by Petra Landon
“How did she escape …?” David shook his head. “You probably can’t say more, Raoul. This is extraordinary.”
“How’s Caroline, David?” Duncan chimed in to interrupt them.
“She’s in good shape. A little worse for wear, but nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix.”
“You’re worried, Jason” Sienna remarked.
At her query, a preoccupied Jason turned his attention to her.
“A little” he admitted.
Sienna glanced around the Pack Room. They were in a corner of the vast room, waiting to have a final word with the Alpha before retiring for the night. The Alpha was popular tonight — in conversation with Faoladh, while Roman Durovic waited his turn patiently. Atsá, Duncan and Luis conversed in a huddle near the fireplace. The First Wizard had retired for the night.
“Is it about what Bianchi said?” she asked in a low voice. Bianchi had made his claims publicly tonight, so the matter wasn’t confidential anymore, especially to the crowd in here.
“Partly” Jason agreed, his expression easing.
Sienna looked at him — the handsome, clean-cut face with the chocolate brown eyes. He’d once been a teenage crush, and now, was a lot more. This man had survived circumstances very similar to hers, and had overcome them to become a compassionate man, confident of his abilities, comfortable in his own skin, and certain of his place in the world. There was no trace of bitterness or rancor in Jason, even while he investigated the woman responsible for the murder of his family in one fell swoop, twenty four years ago.
“I’ll admit that I’ve been questioning a lot of things since I was told about my mot … Lady Bethesda” Sienna said. “But there’s one thing I can assure you of, Jason. There’s nothing on this earth that would make me even contemplate coupling up with Rafaelo Bianchi, under any circumstances.”
Jason’s face broke into a grin at her solemn words. “That isn’t what worries me, Sienna.”
“My mother holds no influence over me, Jason. In fact, I would be a happy camper if I never saw her again. I meant what I said to Bianchi — I want nothing to do with her” she reiterated earnestly.
Jason placed his palm over her arm, a gesture of reassurance.
“Sienna, I’ve never ever questioned your intentions, even for a minute. I’ve no doubt you’ll always do the right thing, no matter what.”
Sienna placed her palm over the one that covered her hand. “Then, what worries you, Jason?”
“Lady Bethesda” he said simply. “I’ve confidence the Shifters will get to the bottom of this — they know what they’re doing and they’re very good at it. But one thing has always nagged me about this. Bianchi’s words tonight merely reminded me about it.”
“She’s ambitious, feels hard done by the others, and is driven by The Prophecy — this is clear. She believes in this prophecy, so much so she’s gambled her entire future on it, with her daughters playing the role it foretells. So far, her schemes and plans have all been successful. She’s now the woman who birthed the siblings from The Prophecy. But it’s not enough for her. It doesn’t gain her any power or influence in this new world order of hers. She’s not one to leave anything to chance, or take a back seat to anyone. It begs the question — all this meticulous planning and scheming, to what avail? If your sisters are anything like you, they’ll want no part of the mother who abandoned them. Especially one who spares no thought to the innocent lives she sacrifices in the pursuit of her ambitions. Where does that leave her?”
Sienna was struck by his argument. Consumed by the almost daily deluge of allegations against her mother, she had found herself grappling to process them, instead of contemplating the larger question. She realized that Jason was right. Lady Bethesda would not be content to take the back seat to anyone, not even her daughters.
“You think she has something up her sleeve?” she asked, subdued now as the implications of this struck her more forcefully. Some way to gain the upper hand over her daughters, perhaps, Sienna wondered.
“I know she has something up her sleeve. Nothing we know about The Prophecy guarantees her any influence. Merceau believes it, too. Why else would Faoladh’s men still be independently digging into her past? There’s more to be discovered here, I suspect.”
“Jason is correct” the Alpha remarked.
Sienna glanced up to see everyone, except Roman, gathered around Jason and her. Roman watched them from his chair, the cell in his hand ignored.
“Lady Bethesda didn’t embark on the biggest gamble of her life without a plan to control, or at least influence, the siblings The Prophecy says hold the real power” Raoul said confidently.
“There’s another aspect to consider” Faoladh chimed in. “With her trail of murder and mayhem, there’s music to face for her. Once she reveals herself, she’ll have powerful Chosen baying for her blood. Whatever she’s attempting has to take that into account.”
A short silence ensued. Sienna realized what everyone else in the room already had — that there was more to Lady Bethesda’s plans than what they’d unearthed so far.
“Whatever is up her sleeve, she’s very confident about it, certainly enough to promise one of her daughters to Bianchi” Duncan remarked into the silence. “Bianchi is no fool. He can see how much Sienna dislikes her mother. Yet, he clearly believes that Lady Bethesda will deliver on her promise to him.”
“Tonight’s misadventure might turn out to our advantage” Faoladh said thoughtfully. “Rafaelo Bianchi was betrayed into indiscretion tonight. That remark about Sienna confirms our suspicions — that this is about The Prophecy. Thanks to him, we also know more about Bethesda’s intent. She’s confident in her ability to influence her daughters to see things her way, no matter how improbable that looks right now. To me, that’s a significant hint. Till now, Bethesda has been a bit of a cypher to us. But, this is a lead. What we need to uncover is why is she so confident of her daughters.”
“This is why I want access to the records” Raoul interjected. “To understand the nuances of The Prophecy before we dig more into her.”
“I’m in agreement with you, Raoul, but I’m not sure Esmeralda can swing that.” Faoladh was blunt. “The GCW holds the keys to the archives. That includes the records of prophecies.”
Raoul glanced at Sienna, waiting until she gave him a discreet nod.
“The First Wizard was present when it was foretold” he informed Faoladh. “I’m going to request that she share her recollections of it, as best as she can. It’s our best bet right now.”
Faoladh looked taken aback. It was clear he had not known of this.
“I’ll add my voice to your request” he said.
“This matter you’re investigating, Alpha” Roman Durovic inquired. “I gather it’s about Lady Bethesda, the contender for First Wizard who died under mysterious circumstances a quarter century ago.”
Roman had gathered that there were misgivings about her death, based on the cryptic conversations he’d overheard today. But that mystery was for another day, when he had the ear of the Alpha in a more private setting.
“Yes.”
“Could you use a First One on the investigation?” the Ancient inquired blandly.
“Are you volunteering?” Raoul countered, equally blandly.
“Yes” Roman answered baldly this time. “Whatever this is, it sounds like it affects all Chosen, not just the Wizards. I can open doors you might otherwise not have access to.” He made his case.
It wasn’t a difficult decision for the Alpha. They could certainly use a different perspective. More importantly, Durovic had the ears of some very influential First Ones. He fit the bill on helping to investigate how Lady Bethesda had escaped the explosion in Chicago. To Raoul, this was a crucial piece of the puzzle to understanding their adversary.
“I’m open to the idea” the Alpha said. “Let’s talk some more.”
“You look like you’ve a lot on your plate right now. I can come back in the morning.”
“If you don’t mind waiting a little longer, we can sort this out tonight” the Alpha offered.
“I’ve nowhere to be” Roman said agreeably.
“Give me ten minutes to wrap up, then I’ll fill you in.”
After a quick word with Sienna to ensure that the First Wizard would not depart the Lair without a debriefing, Raoul ushered Roman into the Alpha’s Room, with Duncan, Jason and Luis in tow. Atsá had made his exit and both Faoladh and Sienna had decided to retire for the night.
Armed with some of the Alpha’s Scotch, Roman settled in to be told the curious story of Lady Bethesda and her ruthless exploitation of an old prophecy. Though ignorant of The Prophecy, Roman, heir to an influential Setik faction, had known about the allegations of murder against the erstwhile contender for First Wizard. He knew that ElThor had been active in pushing Lady Esmeralda to investigate her one-time opponent, and in diffusing the ramifications from Chicago. Still, to say that he was flabbergasted would be an understatement, if there was one. This was bigger, far bigger than any internal Wizard bickering.
Roman found himself in agreement with the Alpha’s assessment that something far bigger and sinister lay in the offing. A masterful opponent, the Lady was dangerous, shrewd, ambitious, and as ruthless as they came. It behooved them all to get to the bottom of this before she could wreak more havoc on their world.
“Hmm” Roman murmured. “You think Bianchi will back away from Sienna, now that the locket is gone?”
“Not if he believes what Lady Bethesda promised him” Jason interjected. “Sienna is his ticket to the powerful position he covets. That means, sooner or later, he’ll make his move on her.”
“We should consider taking him out of the game, Alpha” Luis suggested quietly. “Unless we want to look over our shoulders for him constantly.”
The Alpha shook his head. “Not yet, Luis. He’s Lady Bethesda’s right-hand man. It makes him our best bet to track her. At least, until she emerges from the shadows. Without him, we’ll be flying blind.”
“Meanwhile, DiZeyla will ensure he’s kept out of San Francisco” Duncan added. “And remember, he won’t make a move on Sienna until she’s served her mother’s purpose. We’ve time yet to deal with him.”
Jason said nothing. The Vampire had gotten under his skin. But, he knew that Bianchi was too important to throw out of the game yet.
“What can I do?” Roman offered, his brows puckered in thought. “I can ask around, but I doubt the First Ones have more details about Chicago. ElThor played a part in forcing them to investigate the allegations in the past, but that’s the extent of it.”
Raoul turned to him. “There’s something we could use your assistance with. A piece of the puzzle we’ve been wrestling with — how she escaped the Registry explosion in Chicago. Her magic was depleted by then, so our best guess is an artifact, something powerful enough to deflect an explosion of that magnitude. Unfortunately, LaRue has hit a dead-end on this.”
“Every artifact in Wizard custody capable of the feat has been accounted for” Jason confirmed.
“You want me to check our artifacts?” Roman quirked an eyebrow.
“Yes” the Alpha concurred. “LaRue has the details of the explosion. I doubt the list of artifacts will be a long one, but neither of us has access to that information.”
“I’ll look into it” the Ancient agreed promptly.
“We’re hoping that solving the puzzle might give us a clue to the rest of her plans” Duncan explained.
Roman nodded. “The Prophecy foretells three daughters?”
“The first one is Sienna — even Bianchi confirmed that. We know of a second family. And, Faoladh’s men are trying to trace the third one.”
“She’s allied with the Clan?”
“The Lombardi Family, that we know of” Raoul confirmed.
“Monseigneur” Roman murmured. The Master of the Lombardi Family, a Pure Blood Vampire, enjoyed unparalleled influence in the Blutsauger world. “A dangerous and effective ally to have on her side.”
“Yes” the Alpha agreed. “He seems to have been involved from the beginning.”
“Hmm. Where’s the second family?”
“India.”
Roman Durovic looked startled. “India?”
“She was involved with a powerful Ancient there.”
“India” Roman repeated again, a wild suspicion assailing him. “This man, the First One” he said slowly. “What happened to him?”
“He’s dead, two weeks ago.” The Alpha watched him carefully. It was clear that Roman knew or suspected something about this. “His family suspects foul play.”
“Lady Bethesda strikes again?” Roman inquired.
“We believe so. The timing is certainly suspect. Faoladh’s men are following up.”
“What do you know, Durovic?” Raoul asked bluntly, as the Ancient looked pensive.
“Bethesda is clearly a Magick Façade” Roman said. “Do you happen to know what her name is?”
Many Wizards with power tended to adopt facades to hide their true identities, a tradition borrowed from the First Ones. First Ones believed that a little of their power was lost every time someone evoked a powerful Magick’s name.
The Alpha glanced at Jason, who looked all at sea.
“I don’t know, but I can find out” the Guardian offered. “Her married last name was McAlister, like Sienna.”
“What about the name she used in India?” Roman persisted.
“We know the name on the passport she used to travel to India” Raoul acknowledged.
“Matilda Redmayne” Roman breathed the name confidently.
All four men zeroed in on him, varying degrees of astonishment on their faces.
“How do you know this, Durovic?” the Alpha asked.
“It’s a long story. Suffice it to say that her daughter, Nandini Rathore, is in Portland searching for her as we speak.”
“What” Jason exploded. “How’s this possible?” He glanced at the Alpha. “I thought Faoladh’s men were keeping an eye on things in India.”
“I don’t know, LaRue, but this changes things” Raoul muttered.
“Is she still in Portland?” Duncan inquired.
“She was when I left this morning.”
“We need to talk to her” Jason said urgently. “Before Lady Bethesda gets her hands on her.”
“She’s in safe hands” Roman said cryptically. “Under the protection of SivoTar himself. He won’t let anything happen to her.”
“SivoTar” Raoul murmured, surprised by the involvement of the venerable Ancient.
Duncan glanced at Raoul. “The powerful Eru Lord himself.”
“He was her father’s friend” Durovic explained.
For a moment, no one said anything. Then, Duncan broke the silence.
“We underestimate Lady Bethesda at our own peril. She’s shrewd and manipulative. For all we know, the murder of her Indian husband was simply a ploy to get her daughter to the States. Jason has a point, Raoul. We should reach out and explain what we know about her mother as soon as we can.”
Raoul glanced at the Ancient. Roman Durovic had been laidback and relaxed all this while, until the topic of Lady Bethesda’s Indian daughter. He couldn’t help but wonder why.
“Are you acquainted with her, Durovic?” he asked.
“We’ve met” the Ancient acknowledged briefly, with the same closed off expression.
“Could you make an introduction? It might be easier if the accusations against her mother came from an acquaintance, not strangers.”
Roman hesitated, as if choosing his words with care. “Any introduction from me would do more harm than good, Merceau. In fact, I guarantee it’ll prove counter-productive.”
The Alpha arched his eyebrow in mild surprise, while the others looked curious.
“We got off to a bad start” Roman admitted slowly. “She’s not likely to believe anything I say.”
The Alpha said nothing,
merely holding Roman’s gaze.
“Trust me on this, Merceau” the Ancient reiterated shortly. “Any word from me will only make matters worse.”
“Sienna” Jason interjected. “Sienna can help. She’s keen to meet her sisters. Who better to explain about their mother than a sibling?” he added.
“Why’s she in Portland looking for her mother?” Raoul directed at the Ancient.
“I thought you wanted to help this investigation” he countered as Roman remained silent. “This can’t be a one-way street. Information needs to flow both ways.”
Roman sighed. He had royally mucked up with Nandini. There would be no second chances. She would not forgive him. And that bothered him more than he wanted to admit. TorElnor’s communication to head to San Francisco could not have come at a better time for him. It had briefly allowed Roman to focus on something else. Now, he was being forced to deal with the situation again.
“She was told that her mother had died when she was a child. She’s believed it all her life.”
“What changed?” Duncan inquired.
“The death of her father. On his death bed, he told them that her mother was in danger. That’s when Nandini discovered that she’s still alive.”
“She’s here hoping to warn her mother” the Alpha murmured.
“Yes.”
“Why Portland?”
“The form used for the Indian marriage certificate listed an address in Portland. That’s the only information she has to go on.”
Jason reiterated again, with a sense of urgency. “We have to move fast, Merceau. This is an unexpected piece of luck.
“Yes, it is” Raoul agreed. “But if she’s under SivoTar’s protection, we’ll need introductions. Are you sure, Durovic?”
Roman nodded. “I can introduce you to SivoTar, but if she finds out about it, she won’t trust you” he said bluntly.
“Okay.” The Alpha accepted his explanation. “I’ll ask Faoladh to make the introductions.”
Chapter 9
The First Wizard opens up about the past
“What was she like — your sister?” Duncan asked courteously.
