Macha lifted her finger to her neck, tapping a lengthy gold fingernail—very likely solid gold—against her cheek. “Is the land owned by someone with immunity?”
“We don’t know yet, but it’s possible.”
“More than possible,” she snapped. “Highly probable, since no one would dare hold illegal beast fights in VIPER’s jurisdiction. If the landowner has immunity, VIPER has no say over that.”
“What if Noirre majik is being traded?”
“Do you have proof?”
Evalle bit down to keep from shouting that she’d just explained all that. “No, but with Imogenia and other witches—”
Macha dismissed it with a flick of her shiny nails. “There’s nothing illegal about offering a chance to negotiate a trade.”
“But we know dark witch sponsors won’t trade for anything less than a Noirre spell and the Medb are hosting this event for the Alterants. The trade seems obvious.”
“VIPER will not move on an assumption of illegal activity if the property has immunity. To do so would set a precedent that would undermine the coalition agreement that prevents misuse of power.” Macha’s hair spun with the energy she stirred up. All at once, the blond strands settled back into a happy pile of flowing curls. “But now that we know where all the Alterants are going to be, you need a plan for bringing them in.”
Me? “You just said VIPER can’t do anything.”
“True, but this isn’t really a VIPER issue. You’re the one who has to deliver Alterants to me in two days. Which reminds me, will Tristan be there?”
She would ask about him. “I heard he would be.”
“I’ve waited long enough for Alterants. If the Medb want five, then so do I. Bring me Tristan and three more.”
Was the goddess paying attention to anything Evalle said? “You expect me to get four Alterants, and myself, out of that place without anyone noticing and no help from VIPER?”
“I expect you to fulfill your part of our agreement. Have you changed your mind?”
“No, but I could use some help on this.”
In a rare show of drawing a line on her smooth face, Macha scowled. “Must I do everything?”
The rage bubbling up through Evalle’s chest would explode if she took that bait. She had a simple choice. Open mouth and die or stay quiet.
But her temper pushed at her control. Sweat drizzled down her back. She was heating up, just like the last time the armband pushed at her to do what she wanted.
Macha didn’t seem to notice the internal war Evalle fought. She asked, “Tristan teleports, right?”
“Yes.” Evalle squeezed that out between tight jaws.
“You’ve constantly asserted that he is imprisoned by the Medb, that he can control his beast, and that he has the origins of Alterants. You have the buy-in for this event. Get inside, find him and convince Tristan that it’s in his best interest to come with you. He can use his teleporting to get out. If he doesn’t come out with you, I will mark him as a declared rogue and have the Tribunal order VIPER to hunt him down.”
How had this gone from Plan A to rid herself of the armband and gain VIPER’s help to rescue Tristan and other Alterants to Plan B, where any hope for Tristan’s freedom was destroyed if this didn’t go well?
Oh, and Evalle would enter a beast championship illegally without VIPER knowing.
Stellar negotiation skills, Kincaid.
In her supreme goddess voice, Macha ordered, “Get to those Alterants, but I do not want Beladors involved in this.”
“None? Tzader should be informed.”
“Absolutely not. Tzader and our warriors have enough to do with reinforcing the wards around Treoir now that the Medb know the location. I can’t afford for him or any of the others to be involved in these beast battles. If something happened to him in particular, I would be most displeased.” She paused, pinning Evalle with the sharp point of her gaze. “You don’t want to face my displeasure. I’m not as merciful as the Tribunal.”
Evalle would never use merciful in the same sentence with Tribunal, three entities who perfomed the duty of judge and jury over agents in conflict with VIPER.
Been there. Done that. Got the scars.
Evalle still needed Macha’s help with VIPER. “If I could show up with this armband as a buy-in, VIPER might go along with sending in a covert team of just two of us who could scout for Noirre. If a trade went down, I could call out for more teams that would be close by, and I’d still have a chance to bring back the Alterants.”
“You want me to implicate myself in the theft of a rare artifact with unknown powers?”
Why did it sound so wrong when she put it that way? So much for goddess mojo. “That wasn’t what I meant.”
“That’s exactly how it sounds. Once again, you bring me problems with no plan. I’m beginning to wonder what I saw in you.”
Evalle wanted to strike out with kinetics and knock the smug goddess on her ass.
And she could. Just like when she’d told Storm she’d kick his ass.
Heat wrapped her arm, forcing her to look down.
The bone. She had to get a grip and calm down. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I still think my best chance is with VIPER support. If not, I’ll go in on my own.”
There had to be a way out of this mess. Tzader would understand her predicament, especially if Macha supported her and . . .
Macha snapped her fingers. “For someone with your training, I’d expect better survival skills than to daydream while in a meeting with me.” Before Evalle could comment, the goddess asked, “What is your plan for explaining to VIPER if you’re discovered in this event?”
She keeps asking that as if I have a notebook full of plans. “I figured you’d explain that I went in for you.”
Macha laughed cynically. “For me? You’re the one who believes Alterants deserve to be recognized as a viable race.”
“True.” Evalle would not stop believing that, no matter the cost.
“I’m the only one offering Alterants the chance to belong to a pantheon. Our agreement did not involve the entire Belador tribe or VIPER, only the two of us. You’re the one who claimed you could deliver Tristan, who supposedly knows the origins of Alterants. I have yet to see him or any other Alterant, even though I’ve already offered amnesty if they prove control of their beasts and swear fealty to me.”
“I know, and I’m working on—”
“I am still holding up my end of the bargain, and in a show of appreciation for what you did in the battle with the trolls at Treoir, I’ve extended your deadline, which will not happen again in this millennium. I suggest you come up with an adequate plan that does not involve everyone else, and do it soon.”
Evalle had only thought she understood. She couldn’t walk away without losing her freedom along with Tristan’s and that of all other Alterants. But neither would she insert into the ABC with her hands tied. Shoving a determined look back at Macha, Evalle nodded. “Fine. I’ll get inside those games on one agreement.”
A puzzled look came over Macha’s face. “What?”
“I understand that you will disavow any knowledge of my actions with VIPER or the Tribunal. I’ll bring back Tristan and any other Alterants I can convince to return with me, but I want autonomy over all my decisions without threat of penalty.” She had no idea what she might have to do, but she was done with playing these games on Macha’s rules alone.
Macha took her time answering. “You are free to act as you see fit without threat of repercussion from me as long as you do not place my pantheon in conflict with VIPER and you put the best interest of the Beladors first above all.”
Which would be based on Macha’s subjective opinion.
In other words, fail and face the brunt of Macha’s anger. The chances of improving on this agreement were nil, and the harder Evalle pushed this, the more she risked getting tangled even deeper in one of Macha’s sly, one-sided deals. “Understood.”
Surprisingly, Macha a
ppeared content. “I’ll make this simple for you.”
Evalle deserved credit for not rolling her eyes as she held quiet to hear Macha out.
“Stop the Medb from creating an army of immortal Alterant warriors, return with Tristan and three others, and I’ll clear you of any complications with VIPER, plus I’ll decree every Alterant protected under my pantheon. Do that and you may have all the time you need to determine the origins.”
Now that was an offer. “You’re on.”
Raising her arms, Macha turned into a swirl of glittering lights again and disappeared.
Rain!
Evalle dove for the stairwell, wet, but not as bad as it could have been. She made the trek back downstairs, dialing Storm on the way. His voice mail picked up, so she left him a message to call her. She’d just reached the elevator to her apartment when she got a group text from Tzader, which seemed odd, when he could just call out telepathically to his warriors.
She punched up the message that read, All Belador agents receiving this come to headquarters immediately. Do not use telepathy for ANY reason in the meantime.
What in the world had happened?
ELEVEN
On his way through TÅμr Medb, Cathbad whistled a sad Irish tune older than the original Cathbad the Druid, his namesake. TÅμr Medb held all the pleasures one person could want in a hidden realm, but after six hundred years here, a prison was a prison no matter how grand the architecture and the trimmings.
In three days, he’d be free of this place forever.
And free of Queen Flaevynn if things went his way.
But the time had come to save his child.
He silently ordered the tall gold-and-silver doors carved with images of sexual acts to swing open ahead of him before he entered Flaevynn’s chamber.
Inside, two virile males dressed only with belts of gold medallions draped around their waists lounged on thick white fur rugs that floated near the arms of her throne. A dragon-shaped throne that curved around her protectively. Positioned right above her, green eyes in the dragon’s head stirred with menace when it stared at Cathbad.
He ignored the throne and her boy toys.
After six hundred years of Flaevynn’s antics, Cathbad couldn’t muster the energy to care what his wife did to amuse herself, but with mere days left to fulfill the prophecy, it was time she got down to business. “Get rid of them, Flaevynn.”
She stroked her long nails over the back of one male and sighed. “They’re soothing me. Don’t be a bore, Cathbad.”
“Take your time. All three days of it.”
With a look of loathing, she snapped her fingers and both men disappeared. Midnight-black, waist-length hair coiled around her shoulders, slithering like asps searching for a victim. No siren of the deep had ever drawn a man the way Flaevynn’s beauty had sucked in hundreds of foolish men.
Maybe a thousand, considering how often she indulged.
All within these walls.
Cathbad had been cured of her seductive draw a long time ago. He was plenty attractive to gain all the women he wanted. “We agreed upon releasin’ Kizira.”
“We discussed that.”
“ ’Tis no the time ta let your anger rule ya, woman.”
“She betrayed me.”
He sighed. “I’ll no spend my time arguin’. We either work together or lose this battle.” If he could take control of TÅμr Medb from her, he would not need this witch, but any attempt to overpower her would result in a deadly battle that she might just win.
After all, she’d trapped him in the dungeon until recently.
Flaevynn’s lips twisted with a pout. “How can I trust her when she tried to invade Treoir without my knowledge last time?”
Pointing out that Kizira was also Flaevynn’s daughter would not work in Kizira’s favor. “I told ya she had your best interest at heart. If ya do no live, Kizira does no either.” Unless his cunning daughter had figured out how to reach the river beneath Treoir Castle and knew the spell needed to draw immortality from it.
Flaevynn should have passed that spell along to her daughter with the words that allowed Kizira to take the throne upon Flaevynn’s death. But the queen bitch, er, witch refused to allow anyone to live unless she did. She cared not if all of TÅμr Medb crashed down with her demise.
Fortunately for the rest of the Medb, Cathbad had unlocked much about the prophecy, or the curse, as Flaevynn called it, and quite possibly the spell that would ensure that he live forever once he swam in Treoir’s hidden river.
Oh, yes, he would do that. If all went as he planned, he would teleport away before Flaevynn realized she was free of TÅμr Medb.
But he had not told her any of this. She still believed neither one of them could leave TÅμr Medb physically until the curse was broken.
Cathbad was sure he had found a loophole, no thanks to the original Medb queen, known as Maeve, and the original Cathbad the Druid. That pair had put the entire Medb race in this situation over two thousand years ago. Every queen after Maeve lived six hundred and sixty-six years. A druid of Cathbad descent was chosen as the mate for each subsequent queen and was the only person privy to that queen’s actual birth date. He’d received Flaevynn’s during a dream the night of his eighteenth birthday.
The idea had been to prevent anyone from altering the destiny of the curse.
But each new queen had proven far more powerful than the one before, just as each Cathbad grew in power. Unfortunately, men would always be men when it came to women.
Flaevynn had manipulated him in the throes of passion, learning her real birth date, which was in three days.
That would be the date of her death as well if she did not gain immortality from the water beneath Treoir Castle, a place currently ruled by the Beladors.
Cathbad was not sure what would come of altering the prophecy, er . . . curse . . . time line, but he had an investment, too, since his death would follow shortly after Flaevynn’s if he did not become immortal.
Flaevynn levitated from her throne and floated over to a two-story wall of red candles, where she descended to stand in front of her scrying wall. The tower of red candles burst to life, sending a shower of light across her gown that shimmered pale blue and yellow. The dress managed to appear ethereal and electrical at the same time.
Power fed her words. “We don’t need Kizira’s help now that we have a brilliant plan for capturing the Alterants.”
We? That would be the queen’s “we,” since he had come up with the idea of the Achilles Beast Championship. A plan to fix another mess Flaevynn created. His voice rumbled with anger. “Had you no sent word out ta witches ta capture Alterants, we could ha’ waited for the Alterants ta find Evalle, then captured the whole lot of them at one time. Did I no tell ya the beasts would be drawn ta her?”
“Yes, but did you consider what would happen if those beasts just started showing up in an area protected by VIPER? The coalition agents would kill any they thought were a threat to humans. Then where would we be?” Flaevynn lifted her smug chin at him. “You can thank me now.”
Do no lose your temper. The witches had already captured many of the Alterants. “You can no stir this pot anymore, Flaevynn. Interfere with the beast championship and you’ll be dealin’ with Kol D’Alimonte. He’s no one to cross and far worse than his brother.”
“I have no intention of crossing him.”
“ ’Tis why Kizira must be freed. Ya need her ta be your representative at the beast championship ta deal with D’Alimonte and ta convince the Alterants they want what we offer.”
“I have taken control of Tristan and can compel him to act on our behalf.”
“Trust someone who is no a Medb? No.” Cathbad kept his arms at his sides, where he would not start a battle by trying to choke the crazy woman. “Besides, ’tis you who should be wantin’ Kizira ta compel the five Alterants we hunt for.”
“Why?”
“They carry powerful majik that we must harness, but
if there’s a problem the majik may backlash through the connection. We can no risk somethin’ happenin’ ta ya.”
Flaevynn spun around, eyes thinned with suspicion. “Then she would suffer the backlash.”
He had to answer with plenty of arrogance and make this believable. “Aye.”
“Why would you risk that with your darling child?” She sneered the word child.
“For one thing, I believe either of ya can handle the backlash.” Then he chuckled in a cunning way to sell his next comment. “But let’s be honest. This is about survival. If we do no fulfill the prophecy—”
“Curse,” she corrected.
Semantics. “If we do no fulfill the curse, you vanish first, Kizira dies next, then I disappear a day later. If it comes down ta you or her, who do ya think I’ll be choosin’?”
He waited as his logic pecked at Flaevynn’s resistance, but he had given an argument she could not dispute. There had been many times over the centuries that he sided with Flaevynn against Kizira, all for this moment when he had to convince the shrew they were partners in this.
She lifted her hands in the air, her eyes glowing as if on fire. Sure signs she’d capitulated.
Flaevynn held out her hand and pointed at a spot between the two of them.
In the next moment, Kizira materialized on her knees, looking as if she’d been dragged through a field of jagged glass—a beautiful girl with raven hair and soft green eyes who would make a powerful queen if Flaevynn had not denied her the right to succession. Clothes torn, skin flayed open in places with blood seeping out and face haggard from the ordeal.
Cathbad bit down on the urge to snarl at Flaevynn, who had clearly done this to Kizira to strike back at him, and called her forth in this condition to see if he really would sacrifice his daughter.
Kizira held her head up, a proud and defiant gaze turned to Flaevynn.
Ah, child, do no be makin’ this more difficult. To keep her from speaking up and setting Flaevynn off, Cathbad asked Kizira, “Ha’ you learned your lesson, child?”
She twisted to him, eyes shocked for a moment until what light had been there dimmed. He’d suffer her disappointment for any hope of saving her.
Rise of the Gryphon (Belador) Page 11
