Etoile echoed my own thoughts. “Not at all. It’s much more inviting than staying at the hotel with the other attendees, and more private too.”
“It’s not for another week though. Do you have to go now? It would be nice to just hang out a while.”
“I’d rather get there early. Besides, don’t you want some…” Etoile‘s voice dropped and she mentally transmitted the rest of her thought, “time alone with Evan?”
I shrugged and nodded as I slid a sideways glance at him. Of course I do. Kitty planned to visit friends for the next couple of days, and was spending the evening with Ryan, a werewolf she was dating. With Etoile in New York, I would have some precious time alone with Evan. We made a pact to spend more time together, but it wasn’t always easy. Living in a house of four meant little alone time, so, since returning home, we’d gone to Evan’s house, across the country, for some private time beyond our regular dates. Frankly, I was starting to think Evan was pretty brave living in a house with three women, never mind witches. What he really wanted was for us to live alone one day, preferably sooner than later, although we still had a few issues as to where. I wanted to stay in the house I inherited from my parents. It was the first place I’d really thought of as home; and he wanted to live in Texas, from which his business primarily operated. The travelling between the two places was a concession of sorts. Given that Evan’s job would soon take him away for a while, as well as the upcoming Summit, any time alone with him was a bonus. Plus, now there were no more lessons to be had, we both could enjoy more free time together.
“Thought so,” said Etoile with a knowing look. She got to her feet just as Kitty bounced back into the room. “What’s got you all peppy? Oh, let me guess. It’s that wolf?”
Kitty stuck her tongue out. “Actually no, it was Annalise reminding us about our housewarming party tonight.”
Etoile pulled a face, then buried her head in her hands. “I forgot!”
“So, stay another night,” said Evan, rolling his head back to look at her. He held up five lethal-looking thorns, then closed them in his palm. When he reopened his hand, they were gone.
Etoile glanced at her bags with a stricken look of indecision on her face; then she sighed. “I really can’t. Stella, you’ll have to apologise profusely for me. And I’ll send a gift.” She paused and lifted an eyebrow. “What’s the proper housewarming gift for a wolf?”
“Flowers,” I suggested. “A new vase? How would I know?” Annalise’s relocation to a new house had not been altogether unexpected. When I returned home from England, she confided in me that during the time in which she’d been held captive, she realised how much she wanted to be with Beau, her hulking wall of a boyfriend. Though they were taking it slow, due in part to Annalise’s bad previous marriage, she told me that she knew more than ever that Beau was the man for her. They decided to cohabitate a week later. When they finally found a house that suited them, I helped pack up her things. Now, my only neighbour on Shadow Wood Lane was her brother, Gage, who remained at the house. Between his work, his girlfriend, Michelle, and his avoidance of me, I hadn’t seen very much of him lately.
Etoile patted my knee as she got up. “I’ll work it out. See you in one week!” She blew air kisses at me, then Kitty, and quite unexpectedly reached over to ruffle Evan’s short crop of hair. He smiled up at her, but I noticed an expression of worry in the little creases around his eyes. “I’ll look after her in the big, bad city. I promise,” she said to him, trying to strike a note of amusement at his obvious concern. She shimmered, bags and all, leaving only a faint trace of magic in her wake.
“I know Etoile said the Summit was going to be dull,” Kitty said, “but I still wish I was going too.” She grabbed her jacket from the rack by the door and shrugged it on. “On the plus side, I won’t have to suck up to any stuck-up witches. Remember, six p.m. at Annalise and Beau’s place. Don’t be late!” she called as she searched for her keys.
I checked my watch. “Never mind late, you’re going to be early.”
“Not hardly. I’m meeting Ryan first. We’ll go together.” She held her keys up. “Found them. Later, lovebirds!” In a flash of doors opening, and a whirl of curly hair and a pink sweater, Kitty slammed out.
I rounded the armchair and allowed Evan to pull me onto his knee. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I murmured. “Guess what?”
“What?”
Giving an exaggerated look over my shoulder, then back to him, I said, “Whole place to ourselves.”
He pretended to look around too. “So we do,” he said, smiling.
“You want to do that thing you said you were going to do if you caught me in your trap?”
A smile spread across Evan’s lips and his eyes turned dusky. “You bet.”
TWO
Annalise and Beau rented a narrow, two-story house with a red-painted door half way into town on Oak Street, named for the trees flanking both sides of the road. Why they chose the house was evident the moment one stepped into the backyard and saw the thick tangle of trees, bordering the rear of the property. Heading north led right past the werewolves’ clubhouse, the Loup Garou, and a little further on, the woods ended by my house. I surmised it was the ideal compromise, giving them the privacy they wanted, as well as providing the bond to nature and their kind that they needed.
Given the ordeal she’d been through when she was kidnapped by the Brotherhood, I had to give her kudos for taking her life in both hands and thoroughly embracing it. Beau had no problem leaving the apartment he lived in, in favour of the sweet, little house that now bore Annalise’s mark. Evidence of her handicrafts and decorating were everywhere in the house from the crocheted throw to the hand-sewn pillows randomly strewn on the sofa. Beau didn’t seem to mind the colour, the florals or the fun prints one bit. He was every inch a man’s man and had no need to prove it. Better still, he was hers and that seemed to be just fine by him too.
Annalise had big news for me.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed as I held her left hand in mine to admire the sparkling ring on her ring finger. “I’m so happy for you.”
Annalise linked her arm through Beau’s, her smile radiant, and he kissed the top of her head gently. Beau was a big man — a former Marine, (although I wasn’t sure how he managed that, since he was also a werewolf like her) but he had innate grace. It seemed like he was all too aware how easily he could crush a body if he weren’t careful. Though they had been high school sweethearts, their reunion was recent and full-bore. I liked him a lot.
“The wedding will be in two months,” she told me. “Why wait? And I want you to be bridesmaid.”
My heart swelled with pride. “Really?”
“Absolutely. You’re my best friend. I won’t hear anything but ‘yes’ for an answer.”
“Then, yes!” I dropped her hand. “Did I mention how happy I am for you? For you both?”
“I think you did.” Annalise giggled.
“Ever been to a werewolf wedding?” asked Beau. He didn’t bother dropping his voice. Glancing around, I judged most of the guests tonight were wolves, and those that weren’t certainly knew about them. It was surprising in a town like Wilding that everyone didn’t know. Their signatures were evident everywhere, from the high school wolf mascot to the symbols of moons all over the place. Aside from their population, there were Kitty and I, the only witches, and Evan, the only daemon in town. As far as we knew, he was the only one of his kind most of us had ever met. Demons and daemons, who were products of liaisons between humans and demons, were not the friendliest species, from what I understood, and preferred to keep to their own. I never quite figured out why all the other supernatural beings were so wary of his kind, but he was nevertheless quite welcome here in Wilding.
Right now, I was watching Evan from across the room, who was deep in discussion with a wolf I vaguely recognised. Behind him was Gage, and his girlfriend Michelle Dunphy, a red-headed wolf who proved an ally when the Brotherhood assaulted
us. That fateful day was months ago. She raised a hand and waved to me, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. She didn’t seem genuinely pleased to see me. I waved back regardless, just to be polite, and was glad to see the cast gone from her wrist. We were little more than acquaintances. She visited Gage at his place a few times since they started dating; and I saw her coming out of his house very early in the morning, only a couple of days ago. Gage looked up at Michelle’s wave and nodded at me. I mouthed “Hi,” but he quickly turned away, and smiled at something Michelle said. It cut me a little. He once told me some things that couldn’t be taken back; and although I didn’t reciprocate, I still had a lot of affection for him. If losing his friendship helped him move on, then I couldn’t stop him, even if I didn’t like it.
I listened to what Annalise was saying, something about the ceremony being under a full moon.
“It sounds wonderful,” I said.
“And the partying goes on all night,” she added.
“You’re not going to rip off your dress and go furry, are you?”
“Hah! No.” She knocked me on the arm. “We do that tomorrow night. It doesn’t really have to be full moon, but it’s supposed to be auspicious, and you know how we love the moon.”
Beau plucked my glass from my hand. “If you’re going to talk weddings, I’ll get you ladies another drink.”
“Orange juice for me, sweetie.” Annalise called as he retreated to the kitchen. She turned to me and huffed. “He just wants to escape to check the scores,” she told me. “I’ll be surprised if he even remembers to bring us fresh drinks.” She hooked her arm through mine and we stepped outside. The air was cool and the patio empty. I could see someone had been busy tilling the earth and planting new shrubs in the beds surrounding the small lawn. The air smelled of wet grass and mulch and Annalise inhaled deeply. The sounds of voices and the soft undertones of music drifted out the French doors towards us. We dropped into matching chairs and Annalise tipped her face towards the sky, catching the scents of the air.
“There’s something else I want to tell you,” she said, biting her lip as she turned to me. Her eyes blazed with excitement.
“What is it?”
“There’s a reason the wedding is so soon,” she said. This time she glanced over her shoulder and edged her chair closer to mine. Evidently, whatever she had to tell me, she didn’t want overheard. When she was only an inch away, she settled in her chair again, and rested her hand over her stomach. “I’m pregnant!”
“Really?” I gasped.
“Really! Can you imagine? Me? A mother?” Annalise sank back into the chair, her head turned up to the starlit sky. “I’m not far along, only a few weeks; but I don’t want to tell anyone so soon, just you. Beau knows, obviously, and he’s so excited. I told Gage a couple of days ago. He’s going to let me take the crib our dad made for us when we were little.”
“This is the best news,” I told her. “The very best. I’m so happy for you.”
“It’s a little daunting, you know… Bringing a baby into a world with so much danger around.” She stared up at the inky blue sky, her tone even, but I had a good idea what she was remembering. Probably the clammy cellar prison she was kept in while the Brotherhood held her captive at their Yorkshire estate.
“You know Beau will never let anything happen to you again, and he would do whatever is necessary to protect your baby.”
She nodded. Her nose flared slightly and she took a deep breath. “He’s going to be a great dad,” she said, in a tight voice.
“Definitely,” I agreed. “He’s going to dote all over this baby.” I reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently.
“There’s only one thing that really worries me,” she confided.
“What’s that?”
“You’ve seen how big Beau is. Can I really give birth to his baby? It’s going to be the biggest baby ever.”
I looked back at the house as Beau reappeared, clearly having forgotten our drinks. Every so often, he darted a glance towards Annalise, like he couldn’t bear to let her out of his sight. “Well,” I said. “Even he had to have started off small.”
“His mom called. He was an eleven-pound baby.” She winced.
We looked at each other in alarm. “Good luck,” I said.
“I’ll need it.” She grinned happily. “I’m going to be a mom! And I’m getting married. Life does not get better than this.”
She got that one right and I was thrilled to see her so happy. We sat looking at the stars for a little while, relaxed in our individual thoughts. I tried to imagine this conversation reversed one day. I had a pregnancy scare a while ago, because I still couldn’t quite imagine being a mother. I wasn’t even sure I was ready to be a wife. I thought Evan might be hinting towards marriage, especially as we’d been living together now for some time. Formerly, all my concentration was focused on preparing myself as a witch, managing my powers, and finding a meaningful life for myself. Evan was my teacher and mentor. Though he was my first boyfriend, and my only lover, I could easily imagine a long and very happy future with him. And I envisioned the same for Annalise and Beau.
“So, the Summit is next week, huh?” said Annalise, interrupting my thoughts. “You looking forward to hanging out with the scary bitches?”
“Witches,” I autocorrected.
“Potato, potah-to,” she said, “So…?”
“Maybe, sort of. I don’t know. The last time I was in the city, someone tried to bomb me.”
“Dead and gone,” Annalise reminded me.
“I know, but all the same…”
“You think some of the witches hold grudges?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Everyone knows I killed Eleanor Bartholomew in self-defence. I didn’t have a choice. Etoile doesn’t think it will be a problem.”
“And Georgia Thomas?”
“She’ll be there.” I shuddered, but it wasn’t the cold that sent a chill through me. I looked over at Annalise. “I really embarrassed her.”
“We embarrassed her; and she had no right to charge into our town and make such a mess. If it weren’t for that Chyler girl, she would never have come here anyway. She made the mess and we all had to pick up the pieces.”
“I know. But I, we, made her look like a fool in front of dozens of other witches.”
“Nosy bastards,” said Annalise, with feeling. “They also had no right coming to Wilding.”
“All the same…”
“I know, but the question stands. Do you think she holds a grudge?”
“I don’t think so, I know it,” I said with certainty. Of all the scary people I’d met over the last couple of years, Georgia topped the list. “I just don’t know what she’s going to do about it, if anything. I think she’s running for Leader. She’s probably threatened enough witches to vote for her.” Though I tried to say it lightly, it was a regular topic of conversation in my house during the last couple of weeks. “If she wins…” I trailed off. I couldn’t bear thinking about that prospect.
“Maybe they’ll all rebel at the last minute. You know, maybe she’s not as powerful as you think she is. The crazy bitch was trying to resurrect an army of support from the dead. If she really felt so certain she would win, she wouldn’t do that.”
“Etoile said the same thing.”
Annalise nodded, like she expected that. “Stick to that witch like glue, babe.”
“It’s only a week, though I’ll be spending a few extra days there,” I said, trying to lighten the tone of our conversation. This was a housewarming party, not a war council. “It’ll be dull. I’ll speak to a bunch of people, cast my vote and come home. Daniel’s coming with Anders.” That was one thing I was looking forward to. My cousin, Daniel and I had only recently become acquainted and I hoped to put in some bonding time with him.
“That’s great. Who are you voting for? Anyone we know?”
“Etoile told me the candidates don’t get announced until after some big ball they
’re throwing, so I don’t know yet.”
“Well… vote carefully.”
“You don’t say.”
“We have a vested interest in the outcome,” Annalise added unexpectedly. I frowned and edged around in my seat to look at her properly. “We have to liaise with whomever you elect,” she continued. “It’s part of the agreement between the wolves and witches. The witches probably have similar arrangements with the other supernaturals, the demons, the vampires… Anyway, we can’t cast a vote, but we can, and do, run interference depending on whom we prefer to see heading the Council. Well, that’s what Gage says anyway. He knows more about this stuff than I do.”
I glanced inside the house. Gage was standing by the door. He and Michelle looked like they were having a discussion, which neither was enjoying. I quickly looked away as Michelle turned her head and saw me. “He’s getting really involved in all the werewolf stuff, huh?”
“Yeah. He’s even one of our representatives at the Summit. Every race sends some.”
I straightened in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Um… I’m not sure I’m supposed to be telling you now.” Annalise glanced back at the house and waved. We watched Evan as he made his way towards the patio. “Maybe I shouldn’t… Listen, Gage will look out for you, okay? Any problems… he’ll be in the city.”
I was fairly certain I wouldn’t call on Gage for help. Things stayed friendly between us on the occasions our paths crossed, but I sensed an underlying awkwardness in our interactions. I wasn’t sure if he were still mad at the witches for engaging Annalise in our Brotherhood problems. They kidnapped her previously in order to get to me, and it still made me sick to my stomach. Or if it were because his feelings toward me had grown more than friendly. He promised Evan he wouldn’t do anything to interfere with our relationship. Seeing how his relationship with Michelle continue, I only hoped those feelings toward me had dissipated. It would make everything easier. Any chance of a relationship with Gage vanished when Evan returned to my life, and I had no future plans to change it. Gage was very attractive, but Evan was the man I loved and chose to be with. “Thanks,” I said, simply. “I appreciate that.”
Magic Rising Page 2
