by Lexi Ander
Corey dismissed the warrior and silence fell. A heavy suffocating weight choked me.
Chapter Eleven
Tristan Janick
"This could be a trap to draw Tristan out. They'll use Nathan against us in some way. He is privy to information that could be used against us," Gregori murmured, his gaze distant, thoughtful.
But I knew better. So did Brian, Ushna, and Corey. The intel uncovered on Nathan's activities while I was gone was damning. He'd formed ties with people loosely allied with Daniel. After this was over, I'd planned to discover why, but now… now it was very possible Nathan had sided with my nemesis, Daniel Sullivan.
Corey went in search of the patrol team who'd stumbled upon the abandoned vehicle. Before Gregori could leave with everyone else, I quickly asked him to stay for a moment. Juan stepped outside to wait with Ace. When the door closed, Brian, Ushna, and I were left alone with Gregori. Without a word, he embraced me.
He didn't give me any words of sympathy or useless platitudes, simply held me. I was beyond grateful for his quiet presence.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked.
As difficult as it was, I had to push the issue of Nathan aside and trust Corey to find answers. If there were any to be had. At the moment, I had to keep my eye on our goal: defeating Inanna.
"You said the weapons used on Brian and I were designed specially to use against Gods. Are you positive?"
After Brian was reborn, we had a confrontation with Colonel Koma, who had been collaborating with Daniel Sullivan to kidnap my children. When I chased Daniel through the battlefield, he met up with a group of Servants of the Glorious One. Before they attacked, I'd released my dragon. What I hadn't been aware of was that Daniel's people carried specially made weapons designed to wound and capture a God. Because I carried the blood of a Goddess, I was inhibited while held under their net, unable to change back to human or into my wolf—not that the assassins knew the weapons would have any kind of effect on me other than keeping me from taking flight. I hadn't been Daniel's original target. At the time, he thought I was dead. No, they had been intent on recapturing Mithra.
We could only guess why Daniel wanted Mithra. My pups were the next in line to the Seat of Zeev. With Daniel believing I was out of the way, his next best bet to gain access to the King's Tomb was through my sons. I believe Colonel Koma would have kidnapped my pups while Daniel recaptured the God Mithra. Once my first born, Little Brian, was proclaimed heir to the Seat of Zeev, then Daniel would've had a key to the King's Tomb.
Gregori arched a brow, his surprise at my question evident. I continued, "If Mithra is correct and Inanna is acquiring allies among the Gods, we may have need of them. Not only is she looking to destroy the Lycans, but Mithra says she's orchestrating a coup to remove the God Enlil as their king." Not that I cared whether or not Enlil kept his throne, because really, what the fuck had he ever done to protect the Lycans from Inanna? What did concern me was if she brought her allies to our battle.
Gregori leaned against the edge of the table top. He stared at his clasped hands, brow wrinkled in thought. "Yes, the weapons we took from them were made to use against those with God's blood. Do you believe she wants Enlil's throne for herself?"
I sighed. There were so many possibilities, and she could be working toward any one of them. "No, I suspect she'll give the seat to Marduk. He's one of the mightiest warriors the Gods have, and his dissatisfaction over Enlil's reign is well known. She'll use the discontent to her advantage. Up until now she's employed assassins to destroy my family. She's not one to get her hands dirty and I'm betting she'll exchange the throne for Marduk's resources."
She'd used the same tactic once before, some five thousand years ago. She'd bargained with the Goddess Ereshkigal for two things. One, to borrow Ereshkigal's power to raise the dead. When Inanna faced the assembly, she'd swayed them with the subtle threat of raising the denizens of the underworld as an army against them if they refused to allow her to seek retribution against Gilgamesh.
The second thing she bargained for was Ereshkigal's blessing to send Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, against Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Gugalanna had died terribly at their hands… while Inanna was close enough to watch. Close enough that Enkidu could throw a haunch of the bull at her in his anger. She wanted—needed—to see Gilgamesh's demise. I'd thwarted her plans, and now she had to hate me as much as she did Gilgamesh. I counted on that, hoping I'd been a huge enough thorn in her side that she'd want to be close to watch my downfall.
But I had an ace in my pocket, and Inanna practically put it there. She was responsible for the death of Ereshkigal's beloved consort. The Gods had long memories and were champions at holding grudges. Ereshkigal proved that, bargaining with Randy for Inanna's return to the underworld. Inanna wouldn't find help or compassion from her corner. The next best choice for her would be allying with the one God who had an army at his command. According to the hunters, Inanna had been soliciting Marduk's help.
Gregori frowned. "But you're Tiamat's Voice. You're to rule her children. How can Marduk continue to command them now you've been declared by Mithra?"
"I still have to break the chains and free them from his dominion," I replied. The issue of how to defeat Inanna I'd been working to resolve for a while, but the addition of Marduk to the equation complicated things. I didn't know how to do what Tiamat wanted without an outright war against the God. With Inanna's meddling, it seemed the outcome was swiftly approaching, whether I was ready or not.
Gregori rose to his feet and paced, every line of his body expressing his agitation. Over what, I wasn't sure. He stopped, leaned his hip against the table as his gaze fell upon me. "You're fighting two battles, possibly on the same front." He paused, white stress lines bracketing his pursed lips. "What do you need from me?" Everything about his expression told me he was terrified of my answer.
For the first time since devising this crazy plan, I had doubts. I second guessed my right to ask Gregori to do this one favor for me. Since my rebirth, I'd been able to scent things my Lycan nose was blind to. Something I was still trying to parcel through and identify. What I scented about Gregori surprised me.
"I smell the fire you hide," I blurted, not exactly sure how to broach the subject.
His eyes squeezed shut and his whole body shuddered. The bitter tang of fear rolled off him. Brian's nose wrinkled even as his expression filled with concern. Ushna reached out a hand and surprisingly, Gregori flinched. Before I could ask him what was wrong, the conference door burst open. Juan barreled in closely followed by Ace. I didn't miss how Juan's shocked expression was quickly cloaked when he realized Brian, Ushna, and I were the only ones still in the room.
"Gregori?" Juan's confusion laced through the one word.
"I'm fine—"
"Like hell you are. I feel your terror." Juan's expression turned thunderous again, his gaze darting to me, not quite accusing as he wrapped his arms around Gregori. Ace stood on the other side, rubbing Gregori's back.
I'd known for some time Gregori and Juan were close, possibly lovers. But neither had said anything to me and I hadn't pried. Juan held Gregori as if he were precious, and I realized this was the first time I'd seen them touch. Their combined scent wasn't like anything I'd ever smelled. It was similar to how Jynx's triad smelled—but different. Whereas Jynx, Devlin, and Nacht smelled complete, Gregori's and Juan's bond lacked something. Even when Ace touched Gregori on the shoulder, the three of them together strengthened the scent, but didn't complete the… bond? Was that what I smelled? An open bond, one not complete? Was it possible I was picking up the magic of the bonds between Lycans?
Brian was talking, his deep voice soothing even though it was tinged with hurt. "We haven't harmed Gregori, but if you growl at us one more time—"
I placed my palm on Brian's arm. "Don't fault him for being protective." The tension coming off Brian had built since the announcement that Nathan had escaped. Nathan's betrayal lit a fire in Brian that burned
hot. I didn't quite understand why, and Brian only pursed his lips when I asked. Brian wasn't angry with Juan, but Juan's aggression pushed Brian closer to the edge of protective fury.
When Brian didn't reply, I turned to Ace and asked, "Would you mind closing the door?"
Gregori whispered something to Juan as we waited. Ace actually locked the door. Brian's brows arched in silent question. Ushna frowned, crossing his arms. I, on the other hand, studied Ace, wondering what he was to Gregori to know Gregori's secrets well enough he deemed the situation one that needed to be protected.
Narrowing my gaze, I took in Ace. He was an attractive man, I guessed, with a strong chiseled jaw and deep golden-brown eyes. He didn't smile often, but when he did, deep dimples came out to play. For the life of me, I couldn't sense any intimacy between him and Gregori, or even Juan. Who was this man to my best friend? Juan had sensed Gregori's high emotions, so I knew the two of them had a bond. Something was off—unbalanced within Gregori—and that worried me.
Brian's rising ire filled the room with a palpable pressure, as if he was ready to explode into action at the slightest provocation. He was close to growling aloud. In response, I leaned my shoulder into his, which helped to somewhat settle Brian's temper. When Ushna moved to sit on the other side of Brian, he casually laid his hand on Brian's thigh, and the boiling tension emanating from Brian immediately dialed back. Until Ushna had returned, I hadn't noticed how wound up Brian was. How he managed without giving away how close he stayed to the edge of violence, I didn't know. But I was thankful Ushna had headed off a situation that could've turned bad. Especially with Brian losing his temper over, well, over nothing.
With Ushna's touch soothing Brian, I needed to uncover the reason Gregori was scared. Returning my attention to my best friend, I waited as he and Juan passed hushed whispers back and forth. Ace listened intently, nodding occasionally. For the briefest of seconds, I was jealous that both Juan and Ace were aware of Gregori's secret. I would have said we kept nothing from each other, but obviously I'd been wrong. Why didn't he trust us—me?
Before anyone noticed my brief slip into melancholy, I cleared all emotion from my expression and waited for Gregori to decide to confide in us. If he didn't, I didn't know what I would do. My plan to trap Inanna needed a good dose of magic, and no other Magi could do what Gregori could. He was the strongest of them all. He commanded all four elements, where other Magi only dominated Earth and sometimes a weak secondary element. I needed his expertise, and if he turned me away, which the pained expression he gave me said he might, there would be no one else I could turn to.
The three of them finally pulled out chairs and sat across from us. Juan was watchful, pensive, but the air of violence didn't hang between us anymore. He threw a proprietary arm over the back of Gregori's chair. Ace didn't sit as close to Gregori as Juan did, but I still caught a whiff of a bond between them, fragile and wraithlike.
Gregori inhaled deeply, as if surfacing from a pool of water. "I was born the Brann." The word niggled at me, as if I should know what being a Brann meant, but the memories of my past lives had settled over the last couple of weeks. There were certain recollections I held onto because they were important to me, such as the life I spent with Corey. As for the others, they faded into the background. I could probably remember if I took a moment to sort through the generations trapped in my head, but it would take time. Gregori's countenance filled with deep sorrow and I didn't understand why.
Ushna spoke up, leaning forward as he glanced from me to Brian. "You're going to have to explain. I think I speak for all of us when I say we have no clue what you're talking about." It seemed I wasn't the only one who didn't have immediate access to memories of a past Brann. What did that mean? Had the last time a Brann was born to the Lycans been that long ago?
Gregori blinked a couple of times, his struggle clear. I almost told him never mind. If telling us his secret hurt him this much, then we didn't need to know. But before I could give voice to my thoughts, he said in a surprisingly strong voice, "In times of great change, Branns are born, heralding an age of war that will alter the world, the cultures, and even the people.
Brian rubbed his brow. "How do you know you were born one of these Branns? You're the strongest Magi in generations, but—"
"I was born in—of fire." Gregori's breath hitched. Ace reached over and placed his hand over where Gregori's nervously twisted together. The simple touch calmed Gregori, the acridness in his scent dissipating.
"You were born of fire?" I prompted, afraid I knew what he meant as old memories surfaced little by little."As my mother gave birth, the flame within me awakened. As an infant, there's no controlling the fire. My mother died almost instantly—or so I was told. I'm not sure anyone knows because everyone ran. The house went up in seconds, burning so hot that hours passed before survivors could venture into the remains. Imagine their surprise when they found me alive and uninjured." Dark sarcasm tinted his words before he locked his pain behind a blank mask.
Leaning back in my chair, I rubbed the grit from my eyes, mourning his loss, for the years he'd kept this secret to himself. We all knew his mother had passed away during childbirth, but this… now Kassian's callous treatment of Gregori made more sense. That still didn't mean his father wasn't a downright bastard. He never paid any attention, that I could see, to Gregori until we hit puberty and Gregori's Magi abilities bloomed. Even then, Kassian immediately shoved Gregori into the college.
A thought occurred to me. "Did Kevah Khortdad and his triad know?" The former head of the Magi College, Kevah had gathered around him those corrupt with power. He and his triad had spent years trying to coax and then strong-arm Gregori to do his bidding. Gregori had refused at every turn, resulting in being beaten so severely for his defiance that he almost died.
Gregori shook his head. "No. They suspected I hid something, but Father made sure no one but the two of us knew what I was capable of."
Ushna held up his hand. "Wait, I'm confused. What does being a Brann mean? You're a Magi who has mastery over all four elements."
"The fire of a Brann is separate from the magic wielded by a Magi. I don't call upon the Earth to handle the flame, because essentially, I am the fire." His lips thinned out into a hard, flat line.
In the palm of his outstretched hand, a small blue flame the size of my thumb came to life and danced. The heat was intense, sucking all moisture from the air. Gregori turned pearlesque, patterns in pastel blue swirled over his exposed pale skin. I was on the verge of pushing my chair back to put more distance between us when Gregori closed his fist and snuffed out the fire.
"Damn," Brian whispered.
"That's how you destroyed the underground cavern." Ushna said, the awe evident in his voice. "Jynx said nothing they'd tried worked, even the explosives to simply collapse the caves were ineffective. Corey said the white tiles looked as pristine as they had before the detonation. I didn't question when Jynx said you'd succeeded. I assumed you called upon the Earth for help."
Giving a weak smile, Gregori sighed deeply. "It almost ended in disaster. I lost control of the flame. If It hadn't been for Ace, I would've buried myself in molten rock. Normally, I don't allow the fire out. There were too many accidents when I was a child. Father taught me to keep the flame inside." I could hear the or else and suddenly I was very interested in taking Kassian aside for a long chat.
Juan made a rude noise, turning his head to look at the far wall, avoiding our gazes. There was a story there, and knowing Kassian, it probably wasn't a good one.
Brian snorted. "Kassian should have known better and taught you control, instead of how to suppress your talent."
Gregori gave Brian a patient smile. "Branns need to form circles to stabilize their discipline of the flame. Father worried I would be abducted if the wrong people discovered what I was and he didn't dare ask around. Not just anyone can form a bond with a Brann. They have to bring a balance to the Brann's power."
The tie I se
nsed between the three made more sense.
He continued. "When my magic bloomed at puberty, it added a complication and a reprieve. Utilizing my ability with the healing side of water magic helped to temper the fire, but being the strongest Magi in generations meant people wanted to use me, become my bond brother for their own purposes. A good portion of the older Magi were in Kevah's pocket. If I magically tied to any of them, then they'd know what I could do."
"But now you have Juan… and Ace. They balance you?" I asked.
Gregori blushed. "A Magi circle for me is complicated. Mine will be much larger than the standard triad, perhaps as many as twenty-one."
"Why twenty-one?" Brian inquired.
"Bond brothers are very similar to magical mating bonds. Those within the grouping are usually intimate. The smallest circles are three, and they don't normally look outside their circle for intimacy. It's been tried. The external relationship fails, placing too much pressure on the bond brothers. Juan and I, we are lovers and completely bonded, but Ace is our friend. We…" he glanced at Ace, who gave a small nod. "We have been discussing becoming bond brothers with Ace, but we won't be his lovers, nor do we plan to be. Our circle will continue to grow until there is balance between our abilities."
"I wasn't aware True Bloods could wield magic." Brian turned his hard gaze on Ace. Like me, he was reluctant to trust any of the True Bloods staying with us. Yes, he was thankful they had protected me when I was vulnerable, but they would need to do more to win his trust.
Ace didn't flinch when he met Brian's gaze. "I'm considered a half-breed because my mother is a human witch. She's the one who taught me to harness the air."
"So are you going to bond with Karen and her group? Is that why they finally revealed themselves?" Ushna asked, and both Gregori and Juan choked on their laughter. Karen Gunilla was someone Gregori had attempted to save from Caspian. He'd thought Caspian had raped and killed her after Caspian almost whipped Gregori to death. Like Gregori, Karen had survived. She, and those who followed her, pledged themselves to Gregori's safety.
