Elemental Dreams: An Urban Fantasy Series (The Eldritch Files Book 9)

by Phaedra Weldon

  "He's Irish?"

  "I think so. Not really sure. He was hunted down one full moon because to the human folk, he looked like a stag—a large one—and the God Mother remade him." She frowned. "Thea's story is a bit like mine and Lethe's had been. She was known in her human life as Yuki-nai and served as a temple maiden to the Water God Ebisu. But her village was decimated by a rogue Shogun and she was held captive with the other maidens and prepared as a sacrifice to the God Watasumi. But the God refused her—which I learned later was because the God Mother asked him to. Yuki-nai was killed and she was remade as well."

  Tas looked at him and smiled, though she was pretty sure it was a lopsided one. "So there you have it. We each represent a facet of our creator. I am Earth, Crwys is Fire, obviously. Thea is Water and Dáinn is Air."

  "What was Lethe?"

  "Spirit…it manifested as dreams."

  "Ah oui," Bastien nodded. "Dis is how she was able to create that storm, no? The one last year?"

  "Yeah…" Tas finished her wine and frowned. "And now there is no longer a spirit representation."

  "Is this bad?"

  "I don't know." But what she didn't say was what she knew all along about Lethe's death. That their Mother arranged it. Requested it. Oversaw its architecture. She above everyone else, wanted Lethe to die.

  Tas had always assumed that was because Lethe had strayed and manipulated the human realm. She'd disobeyed her Mother's orders and killed too many innocents. Of course this couldn't be tolerated…but…

  Was it possible She could have prevented it? After all…the God Mother controls all.

  TWO

  Arden Vervain's long, raven black tresses fell over the cherub face of the baby giggling up at her. Little Elizabeth, Lizzie, was on her changing table and one of the Coven was changing her while Arden occupied her attention. They were upside down to one another, and Lizzie seemed to think this was the funniest thing ever!

  Oh what joy this child had brought in this mansion! Arden went all out when the group agreed she could raise and house little Lizzie at Gypsy Gardens. She'd remodeled one of the wings, reinforcing it with not only magical wards, but physical ones as well. And she'd taken measures to kid proof the entire house—even though it would be a while before Lizzie was up and crawling, much less toddling around.

  She hired a nurse, as well as a nanny, even though the house was full of them. Her Coven members raced home from their mundane jobs just to take their ritual baths before playing with the infant. The child was loved, and would soon be spoiled if they weren't careful.

  But did that really matter?

  Arden was going to make certain the child never wanted for anything and was done right by Samantha's life. Screw Crwys and his cowardice. As far as Arden was concerned, that big baby of a dragon could rot.

  She was aware the wolf contingency of the city was out in force looking for the baby daddy. Well if they found him, she intended on shooting him with an arrow from Artemis's bow….just to teach him a lesson. You do not abandon your child!

  "Mistress," came a voice from the nursery door.

  "What?" Arden answered absently.

  "Mr. Cosgrove is here."

  Arden stood straight up. "Here? Why is he here?" What in the hell was the grand muckity of the Witch’s Parliament doing at her doorstep? Especially at this house? She conducted her duties as High Witch from her Garden District home, not here.

  This house was off limits.

  She’d been in the running to replace Cosgrove when everyone thought he would step down. And then he didn’t.

  "He said he needed a word with you, immediately."

  "He could have requested to see me in town." Arden wondered if she'd left any baby toys downstairs. "Clear the parlor of any trace of Lizzie, and make sure he doesn't see anything before you put him there. I'll be there in a moment."

  She bowed and left the nursery.

  Ceridwen, Arden's trusted Hand Maiden, picked Lizzie up and bounced her a bit. "I've got a good Sound spell up, so he can't hear her."

  "That will help." But Arden was pacing. She and the others had gone through careful planning to keep Elizabeth's birth a secret from the Witch’s Parliament, especially from this Thorn fellow, who was just way too interested in Samantha's death. He'd been too interested in her life as well, just before her death.

  She was pretty sure if it ever got out that a witchy Dragon baby was born, those monsters would want their hands on it. She already wondered too often what happened to Circe, and that woman had been a creation of their own mistakes. She wasn't about to let them get their hands on Lizzie.

  Hell no.

  Fuck'em all, as Sam would say.

  The signal came that Cosgrove was sequestered in the Parlor and she was pretty sure her girls would make sure there wasn't a baby toy or bottle or fragment of clothing anywhere downstairs. She checked herself in the mirror, fluffed her hair and made sure there wasn't any baby spooge on her shirt. She'd nearly missed a spot a few days ago and had gone into town with baby throw up on her shoulder.

  Cosgrove wasn't sitting when she entered her parlor, a room she used for audiences like this one. It was an impressive room, even though it did look like an old fashioned bordello. Antiques, deep red walls, black trim and a whole lotta feminine touches.

  "Careful, Martin, or you'll walk a run in my rug!" She said as she approached him.

  He was a tall man, which many found imposing. His dark skin and white hair presented an almost grandfatherly appearance, but Arden wasn't fooled by that. This man was a calculating and power hungry Witch. Just as the man who'd held the job before him had been. She figured it came with the territory.

  His hand covered hers before he brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it. She recognized this as his signature contact spell, instantly looking over his target's aura to see what they'd been doing in the past five minutes. Luckily Arden knew about the spell and spent those five minutes primping.

  Take that!

  "You're looking ravishing as ever."

  "Thanks, but I'm not all that happy you dropped by my private house, Martin. What's up?" She retrieved her hand and kicked his little spell to the curb before she sat down in her wing-backed chair. "And please sit down."

  But Cosgrove didn't sit. Instead he clasped his hands behind him and looked around. "Where are your attendants?"

  She gave him a confused look. "My attendants? Uh…well first off, it's the evening and they've gone home to their families. They don't all live here."

  "I see. And Ceridwen? I don't think I've seen you without her in quite some time."

  "She's here."

  And on cue Ceridwen came into the room with a tea service and set it on the coffee table. "Would you like some tea, sir?" the Witch said with a serene expression.

  "Anymore weird questions, Marty? Is this why you came all the way out here to the Bayou? To ask me where my Coven was?"

  He still didn't sit down as he shook his head at Ceridwen. She nodded and made Arden a cup of tea and handed it to her. Arden smiled. "Thank you, shugah." Holding the tea she stared at Cosgrove. "Anything else?"

  "The wolves—the Aces Pack in particular—have they always guarded your perimeter with such numbers before?"

  With calculated patience, and just a tad of panic, Arden set her cup on the table next to her chair and stood with grace before she crossed her arms over her chest. "Spit it out."

  "I'm sorry I was just wondering—"

  "Fuck you, Marty. The Aces have guarded my lands ever since I brokered the peace with them, and you know I employ a lot of my Coven and they are not with me twenty-four seven. They have their own lives. So what the hell is with you and why the hell are you bothering me after nine o'clock." She paused. "And will you please sit the fuck down!"

  Given that Arden had a reputation as a sweet southern Lady, her tone and obvious disrespect for his office didn't rattle him as much as the sheer volume she used to speak to him. Martin Cosgrove was on the lef
t side of a sofa in a New York minute after he was commanded to.

  Arden sighed and sat back down in her own chair. "Now—let's start this over. What do you want, shugah?"

  Now Cosgrove looked more worried than critical, even if sometimes they were one in the same look on his face. "There has been some talk, among the members. You've missed the past nine meetings."

  Before she could answer, Ceridwen was up and had her phone in her hand. She touched the screen a few times before turning it to face Cosgrove. "I'm afraid that's not accurate. I keep my Lady's schedule and make sure she meets those appointments she can. In the past three months, Miss Vervain has only missed two meetings of Parliament, and on both of those occasions, the absence was due to scheduling conflicts with her membership of several other magical contingents here in New Orleans. After all, our Lady is the one keeping the peace amongst the wide diversity of magical elements in this city."

  Arden wanted to kiss Ceridwen at that moment, but kept her attention focused on Cosgrove.

  He looked at the calendar and moved the screen with his own finger. "May I have a copy of this?"

  "I've already forwarded you a copy to your inbox, sir." Ceridwen gave him a short bow and pulled her phone away.

  "Well, now that that's out of the way," Arden held out her hands. "What the hell? What talk are you not really telling me about? And what has any of my absences got to do with anything? And who the hell's been lying about how many days I've missed?"

  Cosgrove didn't really have to say the name. Arden already knew it.

  Thorn. Kingsley Thorn. Bastard.

  Arden didn't know much about him, other than he'd joined their merry group right after Lethe the Dragon had been exposed as being Cosgrove's secretary. He was from the main Parliamentary House in Oregon and allegedly volunteered to help Cosgrove clean up the mess that Cromwell left behind. Arden knew what a hypocrite Cromwell had been. He was also one of those Witches, like Circe, who simply vanished. And no one liked questions being asked about them.

  She hadn't paid much attention to Elder Thorn until he started in on Sam after the God Mother made her a human. Sam always said in private that it had been her choice, but Arden wasn't so sure. She and the others had made sure to keep Sam's pregnancy a secret from the local Eldership—and yet somehow—Cosgrove had learned of it. She could only speculate it was Thorn who somehow got the intel and then communicated it and his position to Cosgrove.

  And now it was happening again. And she suspected Thorn was at the center of it. Fucker seemed to be after Sam when she was alive. And now he was nosing on about what Arden was doing.

  Well…we'll see about that.

  "Never mind Marty…I think I have an idea."

  "Honestly—" Cosgrove held out his hands, palm up. "Will you tell me? I can't figure out how the rumors got started."

  "What rumors?"

  "About you being pregnant."

  Oh.

  Wow.

  Blink.

  Really?

  "Arden, you okay?"

  "I'm fine. But I hate to tell whomever is spreading that rumor, that I am certainly not pregnant." Arden stood up and showed off her flawless figure. "Do I look pregnant?"

  "No. You don't. And this house seems normal." He stood. "I'm sorry to bother you, Arden. I'll see myself out."

  Ceridwen, as well as two other of the Coven came to the door.

  "Marty—" Arden said and Cosgrove paused at the door. "Exactly what is the real rumor?"

  "As I said. That you're pregnant."

  "Couldn't you have seen that of me just yesterday? I mean, we were at the same fund raiser, right?"

  He ducked his head and Arden sensed something else. "Well yes but—"

  "Stop lying to me. What is it Thorn is saying?"

  "Who said Elder Thorn—"

  "I did. Tell me now, Cosgrove, why this man has some vendetta against Sam, and apparently me.

  Cosgrove's demeanor changed. He straightened and took in a deep breath and just as she suspected, his apologetic tone had been an act to play on her feelings. Goddess…she hated that kind of crap. "There is no need to threaten, Miss Vervain. Elder Thorn has the means and the backing of the Cleric House without your interference."

  "Then as a member, and an Elder of Parliament, I want some kind of explanation of what you had hoped to find by intruding on my privacy."

  He looked down and for a second, she thought she caught a flash of worry cross his face. But it was gone as he looked at her. "It's been reported that before she died, Samantha Hawthorne was pregnant."

  Arden's gasp was a genuine one, not because the pregnancy was news, but because there was no way he could have known this. She was too good at her job of misdirection and secrets. "Pregnant?" She took a dramatic step toward him and Ceridwen gave the appropriate reaction. "What…how is that possible?"

  "I can't divulge the specifics, but I can say that Elder Thorn has very compelling evidence."

  "But, Samantha is dead," Arden said and her own breath caught. She hated saying it out loud. "That would have meant the coroner would have told us if she was pregnant."

  "I know. And the report of her death doesn't say anything about her being pregnant. So I'm between believing Thorn's accusations and what a respected Medical Examiner reported in the death certificate."

  "And you came to my house…why?"

  He pursed his lips, his mustache bristling like a toothbrush. "One of Thorn's supporters accused you of taking care of the child."

  Now she did give a soft laugh, but couldn't stop the burning in her eyes. Her own sorrow for Sam's death was real, and she hadn't let it show much. Now she did and watched his reaction. Tears in her eyes made Cosgrove uncomfortable. "You saw Sam the day before she died, didn't you? If she was pregnant at all, it would have been in the first trimester," and she held out her arms. "And where would I keep a fetus?"

  That made him look away. "I'm sorry to bother you, Arden. And I can see Sam's death…has affected you more than others realize. I do apologize." And he headed out of the room. The women followed him, as did Arden. She saw him to the door and watched him step through. When he paused on the stairs, she sniffed. "There's one more thing and I think you should be present."

  "What?" she sniffed again. Half an act, half not.

  "To settle the accusations, we've submitted a court order to have Sam's body exhumed. We need Crwys's permission, since we can't find any of her other family. If you see him, please have him contact me." And with that, he left.

  She watched him get into his car and drive off. The wolves signaled through her Pack Link that he was gone. And in that moment, she slammed the door and turned to Ceridwen. "Exhumed! Over my dead body!" She pointed at her Hand Maiden. "Get Dharma, Ivan, Kyle, Jack, Bastien and Tas here as soon as possible. Tonight. We have a problem."

  THREE

  The increased presence of Aces wolves around the back entrance to Gypsy Gardens alarmed Kyle. He stopped at the first guard, a lithe little girl who sniffed him and then pointed to the two-rut path. "Meeting's at the Cairn."

  That one sentence explained why he'd gotten a text from Tas to take the rear entrance instead of the front. He spotted Jack to the right, standing beside Snow, one of the newly changed Apogees. He and Jack locked eyes and his lover nodded at him.

 

 

  Kyle had no idea what that was about and nodded as he drove his Prius up the path. The half moon was up and the area well lit from her reflection. A Link message from Bastien had called Jack away from their night—not that Kyle had been much in the mood to enjoy Jack's company, not after unloading what he'd did on the wolf. Solomon had always acted as if using Conjure for personal gain was a strike against the God Mother.

  And yeah, Kyle had been taught about not using self gain as a Witch as well, but his looking into Sa
m's future hadn't been for himself. Not really. He'd been worried about her, committing her life to an immortal being, giving her heart over completely to something greater than all of them.

  Something…mythic.

  The only person he'd ever confessed the breach to was Solomon, whose reaction had not been a pleasant one. In fact, his teacher had fired himself from Kyle for a few months, during the time Sam was off with Bastien looking for Lethe. Eventually Solomon had returned and with a brisk nod, continued their Southern Conjure sessions. Kyle had never bothered to look into his or anyone else's future—at least anyone he knew—again.

  And now Jack knew. Because he needed Jack to support him. He needed to tell the others. He needed them to listen to him and see the screwed up way Sam died. And they needed—they had to find—Crwys.

  But now with this sudden meeting at the Cairn, Kyle's own alarms were on high alert and he sent his own feelers out as he parked his car by the cabin and stepped inside. Tas and Bastien were in the small kitchen, putting away what looked like the leftovers of a meal. Ivan sat at the table, his computer in front of him, but the soft green glow of his eyes told Kyle that the Cyber Witch was looking at the web for something. The cabin smelled like stew and garlic. Even though he and Jack had had salads earlier, the aroma made his stomach growl.

  "Hey, Kyle," Tas said as she put a bowl of salad in the fridge. "Everyone's here now. Arwen and Dharma are already at the Cairn. Did you want Jack to be with us?"

  Kyle shrugged. "I'm not sure. He's helping guard."

  "He's good there," Bastien said as he also returned a few condiments to the fridge. "I think the fewer people involved, the better, no?" He moved to the door. "Ivan—"

  Ivan blinked a few times and the glow in his eyes dimmed. "I did a perimeter search. No electronic surveillance, at least not in a mundane way."

  "Surveillance?" Kyle looked at Ivan.

  "Yeah," The Cyber Witch stood and ran his long thin fingers through his hair. "Can you do a double check on Arden's wards?"