robert McCallister, the Silver Council Magister, would be calling her about, but it should prove interesting. And if that young man was worried, something big was going on.
Marise picked up the phone. “Morning. Need me?” she asked.
“I do. I don’t think I’ll be back today. Not sure how long I’ll be gone.”
“An adventure?” she teased.
“Possibly. I’ll see you soon.”
“Yup.” Marise hung up and Druciela gathered her things. By the time she walked to the door, Marise stood on the other side, wearing a smile. Days like that made Druciela glad she rented the apartment upstairs to her best employee.
Druciela let her in. “Thank you.”
“Keep me posted.” Marise gave her a quick hug.
“Will do.” She slipped past Marise and hurried to her car.
Chapter 7
Waiting would get her nowhere. Instead, Kindra needed information about Anders. Before being allowed to leave, they were all given business cards to allow everyone to contact the Council in case they had more information.
Kindra couldn’t decide what she wanted. Contacting the council could save her or condemn her to death if she gave too much information. And still, she needed to know where Anders was. Either to warn him or hunt him down.
Gerard urged her to follow her link to Anders. But was there a way to reverse the effects to whatever magic Gerard used to bind himself to her?
Not that she could have Anders back if he were mated. Her heart broke again, knowing she let go of a man who wanted nothing but her happiness and had done so much to make her smile. She threw it away at her parents’ pushing and prodding.
Cora was right. She wasn’t the same, and yet a small part of her wished she could turn back time.
Kindra sat down under the tree she first kissed Anders. After a few minutes of silence someone sat down and squeezed her shoulder.
She turned to find Valen, the perfect combination of herself and Anders. Her pale hair, his blue eyes, but his skin had always been paler than either of theirs.
“What is it, Mom?”
She wrapped her ar
ms around him and cried into his shoulder.
“You’re scaring me. Did something happen while the vampires had you?” he asked softly, rubbing her back.
“Have you ever felt like all your choices were wrong? Maybe even manipulated?”
“We make our own decisions, but sometimes you rely too heavily on those around you.”
“Did you worry about me while I was gone?”
He looked away sheepishly. “Dad didn’t tell me you were gone. Not until I got back this morning. He sent me to talk to you.”
She sighed. “How was your vacation?”
“Good. I wanted you to know Melanie is pregnant.”
Tears stung her eyes. Pregnancy was what pushed her into the most devastating decisions she’d ever made. Her parents were convinced Anders would never provide her the power they craved, or the happiness she deserved.
And Gerard somehow managed to make her want him more than her husband. From the moment they locked eyes, she felt an unnatural pull to him that only grew.
Valen kissed her head. “Aren’t you happy for me?”
Blinking, Kindra pulled on the threads of the conversation and remembered what they were talking about. “Of course. I’ll be a grandmother, finally.” She nudged his ribs but didn’t look at him. “I love you, baby.”
“Love you too. Now why so down?”
She shook her head. “Sorry, I was captured two weeks ago. Got back yesterday. I’m just trying to get back into the swing of things.”
“Should I leave you?” he asked.
“For now.” She turned to smile at him. “I could make you and Melanie dinner.”
He smiled. “How about we make you dinner? We had a nice relaxing vacation. You probably went through hell.”
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
He squeezed her tight and left her sitting there in the back yard.
She waited until he left before dialing the mage’s number.
A man answered. “This is Robert McCallister.”
“I’m sorry to bother you. I’m worried about a woman who had been abducted. The vampires kept her away from everyone else, and just before we were taken out, I saw her carried down a hall where all hell was breaking loose.”
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