“What we are capable of! I would love to put my hands around her neck myself. Promise me the joy of the kill! Little Miss perfect, surrounded by vampires and werewolves, with all of the hybrids bowing down to please her father. It kills me inside, I want her destroyed myself but more than that, I need to destroy her. Miranda’s death will be mine!”
Emina loved the idea of killing another one of Gage’s family and she was so happy that Mical had ready been figuring out how.
“Relax, please calm down my dear, I think for now we lay low and think of a few other ways to get to her in case Celbris losses and this backfires. We may only get one chance.”
Mical was deep in thought, “Could we just simply kidnap her? That way we would distract Gage, Jared and the others.”
“The wolves would be called in for the hunt to, and don’t you think Gage would call in favors? The Seasons would join in as well, with their entire little elf, and sprite friends, this would allow us to produce a lot of havoc on our part, we might even be able to take over by default.”
Emina was starting to salivate, “I could be alone with her and I would make sure they only found a body!”
“Down girl, all in good time, we must keep our wits about us for now.” Mical tried to think what they would need for the plan to work. “We need to see what their powers truly are, I mean Jared and Miranda.”
“Why should we worry about her, she’s only a human girl? Jared is just another filthy vampire, a worker, we can easily vest him.”
Emina was completely insulted by the question. “The only one I’m worried about is Gage, what other questions could you have had?”
Mical looked at her, “What are her powers and what about his? What powers do they possess together? Are they stronger together or is she really just a distraction for him? We will only have one chance to call for her or kidnap her and we can’t screw that up. Do you understand? If they find out who it is and we don’t have her, we’re dead, and so I at least want leverage!” Mical was angry and he was yelling loudly when his son’s friend came in.
Celbris was loyal to Mical and to Emina; he was willing to do anything for them, including dyeing to get what they wanted.
“I have explained the situation to Emina and how you are willing to help us and of course you know you will be greatly rewarded.”
Mical continued to explain the rest of the plan to him and why they may need to kidnap her if things didn’t work out.
Celbris smiled, “We need to do both I understand, I will make the challenge for her and then we will see if Jared has learned anything new. If he does I will pull it out of him, I will make sure he gives it up, and if I die you will at least see his power. You can then kidnap the girl to kill knowing what you’re up against. If not I will bind her, have my way with her for a few days, and then Emina can have what’s left over, because there are no laws against having your wife killed for displeasing you.”
He liked hurting human women, he felt that they were toys for him to play with, not one of the three valued anything or anyone but themselves. They also had such unwillingness in them to believe anyone could be more powerful that they had no idea what they were up against.
They were so busy with the thought of Jared’s new powers because he was a forth generational hybrid vampire and then there was the fact that Gage approved of him, that they completely neglected Miranda and her powers.
“Could Gage have given powers to him? Was that even possible between blood lines? If it was, would he do it to save his only living child?”
They asked each other these questions all day and night and they plotted together for hours going over all of the details.
Celbris was worried about the timing, “We need to make sure we do this at just the right time, even the kidnapping if it is necessary, must be timed perfectly. We don’t want them to get the chance to think, it must be quick, otherwise they could find a way to stop us or the table can interfere and you will have lost everything! You need to be careful. The table can never find out we are working together, unless you take over, then your rules will reign. We are only safe when one of the two of you take over.”
“He’s right we need to be very careful, we don’t want this to backfire and kill all three of us.” Emina looked around and began again, “Maybe one of us should stay out of it until it’s over and then when we take the table the other two can fill that one in. I am tossed, I want the table but, I want to kill her even more.”
Mical answered her, “You can take the table,” he turned to Celbris, “you did say she could have what was left over, right? Just make sure you keep her living long enough or let Emina watch at some point. Okay.”
Celbris smiled and stared at Emina, “I wouldn’t mind an audience, and you know that, I love to have others know exactly what I can do.”
He bowed to her to show affection and then turned to Mical, “We should finish our conversation somewhere else so the lady knows nothing more. You know where to find me, I have plans to make, I want to think out everything I‘m going to do to her. I want to make sure she screams enough, starting with the loss of her love and ending with the loss of her life.”
With that he left, he knew anything more would get them all into trouble, and he wanted to be sure that Gage would hear every detail of how his daughter died. He had been close with the woman Gage destroyed and he still harbored resentment for it.
Mical met with Celbris to finish the details concerning the binding, Mical didn’t want to know what Celbris would do with her after that, he knew how cruel Celbris was. They knew that if they won Miranda, they would need to bind her right away, they didn’t want to give anyone else the chance to fight Celbris.
“I’m not sure there is anyone else who could challenge me. There is no one as strong as I am and they would only get themselves killed. I would never show mercy.”
“Either way, you will marry her within twelve hours, that’s the allotted time we have to wait. The ceremony should kill her father because he will be forced to proceed over it, or the table will kill him and no matter what Emina get the table.
Now go and get your rest, we are calling for her first thing in the morning. I don’t want Jared to be ready for it at all, I think keeping everyone off guard will stop them from finding out what we’re up to, and this way I can kidnap her if need be. If you lose I decided to grab her before you take your final breath, this way everyone is watching the great Jared and no one is paying any attention to Miranda, and then the hunt will start too late. Is the other place prepared, I don’t want anyone to be able to find it or smell it?”
Celbris answered, “Everything is as we discussed, they shouldn’t be able to see it, hear or smell her in it, however I added a little twist she will be able to see and hear them. I had to make sure of that, if I died I want her torture to begin with watching everyone not find her, please tell her that was from me. I need her to know she’s being tortured by me, and if you want to torture her my way, there’s a list of things to do to her.”
He laughed and sneered at the thought of anyone hurting her and then he turned and left.
Mical went back to Emina and said only one thing to her about the plan, “Everything is ready for tomorrow just be there early.” He smiled and took her hands to his face, “Promise me when you are all powerful, you won’t forget me, I have been a slave to you, your power and your beauty for a very long time now. I know we don’t mix blood lines but we have mixed in the past, I just want to know we can continue our partnership when this is all over.”
Emina answered him, “Why wait until then? I have been waiting for you to come by please stay tonight, we may not be able to bind, but there are other things that we can do.”
They stayed together through most of the night and when early morning came Mical slipped off before the sun came up. She knew they would meet again at the Concillium steps when they were officially called for the challenge.
Miranda and Jared were happy as they finished han
ging out with their guests, the day had been a good one and they were ready for a good night’s sleep. After all of the guests left, everyone when to the east side to hang out and sit awhile before bed. That’s when Miranda went into the bathroom to wash up; she dropped a glass and screamed. Everyone came running to see what was wrong, Jared got their first, “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Did someone come after you?”
Miranda stood staring into the mirror, “Tomorrow, they’re not going to wait, it’s going to happen tomorrow! I see them working on plans and they will kidnap me if Jared wins, as Celbris takes his last breath and everyone is watching, Mical will try and grab me!”
Jared tried to grab her away from the mirror but she insisted on watching her eyes, “Celbris has plans for what he will do to me if he wins.”
Her face cringed and he has a place not far from here set up if he loses. You will not be able to see, hear or smell me but I will be able to see and hear you, he wishes to torture me even if he dies.”
Jared and the other were shocked they know that this was about the seat but they never thought about how cruel Celbris is and what he might do to Miranda given the chance and now she could see and feel his plans.
Gage jumped in, “It’s my fault. The girl that I destroyed, he was very good friends with her, he will inflect pain on you because of me! I can’t let it happen!”
Miranda turned and looked at her father, “I saw what they were planning and that scared me, but my death is still not there, Jared give me your eyes.”
Miranda grabbed Jared’s face roughly and stared into the eyes of the one she loved, “You are going to win, I do have to help a little but not much, Jared you easily take Celbris. They could not boost his powers quickly enough.”
She walked over to the bed and sat down, “I screamed because Celbris is awful, not because they win, they believe I have no power. They are underestimating me because I’m human, or half human, they are forgetting that I am also half Force.”
She looked at her father, “I know they plan on getting you out of the way so they can take the table, and that Mical and Celbris have not told Emina the whole plan so she can take the table, without consequence.”
Jared started to speak, “We need to make Emina believe Miranda is kidnapped, so she will try to take the table and we can jump in at the same time.” Jared knew if they did this the whole nightmare would be over.
Sahen answered him, “We should do what they are doing. Gage you need to leave and let us work, like Emina you can’t know anything that is going on, you need to be innocent of everything. Please go and know we will take care of it all.”
Sahen then turned to Jared and Miranda, “The two of you will only know what we decide to tell you, you’re going to have to trust us, you need to be innocent too, the table will know if you’re not.”
Sahen turned to the rest, “Come with me to Carma’s room we have a lot to discuss and they need the get their rest for tomorrows fight.” As Sahen and the other turned to go he added, “Be up early I want them to wonder what’s going on, we’re going to the Concillium first thing in the morning, we’ll tell them we’re setting up the binding.”
Jared said goodnight to Gage and went into the bathroom, pretending to wash up, he needed to give Miranda and Gage time to be alone. “Dad, don’t worry we’re doing the right thing and that is why the table liked me. He said he knew my heart from the time I was born, he also knows I am the next head of the Concillium, and he was happy about the long run of peace. Please, sleep well, goodnight.”
She kissed him on the top of his head, gave him a great big hug, walked with him to the east wing door and watched him go on his way.
Jared was in the bedroom when she came back from walking her dad to the east wing door. “Is he going to be ok? He knows you can see everything but he is still your father, and like me he’s still going to worry.”
Jared hugged her and motioned for her to get ready, “I think tomorrow I do want to set up the binding, because once you take your seat. I want to take you!” He grabbed her, threw her on the bed and tickled her until they were both laughing.
“Do me one favor, please?” Jared nodded, she knew he would do anything for her, “Send one of your family members to watch over my dad, better yet, have your dad do it and I’ll ask Fortuna to watch over him too. I don’t know why, I just get the feeling that they may do something desperate when they see how much power I have, and I knew they hate my dad. I don’t want to go insane and kill people because of them, and promise me you will destroy me if you can’t stop me, I need to know that. I don’t think I could live with myself if I hurt innocent people.” Miranda had a very concerned look on her face and she needed his reassurance.
“Don’t worry Carma and I are ready should you need our help, and to be quite honest, my whole family has to kill you if anything like that happens. The only thing is they are going to kill me to because I’ll try to stop them, I can’t live without you and I won’t let them kill you. It’s not going to happen away your heart is too good, you’ll see it for what it is, an attempt to turn you against everyone. We really need to get some sleep now tomorrow is going to be challenging enough without being sleepy.”
The others worked in silence all night, only in the morning would they tell Miranda and Jared anything, and they would only learn what they needed to learn.
Chapter 20
It was early in the morning when they all got up and headed to the courtyard for breakfast. The servants didn’t understand why everyone had to leave so early, part of the concern was Gage, he never got up early unless there was a problem to fix.
Jared smiled and explained, “Today Miranda and I are announcing our intentions to be bound.”
He knew that would send any spies running to Emina, Mical and Celbris. It would make Mical think they were playing right into his hands, he would be so overconfident he would be unable to see that it was all to coincidental, and that he himself was being played.
“I am so happy that all of our friends and our family will be there when the Concillium receives our message.”
Miranda was glowing as she finished up with her breakfast, “I can’t wait to get there,” she said as she turned to her father to ask, “Will Fortuna be there this early, I want to tell her myself, she’s been such a good friend to me.”
“She should be there, we have an early meeting today, something to discuss about the lands and how they’re being divided. I think the wolves are worried about the humans again.”
Gage looked over quickly at Sahen, “I don’t mean to say they aren’t right, because I think they have a very real concern, so please don’t misjudge me.”
Sahen smiled, “I have nothing to do with that; I just do as I am told, I take most of my orders from Brint and my older brother Liam, since I am the youngest. So whatever you say stays in your house it means nothing to me unless I am told to do something with it.”
Miranda was a little nervous about the day, she knew what was going to happen, but she also knew if they caught any sign, that she knew they could very easily change their plans and everything would turn out different so she wouldn’t have time to search Jared‘s eyes.
Michael pulled Jared to the side, “All you need to know is when you finish everything you have to do, look around for Emina and Mical, and if they disappear take Miranda to the Concillium meeting room immediately. I believe they will try to take the seat of power right away, don’t worry about Gage, he knows what to do. He is already to go just wait and see.”
Michael was confident they were going to deflect any attempts to go after Gage with their new plan.
At the same time Carma motioned to Miranda and told her they needed to go upstairs to fix their hair before they left. “We have all things worked out,” Carma was in Miranda’s head before they left the first floor, “you just need to listen to Jared, do whatever he says, and everything will work out. We think we have accounted for all changes in plans even if they think we know what they
are up to.”
The girls came back down from Miranda’s room giggling and laughing at something and soon the group was on their way. Gage had gone ahead of them to let the Concillium know that there would be an announcement from his house. It was considered polite to let the hybrids know ahead of time when something of this importance was going to happen.
“Last night my daughter and Jared decided that they do not want to wait any longer and have asked my permission to come to the Concillium today to make an announcement. I have agreed to it and so they plan to come this morning to announce their intentions to bind. They would also like today to be the first of three days that it needs to be announced. They are planning to have me bind them by the week’s end.” Gage looked the part of the happy father, “I know this is unusual for me, blood lines and all, but my daughter is happy. I do not want to take that away from her so they have my consent.”
Fortuna asked only one question, “When will she get here? I would love to congratulate her myself, and give her a beautiful day as a wedding gift.”
“Miranda is going to be mad at me, she wanted to tell you herself but the rules are the rules, please help me by explaining that to her. She finds you to be a very close friend and it would really help me out.”
Gage looked at his relationship with Fortuna as allies in the same fight, he knew he could count on her, if he needed to. He also knew he couldn’t tell her anything unless it was necessary.
The meeting got underway and the werewolves said their peace and mostly they were just asking for help with the humans if Miranda’s coming here gave them problems. Gage agreed that if there were any new problems because of Miranda’s appearance he would send whatever forces were needed to help out, even he himself would come if needed. He also reassured them that every precaution had been taken to get her out of the human world. Her current family and friends believe her to be on a three month vacation with Jared, and when they go back she will be married to him, and they will leave for good to another part of the human world. He also explained that she was never close to many of the humans and the only ones that would miss her were her parents and they already knew the consequences of crossing him. That made the werewolf community happy and they left just as Miranda and Jared came into the Concillium meeting room.
Between Shadows Page 23
