“No,” he replied. “It’s not. It’s only here to guide us towards our meeting.”
“Meeting?” I stared at him, trying to understand. “What sort of a meeting takes place underground? Where are you bringing me, exactly?”
“To meet the Council,” he said. “A secret group of shifters.”
“Oh, crap. You’re not going to sacrifice me to the gods of werewolves or something, are you?” I asked, only about ten percent serious.
He shook his head. “The only way I ever want to sacrifice your body is as my personal sex toy,” he growled low, sending a twinge of delight straight to my clit.
“Good boy,” I replied. “You know how to please a girl.”
“Yes, I do.”
We proceeded down the hall about twenty feet before arriving at another door. This one was made of solid wood, and arched skyward like the entrance of a church.
Tristan knocked three times, slowly, steadily, like a heartbeat. A moment later, the door pulled open inwards. But strangely enough, no one was on the other side to greet us.
He walked through first, and I followed, holding onto his hand like it was the only thing keeping me from sinking into a world from which I might never return.
I’d never been so delighted and so frightened at once.
Chapter 23
The room we’d entered was round, beautiful, and surprisingly enormous, its ceiling rising in a domed peak high over our heads. Torch light revealed that it had been carved out of stone, exquisitely and intricately, like the inside of an ancient Greek temple. Fluted stone columns surrounded us on all sides, directing my eyes to a marble floor embedded with a strange sort of coat of arms of black and gold.
I stepped forward to look down at the design. When I’d turned myself around, I could see that it was a shield, split into four equal sections. One showed the shape of a lion, another a wolf. The third was a bear, the fourth, a black raven.
“What is this place?” I asked, turning to Tristan, who was watching me, the reflection of flames flickering in his eyes. He looked more wild, more handsome than ever in this odd, powerful room.
“It’s the meeting place of the Leaders of this district,” he replied.
“Leaders? Of what?”
“Of the four Sects of New York,” said a voice from somewhere behind me. I spun around to see a very large man walking towards us. His shoulders were as broad as a refrigerator door, his jaw like a squared off lantern. His face was incredibly handsome, and he reminded me of a larger version of Tristan, though something about him felt more feral, even. One of his cheeks was scarred deep red from the slash of a blade, or perhaps a claw.
“What do you mean, sects?” I asked.
“That’s what we call the four principal groups of shifters,” said Tristan, moving closer to me and placing his hand on my lower back, as if to remind me that I wasn’t alone. “The bears, the cats, the flyers and the wolves. The heads of those groups meet on occasion, when issues come up. Tonight they’ll be here, as well as a few others.”
“I see,” I said. But I didn’t, not really. I felt like another round of shock was hitting me after last night’s initial madness. It was one thing to find out that werewolves—or shifters, or whatever they were called—were a real thing. But it hadn’t quite occurred to me that there were so many kinds. I was beginning to wonder how many people who walked the streets of Manhattan could turn into other creatures. Was I the only average human around?
“There are others here, too,” said Tristan, nodding at someone to his right. I turned to see Kara standing in the shadows, leaning against one of the columns. Her expression was solemn, but she stepped forward obediently and nodded a greeting. “I’m here for my kind,” she said. “To work with the shifters, to offer our renewed protection and allegiance to them.”
“Protection from what?” I asked. For the first time, I realized that I didn’t know who or what it was that Tristan had battled against, the other night in Colorado. I didn’t know what had killed Kara’s Valkyrie sister.
“Everything will be answered soon,” Tristan said. “Come on,” he added, turning to the others. “Let’s bring out the table and we’ll all have a seat.”
With that, a group of ten or so very large men emerged from the shadows between two columns, carrying a table of solid wood that looked like it must have weighed a ton or more. They set it down over the coat of arms and proceeded to transport tall wooden chairs to its sides, distributing them quickly and evenly.
Tristan sat down at the table’s head, gesturing to me to take a seat next to him. One by one, tall, powerful-looking men and elegant, lithe women walked in and took their places on either side of the table.
When everyone else had seated themselves, Tristan stood up. I drew in a gasp to realize how powerful he looked all of a sudden. So tall, so broad. His short beard reminded me of the Greek god Zeus. Ruling over all his subordinates, dictating how things would go from now on.
“You all know why I’ve brought you here today,” he said. “You’ve heard by now what happened in Colorado on Saturday night. The Seven are on the move. Krane struck out at me; he was testing us, testing our strength. It’s my belief that he’ll move on New York if he sees a vulnerability in our forces.” He looked down at me. “He sent one of his wolf servants for Ariana last night, and I have no doubt that he’ll try again to hurt her, or me. That means attacking any of you. He knows you’re my allies, and I’m sorry to report that your loyalty has put you in danger.”
The others nodded, their expressions grim. I looked around, studying their faces. Each of them was beautiful, with that same out-of-this-world aura that Tristan and Kara possessed. No one seemed particularly concerned that I was there, or that I knew their secret. No one asked; it was as if they simply accepted it. I supposed they trusted Tristan enough not to question his judgment.
“The question is, how did Krane know where I was?” he added. With those words, his voice changed, deepening to something more authoritative and frightening than I’d ever heard from his lips. He leaned forward, pressing his hands to the table, and looked around. “Which one of you informed him of my plans, I wonder?”
I found myself tensing, my fingernails digging into my thighs through my jeans. If it was true—if someone in this room had betrayed Tristan, I could only imagine what he’d do to them.
Somehow, I found the courage to look around the table, to study the faces of the Sect leaders again. For the most part they looked confident, calm. Only one of them seemed jittery, like he couldn’t quite get comfortable in his seat.
Tristan seemed to see it, too, and he stared at the man, a light-haired shifter with golden eyes. “I think I have my answer,” he said.
He turned to Kara. “Would you please escort Luther from this place?” he asked.
Immediately, Kara slipped over and took the man by the arm. For a split second he seemed to resist, but she tightened her grip and he cried out in pain. She was stronger than I’d imagined. From the looks of her, she should never have been able to take a man of his size on, yet she had no trouble grasping him between her fingers and inflicting enough pain to force him to submit.
“Where is she taking him?” I whispered to Tristan as chatter crescendoed around us, the others talking amongst themselves.
“To a holding cell,” he said. “I’ll be speaking with him another time. For now he can think about what he’s done to me. To us.”
The word us vibrated through me like a drug. I knew how angry Tristan must be at this Luther person. My lover wanted nothing more than to protect me, and it filled me with warmth to know that he cared so deeply that he would take one of his own captive to ensure my safety. No one had shielded me from harm since my father’s death.
I’d almost forgotten the sensation.
“You’re not going to…” I began.
“I’ll punish him as he deserves,” Tristan said.
“Is he a leader?” I asked.
He shook his
head. “No. He was next in line to lead the cats, however. He wanted to move up in the world. He had inside information, and he used it against me.”
With that, he addressed the people who still sat around the table.
“Needless to say, I don’t tolerate insubordination. You all know that I would die to protect you. I expect the same from all of you.”
“Of course. But I need to ask—is it time?” asked the large, broad-shouldered man who’d spoken to me earlier. “Should we call on the Four for help?”
I didn’t know who the Four were, but something about the way the man said the word sent goosebumps rising along my flesh.
Tristan shook his head. “No. Not yet. We don’t want to start a war that arches over the entire earth, not unless we have to. We can only hope to reason with Krane this time. This grudge of his has gone on long enough. It’s up to me to deal with him.”
“Reason?” asked Kara, who’d just stepped back into the room, presumably after locking Luther away. The angry expression on her face made her look like a frosty queen. Her voice was sharp, not at all the usual calm tone that I’d heard out of her in past. She glared at Tristan with fire in her eyes and proceeded to speak. “How do you propose to reason with the person responsible for killing my sister? You think we can have a sensible conversation with a psychopath? He lost whatever shred of humanity he had a long time ago. I know he’s your brother, Tristan, but you should know what he is by now.”
“I know exactly what he is. He’s a man who thinks he can work his way to the top of the ladder and take over,” Tristan replied calmly, “when we all know that he can’t. The Alpha of New York doesn’t gain this position through intimidation, but by earning the trust of his peers. So, inhuman or not, he’s well aware that his slash and burn tactics won’t work. But aside from all that, we don’t want to invoke the wrath of the Seven just now. It would be imprudent, to say the least.”
“But as Kara says, what if Krane won’t listen to reason?” asked another man, one with astonishing dark hair and eyes, seated at the far end of the table.
“Then I’ll have to deal with him myself,” Tristan said. “If I have to, I’ll find a way to take him out. In the meantime, I’m counting on you—particularly those with eyes in the sky—to watch over Ariana, and over others who might be vulnerable in the days ahead. If anyone spots shifters making trouble, come to me immediately. Do you understand?”
The entire room nodded compliance.
I wanted to speak, to say something in response to the crazy notion that these amazing creatures would waste their time protecting me, but my voice caught in my throat. I couldn’t bear the idea of these people—these shifters—putting themselves in danger for me. They were so strange, so magical. So powerful.
I felt unworthy.
“Krane’s men may go after Lessers. They may try to use them in order to get to me,” Tristan continued. “They will be aggressive. They will fight until the time comes when they see that they can’t win this battle.”
“And when will that time be?” asked Kara. “When every last one of my people lies bleeding on the ground? At some point, Tristan, we need to take the fight to them.”
“The time will come, and soon,” Tristan said. He never showed a sign of anger, of defensiveness. It was like he understood that every word out of her mouth came from raw pain. “Soon, Valkyrie, I promise. But the battle can’t be rushed. We need to wait for them to come to us. We have the advantage, as long as we’re on Manhattan’s streets. This is our home turf. We know its ins and outs.”
Once again, I was lost. I had no idea what he was talking about. What was this mysterious battle that was going to happen, this moment in time that would miraculously make our side emerge victorious?
“I’m sorry,” I said at last, my cheeks heating with self-consciousness to have so many extraordinary eyes turn to me at once. “What exactly is the plan?”
Tristan smiled at me, a look on his face that warmed my insides and told me that everything was going to be okay. “Nothing that you need to worry about right now. Just know that we’ll find a way to make everything all right.”
In that moment, I believed him. I trusted him.
I had no reason not to.
But we both failed to anticipate the true threat that would come my way.
The threat that would try to steal my life from me.
Chapter 24
For the rest of the meeting Tristan was seated. He’d taken my hand in his on top of the table, as if to announce to this strange underworld gathering that we were officially together.
Plans were made. The bear shifters, apparently, had control over the lower east side, the large cat shifters would stick to their upper west side. Watchers would keep their eyes on my building at all hours of the day or night in order to make sure that Marcus and I weren’t invaded by any more hostile visitors.
To say that I was overwhelmed when I realized this entire meeting seemed to center around my own protection would have been a giant understatement. I couldn’t quite fathom how it had come to pass that all these powerful beings, for some insane reason, were looking after me. A woman who’d always thought she was worthless. A woman who’d always felt alone and helpless.
I now found myself with a whole new family—one more intent on my well-being, even, than my own mother had ever been. My new set of allies was, in fact, a room full of strangers who seemed to know everything about me. Where I lived, what I did for a living, how long Tristan and I had known each other.
The only problem was that I didn’t know most of their names.
When the meeting had concluded, the shifters and Kara milled around the room, speaking amongst themselves. Tristan introduced me to the man with the jet-black hair and piercing black eyes who’d spoken up earlier.
“Ariana, this is Rourke,” Tristan said. “He’s the head of the Manhattan Ravens’ Conspiracy.”
“Conspiracy?” I asked. “I always thought a group of ravens was a murder.”
“That’s crows,” Rourke replied, laughing. He had a friendly, warm smile, and I liked him immediately. I’d never thought of ravens as gregarious creatures, but something about his human exterior defied whatever animal nature might lurk inside him. I could see that he was someone people probably gravitated towards on a regular basis, handsome with a hint of mystery.
“Ah,” I chuckled. “Well, if it’s the most stupid thing I say this evening, I’ll count my blessings.”
“Not stupid at all,” he said. “Most people have never heard the word Conspiracy used to describe a bunch of birds, much less a pile of shifters.
Just then, someone called Tristan over for a chat. He shot me a look, eyebrows raised, as if to ask if I’d be all right on my own. I nodded.
“So, Ariana,” Rourke said when we were alone, “this all must be a little much for you. I know it can feel overwhelming to find yourself in a group like this. You must have some questions.”
“It’s all a little like a dream,” I confessed, “but a nice one—so far. I feel like I’ve stepped through the looking-glass, I guess.”
“You have,” he replied, looking around. “The men and women in this room are legends. There’s Thorrin and Bahal, the cat and bear leaders. And you’ve met Kara, of course.”
“I have, though I’m not sure I’ve figured her out. I was under the misconception that she was…”
“Human?” said Rourke. “Well, she is. More or less, anyhow. But she’s more than that, too—I’ve got to admit that even I find her intimidating at times. She’s fierce. Not the sort of woman you’d want to run into in a dark alley if she was in a bad mood.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” I said. “Is she…is she single?” I was trying to picture Kara with a mate and suddenly realized that it wasn’t easy. Whatever man was her partner would have to be strong to deal with the power that she exuded.
He nodded. “Yes, she’s still single. She’ll find her mate one day, though. All Valkyries do at
some point.”
“Will it be a human?” I asked. It felt like another stupid question.
“Actually,” Rourke replied, and I could have sworn that he blushed a little, “her kind normally mates with raven shifters. There’s a bond between those who spend their time in the sky. Or something. Call it tradition if you like. Valkyries and my kind formed a bond centuries ago, and it has yet to be broken.”
“Interesting,” I said, a thought bubbling up in my mind as I looked over at Kara, who was standing alone now. She looked like a regal guardian on duty, watching over the crowd. Silent and deadly. “Listen,” I said, “would you excuse me? I’d like to go talk to her for a minute.”
“Of course,” Rourke replied, bowing his head as though in deference. It was an odd gesture. If anything, I felt like I should have been bowing to him. I was just a useless human, and he was more like a deity.
I smiled awkwardly, bowing my head a bare minimum, and headed over to Kara. Her eyes met mine as I approached, her expression softening immediately to something a little less homicidal. Still, my stomach clenched with nervousness at the thought of actually talking to her. I found her even more daunting than before, now that I knew what she was.
“Hi,” I said softly when I’d gotten close. “Listen, I just wanted to say…”
She held up a hand to stop me. “I know,” she replied, “and thank you.” She threw me a withering smile that told me she wasn’t ready to talk about the other night’s incident yet. “It’s hard to be here,” she confessed. “Hard to be anywhere, truth be told. I know the pain will fade, but right now it’s on the surface. Everywhere, surrounding me at all times…” I could hear her fight back her voice’s desire to break under the weight of her pain. “It’s hard to find strength when a sister gets taken from one.”
“I know,” I said. “I know about losing a sister.” If she’d been a close friend, I would have hugged her. But I didn’t know what the hell Valkyrie protocol was. Did you embrace them? Bow? Genuflect? Lick their shoes?
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