by Bianca D’Arc
Cat's Cradle: String of Fate, Book 1
Chapter Nine
When Cade and Elaine finally emerged from their bedroom suite around dinnertime, the house was in an uproar. Bonnie and Ray had been joined by several other shifters. Cade recognized Charlie, one of the leading Escorts in the shifter underground. He’d done good work ferrying people to safety over the years and was well respected. Molly and Steve—both sporting bandages and looking pale—were there as well. Both were Royal Guards, Alphas in their own right and dedicated to their cause. They’d been inside the dojo when the attack went down and both had been injured while taking on the enemy.
Cade was glad to see them up and around, looking a little frail, but on the mend. Of the two, Steve was hurt worse, but both had broken bones and had suffered blood loss. Cade greeted them with genuine warmth but was concerned by their presence at the safe house.
“What’s going on?” he asked as soon as they’d all settled around the dinner table.
Molly spoke first as they passed plates around the table. “The Nyx wants to meet your new friend.”
Cade’s stomach flipped. The Nyx was young, but extremely powerful. She had all the abilities bred into her line for generations, in addition to what Cade could only describe as psychic ability. She knew things. Not always and not often, but every once in a while, she definitely knew what was coming next. That surprising clairvoyance had saved her life more than once, so Cade and all the Royal Guards had come to respect it, even if they couldn’t quite understand it.
“She’s coming here?” Cade asked.
Molly nodded. “As soon as we can arrange it. She insisted.”
The Nyx arrived later that evening, against her guardians’ better judgment. Ellie listened to Cade and his friends complain all through dinner about security concerns.
Bonnie caught her by surprise when the tigress unbent enough to loan Elaine something to wear after dinner. They weren’t close in size, but Bonnie had a lovely caftan that looked well enough on Elaine’s shorter frame.
What had come to mid-calf on Bonnie touched Elaine’s toes, but she thought she looked good in the shimmery fabric. It had an Egyptian motif that appealed to her, and she was grateful when Bonnie said she could keep it. The older woman probably realized Elaine had no clothes left after the fire.
Elaine didn’t know exactly what to expect of the royal visit, but the young woman that held court in one of the basement rooms was well beyond the realm of her imagination. On the way in, Elaine hadn’t paid much attention to the expanded basement area. It went well beyond the boundaries of the house above, out into the yard area and what she imagined was under the frontage street.
There was a long hallway leading from the secret garage entrance to the door going upstairs, but there were many other doors along the hall she hadn’t noticed before. Judging by the position and distance between the closed doors, some of the rooms were smaller and a couple were very large indeed.
When Cade led her into what looked like the largest of all the subterranean rooms, Elaine expected anything other than what she found. The walls were covered in marble and granite and a small, ornamental pool complete with fish and a fountain gurgled in the center of the room. Lighting was dramatic and plentiful, allowing for the greenery of many potted plants and even one or two small trees.
In this underground Eden, Elaine didn’t see the woman at first but when she finally noticed the Nyx near the back of the chamber, she thought she understood why everyone was so protective of her. It wasn’t anything physical or obvious, but there was an air of fragility about the young woman whose dark eyes held deep and lasting sorrow.
“Welcome, Elaine,” the pantera noir queen said as a smile lit her face. She had black hair like the panthers Elaine had met so far and perfect porcelain skin.
Elaine wasn’t sure what the proper etiquette was when meeting the leader of a species. She tried for a friendly smile.
“Thank you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” And right there Elaine realized she had no idea what to call her.
The Nyx seemed to realize it because she laughed and came forward to sit on the edge of the pool. “Call me Ria. Have a seat.” She indicated the wide stone rim of the pool opposite her, and Elaine was more at ease.
Cade prowled around near the door, talking to Steve who’d been stationed inside when they entered. The two men looked like slightly blurred carbon copies of each other. Both had lustrous black hair and lithely muscled physiques. Both were tall with light colored eyes, but where Cade’s eyes were silver, Steve’s were a bright blue. Steve also had a soft cast on his left arm supported by a sling around his neck. He’d been badly hurt in the attack preceding the fire at the dojo.
All of that seemed so long ago, but it had really been less than a week. So short a time for such a huge upheaval in Elaine’s life. It was really remarkable how quickly things changed.
“I’m sure you’re wondering what this is all about,” Ria began, gesturing with graceful hands at the opulent décor. “It’s mostly tradition, but it seems my people think that wherever I go, I need to be surrounded by fountains and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It’s beautiful, of course, but it gets a little annoying now and then. If I let them, they’d make me wear togas all the time.” Ria rolled her eyes, and Elaine joined in her laughter.
Ria wore blue jeans and what looked like a Cashmere sweater. She looked like any audaciously beautiful young woman except for her striking jewelry. Ria wore a lovely scarab pendant around her neck carved from gleaming lapis lazuli with flecks of gold. A matching ring graced one of her fingers. The precious metal setting glittered in the light, and the stone was so expertly carved it looked almost alive.
“I see they got to you too.” Ria pointed at the caftan Elaine wore, and it took a moment for her to realize the Nyx was talking about her somewhat Bohemian dress.
The caftan had an Egyptian motif, which Elaine hadn’t questioned originally because it was so pretty. Looking at it in conjunction with Ria’s scarabs—the ancient Egyptian symbol of resurrection and eternal life—Elaine had to wonder if there was some kind of connection as she fingered the silky material.
“Well, beggars can’t be choosers. Bonnie was nice enough to give this to me. All I had when I got here were some ratty old pajamas. Everything else I owned was probably lost in the fire.”
Ria looked immediately contrite. “I’m sorry. They didn’t tell me you’d been in a fire.” She shot a look toward the door where the men stood talking casually. “Did you live with other family members? Did everyone get out all right?”
Elaine was touched by her concern, but a little puzzled by her words. “It was just me and Chuck—my cat,” she clarified when Ria’s brows rose in surprise. “He’s the one who woke me up, actually. Otherwise I would have been in real trouble. He saved my life.”
“You have a cat?” Ria looked like she wanted to giggle but was controlling herself by supreme effort. “How…appropriate. Considering my cousin is grumbling about leaving the Royal Guard, you’re going to need a lot of patience if you mate with him. Having already shared your life with one feline might give you an edge.”
“Wait, Cade’s your cousin? And what’s this about mating?”
“Our mothers were sisters. My mother was the older sibling, so she inherited the title of Nyx. I was her last child, and the only one to survive. I had a sister and a brother. Both were killed by our enemies, so I’m the last of my line. If something happens to me, Cade’s sister or one of our other cousins would have to take my place for the continuance of our Clan.”
Now Elaine understood some of the sorrow she saw in this young woman’s eyes. She’d known horror and loss in her life.
“I’m so sorry.”
Ria smiled gently. “Fate determines a large portion of our destiny. I’ve come to believe that during my time as Nyx. But there are turning points along our paths where we get to decide—for good or ill—which direction to take. I believe you’re at on
e of those places now, Elaine. You’ll soon have to choose whether or not to accept a life with my cousin or go your own way in the human world. You’ve already taken the first step, whether you realize it or not.”
“How so?”
“You let him mark you.” Ria eyed the fresh bite on her shoulder. “That act has great significance among our kind. Didn’t Cade tell you?”
Elaine looked toward her lover, standing so casually by the doorway. He grinned when he saw her looking his way, all predatory male, secure in his conquest.
“No, he didn’t. The first time, he just bit me and I didn’t even realize it until I looked in the mirror later.”
“He’s done it more than once?” Ria leaned in to inspect the small wounds.
She sensed Cade prowling closer. Apparently Ria’s interest in the bite marks was something he wanted to monitor for himself. If he’d been holding out on her, she wasn’t surprised he’d want to hear what the Nyx told her.
“He did it a couple of times.”
“The second time, did he ask? Did you agree?”
Elaine thought back to those tempestuous moments and knew the answer. “Yeah. I agreed.” She didn’t add that she would have agreed to anything at that particular moment. She’d been a desperate woman.
“Didn’t you explain anything to her?” Ria’s gaze focused over Elaine’s shoulder, up to where Cade now stood protectively behind her.
“There hasn’t been much time or opportunity, Ria. Things have been a little…tense around here since a certain Nyx decided she wanted to pay us a state visit.”
Elaine liked the way they interacted. Alarmed at first by his casual tone and chiding words, she quickly realized they were nothing more than family members hassling each other. Or at least Cade was hassling Ria. Elaine couldn’t wait to see the young woman turn the tables on him.
“All right. I’ll cut you some slack, Cade, but you need to fill her in on what that mark means. She’s human.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Ria.” Cade sounded annoyed at the reminder.
“I didn’t mean it that way,” she backpedaled, her eyes losing their accusatory glitter. “She doesn’t know our ways, Cade. You need to explain things. She needs to know.”
“And she will,” he promised, relenting. “As soon as we have a chance to talk privately. I really prefer not to discuss what should be a private matter in front of everyone.”
Ria looked pointedly from Steve’s guard position at the door and back again. “It’s just us noir here, Cade,” she chided him. “But I get your meaning. Promise me you’ll have your private conversation tonight—before this goes any further.”
“Yes, oh mighty Nyx. Your wish is my command.”
“Laying it on a little thick, cousin, but thank you.” Ria turned her attention back to Elaine. “Don’t let him bite you again until he explains things. The more he does it, the more bound you will become.”
Alarm raced through Elaine’s mind, but she didn’t want to get into what Cade seemed to think was a private matter in public any more than he did.
“I will, Ria. Thanks for clueing me in.”
“Now, about why I wanted to meet you.” Ria changed the subject. “Did Cade mention that I sometimes…um…see things?”
“You mean like you’re clairvoyant? No, he didn’t mention it.” Elaine shot him a mock accusing look.
“You don’t seem too surprised that I’d claim to have foresight.” Ria looked intrigued. “Why is that?”
Elaine shrugged. “My grandfather was psychic. He used to call and warn us when something bad was about to happen—like when my brother was planning to take a leap off the garage roof with a bed sheet tied around his shoulders. Instead of a broken neck, he ended up with a severely tanned hide.” Elaine chuckled at the memory. “There were lots of little things gramps could do. He’d call the night after I took a big test in school and congratulate me, telling me how I did before the teacher even gave back the papers. He was a sweet man.”
“I wish I could have known him,” Ria commiserated with a gentle smile. “It sounds like he could have taught me a lot. As it is, I had to figure most of this out on my own. The ability hasn’t manifested in a few generations, though it goes back to the oracle on the acropolis of Megara or earlier, if you believe the writings of Orpheus. Megara’s oracle was Nyx in her time, as were her daughters after her.”
“Orpheus. Isn’t that a figure from Greek mythology?” Elaine was confused. First ancient Egyptians and now ancient Greeks. These pantera noir seemed to have strong ties to both ancient cultures.
“Our clan history traces back to the time of the ancient Greeks, but our people come from all over. Among big cat shifters, black cats are rare so we banded together early on for protection and mutual aid,” Ria said. “But it was Michelangelo who organized all the cat shifter Clans.”
“Michelangelo, the renaissance artist?” Elaine’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“And tigre d’or,” Cade rumbled from his place behind her. “He was a shifter of many talents, and from all accounts had a personality strong enough to forge an alliance of sorts between the various big cat shifter Clans of his day.”
“He’s the one who orchestrated the first conclave. He got us to start working together and since his time we have grown stronger, working together and sharing resources.” Ria had a right to the look of pride that settled over her expression, Elaine realized. Michelangelo had been a genius by anyone’s measure. That he was one of their people was something very special indeed. “He was born to a Pride of Tuscany tigre d’or, but joined a Clan in Rome when his work took him elsewhere.
It wasn’t common in those days for people to travel around. So it was a big deal when the Roman Clan accepted his bid for membership, and an even bigger deal when he rose to a position of great power within their ranks, but he was a visionary. Sort of like me, but they say his ability to see the future was greater. He could see the distant future and helped created our system of government to deal with what he knew would come. I only see events unfolding in the near future, but in greater detail. As I saw you, Elaine.”
“You had a vision about meeting me?” Elaine wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or alarmed.
“More of a premonition. I hate to say this, but our mutual enemy isn’t done with you yet. Not if what I’m seeing comes true. Cade,” she turned her focus upward, her expression imploring. “You have to work together to avoid some really horrific results. If you don’t stick together, Elaine could die. In fact, you both could. I saw it.”
“How? What did you see?” Cade’s hand rested on Elaine’s shoulder and she could feel the increasing tension in his grip.
“Fire.”
A shiver of fear coursed down her spine. She’d seen enough fire to last a lifetime.
“Someone burned her apartment to try to get her already.” Cade’s tone held intensity and growing concern. “Could that be what you saw?”
“No. I’m sorry.” Ria’s sympathetic gaze turned back to Elaine. “What I saw was definitely in the future and it wasn’t an apartment building. It was a man—throwing fire.”
“A magic user?” Cade growled in question and Elaine felt his tension rising higher.
Ria squinted as if trying to see something in the distance. “I’m not sure. Could be. I don’t know what other explanation there could be for such an image. The man had fire in his hands and was throwing it at Elaine. I wasn’t absolutely certain who she was until I saw her face. That’s why I insisted on coming here.”
Cade surprised Elaine by crouching down in front of the Nyx and giving her a hug. “All is forgiven, Ri. I’m sorry I gave you a hard time. I should have known you had your reasons.”
The strength of his reaction made Elaine think that he’d had words with Ria about her visit in the short time Elaine had been with Bonnie looking at clothes. It felt strange to see Cade hugging another woman, but these two had a history Elaine wasn’t part of. They were cousins. Family.
She wouldn’t begrudge him that closeness. She had no idea what they’d been through together to get to this point.
When he pulled away, Cade urged Ria to her feet. “I think the team needs to hear this. Let’s go into the conference room so you can tell everyone what you’ve seen and correlate that information with what they’ve been able to find out the old-fashioned way.”
Elaine stood and walked with them to the door. Steve checked outside before he would let either Elaine or Ria pass, then Cade led them to one of the many rooms down the long hall.
The room they entered looked very much like a traditional conference room complete with audiovisual equipment, flip charts, white boards and the like, but with a twist. The fabrics were softer and the colors more vibrant than any office conference room Elaine had ever seen. A gorgeous tapestry covered one wall, depicting several species of big cats seated together in a circle. The symbolism wasn’t lost on Elaine. This was a place where all different kinds of big cat shifters could meet and work things out between them.
When everyone was seated around the table, they began. Molly spoke first, outlining the security measures that had been put in place upstairs.
“Bonnie and Ray are guarding the house, the security system is armed and we have a few people outside watching the perimeter.” Elaine hadn’t gotten much of a chance to speak with Molly, but she seemed a capable, competent and almost scarily powerful woman despite the bandages and air cast on her ankle.
“Good work,” Cade complimented her as he took charge of the meeting. “I’ve suspected for some time that there was a magic user involved in this mess. Of late there have been too many suspicious fires for my comfort, and now the Nyx has had a vision of a man throwing fire. I think the mage is a fire starter.”
“That could fit with what I found out about the guys who visited Miss Spencer,” Charlie put in. Elaine had learned at dinner that Charlie was an Escort.
Despite the unassuming name for the job, being an Escort was one of the most highly respected positions within the shifter underground organization. Escorts were top men and women who led others to safety. They had to be nannies, companions, protectors, assassins, fighters, strategists and whatever else the job called for. The people they escorted could be any age, in any physical or emotional condition. Escorts had to be able to work well under the worst possible circumstances to keep their charges safe.
