by Petra Landon
His reaction did not escape Sienna. “You’re surprised by my vehement defense?”
Jason’s smile grew broader. “The Alpha can take care of himself, Sienna.”
“Just because he can, does not mean he doesn’t deserve my support” she countered. “Trev asking him for a favor, in exchange for giving us access to the Seer’s notes, is different from Thorne and his Guardians requesting it of him.”
Jason did not deny it. “I agree.”
At his response, Sienna subsided. “I’m surprised the Alpha agreed to entertain them” she remarked.
Jason had been struck by something else. “I’m more astonished by Thorne’s dogged pursuit of Merceau.”
His words had Sienna ponder the matter. “You think they want something else” she said shrewdly. “That this is not about an audience with Faoladh.”
“They’d rather swallow their pride and go to the First Wizard for Faoladh, than come crawling to Raoul Merceau” Jason said bluntly. “He rubbed their noses in the dirt at their own Headquarters, Sienna. More importantly, he held up a mirror to them.”
Upon reflection, Sienna had to admit that she agreed with Jason.
“I’ve been hoping that Anderson, and its aftermath, would force the GCW to reflect on how badly we’ve veered off course” he said thoughtfully.
“You could be right” she offered. “Perhaps, this is an attempt to mend fences.”
“I doubt it, Sienna. The news coming from San Diego doesn’t support it.”
Sienna said no more. But she was comforted by the change she sensed in Jason. She had seen his dejection and alarm at the Guardians’ abdication of their responsibilities, as well as his despair at the GCW’s role in shielding Anderson. After San Diego, Jason had started to distance himself from the GCW, even as he continued to support the First Wizard. More than his work with the Pack, his residence at the Lair had put him on the outs with his fellow Guardians. Sienna was happy to note that his heartache and desolation seemed to have dwindled to something more manageable. This relieved her greatly. Perhaps, the investigation had given Jason a new purpose and a different perspective on the Chosen. At the same time, she hoped that his fervent wish that the Guardians might correct their course came true. It would make Aunt Minnie’s life easier and ordinary Wizards safer. But most of all, it would make Jason happy. And she wanted that more than anything.
“Sienna.” Jason interrupted her musings. “What happened in Belize?”
After the Vampires’ misadventure in the forest, the Alpha had put the team under lockdown. Sienna and Jason, surrounded by Shifters, had had little opportunity for private conversation. Disappointed they might be, but the Mage’s attempt on Sienna had shaken them both.
“With the Rune Mage?” she confirmed, sobering at the memories of how close that particular encounter had been.
“Yes.”
“Tasia saved the day” Sienna admitted, without hesitation. She had always shared everything with Jason, even her visions. “Once she stripped the Mage off her magic, she had help from Hawk and Nandini. But without Tasia, we’d have been done for.”
Her words came as no surprise to Jason. They had speculated before about Tasia’s powers and her unusual relationship with the Pack.
She shot him a glance. “If I had any doubts about the visions, Tasia’s actions have put them to rest.”
He arched an eyebrow, keenly aware that Sienna’s choices and decisions had been defined by her glimpses of the future. “You had doubts?”
“Not about the original vision” she answered frankly. “But the new snippets had raised some questions for me. Some of it is just so fantastic, Jason. I thought I was dreaming or misinterpreting what I’d seen. It could not possibly be true.”
He understood. She’d seen the same vision for most of her life, the one about Tasia facing the wrath and judgement of the Council with few allies by her side. That, Sienna had come to terms with. However, the latest flashes, related to her sisters, had rattled her somewhat.
Jason stated the obvious. “Tasia must know her secret is out.”
“Hawk knew, Jason” Sienna interjected, reminded of the short battle of wits with the Rune Mage. The moment Tasia had hinted at an intruder, Hawk had jumped into action without batting an eye. Not once had he questioned Tasia’s instincts or anything else.
Jason met her gaze. “Then, so does the Alpha. There’s no way Merceau invited her into his Pack, while oblivious to her powers. Not him.”
“Then, he is protecting her” Sienna murmured. It was as they had suspected. If so, she knew enough about the Alpha to be certain that he would not allow any personal animosities to guide him. As Nandini had reminded her in Corfu. More than any assurances from Jason or Duncan, this realization brought Sienna immeasurable peace.
“Yet, you believe the Pack will not stand by her when she goes before the Council” Jason pressed the point.
Belize and their burgeoning relationship had given him a deeper understanding of Sienna’s self-doubts about her gift. Though riven by doubt and apprehension about her skills as a clairvoyant, there was no reluctance or faltering when it came to Tasia. Sienna liked the young Wizard and believed that it was her destiny to stand by her. But Sienna was not the same Wizard who had come to the Lair. In the months since, her confidence in her ability to play her part in the complicated dynamics and political intrigue rife among the Chosen had grown. Jason knew that Sienna was better equipped to handle any uncertainties about the future now, than she’d ever been before.
She took his reminder in stride. “In the vision, Tasia says something about not willing to pay his price” she said pensively. “It suggests that they have an understanding. It might even be why he protects her. Perhaps, in the future, this pact of theirs is ruptured.”
Sienna met his eyes squarely. “He’s not the man to walk away from his allies for petty reasons, Jason. If he’s willing to give the Guardians a shot after the way they treated him, there’s hope for Tasia too.”
Jason could not disagree with her. Merceau’s animosity towards the Guardians was visceral. If the Alpha could look past that, there was a chance that Tasia might not be bereft of allies when she faced the Council. And given that Sienna lacked the means and experience to interpret what she had been shown about the future, it was not yet time to push the panic button on this.
“Something else about Belize” Sienna added. “Nandini didn’t seem taken aback and neither did she question Tasia’s abilities.” She’d had the time to think this through and her sister’s reaction amazed Sienna.
He frowned. This was a curve ball and Jason didn’t know what to make of it. “Are you planning to talk to Nandini about it?”
Sienna shook her head firmly. “I’m going to let it be. Unless, she comes to me.”
“I was frank with Tasia” she said to him. “I told her that her secret was safe with me.”
Silence descended on the room, as they became lost in their own thoughts. Until Jason extended his palm towards her. Sienna smiled, linking their fingers together.
“I miss Belize” she said softly. In the Lair, there was little privacy.
“We could take a short trip to San Diego” he suggested. He’d love to get away without the Shifters, but Sienna must be watched over while her mother remained out there scheming. Until then, San Diego would be the safest place for her after the Lair. Her aunt would make sure of it.
Sienna perked up at his words. “It would be nice to see Aunt Minnie.”
His eyes wandered her face, hoping that Sienna was not fearful for the sister they had yet to meet. Jason flew a trial balloon.
“ElMorad, huh?” he remarked. “Not a name I was expecting to hear.”
“It freaked me out” she confessed readily. “Of all the Archmages in the world, Jason! His reputation hints at a cold killing machine. I was hoping that a kind-hearted Mage had helped my sister out of a tough spot. But ElMorad suggests a very different story.”
Jason’s br
ows drew together. “But you’re sure that she’s in no danger from the Mage?”
“That’s what the vision implied” Sienna averred. “Though I will feel much better if Faoladh’s investigators can pick up her tracks.”
JaRol, DiZeyla’s deputy, waited for them at the entrance to the Collegium.
“They’re here, Alpha” he greeted Raoul. “David Hamilton is keeping them company inside.”
The Alpha, with Duncan, Atsá and Jason LaRue in tow, followed the Ancient into the main hall of the Collegium, where a small party awaited them. David greeted the Shifters warmly, while the Guardians with him merely looked wary. Sebastian Thorne was clearly the man in charge, just like at Wizard Headquarters. Accompanying him was a stern-looking grizzled older man and Trevor Bergdahl.
Bergdahl’s presence in the party had Raoul reassess. He’d assumed that Thorne would bring with him an entourage of senior Guardians to make his case. By now, the Guardians were acutely aware of what a tough negotiator he was and that he would give no quarter to Wizards. Perhaps, Thorne had learnt the right lessons from their San Diego encounter, he mused.
JaRol shot Duncan a discreet glance and exited the hall, to leave the Shifters and Wizards facing each other in an uneasy silence. Thorne glanced at David, hoping the local Wizard would smooth their path with the Shifters. But the Wizard leader ignored the hint. David’s incandescent rage at the GCW had waned somewhat in the intervening weeks. But he was still quite furious about the Guardians’ recalcitrance in punishing Anderson. And given the whispers emanating from San Diego, he doubted that this particular leopard had changed its spots. Thus, David was determined to keep his assistance to a minimum. He had brokered an audience with the Alpha, at the Guardians’ request. Everything else was Thorne’s responsibility. David was damned if he’d help whitewash the Guardians’ infractions for them.
In the end, it was Jason who stepped into the breach, to greet his Guardian comrades. Atsá introduced the Shifters, though the Guardians in the room remembered them from the altercation in San Diego.
“I believe you know Trevor Bergdahl.” Thorne made the introductions after Atsá. “This is Matthias Hartmann.”
As the two groups seated themselves on opposite sides of the long table, David addressed the Alpha. “Guardian Thorne has invited me to sit in on the discussion. I’m happy to accommodate him, unless you have any objections, Raoul?”
“None at all” the Alpha responded. “It is only right you be present while we discuss Wizard business, David.”
David Hamilton took the seat to the Alpha’s right, across the table from the Guardians. Thorne’s eyes flickered but he said nothing. Raoul reflected that Thorne was bloody lucky David was the forgiving kind. Even after the GCW had vociferously defended a Guardian responsible for assaults on vulnerable Wizards in San Francisco, David was being gracious enough to arrange a confabulation for Thorne and his friends.
“Before we begin” Raoul said bluntly. “You should know that Faoladh is aware the Guardians desire a meeting. Bergdahl’s request has been passed on to him.”
“Thank you for passing the request along, Alpha” Thorne affirmed. “We do seek an opportunity to talk to Faoladh about Guardian concerns. But our business today is with you.”
Jason, who had suspected much the same, tried to not let his impatience show on his face. Seated to the left of the Alpha, he refrained from a sidelong glance at the Shifter. Jason knew that Merceau, no fan of Wizards, would find the upcoming discussion tedious.
Raoul sighed silently. He’d been hoping not to be dragged willy-nilly into Spell Caster affairs. But his wishes were unlikely to come true today. However, he was not going to make it easy for the Guardians.
“If this is a last ditch attempt to persuade me to withdraw the case against Anderson, it is futile” he said plainly. The unprecedented CoC trial of the Guardian was scheduled to begin the following day.
Thorne met his eyes. “The Guardians believe that Ted Anderson should be prosecuted for his crimes, Alpha. We would have preferred to punish him ourselves. But the GCW recognizes that the Shifters and Wizards of San Francisco do not trust in our ability to judge a fellow Guardian without bias.”
Raoul wondered cynically whether the Guardians truly believed it or whether this was doublespeak to convince him, now that they wanted his help.
“All Guardians believe so?” he asked casually, as if it was a matter of academic interest to him.
Thorne had the grace to flush slightly. “A majority of Guardians do” he admitted.
Raoul let it go.
“The GCW is exploring a fresh election for First Wizard” Thorne opened cautiously. He paused, expecting an objection or even a comment.
Raoul shrugged. “Not my business, Guardian. The GCW can call as many elections as it wants. Nothing to do with my Pack.”
Thorne looked taken aback. “It is my understanding that you are currently engaged on a task for the First Wizard?”
“You’re mistaken. The Pack is on assignment for Faoladh.”
“On a matter that the First Wizard approached Faoladh for” the Guardian pressed him.
“Yes” Raoul acknowledged. “But I serve at Faoladh’s discretion. Who represents the Wizards at the Council is not my concern.”
David Hamilton looked as poker-faced as ever, revealing nothing of his thoughts on the subject. But the two senior Guardians appeared nonplussed by the Alpha’s nonchalant response. Trevor Bergdahl, an old friend of Jason’s, met his gaze across the table to exchange a silent but pregnant glance.
Thorne tried to gather his thoughts together. The conversation was running away from him, he seemed to realize. This time, he did not beat about the bush.
“The Guardians interested in the position have been informally talking to their peers, to gauge their chances in an election” he explained. It was the Guardians who would choose a First Wizard from among themselves. “In the last week or so, something rather alarming has come to light. A Guardian, believed to be dead, is considering throwing her hat in the ring.”
Jason drew an audible breath, flabbergasted by the announcement. Even David showed emotion as shock flashed across his face. After everything he’d been briefed about the wily ex-Guardian, David had not expected such a brazen step from her.
“Lady Bethesda” Raoul stated evenly, tamping down his rising excitement. Finally, he reflected triumphantly, the adversary they’d been hunting through the shadows was about to take a false step. Sometimes, all one needed was a little bit of luck. Perhaps, fortune was smiling down on the investigation. What they’d been hoping for was within their grasp, without them exerting themselves to lure her out. Her own ambitions were leading her right into a trap.
“You’re correct, Alpha” Thorne confirmed. “She died under something of a cloud. This is not good news for us. And for most senior Guardians, who remember the strife right after the birth of the CoC, Lady Bethesda representing us at the high table would be a disaster for the Wizards.”
Raoul contemplated the Guardian. “Why come to me with this?”
Thorne shot a glance at the older Guardian beside him. “In San Diego, TorElnor’s heir claimed that he was working with you to investigate Lady Bethesda.”
“He is.”
“This is to do with the old accusations against her?”
“And some after she was presumed dead” the Alpha said.
All three Guardians across the table appeared floored by his words. It was apparent to them that the Shifters had been aware of Lady Bethesda’s miraculous resurrection for some time.
Jason valiantly refrained from pointing out to Thorne that if the GCW had met the First Wizard half-way, she’d have gladly shared this information with the Guardians, instead of going to Faoladh with her concerns.
Thorne stared at the inscrutable Alpha who refused to give an inch. Next, he glanced at the local leader of Wizards, who shrugged. Supremely astonished by Lady Bethesda’s new gamble, David wanted no part in nudging t
he Shifters to solve the GCW’s problems. He was firmly of the belief that it was the Guardians’ responsibility to get their act together. And that it was unfair to put the weight of sorting out Wizard issues on the Shifters or any other Chosen.
It was Jason who stepped forward again. “What do you want from the Shifters, Seb?”
Thorne hesitated for just a split second.
It was that very hesitation that gave Raoul his first clue. “You’re afraid Lady Bethesda might actually win the election” he contended, as it struck him what alarmed the Guardians.
As Thorne’s wooden expression confirmed his charge, the Alpha didn’t mince his words.
“If that happens, the GCW will truly be fucked.” Raoul made little effort to hide the satisfaction in his voice. This would be exactly what the Guardians deserved. The GCW had riled up its members with calls for a muscular Wizard policy, to the extent the Guardians were even arrayed against their own First Wizard because she called for them to soften their stand and work with the other Chosen. And now, the calculating, ambitious and conniving Lady Bethesda was scheming to waltz in and highjack the fertile ground that the Guardians had tilled. To Raoul, this was an irony too great to not be appreciated. Perhaps, Lady Bethesda might prove to be the catalyst that brought the Wizards and other likeminded allies together, to build a different organization from the ashes of the GCW — one that might truly protect the interests of the Wizards they watched over.
Thorne could not refute the Alpha’s words. Thus, he chose his own with care. “Lady Esmeralda is very unpopular among the Guardians. Her sister was once a legendary opponent, with views that contrast diametrically with hers. It gives Lady Bethesda a chance if she runs against the First Wizard.”
Jason entered the fray, unable to remain silent any longer. “If the Guardians dislike the First Wizard, it is because the GCW has run a relentless campaign against her, Seb. You don’t see the irony here? We are now in danger of electing the Wizard, who should have stood trial for the murder of ten of our own, including my parents, and the cold-blooded slaughter of countless Chosen children, over the Guardian who has built us alliances with other Chosen on the CoC.”
