Woven Fates

by Brandy L Rivers

  “They have the right to live where they want. And it’s not like I’m going to be anything other than what I am. They’ll either deal or they won’t. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Slater nodded. “With that out of the way, how can we help?”

  He laughed sadly. “Don’t even know. Robert and the rest of them should be here soon. I’m hoping it’s as simple as Robert hopping over there and taking who needs to be taken. Of course, I doubt it’s going to be that simple.”

  “Never is.”

  The bell rang, and Mark went to get it. He wanted to avoid the personal side of the mess for as long as he could.

  Robert stood on the other porch with his hands shoved in his pocket. Behind him were Morrigan, Cora, and Druciela.

  “Come in. Where’s Preston?”

  “On the way,” Robert assured. “Clint will be here soon, too. He wants to ensure you have enough people around you.”

  “Of course he is.” Mark ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t suppose we can convince him we’re fine?”

  “Doubtful. Why would you want to?” Slater asked.

  “I don’t want anyone else in danger. Not over my past.”

  “Not your decision,” Slater answered. “I talked to him. I even told him you would want him to stay home. And he told me to fuck off, he was coming for his closest friend.”

  “He didn’t even know I was a witch. Why would he want to be here now?” Mark asked.

  “Because you were there for him for everything. Now he wants to do the same.”

  “Which makes him a damned good friend, but why should he suffer?”

  “Why should you?” Gina demanded.

  Mark shook his head. She had a point. It wasn’t like any of them had a choice where all of that was concerned. As much as he would love to keep them all safe, he couldn’t. And that was the difference between his coven and his pack.

  The pack stood as one. Hell, the whole damned town did. His old coven—well, shit—that was a whole different story. They didn’t even believe him when he went to them for help. All except Cora.

  “Sorry.” Mark lifted a shoulder. “I know how you all are. It’s the same way I am. I’m trying to remember that. But it’s harder than you would imagine. I keep thinking back to the coven and all the shit I was forced to endure.”

  “That’s why you should know we won’t let you go through this alone. Especially when everything I’ve been told leads me to believe that’s exactly what these damned things want.” Slater took a seat. “You picked us, stood by us. Now we’re going to do the same for you.”

  “Which is why I love you all.” Mark dropped into a seat across from Slater.

  “Finally, he sees reason,” Gina muttered.

  He pulled her down beside him with a sheepish smile. “You hush. I’m trying, Gina.”

  “You should be used to this pack by now.”

  He ducked his head. “Never needed their help before. Not like this.”

  Slater nodded. “Mark’s always been there to help everyone else. And sometimes that makes it harder to accept that there are people waiting to help him, much the same way he’s always helped everyone else.”

  “Not just the pack.” Robert nodded to Cora. “And you finally have someone from your coven who wants to help.”

  Cora’s shoulders rose and fell with her sigh. “I’m a fool. What more would you like me to say?”

  “You’re not,” Mark offered. “I wish you had come forward to the Council with me all those years ago, but we can’t change the past. So let’s focus on what we can do now.”

  Cora stared back at Mark. “I’m here to do everything I can. I don’t want anything to happen with our coven.”

  “Neither do I,” Mark admitted. And if Kindra had been led astray, which seemed likely, then it wasn’t all her fault. That also meant she deserved a chance without all the mind control nonsense, as long as that life was away from him.

  Jess spoke up. “They’re already poking around out here. And from what I understand, the man looks an awful lot like you. I only wish I’d been there to get a read on him. Although, Riley thought Valen was fishing for any information. I don’t think he knows what’s going on.”

  “He was raised by Kindra and the man posing as me. Why would he know about me?” Mark said.

  Slater rubbed his beard. “So, now what?”

  Robert stood up. “Preston and I go out there, see if we can bring any of the doppelgangers back to a safe location. And figure out what the hell we do.”

  There was a knock on the door. Gina opened it to find Preston. “Come in.”

  Morrigan sighed. “You need to be careful. Keep in mind they are looking for a new face. You both would be prime candidates.”

  “Is there a way to protect against it?” Preston asked.

  “Just be mindful. I know of no way to block the draining.”

  Robert smiled. “We have a way. Still have the handkerchief Monique made?”

  “I do. We need to make a stop.”

  “Okay. We’ll take the first one we find.” Robert reached out to Preston and they were gone.

  “Wish I could be locked in a room with Anthony without his buddies to back him up. I’d love to butcher him,” Cora muttered.

  And suddenly, Mark felt a little better about that fire in Cora. Maybe she was ready to accept witches weren’t the only way.

  Chapter 18

  Kindra jumped when Gerard’s phone rang. The only calls he received were from the other doppelgangers. Anders had been loved by all the coven. Gerard, well, when he took over, things changed. The witches didn’t care for him.

  Even if they couldn’t admit the difference, they could see it. They didn’t treat him the same way they had Anders.

  How could she have been such a fool for so long?

  Gerard picked up the phone. “Hello? Hello?” He looked at Kindra and grabbed the keys. “Car, now. We have to leave.”

  “Why?”

  “We need to meet Valen, find out what we can. I’m calling Gallus and Genova on the way.”

  She didn’t ask questions. Kindra climbed into the car a second before Gerard did. Less she asked, the more he would offer. And maybe she could warn Cora, if he told her what was going on.

  Really, who called and didn’t say anything? What did it mean?

  Gerard glanced over at her. “Anthony has been taken. Cora is gone. That means someone knows our secrets. Someone who wants to stop us.”

  “They know. The woman figured it out. Maybe the mage who was with her.”

  “Ah yes, I believe he may have been the one to tamper with your memories, though I can’t tell if the man in your memory is the real one or not.”

  “How can we find out?”

  “We don’t.” Gerard handed her the phone. “Tell Gallus and Genova to meet us at the proper place, and to tell Lester in case he’s still there.”

  Whatever that meant, but she had nothing else she could do for the moment, so she did as he asked.

  * * * *

  Robert translocated Preston into Cora’s home and immediately found Anthony, one of the doppelgangers. Robert moved forward as Anthony put a phone to his head.

  Preston knocked the phone away with a spell, then touched Robert. They all reappeared in a specially prepared rift, thanks to Tremaine. In fact, he was there, waiting for them, so Robert could go back to gather the rest of them. If it wasn’t too late.

  Robert shoved the doppelganger away when he latched onto Robert’s arm and tried to pull energy from him. “Not happening, Anthony. Now who did you call?”

  A cruel smile stretched across Anthony’s face. “They’ve been warned. They’ll come for me, and then your damned town will suffer the same fate Brightwater Bay will.”

  “No, I don’t think so. We’re better prepared than any other town you’ve infiltrated. We know what you are. All you’re going to find is disappointment and death,” Rob
ert promised.

  “Why? Because you think I’ll talk?” the scumbag demanded.

  “You don’t have to. We already know who they’ll target and why,” Robert snapped back.

  Preston chuckled as he leaned against a wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “He doesn’t get mad often, but when he does—oh boy.”

  Robert shot him a glare. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t be pissed? He just tried to drain me.”

  Tremaine’s brow arched. “If we didn’t need answers, I’d kill him now.”

  “You won’t get a damned thing from me.”

  “Oh, he will,” Tremaine assured.

  “Yeah, he will.” Preston took a few steps forward.

  Robert stood several paces away but held up his hand. Anthony stumbled back, into the chair. Robert translocated forward and cuffed Anthony’s ankles and wrists. Then he shook his head. “I really hate jumping into everyone’s head without permission, but you’re all threatening my home and my people. So I’m doing us all a favor.”

  Preston snorted. “About damned time you stopped caring about all the rules.”

  “What rules?” Anthony demanded.

  “There are no rules for you. You people go into towns, destroy them, and move on. You kill so many every damned time, there are no rules for you,” Tremaine said.

  Robert held up a hand, then touched Anthony’s head while gripping the handkerchief. The magic the doppelgangers used was strange, clinging, but it didn’t sink in. He thought he understood how it worked and how to prevent it. Maybe thanks to what exactly he was. A mystic, at least mostly.

  He’d been training with Ceridwen for months now, learning new abilities. Hell, Christian had already taught him so much. That was why he hadn’t worried much when Christian had been taken by the vampires.

  Or rather allowed them to take him. And Gina said she had done similar. The thing bugging him was that Badb had similar experiences with those things.

  Seemed like the ancient Fae had set herself up to get revenge. He didn’t fully trust Badb or her motivations, but he hoped she fulfilled everything she promised for Gina.

  Preston’s hand landed on his shoulder as he sank into Anthony’s mind.

  Preston muttered, “Fuck, it’s all wrong in here.”

  “Very,” Robert answered.

  “No, no, no. No!” Anthony screamed.

  Robert delved deeper, until he found the man’s consciousness, and put Anthony so deep he wouldn’t stand a chance.

  The memories were chaotic and jumbled with the memories of the original Anthony, and the people he’d become over the years layered over each other in a kaleidoscope of crazy.

  It took a few minutes to find the most recent memories. Usually, the mind was easy to figure out, memories mostly in order. Anthony’s mind seemed to cannibalize memory sections. Probably whatever he thought was menial.

  “You getting the heebs?” Preston asked.

  Robert let out a short laugh. “Yeah. I don’t like it in here. We still need to know.”

  “Definitely.”

  Bastard had dialed Gerard before leaving. Robert would have expected Gallus, but it seemed Gerard was their leader, not the man who stepped into the place of their high priest.

  A little more digging and he found Kindra’s parents meeting in a cave with Gerard and Anthony in their natural form. Well, natural for the doppelgangers. Anthony had once been a man. He turned into one of them when he had bound to the woman who had taken his wife’s place during the time of Badb. He’d been a Fae living near a portal to Scotland.

  They’d slipped over when their land died. His wife, or the doppelganger of his wife had died several incarnations ago. These people were scum. They destroyed everything in their wake.

  And there was a plan. If one was captured, they were to call someone else, so the doppelgangers and their chosen could escape. To hell with the rest of the coven. Anthony hadn’t bound to anyone. But Lester had. And so had Gerard with Kindra. And Valen, Mark’s son, though Valen didn’t know what was going on, as far as they knew.

  Robert pulled Preston out of Anthony’s head. “We need to find Valen first.”

  “Shit, that means I’m tracking from the bar?” Preston griped.

  “Yeah, it does. Have a problem with that?”

  “Nope, but what do we tell him? Seems like he doesn’t know a damned thing about this.”

  “What’s going on?” Tremaine asked.

  “Keep this bastard under. We’re going after Mark’s son. Maybe we can convince him to switch sides before it’s too late.”

  Tremaine shook his head. “Too late for what?”

  “To live,” Robert answered darkly. “He’s going to turn into one of those things if we don’t stop it.”

  “Fucking hell. Okay, I’ll keep an eye on him. And I’ll call Liz to let her know what’s up.”

  “Make sure this one is under if she comes here, especially if she has Wilhelm with her.”

  “I’m not a moron,” Tremaine replied.

  “Never said you were.” Robert kissed Tremaine quick, then grabbed Preston and they were gone.

  * * * *

  His heart hammered in his chest when he pulled off the freeway and stopped at a diner. Valen’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He felt like when he’d pulled all-nighters in college.

  He climbed out of the car and headed inside. He thought about calling Melanie, but he wasn’t sure what to say. Something was wrong. Something big.

  Even his mother looked at him like something was different. What would Melanie say about it all?

  Valen took a seat at the counter and nodded to the waitress as she came up to him. “Can I get some orange juice?”

  “Food?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I need to look at the menu.”

  “You look like you could use the hangover cure,” the waitress said with a nod his way.

  “Sure, sounds good.” Though he hadn’t had a drop of alcohol since before he found out he would be a father.

  “Coffee? Maybe some Advil?”

  He shook his head. “Orange juice will be perfect. Thank you, though.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  His phone rang, and he looked at his father’s number. Something told him not to answer. He swiped the sound down and ignored the call.

  The waitress placed the orange juice in front of him and wandered off.

  His stomach seemed to flip over as a weight landed on his back. He glanced back to find someone watching him intently. Two someones. And they couldn’t seem more different, and yet, they were clearly there together, and watching him. One in some fancy tailored suit, the other in jeans and a smart-ass T-shirt and tattoos.

  Food was placed in front of him and to avoid detection, he started eating. Hoping to avoid a confrontation.

  Only the empty seats on either side were taken by the two men.

  The blond turned toward Valen. “You feeling all right?”

  “No, honestly. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  “I do, and once you’re done eating, we need to talk to you.” He honestly seemed concerned and sympathetic.

  “Am I in trouble?” Was this about his trip to Edenton and his questions? What the hell had his father gotten him into?

  The blond shook his head slowly, a frown on his lips. “No, but it’s important we talk once you’re done. We may have answers to your questions.”

  “My father is waiting on me.”

  “The man you believe to be your father is. But I can assure you, there is a lot you don’t know, and I’d rather give you the benefit of the doubt, and a chance to help stop some bad people from ruining your coven completely.”

  “What?” He shook his head, and the words still rang true.

  The dark-haired one with tattoos said, “Look, it’s a long story, and you look like you could use the meal. So eat, then we’ll take you somewhere we can discuss what
you know and how we can help your people.”

  “Who are you?” Valen asked.

  “Robert McCallister,” the blond said. He nodded across from Valen. “And this is Preston Emrys.”

  Valen’s brows shot up, and he glanced at the door. There was no way he could escape.

  “Relax, kid,” Preston said. “We want to help and to fix all the shit you don’t know about yet.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  The waitress came back. “Food for your friends?”

  Robert shook his head. “No, but we’d both take coffee, and I’ll take the check.”

  “Sure thing, mister,” she said and headed away.

  “You can’t tell me anything here?” Valen asked.

  “No, too many mundane ears,” Robert answered.

  Preston patted him on the back. “Prepare to have your mind blown.”

  “Right.” Valen dug in and hoped like hell he wasn’t in major trouble. Maybe he should have called Melanie.

  Chapter 19

  Gerard glared at his phone. “Valen is not answering. Do you think Cora got to him?”

  Kindra’s eyes narrowed. “I think the Silver Council may have. It seems they know more about what’s going on than you anticipated.”

  “I don’t see how,” Gerard snapped. “Unless Cora went to the Silver Council. But when she wouldn’t help your stupid husband, we all believed she never would.”

  “What if the mage who got in my head got into hers?”

  “She’s not as susceptible to mind control as you were. If she’s with them, she’s giving them the secrets she has. Luckily, Anthony never loved her and never trusted her with anything of value. She only knows the base details.”

  Kindra’s glare burned through Gerard. “I am not a fool.”

  “Never said you were,” Gerard offered.

  “But you’ve thought it,” she bit back.

  He sighed. “No, I haven’t. I fell in love with you when I first saw you.”

  “Love at first sight isn’t real.”

  “Of course it is. If your husband is now mated, that was love at first sniff. Close enough to sight. And I fell for you when I saw you.”