by Petra Landon
“But he certainly had the power to bottle enough to help Lady B walk away from Chicago” Roman reiterated.
“What about the artifact he was building?” Atsá asked.
Roman smiled. “Throughout our history, many First Ones have hunted for the Holy Grail or worked to replicate it, Atsá. The Elders keep their ears to the ground. Whenever anyone comes close, they step in to handle it. The First Ones will never allow the Holy Grail or anything with even a tenth of its power to fall into Chosen hands.” He sobered. “The Blutsaugers are our shame, in more ways than one. Whether you consider them an abomination or not, the First Ones will never allow another anomaly to rise. When word got around that ElDarZin was working on this, it was taken very seriously. His ability to bottle magic makes him especially dangerous.”
“The First Ones stopped him?” the Alpha asked.
Roman shook his head. “They looked into his work. TorElnor tells me that while ElDarZin made no bones about his interest in the artifact, the Elders came to the conclusion that it was beyond his ability.”
Duncan looked surprised. “They let him continue unchecked?”
Roman looked grave. “The First Ones consider themselves to be the gatekeepers of the Chosen. We take our duties very seriously. But the Elders have faith in the Forebearers. The wise beings who gifted us with magic would never allow their descendants such power. After all, they were smart enough to hide the Holy Grail, if it exists, in the first place, so why leave a backdoor open for someone to create another?”
“Yet they allowed the leeches to take their place as Chosen, Durovic” Raoul countered. “And continue to let them create more Clan.”
“The Blutsaugers are watched carefully, Merceau” Roman said soberly. “The Elders will step in if they get out of line. So far, the Clan has not crossed the line. They follow the Supreme Edict and all other implicit rules, like other Chosen.”
As the others remained silent, Roman reiterated “They’re a constant reminder of what happens when the First Ones take their eyes off the ball. The Elders will not make the same mistake again.”
The Alpha said nothing. Roman was right; the leeches had not been any more egregious than other Chosen, irrespective of how they had been given life.
“In other words, the First Ones don’t believe the Holy Grail can be replicated.” Duncan directed them back to the matter at hand.
“No, they don’t” Roman said confidently. “But for the point of this discussion, Lady Bethesda didn’t need anything that powerful. ElDarZin’s bottled magic would be sufficient, if she could get him to give her some.”
“Where’s ElDarZin now?” Raoul asked.
“That’s where things get interesting. He disappeared in his thirties, a little over twenty-five years ago.”
Jason’s face flushed with excitement. “Around the same time as Lady Bethesda’s first disappearance, right after the Wizards overlooked her for First Wizard.”
“Yes.”
As the room seemed to gear up with palpable excitement, Roman dropped the last bit in. “There’s something else. There were strong rumors at the time that he’d gone to work for the Clan. It’s unusual for First Ones to associate with Blutsaugers, so it was remarked upon.”
Raoul’s eyes zeroed in on the Ancient.
“Tell me he went to work for the Lombardis, Durovic.”
Roman smiled. “That was the rumor, anyway. He’s not been heard from in years.”
“This is what we’ve been waiting for, Merceau.” Jason suppressed his rising excitement. “A crucial piece of the puzzle.”
“Yes” Raoul agreed. “Thank you, Durovic.”
“You’re welcome. But remember, the Clan is just rumor. Don’t take it as gospel.”
“How do we confirm it?” Luis quipped. The Clan did not play well with outsiders.
“I know someone who can” Raoul remarked.
While the others looked mystified, it was Duncan who gave voice to Raoul’s intentions. “Mistress Franciszka?”
“The Blutsauger Mistress?” Roman exclaimed.
“Yes.”
“Will she do this for us, Alpha?” Maartje was clearly skeptical.
“She will, for me” he said confidently.
Jason laughed. “I believe you, dude. I’ve no idea how you got her to give up the address of the warehouse before.”
Roman looked curious. “How do you plan to do it, Merceau?” he asked.
“The leech emissary” Duncan murmured, realizing how Raoul meant to bribe her.
“Yes” the Alpha acknowledged. “I’ll make Franciszka an offer she can’t refuse. If she comes through, she gets to stand with David and DiZeyla when we go after Anderson. We know she wants this, since her emissary already made Duncan the offer.”
Duncan smiled. It was a very smart move. And, it would kill two birds with one stone.
“Were you always planning on inviting the Vampire Mistress to the party?” Roman asked.
The Alpha nodded. “DiZeyla suggested Franciszka’s presence would signal that Chosen in San Francisco are united on this. I agree, but if I know Franciszka, she’ll demand concessions from me if I put it to her as a request. This way, I get to make Franciszka work for the honor of standing with me.”
“That’s diabolic, Merceau.” Roman’s tone was marked by awe. “And I like it.”
“The Alpha rarely allows himself to get outflanked” Atsá remarked gravely. “That’s why he’s so successful.”
“As usual, Atsá is right. But this time, you’ve outdone yourself, Merceau.” Jason shook his head in admiration.
Tasia took the headphones off as the footage drew to a close. She glanced at the group huddled at the far end of the room. One man, sensing her gaze, shot her a gold-eyed glance.
“Gentlemen and Maartje, feel free to use the room. The witchling and I must talk, before I return Faoladh’s call.”
He strode over to hold the door open for Tasia. “Get your coat and meet me downstairs in ten minutes. We need to talk.”
Tasia nodded. They certainly did.
“Your car, Duncan?” the Alpha directed at his friend. His bullet-riddled Audi was out of commission.
Duncan reached for his keys to throw them at the Alpha, who caught them neatly.
“I’ll be back in an hour” he said to Duncan, before exiting the room.
He strode down the stairs to one of the rooms to knock smartly. When Tasia opened the door, he inquired if she was ready. They walked down the stairs together. The reception area on the first floor bustled with activity. The offices for various Pack-run businesses occupied this floor. The Pack was registered as a conglomerate in San Francisco — this is where most of its wealth came from. The Alpha stopped by the booth at the gates that doubled as the security cubicle at night.
“My car …” he started, only to be interrupted by one of the Shifters.
“It’s headed to the garage this evening, Alpha. Joaquim put it on the work list.”
For once, Tasia noted, her presence with the Alpha didn’t elicit a second glance. Her ordeal seemed to have exempted her from the usual Shifter gossip mill. It wouldn’t last, she knew, but for now, there would be no speculation.
“Where’re we going?” Tasia inquired as he ushered her into Duncan’s SUV.
“There’s a coffee shop nearby.” He slipped into the driver’s seat.
They drove for about fifteen minutes in silence, Tasia lost in her thoughts.
The coffee shop was nearly empty, it now being the magic hour between breakfast and lunch.
“Walk?” he suggested. “I want to stretch my legs.”
Tasia acquiesced. She’d been feeling cooped up herself. A weekend locked in at the Alpha’s condo, while a battery of Shifters stood guard outside, had not helped her flashes of claustrophobia since the cage.
They ordered coffees before making their way out. It was a cold, crisp and clear day in San Francisco. Tasia had dressed warmly. They were on one of the side streets on
the other side of Embarcadero, away from the bay. Here, it was mainly commercial spaces, with updated brick and glass offices to provide a modern touch amidst the older buildings. It was also uncrowded, the tourists preferring to walk by the scenic bay.
“A portion of the footage will be released” he opened. “If you agree.”
Tasia glanced at him. “Is that all the footage?”
This had been puzzling her. For one, the kiss was missing. It relieved her immeasurably. Releasing that to the public was not something she looked forward to.
“No.” The gold eyes flashed to her. “There’s more — you’re welcome to see all of it. But this is the bit we’ll allow in the public realm.”
The footage had stopped where the Alpha had first recognized her. She studied him carefully. The gold eyes were back to their opaque depths, revealing no hint of the emotions under the mask. Yet, memories of the wild eyes as he teetered on the fine edge between human and beast continued to haunt Tasia.
Will he ever agree to let others glimpse such a private struggle?
“We will both have a say on how public we go” he remarked. “That includes the camera footage. If either of us decides against it, the Pack will go after Anderson on its own.”
“Can you bring him to justice on your own?” Tasia was skeptical. This Pack and its Alpha packed a punch. They might succeed in punishing a Guardian, but not without serious consequences for everyone.
“Yes, I can.” The gold eyes held hers as he stopped on the sidewalk to face her. “The Pack will make enemies of the Wizards, but that is nothing new. The Wizards have never liked us Wyrs. Don’t base your decision on this. Whatever you decide, I will make Anderson pay.” There was confidence and an underlying implacability in his voice that Tasia believed.
They walked for a few minutes, Tasia’s mind roiling.
“I’m fine with whatever helps bring the Guardian to justice” she said. Without endangering all Chosen, she added silently.
Sensing her ambivalence, he took the bull by its horns. “Why the hesitation?”
Tasia sighed. Tiptoeing around was not going to work. Not with him. “Are you sure about this?” Her tone was cautious.
“Don’t worry about me, witchling” he drawled. “The cage proves that I can hold on under the harshest of circumstances, and despite grave provocations. If you say yes, I won’t hesitate to go public.”
Tasia’s eyes searched his face. He meant what he said — he was comfortable with releasing the footage.
“I say public, but only Faoladh and a few others will ever see the video” he explained.
Content that might jeopardize the Supreme Edict was tightly controlled. Since the footage from the cage might raise uncomfortable questions in the wrong hands, Faoladh would control access to it.”
“Yes” she said finally, willing to put a stake on the ground.
“Alright, we go public then.”
They walked a block in silence before he spoke again.
“The footage does you credit too, witchling. You showed no fear, only resolve, grit, and a tenacity to make me aware.” The gold eyes were bright. “Very few in your place would keep their heads. No one would blame you if you had panicked.”
“I did panic.” Tasia was honest. “And, I was frightened for you” she admitted slowly.
The gold eyes flickered at her confession. She had been frightened for him, because things had gotten a little too close for comfort. He understood that only too well.
“In a weird way, the nightmares came to the rescue” Tasia said softly.
He looked curious. “How so?”
“When I first woke up, I didn’t understand what was happening” she faltered. “Only that something was very wrong with you. Then, I remembered the nightmares, and I knew.”
As her words died away, he studied her.
“I wouldn’t wish those nightmares on anyone, but I can’t help but wonder. Perhaps, there was a purpose to them, after all. Maybe, I was given a glimpse of a very private struggle so that when the time came, I would know what I was up against.” There was an almost whimsical note to her voice.
“You think you were meant to draw me back from the edge?” he said slowly, his expression unreadable.
She shook her head. “You did that yourself — I had no hand in it. I meant that the nightmares helped me understand what was happening to you.”
“No.” He contradicted her brusquely. “You did have a hand in it.”
Tasia stared at him, but he was far away, the gold eyes unfocused.
“I told you once that my decision to go into the wilderness was not voluntary” he said abruptly.
“Yes.”
“That decision was made under compulsion” he admitted. “Something was done to me, an experiment, that messed me up. I didn’t feel confident enough to live with Chosen, or even amidst humans, until I could sort myself out. So, I isolated myself in the wilderness.”
Tremendous shock flashed across her face. This was an enormous confession for a Shifter to make. He had just admitted that he’d struggled with his control before. Had the past exaggerated his struggles in the cage — given an impetus to the wildness she’d glimpsed in him?
“This experiment.” She hesitated. “Was it done with your consent?” she asked, fearful of the answer. For Tasia suspected that she knew the answer. So many cryptic statements from him over the months seemed to finally fit together into a horrendous puzzle.
“No” he said brusquely, his expression tight.
This is what Bianchi was hinting at, that night by the bay. Something bad was inflicted on him — enough to make him disappear from civilization.
Sickened by what his words hinted at, Tasia grappled silently with it. Only something truly horrific would force this strong-willed and fearless man to lock himself away.
“Bianchi met with Anderson last week” he continued, his tone matter-of-fact. “I suspect he shared the old rumors of my time in the wilderness, and Anderson used that against me. Silver and confined spaces are a toxic combination for me. Tends to make me relive the past. That’s what he counted on to break me.”
Tasia’s expression blanched. He’d just confirmed another suspicion — the cage had exacerbated his claustrophobia. The recollection of his uneasiness as they descended into the bowels of the The Vault had been timely. More and more, it seemed that the Guardian had not only mounted a cruel and unconscionable assault on him, but had also tried to exploit old scabs he carried with him even today.
No wonder he hates Wizards. The Guardian has only amplified his hatred.
Raoul took a deep breath, trying to overcome his reserve. He owed her an explanation.
“With all the silver in me, I was struggling to separate the past from the present” he admitted in a hard voice. “Reality had started to distort for me. That’s a dangerous position for any Shifter. For me, in my situation, it would have been catastrophic. Your determination to reach me through the fog kept me from losing myself in the past. Because of you, I fought harder.
“You never gave up on me. I saw the footage” he said solemnly. “I owe you, Tasia Armstrong.”
Despite the somber words, Tasia found her lips quirking into a smile.
“You’ve rescued me so many times, I’ve lost count. It was my turn to repay the favor” she said lightly.
At her light-hearted quip, his expression eased.
“Like I said, we make a good team.”
Later that evening, as twilight descended on the city, the Alpha, with Duncan and Simeonov, walked into the local Vampire nest. Luis, with a contingent of Shifters, waited outside.
They found Mistress Franciszka reclining on the ubiquitous daybed, dressed to the nines in velvet and diamonds, as was her wont. She came forward to greet the Alpha with a pleased smile.
“It is good to see you, moj drogi.” She held out her hand for Raoul to kiss.
As usual, he ignored it to give her an old-fashioned bow. Her gaze passed over Dunc
an indifferently, before alighting on Stefan Simeonov. A light leapt into her eyes and she gave him a flirtatious smile. Stefan smiled back her, his blue eyes appreciative.
“You look none the worse for wear, Raoul” she remarked. “I’m glad.”
“Why would I be the worse for wear, Franciszka?” the Alpha inquired.
The Mistress faltered, taken aback by the response. “My Pure Bloods informed me about an assault on you, Raoul.” Her voice held an undertone of hesitation.
“There was” the Alpha acknowledged. “But I’m not that easy to harm, Franciszka” he reminded her. “As you know.”
The Mistress bit her lip. Yes, she did. He made sure to accord her the respect due to her, as leader of the Clan in San Francisco, but if she ever crossed him in any way, he would not hesitate to show his displeasure, as he had in the past.
“What happened?” she asked bluntly, recovering her composure.
“They pumped me with silver and threw me into a cage.” The Alpha was blunt and precise.
The Mistress looked astonished, and some of the dark shadows at the edges of the room seemed to sway.
“The cage was silver?” she asked carefully.
“Yes.”
“Did your Shifters find you?”
“No, I broke through the cage myself.”
Franciszka hesitated, awed in spite of herself. Not for the first time, she realized that this particular Shifter had powers and reserves above and beyond his physical strength. It made him very dangerous.
“We know who did it” the Alpha announced matter-of-factly. “He will be punished.”
Franciszka straightened. This is what he had come to tell her, she realized.
“Both David Hamilton and DiZeyla have expressed their desire to be by my side when I confront him.”
The Mistress’ eyes narrowed. The local Chosen Alliance had clearly become more than an idea and a hope, but she had yet to receive an invitation to join it, despite her best efforts.
“My Pure Blood told Duncan that we stood with you on this. That no Pure Blood would be allowed to harm Pack or Pack interests on my territory, Raoul” she reminded him.
“Yes, Duncan did tell me of it.”
