Taken by the Wind
Page 13
She nodded and backed out of his office. Necron would have a few demons in mind, but it would be hard to find someone the good witches approved of.
He grabbed his phone and tapped in Necron’s number. He’d call Tucker next to see how the early morning retrieval of Juliet went.
“What is it?”
“Albert is dead and you better have a damned good explanation for taking him out.”
“He wasn’t going to be loyal to us, so I made another choice. He’ll mesh well with Samantha and Nita, something that is extremely important. On top of that, he’ll do as he’s told. He’s a college grad who’s brought in three women this year. One of the women is working here in town as a teacher. She’ll be of great use in working with the wind stone holders.”
“This better not backfire, baby,” he said patiently.
“It won’t,” Necron assured him. “Gaining the women’s trust might be a better choice than attempting to addict them or make them fall in love.”
“And even more insidious since betrayal by a friend is a cardinal event to a woman,” he said with a smile. “We’ll meet in an hour. Kryto wants to discuss this.”
****
Aria headed to her bedroom to change and shower. As soon as she turned on the water a soft wind brushed up against her mind. It was a polite request for telepathic conversation.
Yes, Jasmine?
Bailey’s almost done with the apartment, but we had waylaid one of the men, she confessed.
Did you get him to tell you anything?
He was reluctant, but I promised him a quick death in exchange for some answers.
What did he have to say?
He confirmed that Dark Hollow was after your woman. The man leading the head hunt is Tucker Augustine who works for the law firm owned by Whiteall. He’s never dealt with anyone but Tucker.
What’s the end game?
They want her stones.
Could he give you a description in his human form?
Tucker isn’t a demon and Dark Crystal isn’t working with Tucker. They want no part of his plan—whatever that is beyond killing the marked.
We need to confirm Voltaire’s innocence or guilt.
Morgan was working with Tucker and with both being Whiteall I’m willing to say Voltaire knows something. It’s just a matter of what we can prove.
Voltaire is a demon, but I’m not accusing him of anything. I need you to try to find out if Whiteall and Dark Hollow are working together before I make any moves on him.
I’m trying but I don’t have enough to go on. So, I’m going to start looking into Juliet’s family and her connections. It’s a possibility that Dark Hollow’s leaders have turned some of Whiteall’s people and those people were working with Morgan to snag Juliet.
How’s that have anything to do with Juliet?”
Someone she knows hooked her up with Morgan—
Her mother wanted her to date him but her friend introduced them, Aria cut in.
So, I’ll start with her mother and friend and their connections to Whiteall. We’ll see where that leads us. Oh, Juliet’s mother has called three times. She left her a text. She wants her at work ASAP.
Later.
Aria showered with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She’d enjoyed staying out of the witches’ world and their deceptions, but once again the demons were drawing them back onto the field of battle.
****
Juliet took a quick shower in the spacious bathroom finding everything she needed from soap to clean towels. Once she was dried and moisturized, Juliet headed back out to the other room. From her bag, she pulled vibrant red panties and a black bra before heading into the closet.
After going through the items, she found a simple blouse in blue-gray that smelled of Aria. She pulled it on before finding a pair of navy pants that fit perfectly and then buttoned the shirt and tucked it in.
“I need a belt,” she murmured and began looking around. The wind blew and whispers of where the belts were located. She found them easily and selected one.
“Juliet,” Aria called.
“Yes?” She headed out of the closet and Aria stood in the middle of the room dressed in navy slacks and crisp white shirt covered by a navy vest. “Wow, you are so hot.”
“I see you found some clothes,” Aria said.
She frowned. “You’re pulling back,” Juliet said.
“I’m not,” Aria assured her. “Bailey just called. She said your mother has called you three times, and she wants you at the office now.”
She frowned. “It’s barely after seven.” She scratched her head. “I—something must be wrong.”
“You never told me why you were awake,” Aria said.
“I heard voices, people talking about an attack on me,” Juliet replied. “I need shoes.”
“That’s your gift,” Aria said in amazement. “The wind didn’t just speak to you. It let you hear something important. You need to try and remember because it might be a clue to which dark faction is after you.”
“There was nothing distinct,” Juliet told her slowly. She thought back to the whispers and the fear that had gripped her tight in its hand. “I felt urgency, anger and a crushing need for my death.”
Aria frowned. “This could be a vendetta against you or your mother driven by someone who thinks gaining more power would be a plus,” she said quietly. “And with demons and dark breeds involved this could be about your mother and something she’s done.”
“She’s a Councilor,” Juliet murmured. “She’s tough on law breakers and hard on the dark Congress. She’s always riding them about keeping a rein on their people.”
“If this is more about your mother, we can take them down quick once we find out who’s behind it.”
“And if it’s demons after the aurai and I’m just a pawn to draw you out?” she asked softly, her chest clenching and her skin going cold. She hadn’t thought about that until now, but she knew the history between the demons and the aurai was nasty.
Aria studied her and her gray eyes remained enigmatic. “Most think we’re dead but that could well be true.”
“My great-grandmother told me aurai helped them twenty-two years ago when they got into a nasty fight with Kryto. Maybe he wants revenge,” Juliet said.
Aria nodded slowly and something flickered across her face Juliet couldn’t read. “It’s possible. Storme wounded him and the witches were able to steal some of his power. I took out several members of his family.”
“So, you’ve met my grandmother?”
“Yes, and she was one hell of a fighter,” Aria replied. “That battle weakened the demons and Kryto’s power base.”
“Then, maybe this is more about revenge on everyone involved including you,” Juliet said quietly. “He’s just using the wind-marked to draw the families and the aurai out.”
“That’s all the more reason you can’t be on your own,” Aria told her. “We can’t know if he’s going after all of the families, but they’ll have to be put on alert.”
“I’ll tell my mother.”
I’ll be with you when you meet with her.”
“You can’t,” Juliet protested tightly.
“I’ll be intangible. She won’t see me. I just need to make sure you’re safe after this morning.”
“Fine, but you’ll leave after,” she insisted. “I won’t have you shadowing me because of what might happen.”
“We’re not going to fight about this now,” Aria told her coldly. “Finish getting dressed so we can leave.” She turned on her heel and headed from the room.
Juliet agreed. Now was not the time to fight.
Chapter Twenty-Two
They were both quiet on the drive to the office. Juliet’s mind was abuzz with what her mother could have up her sleeve.
She wouldn’t be able to deal with another man. Not now. She was already on the fast-track to falling for the one woman who’d ever captivated her so completely that she could barely think
straight.
A gentle breeze blew over her face, and it was like the softest kiss on her lips. She could get used to those light touches, but she wondered if Aria even knew she was doing it.
She reached over to stroke Aria’s arm, and Aria slanted a look at her.
“Yes?”
“Nothing,” Juliet replied. “I just felt like touching you. Is that wrong?”
“No.”
Her gaze drifted to Aria’s hands on the wheel. The nails were devoid of color unlike Juliet’s which had been painted to match her dress. Glittering on the back of the ring finger of her left hand were fine shards of the crystal in Juliet’s bracelet. The design was the same.
Her heart stopped, and the visions she’d had came to mind. Her lover had had the same color crystals embedded in the back of her finger, circling it like a ring.
She looked back and realized the crystals formed a fine line leading to Aria’s wrist where a silver infinity symbol connected to the black lines of crystal.
Confusion made her head swim. The design had been forming over the last few days?
“Are all the wind stones the same color?” Juliet asked attempting to fill her head with something other than the hope and the fear of what that tat or whatever it was meant.
“No. But all the stones are set into a bracelet.”
The magical jewelry form of air.
“Do you wear a bracelet?” Juliet asked carefully.
“Yes, but it doesn’t look like one, and it hasn’t since the day I put it on.”
“Why doesn’t it?”
“I don’t know,” Aria said. “It was never meant to.”
“The infinity symbol on your wrist, that’s the charm or is it part of the bracelet?” Juliet asked.
“It’s part of the bracelet. Most of them evolve as we age. The beginning symbol is there at birth but it changes when we reach maturity.”
Juliet wanted to ask her more, but feared Aria wouldn’t be honest with her, so she decided she’d check her book later. She hadn’t nearly explored all the topics in her BOS.
She let her hand trail down to Aria’s thigh and rest.
“I want you to stay with me until this is settled,” Aria said.
“I’ll stay with my mother, but I can spend the night with you tonight,” Juliet told her. “You can’t treat me like I’m helpless, Aria.”
“Juliet—”
“No,” she said firmly and squeezed Aria’s leg. “And don’t stand post outside.”
“Whatever you say.”
She was going to do it anyway.
Juliet sighed as they pulled into the parking lot of the office. What was she going to do with Aria?
“My mom’s and Alice’s cars are here,” she said. “I doubt there’s trouble. My mom probably wants to tell me Alice is going to take over for her while she pursues her political career.”
“What kind of political career?”
“Alice said my mother wanted to pursue a seat in Congress or something.” She released her seatbelt.
“That just makes your family even more of a target,” Aria told her. “I need you to stop being rebellious and listen to me. Demons aren’t going to stop coming until they’ve killed you as well as your mother.”
A chill ran down her spine and Juliet closed her eyes against the surge of fear that washed over her. “Are you trying to scare me?”
“Yes, but the truth is still the same, and to be honest, a bigger target is on your back because you’re demi-aurai. They wanted us dead centuries ago because as long as we’re alive, we’re a threat to them taking over this world and corrupting humans.”
She swallowed tightly, finally getting it. Aria wasn’t just trying to control her, to take her freedom. Her family had down centuries ago when they’d decided to stand against evil. Now, she was part of that fight and it terrified her to the point she was shaking inside.
“My mother will know you’re there if you aren’t careful.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Aria said as she undid her safety belt and opened her door.
Juliet climbed out. “I need to go by my place to get some more of my stuff,” she said as she moved around to Aria’s side of the car. “You can come with me later if you want.”
“Thank you,” Aria said coolly and Juliet laughed in pure delight and caught her lover’s hand.
“Aria, I can’t take being suffocated,” she said looking up at her.
“So we’re going to do this dance? You’ll tell me what I can’t do because you’re Miss Independence?”
Juliet sighed as resolution washed over her, gripped her tight. “No, I’ll give way to you until I’m capable of going up against the dark ones and the demons.”
“You’re one of us now, so you’ll still have to take orders from me sometimes.” Aria withdrew her hand from Juliet’s.
“I’ll respect your seniority,” Juliet told her softly as she searched her stormy gray gaze. “But you’ll never be my leader as long as we’re lovers. I’m your woman first.”
Aria didn’t look away and Juliet shivered at the heat that sparked in her gaze and mingled with something powerful she couldn’t put a name to. “Then, act like it. Don’t be a brat who feels she needs to challenge me at every turn.”
She shrugged. “Then, stop treating me like a child, Aria, and talk to me not at me,” she said. “This is a new world for me guide me.”
Aria gave her a little smile. “I won’t stay long, and I’ll see you later. Call me when you’re ready to head over to your place.”
“I don’t like how you pull back emotionally when we argue,” Juliet muttered. “Why do you do that? It’s like you just go all icy.”
Aria lifted her brows at her, but said nothing and Juliet shook her head and headed for the building. She felt a breeze at her back and turn to see only a vague outline of Aria.
“I can still see you.”
“There’s a reason why, Juliet,” she said patiently.
As Juliet arrived at the door, she wished they were alone so she could touch Aria, and assure her she was worth the emotional risk.
Instead, Juliet tapped in the alarm code deactivating it and unlocked the door before pulling it open. She stepped inside to silence and the smell of the rich Colombian coffee her mother loved.
“Morning, Mom, Alice.” She entered her mother’s office and her mother looked up from something on her desk and Alice smiled.
“Morning, Juliet,” Alice said.
“Juliet, I called you a half dozen times,” Samantha said angrily as she got to her feet. “Why did it take you so long to get back to me?”
“I was attacked at my apartment. A friend went to check the place out and found my phone.”
“Who attacked you?” Alice demanded leaping to her feet and rushing to her from the loveseat she’d been lounging on. “Was it the same dark breed that attacked you before?”
“No, it was some guys. I didn’t see their faces.”
Samantha’s eyes darkened in rage. “I knew this would happen,” she muttered. “I’ll get the bodies removed from your apartment. Are you okay?”
“Yes. Why did you think this would happen?” Juliet demanded. “And why didn’t you warn me?”
“I didn’t want to scare you,” she said tersely. “Damn it! I told your grandmother to end our connection with the aurai because it would only continue to put our family in danger, but she refused.
“Grandma and great-grandma fought in that last battle against Kryto?” she asked.
“Yes,” Samantha gritted out, anger glittering in her eyes. “But that could have been the end of it for us. I urged my mother to back out of the alliance, but she tied us to it irrevocably, giving me no choice but follow in her footsteps.”
“What alliance?” Alice asked.
“It’s called the Safekeeping Alliance and comprised of six families. All six were part of why Kryto went into hiding. They stripped some of his power after he was wounded by an aurai.”
Samantha shrugged. “I watched this tear my mother apart, and I didn’t want to do that to you Juliet. I even urged her to pass the stones off to someone else. Callie’s family was more than willing to take guardianship considering the power they’d be inheriting.” Her mother’s stare was filled with sorrow.
“Callie could be wearing my bracelet?” She loved Callie, but the very thought of anyone else wearing her bracelet and connecting with Aria set her teeth on edge.
“We’re never going to be able to escape the past or Kryto should he decide to go after us,” Alice exclaimed.
“Girls, sit down,” Samantha said gravely. “A seer foresaw two dark covens coming together in our city. They’re Dark Hollow and Dark Crystal. Dark Crystal has been here for five years, but Dark Hollow has its base in Houston. They also have covens in twenty-three states.”
“We’ll know when they arrive then,” Alice said. “They won’t be able to stop themselves from trying to take over.”
“According to the seers, we won’t see them coming, Alice, which makes me believe Declan’s suppositions are correct. We already know them, they’ve infiltrated regular society, our society,” Samantha said. “I think Kryto sent them, and he’s pretending to want the Joint Congress so he can destroy all of the powerful witch families.”
“What is the Congress going to do?” Alice asked.
“There is nothing we can do until we know who the players are,” Samantha told her with an edge to her tone. “All we can do is run our own plays and hope Kryto will tip his hand. As part of that, Declan is forming a local combat group to deal with trouble here—both dark and light—who don’t want this Congress formed.”
“Why go through with if Kryto could be using it?” Alice asked.
“We can’t let on that any of us suspect he’s playing some other game,” Samantha told her and Juliet was proud of the shrewd look in her mother’s eyes. “I’ve been selected to be on the Joint Congress, and I’ve accepted.”
She might not have wanted to be part of this world either, but Juliet knew her mother wouldn’t fall down in the role of protector.