by Petra Landon
“Sounds like you made the right call then” Jason remarked.
“Not quite. I think we drew the correct conclusion but completely by accident.”
“What do you mean?”
“We concluded that Lady Bethesda was planning to hide from other Chosen because we speculated, and it is complete speculation, that she’d broken into The Vault to use the Stone of Mortality.”
“The Stone?” Hawk interjected, jumping in to play his part after his near mistake a few minutes ago.
“An artifact that leaches the magic from any Chosen who touches it.”
“You believe that my mo … Lady Bethesda gave up her magic to hide successfully from other Chosen?” Sienna exclaimed, her tone incredulous.
“You believe our hypothesis is without merit, Miss McAlister?” Duncan inquired gently.
“Sienna, please” she shook her head. “No, I think your hypothesis is absolutely valid. The kind of power she had … it would’ve made it impossible for her to disappear successfully for as long as she has. It’s just that …” she paused as if unsure how to continue. The room remained silent, for once united in their attempt to give her the time she needed to pull herself together. “It’s now very clear to me that I never really knew my mother at all. But there’s one thing that I still believe about her. This, I’m absolutely sure of, even after the allegations against her and the crimes I now believe she had a hand in. My mother was defined by her power. That last time I saw her, I was very young but even then, I understood that being a Guardian, a powerful wizard, was more important to her than anything else in the world - more than her husband, more than me! I just find it hard to wrap my head around this idea that she would voluntarily give up the very thing that defined her in her eyes, even if she was convinced that doing so was in her best interests. To me, it is inconceivable that she could sacrifice her magic, even to protect herself from being called to justice for her crimes.”
Raoul contemplated her steadily for a moment, weighing how much to tell her.
“We had similar concerns when we came up with our theory” he acknowledged. “We also speculated that she never intended to give up her magic for good. That it was just a temporary measure to allow her to lie low. There was another artifact in the same room at The Vault, placed very close to the Stone - Sinotar’s Specter. Are you familiar with the artifact?”
“Oh yes” Sienna laughed, her laughter devoid of any amusement. “I went to a school for wizards. The only reason I wouldn’t know my Chosen artifacts was if I wasn’t paying any attention to my lessons in school. Those days, that was all I did.”
“We speculated that she used the Specter before she touched the Stone” Duncan stated precisely.
“For those of us not fortunate enough to attend a school for wizards, perhaps someone could explain the significance of this artifact” Elisabetta suggested silkily.
“The Specter is an Ancient artifact that enables someone who knows how to work it to cache his or her magic in an object for future use” Jason provided a succinct explanation.
“Store magic for the future” O’Brien exclaimed. “Does such an artifact even exist?”
“Well Sinotar certainly believed that it did” Raoul responded with some amusement. “He created the Specter. The Chosen believe it too for they were careful to place the Specter in The Vault after his death.”
“Faoladh has been making inquiries, based on our speculation, to private owners of artifacts that could help reverse the process” Raoul continued. “If our theory is correct, at some point, Lady Bethesda will certainly be looking to restore her powers from wherever she stashed it for safekeeping.”
“What makes you speculate that Lady Bethesda broke into The Vault to use these two artifacts?” Jason asked curiously.
“Frankly, we were at our wits end to come up with an explanation for why she broke in. She took a huge risk, so it was fair to assume that the potential rewards for her were just as high. The security tape from the break-in indicated that she spent all her time in one room. So, we studied all the artifacts in that room closely. The Stone was the only artifact that made any sense, especially if she was planning to disappear. Her frail appearance at the end of the half hour inside The Vault also lends credence to our theory. Duncan raised the same objections that Sienna did with the Stone of Mortality theory, so we included our conjecture of her use of the Specter in the report we made to Faoladh, just in case. Like I said before, pure speculation on our part in the absence of any other evidence or logical conclusion” he shrugged casually. Raoul hoped like hell that the Guardian bought his explanation. He knew that Jason might already be apprised of this information from the First Wizard herself, who had probably been briefed by Faoladh. Raoul considered it less risky for the Guardian to hear the explanation from him before he heard it from someone else.
“It’s not a bad theory at all, if you ask me” Sienna remarked quietly from her corner.
“It led us to the first piece of evidence of her having survived the explosion but the theory falls flat if we believe that she used her power to escape the explosion at the Registry.”
“Frankly I can’t see how else she got out alive” Jason spoke up. “If the GCW was able to identify the remains of all ten Guardians sent to apprehend her correctly, then it certainly looks like she was in the building. And if she was at the Registry during the explosion, then I am at a loss to explain how she escaped it without using her magic.”
“I agree” Raoul seconded.
“I’ll dig some more on this tomorrow when I take the Registrar up on his offer but this one might have to remain a mystery for now. Did you discover anything of interest around the perimeter of the blast?” Jason directed the query at Duncan.
“Nothing that struck us particularly, I’m afraid. That part of the city is heavily populated and, I daresay, had huge casualties from the explosion. That might actually have been part of Lady Bethesda’s plan - to embroil the Chosen in dousing the fires she’d lit, both literally and metaphorically, while she escaped scot-free in the confusion.”
“There were huge casualties” Jason acknowledged grimly. “Both Chosen and human. The CoC and other influential Chosen had to use their considerable influence and call in every last favor they were owed to hide the fact that the explosion had its epicenter inside a Wizard Registry.”
“I remember something about an explosion around that timeframe in downtown Chicago. It was assumed to be a faulty gas line” Simeonov commented.
“It took enormous effort to paper over the truth” Jason said soberly. “While we were busy doing so, Lady Bethesda was free to walk away and disappear. In hindsight and based on what we now know, it was an effective plan.”
Raoul mused on the Guardian’s words thoughtfully. It had been a plan concocted by a Magick willing to take lives, including that of her fellow wizards, and cause untold devastation to the wizard and wider Chosen world. But an effective plan all the same. He wondered, not for the first time, what her motivation had been. Still was, judging by the fact that she had merely gone into hiding to bide her time. Why had she gone after wizard children? And had she knowingly sacrificed her husband for her goals or had that been an accident. And, what was the involvement of the Lombardi Nest in all this. The last one was particularly surprising to Raoul. Wizards and leeches had never shared a good relationship. In fact, the leeches as a group were heartily despised by other Chosen. Some Magicks even considered them an abomination.
“Anything on the other Guardian you suspect might have defected to work for the Lombardi Nest?” Raoul asked Jason.
“I’ll have some news first thing in the morning.”
“What was his name – this Guardian?” Duncan inquired curiously. Duncan made it a point to keep abreast of news with the potential to redraw the existing alliances in their world. The Chosen world was currently in flux as century old traditions and alliances were being reshaped by the changing era and new opportunities for co-operation between
unlikely partners that the CoC had wrought. He’d been in the wilderness, both literally and figuratively, when the first Guardian had defected. That is why he was unfamiliar with the details. Coming back in from the cold after those years had given Duncan a renewed sense of purpose but there were still gaps in his knowledge from the years in isolation.
“Azevedo” Jason remarked. “Gabriel Azevedo - that was the name of the Guardian who defected. A powerful wizard and one very highly regarded by his compatriots in the GCW. He was seen as one of its brightest upcoming stars until his inexplicable rejection of the Guardians.”
Tasia lowered her eyes hastily to focus on regulating her breathing. Every Shifter in this room would pick up on her anxiousness unless she brought her emotions under control quickly. If that happened, it would take them no time to tie her alarm with this particular bit of trivial information. The conversation between Duncan and Jason continued dimly in the background, sprinkled with a few queries from the other Shifters, while her heart pounded in its cage like a wild animal desperate to break free. This had blindsided her completely. Her father had never shared the specifics of his life with the Clan after walking away from the GCW. Neither he nor Tasia had ever considered that detail important. Instead he had always reminded her that the only relevant consequence from his old life was the need to protect her secret from the Blutsaugers at all costs.
Hawk leaned in towards her, his eyes full of concern while the conversation flowed around them.
“You okay?” he whispered.
Tasia allowed herself to meet his gaze briefly to reassure him. As he turned away, she cast a fleeting glance at the tall figure across the room who leant indolently against the wall. The gold eyes were narrowed on her speculatively, with the big body held absolutely still.
Damn, damn, damn! Tasia, Tasia! You’re going to blow everything sky high unless you get a grip on yourself quickly.
The Alpha had already demonstrated an uncanny and alarming knack of picking up on her emotions, even when no other Shifter seemed to sense anything untoward in her. She had to ensure that he didn’t suspect anything this time, Tasia vowed with renewed determination. She raised her eyes to meet the gold ones squarely, holding it for a moment before she let her eyes wander casually to rest on Duncan who stood like a rock beside the Alpha.
“He was born in Brazil, I think” Jason was saying. “There were some unconfirmed reports of his demise a few years after he left the Guardians. I’ll have more information on him when I hear back from my source in the morning.”
The beast roared in her head, emboldened by her weakened spirit. The shed swam indistinctly in her vision as she struggled to focus on controlling her beast. She had a feeling that she’d blacked out for a bit for she was no longer sure how much time had elapsed since the witch’s last visit. Or had the beast managed to overcome the human side during the period she couldn’t remember, she wondered in dismay. Weakened by starvation, silver, pain and cold, she was starting to lose control of the beast. A series of shivers wracked her body, causing her teeth to chatter uncontrollably. How had she gotten to this point, she wondered in despair. That a Shifter should feel the cold this acutely despite her inhumanly high metabolism was itself a sign of her debilitated physical condition. She attempted to huddle in the dry straw that formed her makeshift bed, the sharp pain in her ankle reminding her of the silver manacles on her feet. She cried out in pain, the sound echoing through the empty barn.
The remnants of a silent scream echoed in her head as Tasia gasped awake. The darkness induced a feeling of panic; the unfamiliar surroundings adding to her confusion. Since the onset of these nightmares, Tasia had started sleeping with a night light on. Tonight, her room lay in darkness. She glanced around her with dread. In the dim light, she could make out the silhouette of a sleeping figure on the bed beside her.
Who …? Oh, this is not my room at the Lair. We’re in Chicago and I’m sharing a room with Sienna.
Somehow the sight of Sienna’s sleeping figure seemed to have a calming effect on her. She focused on breathing evenly, her eyes on the wizard asleep in the next bed. Gradually the vivid images from her dream and the remnants of fear, pain and desperation slowly receded. But the darkness enveloping her did not. Tasia decided to get a drink before she attempted to fall asleep again. Tiptoeing out of her room into the hallway, she closed the door softly behind her. The hallway lay in darkness although dim light beckoned from the staircase that led downstairs. She let the light guide her down the stairs. Here the hallway was illuminated better by the light streaming in from the family room next to the main entryway. Some of the Shifters must be up, she realized. The Alpha had talked of posting guards in shifts for the night. She made her way towards the kitchen only to collide with someone taller and heavier on his way out. Tasia gasped with fright, only to recognize the person she had collided with. He clasped her shoulders to steady her and Tasia heard a gentle thud as something hit the floor.
“I’m sorry” Jason apologized, his voice gentle. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting anyone in here. I came down to get a drink.”
Jason released her, bending down to pick up the bottle of water he had lost during their collision.
“Great minds think alike, I guess” he remarked with a smile. “Something cold?”
“That’d be nice.”
“Come on in. Let’s see what we have. I think I remember some lemonade and coke” he switched on the kitchen light before heading towards the refrigerator.
“Water is fine” Tasia took a few steps into the brightly lit kitchen.
The Guardian straightened up from the refrigerator with another chilled bottle of water in his hand and Tasia instinctively held out her hand for it. As Jason walked towards her, an image of Sara lying still, amidst the remnants of broken furniture flashed suddenly at Tasia.
Food plays a huge role in Shifter courtship rituals.
Sara’s wise words reverberated in her head abruptly. She’d been careless with her friend’s advice once and Sara had paid the price for it. Tasia snatched her hand back just as Jason held out the bottle to her. His face reflected his astonishment at her abrupt action, his eyebrows arching in inquiry.
God, what am I doing? He’s not a Shifter.
Tasia flushed with embarrassment, unable to meet the wizard’s eyes as she accepted the bottle from him with a muttered thank you.
“Living with Shifters can be quite a challenge” he remarked quietly in a voice laced with sympathy.
Tasia glanced up to meet his eyes and was rewarded by a singularly attractive smile that lit up Jason’s good-looking face. Something in his demeanor let her know that he understood. And suddenly, Tasia felt her embarrassment disappear like it had never been.
“From where I stand, you manage it rather well” he added.
Tasia took a cold swig from her bottle of water.
“Some days I’m not so sure” she confessed wryly.
Jason walked to the circular kitchen table to pull out one of the four chairs invitingly.
“I could do with some company.”
Lulled by the offer of uncomplicated and easy companionship while the memories of her dream still echoed in her mind, Tasia found herself accepting the silent invitation. A part of her wondered at her ease with this particular wizard – a Guardian no less!
“I’m guessing that living in a Pack is not as easy as you make it look?” he inquired curiously.
“No” she sighed softly. “The rules are very different. And some of them are implicit which makes it harder for anyone who’s not a Shifter.”
He studied her, his eyes reflecting sympathy and a trace of curiosity.
“That explains why it’s so unusual to see a non-Shifter in a Pack. God knows we Chosen can be as clannish as a provincial town, so it’s nice to see a wizard accepted by a Pack.”
“They’ve been very good to me” the words were sincere. “And I’ve made some good
friends in the Pack. I make mistakes but I keep at it and it gets a little easier with each passing day.”
“I’m glad that you have friends to watch out for you” he stated simply. “Your experience with the Guardian must have been frightening.”
“Yes, it was” responded an unexpected male voice, his tone discouraging any further conversation on the topic.
Jason’s eyes skimmed over Tasia’s head to the tall Shifter by the doorway. Tasia’s heart skipped a beat, caught unawares by his sudden appearance.
“Alpha” Jason acknowledged cordially, seemingly unperturbed by the Alpha’s sudden presence or his curt tone. “Is it thirst that brings you here, like Tasia and me?” he inquired casually.
Go back to bed. Please decide to head back to bed. I don’t need this right now.
The refrain rang through Tasia’s mind even as she resisted turning around to face the Alpha. Instead she took a long sip from her bottle of water.
“Yes” he responded baldly after a short pause.
Tasia sensed him move into the kitchen from the doorway, possibly towards the little breakfast table they sat around.
“I’ll get you a bottle of water” Tasia jumped up to make her way hurriedly to the refrigerator.
She had a bad feeling that the Alpha had trailed down after her to keep an eye on her and it made her nervous. Tasia used the pretext of the refrigerator to buy herself a few minutes. Peering into its cold depths, she took a couple of deep breaths to calm her racing heart before taking a bottle of water from the shelf. She shut the door and straightened up, only to find the Alpha right behind her. He had made his way to the refrigerator. Thrown off kilter by the unexpected appearance, she held out the bottle of water to him mutely. His face reflected an instant of shocked surprise as he stared at her outstretched hand. Brought to her senses by his astonishment, Tasia snatched her hand back before he could accept the bottle from her outstretched hand. To his credit, the Alpha kept his hands firmly by his side but the gold eyes held amusement and something else as he arched one mobile eyebrow at her in sardonic inquiry.
