by Petra Landon
“When I want something, I go after it” he said softly. “I won’t back away.”
There was a light in the gold eyes that caused Tasia’s heart to quicken its beat.
“You consider me impulsive” she said slowly, playing the last card she had left.
He arched a brow, the gold eyes unwavering.
“You called me a mix of mettle and foolhardiness” she quoted his own words back at him.
He shrugged.
“Even if I could change all of that, there’s one thing I can never change.”
He waited, almost sure of what she was about to say.
“I will always be a witchling” she said quietly.
For a moment, the weight of the past and his instinctive dislike of her kind lay like a heavy weight between them.
“I can live with it” he admitted softly, a curious note in his voice. Raoul wasn’t sure he could, if he walked away from her simply because of her heritage.
His lips quirked, preparing to use her own words back at her.
“Agree to be my impulsive witchling, and no one will dare say that to you” he stated, the air of arrogance pronounced. “Not even me.” The last was added as an afterthought.
Tasia’s eyes widened. “You’re trying to bribe me” she exclaimed.
“Is it working?” His voice was bland.
A smile trembled on her lips. Somehow, Tasia felt inexplicably better. He wouldn’t back away, but he made it clear that the ball was firmly in her court. The path forward was up to her.
“You took a chance on Hawk once, when everything in you must have screamed at you to walk away.” He held her gaze, the gold eyes riveted on her with an intensity that betrayed how much this meant to him. “Take a chance on me, witchling.”
“Sara and I are taking Nandini and Sienna sightseeing tomorrow.” Hawk plopped into the seat beside Tasia, to interrupt her musings. “Join us, Tas?”
“Yes, do join us, Tasia.” Sienna came bustling in to add her voice, before turning away to have a word with Jason and Nandini.
“The powers that be have agreed to let us loose on this unsuspecting city without any protection, Hawk?” Tasia arched her eyebrow.
Hawk grinned. “Nope, Duncan’s arranging an army.”
“In that case, I’m in.”
“Good.”
Hawk gave her a subtle once over. “You okay, Tas?” He lowered his voice.
“Yeah.” Tasia nodded.
“You turned in early last night, and Sienna says you didn’t make it to breakfast at the Café.”
Tasia tried not to betray her discomfort — she hadn’t spent the night in the Lair. But this was Hawk, not easy to bamboozle, especially when it came to her. He frowned, his eyes searching her face.
“You’ve been cooped in here too long” he muttered. “I’ll go see if Duncan can spare Evgeny and Joaquim tonight.”
“Tonight? I thought the sightseeing trip is tomorrow.”
“It is. Let’s go out tonight, Tasia. It’s Saturday, and I’m sure you’re heartily sick of the Café fare.”
Tasia hesitated, unaccountably nervous at the prospect. She didn’t want Hawk asking her awkward questions, which he would if he thought she was out of sorts.
“Come on, Tas” he cajoled. “I’m pretty sure Sara’s free tonight. And I’ll check if Caroline can join us too.” He sweetened the pot.
Tasia smiled. “Yes, Hawk.”
“Good.” He gave her an approving smile. “I’m going to square this away with Alph.”
Tasia watched him stride away, only to catch Nandini’s eyes. The Ancient girl had been sipping from a mug in her hand, quietly observing the activity in the Pack Room.
“You’re joining us tomorrow, I hope, Tasia?” she said, walking over to join the Wizard.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
And Tasia was. Hawk was right — she had been cooped up at the Lair too long. Now, with Anderson gone and Bianchi banished from the city, she was finally free to wander it.
“Sienna says you’ve lived here at the Lair for some time now” Nandini asked, a subtle question in her eyes.
“Yes.” Tasia smiled. “Although before Sienna joined me, it wasn’t half as fun.”
Nandini’s eyes wandered to where her sister talked animatedly with Jason, who listened intently to her.
Curious about the dynamics of her new team, Nandini had been quietly sizing up the others. Having grown up in the bosom of her Kabila, Nandini nevertheless had kept her distance from the business of her people. She had always known that Mahen, older by mere minutes, would one day follow in their father’s footsteps, and she had no appetite for a subtle power struggle, as had happened to so many Kabilas, especially not with Mahen. But Nandini’s limited experience with her people had nevertheless given her a unique perspective. Largely ignorant of Chosen conventional wisdom and ill-concerned with Chosen stereotypes, she was able to assess her teammates without prejudice.
So far, the biggest conundrums for Nandini had been Roman Durovic and Tasia. It was clear why the Alpha and his Shifters pursued this case, one that by rights should be the purview of the Wizards. Faoladh had asked his Shifters to investigate, since the Wizards were busy tearing themselves apart in an ideological war. Nandini had come to appreciate that the Alpha, the man in charge of the investigation into her mother’s murky past, ran a very tight ship. A man of few words but a Wyr whose word was gold, he had the respect of his team and the absolute fealty of his Shifters, and seemed to have a knack for bringing disparate people together to work for a cause. This much, she had quickly gleaned. Formidable, determined and focused, he would unravel the past. Faoladh had chosen well. Nandini also understood now why Roman had asked her to contact the Alpha on that desperate day at her mother’s hastily converted dungeon.
Sienna, who Nandini felt an affinity to from their very first meeting, was tortured about the past, and Jason torn between his work here and his loyalties to the Guardians. The individual Wyrs were harder to read — she’d need more time to observe them. Although, Duncan certainly had the reserved Alpha’s ear. Roman, of course, was a conundrum that Nandini was determined to keep her distance from. Burned once, she didn’t intend to give him another chance. But the biggest enigma of all was the Wizard who lived at a Wyr Lair, an integral part of a notoriously isolationist and territorial group, and yet seemed curiously separate from them. Despite her involvement in the investigation, the distance between the rank-and-file Shifters at the Lair, and Tasia hadn’t escaped Nandini’s notice. Hawk and his sister were an exception, and Sara herself was elusive, strangely estranged from her own Pack. Add to it the subtle undercurrents between the Alpha and the Wizard in his Pack, and Nandini was both puzzled and intrigued.
“I gather Hawk and his sister don’t live here at the Lair?” she said to Tasia.
“Very few Shifters do.”
“Nandini.” Roman’s greeting had the Ancient girl turning to face him, the mask she seemed to reserve exclusively for him falling over her face.
In response, Roman’s expression tightened imperceptibly. “The Alpha would like to meet with us for a few minutes, if that’s convenient?”
“Yes, of course.” Nandini stood up to follow him, her eyes zeroing in on the Alpha who waited by his private room, in conversation with Atsá.
Roman turned to greet Tasia. Nandini, her attention on the Alpha, caught the hooded glance he shot at the Wizard by her side. Tasia, for her part, was careful to keep her attention on Roman, almost as if determined not to meet the Alpha’s eyes. Yes, Nandini mused, she had read the situation correctly. A mystery lurked behind the Wizard who lived at the Lair, under the Pack’s protection. Not for the first time, she wondered what it was.
Nandini followed Roman to the Alpha’s Room. Inside, seated in the chair across the large desk, she turned her attention to the Alpha. Roman remained standing beside her and the Alpha leaned against the closed door.
“I’m starting an outreach to poten
tial allies” the Alpha opened. “The Chosen must be united if we’re to comprehensively defeat Lady Bethesda.”
“What do you need from me?” Roman was prompt to offer his assistance.
“Faoladh is setting up meetings with influential Ancients. I’d like Nandini and you to help with the ground work for the meetings.”
“What kind of ground work?” Nandini asked.
“Brief the Ancients on what we’ve discovered about Lady Bethesda and the threat her ambitions pose to Chosen. You are First Ones, and your words will carry more weight with your people. Plus, building political alliances is not my strong point” Raoul added wryly.
“I don’t know, Merceau” Roman countered. “You haven’t done too badly so far. Your motley team’s kicking ass, while Lady B rues lost opportunities.” His lightning glance at the girl beside him made it clear which opportunity Roman believed the ambitious Wizard to regret.
Raoul’s lips quirked at the Ancient’s compliment. “Now comes the hard part, Durovic. Things are going to get more complicated.”
He glanced from the seated girl to the man beside her.
“Is working together going to be a problem?” Raoul asked bluntly.
Roman went still at the forthright query, while Nandini looked taken aback.
“Not for me” Roman stated quietly, holding the Alpha’s eyes squarely. It earned Roman a sidelong glance from Nandini.
Raoul turned his attention on her. “What about you, Nandini?”
“It’s not a problem” she assured him.
“Good.” He looked pleased. “We have to start building alliances. The First Ones will be tough to crack, and you’re the only First Ones on this team.
“Duncan is arranging security for you” he directed at Nandini. “Your mother will not give up on you easily.”
Nandini was quick to heed the subtle warning. “I won’t leave the Lair without an escort. I’ll follow Sienna’s lead on this” she assured him. “We’re both in the same boat.”
Outside in the Pack Room, Luis cast a swift glance around the room to make sure there were no remaining stragglers before gesturing at the sentry by the door to seal off the Pack Room.
“We’re all set for tonight, Tas” Hawk said cheerfully, joining her on the couch.
Tasia hesitated. “The Alpha?”
“Didn’t talk to Alph. Duncan said he’d sort it out. He’s handling security for both Sienna and Nandini. Said he’d make sure you were covered, too.”
Tasia looked pleased by the news, but a vague sense of unease roiled in Hawk. He could sense that something was amiss with her. He wondered if it was delayed reaction to the events of the past few weeks. If a night out with Sara and Caroline didn’t banish the disquiet he sensed in her, then Hawk was determined to dig deeper and sort out what troubled his friend.
The Alpha strode out to take his place by the mantel. It was a signal for everyone to settle down. Nandini and Sienna made for seats by Hawk and Tasia, while Roman, Jason and Atsá congregated by Duncan. Across from them, Simeonov, Elisabetta and Luis turned their attention to the Alpha.
“Faoladh has started talking to the First Ones — both Eru and Setik” the Alpha announced. “Nandini and Roman will form the first wave, reaching out with the evidence we’ve collected against Lady Bethesda.”
“We have to convince other Chosen of the danger she poses to our world. I’m expecting some pushback. Chosen have always been factionalized, reluctant to interfere in matters they consider outside their purview. Our job will be to convince them that Lady Bethesda is a threat to us all, not just the Wizards. I want to start the outreach now, while she’s distracted.”
“You believe she’s distracted?” Jason inquired, a watchful look in his eyes.
Raoul shrugged. “I’ve been going over my meeting with her, and what stands out to me is how easy it was to get under her skin. She’s losing patience now, right when she has the finish line in her sights. Or perhaps, she’s impatient now because she’s confident of getting to the finish line. I don’t know, but I believe her conviction that Faoladh is destined to join her cause has her frustrated by his seeming recalcitrance. That gives us an opening.”
Jason looked thoughtful.
“Put yourself in her shoes, LaRue. All Faoladh has done so far is frustrate her carefully laid plans. He’s instigated a serious investigation into her, when before, the Wizards were scrambling to address the rumors about her. This team has her on the back foot, and she doesn’t like it. But we need to act quickly. The clock is ticking, and I don’t know how much time we have.”
“Have you told Faoladh what the Lady believes his role to be, Merceau?” Roman asked, his eyes meeting Jason’s fleetingly. Roman knew what worried the Guardian. The same apprehension troubled him, too.
“I have” Raoul assented. “Faoladh does not take this seriously. He believes this is merely misdirection on her part.”
“Misdirection” Sienna muttered.
“Faoladh thinks she’s trying to neutralize the threat our investigation poses to her plans by sending us on a wild goose chase.”
“She hopes that if we believe Faoladh to be on her side, we’ll be too distracted with nullifying that threat to hamper her plans.” Duncan directed his explanation at Sienna.
“What do you think, Merceau?” Roman persisted. “You were there.”
His glance encompassed Luis and Atsá. “All three of you. Do you think she believes this about Faoladh?”
“I think she believes it, Durovic” Raoul conceded, his words causing Sienna to go pale.
“I agree with the Alpha. I don’t believe she was bluffing about this” Atsá reiterated. “She didn’t mean to let this bit slip out. It did so in the heat of the moment.”
Tasia wondered if anyone would dare to openly address the elephant in the room. Everything this team uncovered, every shred of evidence it collected and the alliances it built against Lady Bethesda, would be all for naught if Faoladh switched sides. Chain of command and fealty to the Alpha was part of a Shifter’s DNA — it lay at the core of their code. If the unthinkable came true and Faoladh allied himself with Lady Bethesda, how would the Pack react? Would the Alpha comply if Faoladh ordered him to go after Lady Bethesda’s enemies, Tasia wondered.
“I didn’t become Alpha to have power over others. I did it to be the master of my own destiny. No one commands me.”
She could see how being the master of his destiny would appeal to him. Heck, she’d like to be the master of her’s. And while it was true that no one commanded him, all Alpha Protectors were bound to defer to Faoladh, as the Alpha of Alphas. From what Tasia knew, Faoladh never interfered in Pack business. He considered that the sole purview of an Alpha Protector. But power in the Shifter world was strictly hierarchical and at the top of the pyramid sat Faoladh, the most powerful Wyr the Chosen had seen for generations. Would Faoladh’s dictum cause a civil war amongst the Wyrs, weakening them, much as the power struggle between the First Wizard and the GCW had done to the Wizards? That would make their world an infinitely dangerous one, giving Lady Bethesda and others of her ilk an opening to the reins of power.
Tasia could sense the nascent fear in Sienna, and Jason’s unease. Even Roman Durovic was not immune. Nandini, as usual, was harder to read, but the Indian Ancient had to be alarmed by the prospect of more anarchy in the Chosen world. If that happened, no one would escape unscathed.
If the Wyrs descended into chaos, along with the Wizards, then the only remaining adults in the room would be the First Ones; the Clan, if history was any indication, exulted in such instability and would try and take advantage of the power vacuum by encouraging more chaos. And, if the Wyrs blindly followed Faoladh to fight for Lady Bethesda’s cause, that too would cause the Chosen to descend into discord and strife, the kind of turmoil not seen for centuries in their world.
Yet, the Shifters seemed sanguine about the dire possibilities. It made Tasia vaguely uneasy. She wondered where their serenity in the face of
such peril stemmed from. Tasia feared very much that their ease on the matter came from their confidence in their code of honor. Would adherence to the Wyr codes make them follow Faoladh’s diktats blindly, without questioning them? Would the Alpha comply if Faoladh asked him to support Lady Bethesda’s ambitions, she wondered as apprehension filled her.
The Alpha will not, whispered her inner voice. Not him. He will never side with a power-hungry, murderous and ruthless Wizard.
“This is why I don’t take the threat lightly. I’ve personal experience with the havoc an ambitious Chosen with great power, minus a moral compass, can inflict on naïve bystanders whose only crime is to cross her path.”
He had once been the naïve bystander, trampled under the ruthless feet of just such a Chosen — another power-hungry Wizard, in a strange coincidence. Tasia had suspected for a while now that something horrific had befallen him in the past, but last night’s shocking admission had confirmed it.
“I know what it feels like to question your sanity.”
His confession last night had shocked her out of her own private hell. He had cared enough to share this with her, to admit what must be one of his deepest darkest secrets, simply to reassure her that she wasn’t going crazy herself. Last night, she had been shell-shocked. Now, in the clear light of day, the enormity of his actions hit her. She glanced up, her eyes searching blindly for him, for once uncaring of their audience. He was watching her, those hooded gold eyes staring straight at her.
“I know what’s worrying you, Sienna” Elisabetta announced abruptly, drawing all eyes in the room to her. Except two.
Sienna said nothing, simply meeting the Were-Alpha’s gaze.
“It will never happen, Sienna.” Elisabetta’s voice rang out with confidence. “Lady B wants complete anarchy, with her at the helm. Every Chosen for himself, while she revels in being a modern day Black Mage. That goes against everything Faoladh believes in. He will never give her the time of day.”
