Fate Forged

by B. P. Donigan

  We left Castor’s house with the information we needed about the Brotherhood’s secret recruiting meeting. Things were looking up, and I couldn’t wait to get back to Atticus’s house so we could talk about our next steps. We navigated the dark streets, which were busy with people ending their work shifts. As we turned a corner, I ran straight into someone, almost knocking him off his feet before I recognized him.

  Oh shit.

  Lord Alaric grunted as he stumbled backward. “What in all five hells—” His face twisted from anger to open surprise. “Lady Maeve?”

  The man he’d been talking with slipped into the shadows right as I noticed him. I got the vague impression that he was male from his height, and he had short, light hair. He wore dark clothing. It could have been a Guardian’s uniform, but I wasn’t sure.

  “Lady Maeve! What are you doing in the Lower City?” Alaric’s voice held an accusing tone, and he craned his head past me as if expecting a troupe of guards to be in tow.

  I froze, unable to come up with a good excuse.

  Atticus stepped in smoothly. “Lord Silas thought it best if she remained hidden given the recent attack on her person.”

  “Yes, that’s what happened. I’m supposed to stay hidden.”

  “Then what are you doing on the streets, at nightfall no less? And with only this Traiten to guard you? No, no, this won’t do. Traiten, take Lady Maeve back to the Council Centre. She’ll be much safer where we can protect her.”

  “But I’m supposed to stay here. Silas wants—”

  “I will accompany you back myself,” Alaric interrupted. He gave Atticus an impatient glare. “Traiten?”

  Silas had removed the Traiten compulsion, but Atticus snapped to attention as if the bands were still on him and put his hand on my shoulder. I thanked my lucky stars that regular Aeternals couldn’t see the magic sigils that were no longer around his wrists. “My lady, if you’ll come with me? We’ll return directly.”

  Damn it. I had no choice but to go back to the Council Centre. I’d just blown the little freedom I had. I gritted my teeth and allowed them to lead me back to my prison.

  The three of us traveled quickly in relative silence to the nearest set of ports. Alaric guided us to the base of the mountain and up the ridiculously long stairs before returning me to my rooms. He instructed Atticus to wait outside then joined me—without an invitation—inside my suite.

  “Have you considered my proposal?” he asked as we stood awkwardly inside the first room.

  It took me a minute to recall what he was talking about. “You want me to transfer my powers to you?”

  He inclined his head graciously. “For the good of our citizens.”

  I just barely refrained from rolling my eyes. “Right. The thing is, I don’t know how to do that.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Think carefully before you turn me down. I am a powerful ally and an even more dangerous enemy.”

  “I already told you I’m happy to cooperate. But I inherited this magic from someone else, and I don’t know how to do anything with it.” Inspiration struck, and I added, “Is there anyone who can teach me?”

  He wrinkled his nose. “Our knowledge on this subject is somewhat limited.”

  I smiled sweetly at him, pleased with my stalling tactic. “If you can find someone to teach me, I’m willing to try.”

  He pursed his lips. I got the distinct impression that he wasn’t fooled by my stalling. “Very well. I will make inquiries. But when I find the proper tutor, you will attempt the transfer?”

  “If I transfer the power to you, I can go back to my old life? No strings attached?”

  He smiled, but it wasn’t friendly. “That is our agreement.”

  “Then you have a deal.”

  “My lady.” Alaric bowed as he activated the doorway. “I’ll take my leave of you and bid you God’s eve. I have a few things I wish to discuss with the Lord Commander about safety protocols.”

  Out in the hall, Atticus grimaced at that last statement just before Alaric whirled on his heel and left. The doorway rematerialized behind him, locking me once more inside the suite. I wandered back to the middle room and found a tray of completely unappetizing vegetables and a decanter of warm till waiting on the large circular table.

  I plopped into one of the high-backed chairs and released a heavy sigh. I’d ruined my hiding spot by running into Alaric, and Silas would definitely hear about it. I should’ve been worried about that, but I couldn’t muster up the energy. Alaric had agreed to find someone who could teach me, which was a long shot, but it bought me at least a few days before he decided to force the Transference ritual. All in all, I’d done fine.

  As my anxiety settled, I realized I had never asked Alaric why he was in the Lower City or who he was meeting with. He’d been surprised to see me there, so he hadn’t been out searching for me. I had no idea if it was normal for a Councilor to be out in Lower Aeterna at night, but his reaction had seemed suspicious, as had the mysterious man who’d disappeared so quickly.

  I remembered Alaric glowing with energy at the Exposition just before the Rakken attacked. Given the history between him and Silas—and how Silas had used me to embarrass Alaric in front of the Council—I definitely couldn’t trust Alaric to be on my side. Not even if I fulfilled my end of the deal and figured out how to give him Marcel’s powers.

  I made my way over to the bathroom, showered, and changed clothes. At least the day hadn’t been a total loss since I’d found an important lead to the Brotherhood. Just when I’d settled back into the front room with my tangled thoughts, the door chimed.

  Silas stormed into the room. His jaw was clenched, and his face was flushed with anger. He wore loose linen pants and a sleeveless tunic that left his broad chest mostly exposed. The striking blue color perfectly set off his steel-gray eyes and olive complexion.

  “What the fratching hells were you doing out in the Lower City?” he demanded.

  I blinked and tried to ignore the way his sculpted body lit flames inside me. He looked like a Greek god, one that was currently very, very angry with me.

  Atticus trailed him in, and judging by the color on his cheeks, he’d already received his own chewing out.

  “Don’t I get a hello? Or a ‘Hey—kick-ass job taking out those Rakken. Glad you’re still alive’?”

  Atticus grimaced.

  I had no idea why I insisted on infuriating Silas every chance I got. It was like a mental illness.

  Silas’s glower got hotter. “First, you publicly challenge me in front of all of Aeterna, making yourself quite possibly the most recognizable person in the entire realm. Then you traipse around the Lower City, practically begging the Brotherhood to kill you. It’s a fratching miracle you’re still alive!” His voice rose as his anger grew. “You were supposed to be hiding. Can you not stay out of trouble for one gods-damned day?”

  I was tempted to point out that I’d been in disguise but wisely decided Silas wouldn’t react well to that observation. And considering Alaric had recognized me immediately, Silas might have a small point about getting myself into trouble. But it had been worth it.

  “I took a calculated risk.” There. That sounded appropriately tactical. “And it paid off. We found out when the Brotherhood’s next recruiting meeting is.”

  Silas’s glare didn’t relax even a fraction. “When?”

  “Two days,” Atticus offered behind him. “We know the location as well.”

  “That is... something,” he said begrudgingly.

  I continued, encouraged. “And Atticus knows a way to figure out who the rest of the recruits are. We just need access to the Council’s records.”

  Atticus shared his theory about comparing resource allocations for each House to their headcount. We just needed Silas’s access to get their names from the Council’s database. By the time Atticus had finished, Silas’s angry stance had unclenched a little.

  Silas’s magic flared, and a console appeared in his hand. He tapped
on it for a minute before he shared the bad news. “The records are restricted.”

  “Even to Councilors?” I asked.

  “Yes. I convinced Elias there might be a traitor on the Council, but I didn’t realize he’d restrict all the records. He’s the only one with full access. It’s just as well until we figure out how the Brotherhood are getting their new recruits out of Aeterna.”

  “Then we need Elias to get the information?” Atticus confirmed.

  “Wait,” I said. “What makes you think Elias isn’t the traitor?”

  Silas shook his head. “The two positions—Leader of the Aeternal Council and Leader of the Rebellion—are completely at odds. Why would he be one if he is already the other?”

  “I don’t know,” I mused. “But I don’t trust any of them. Elias is a slippery snake who clearly has his own agenda. Lady Octavia threatened to sacrifice me for the cause. She sounded a lot like the people we met today in Lower Aeterna, actually. And don’t forget Alaric. I have no idea where his politics land him, but he hates me on principle. And he’s been acting really suspicious.”

  I told them about Alaric’s flare of magic just before the attack at the Expo, the man I saw Alaric meeting with in the Lower City, and finally his offer to take Marcel’s magic off my hands in return for my freedom. I also brought Silas up to speed on the way the Brotherhood had used Atticus’s sentence as fuel for a rebellion. “We can’t trust anyone, even Elias,” I concluded.

  “Agreed,” Silas said. “This information, as well as the search for Atticus’s attacker, needs to stay only with those we trust. I have a few I trust within the Guardians—as well as Corin, Tessa, and Stephan. No one else until we figure out how it’s all tied together.”

  “It’s too bad we don’t have a way to access those records,” Atticus said as his shoulders slumped.

  An idea hit me, but Silas really, really wasn’t going to like it.

  I cleared my throat. “I still have my date with Elias...”

  “Come again?” Silas asked.

  “I sorta agreed to have dinner with Elias. Tonight, at his private residence.” Both men twitched, and I rushed to point out all the benefits of my plan before they got a chance to shoot it down. “If you show me what I need to do, I could access his console and get us that information without involving anyone else. Elias will never know.”

  “No,” Silas said.

  “I’m not sure that’s entirely wise,” Atticus said at the same time.

  They had matching expressions of male concern. It was pretty easy to read the cause between the lines.

  “I’m not going to let him seduce me. I’m not stupid.”

  Silas literally rolled his eyes. “Your poor judgment aside, he is very much going to seduce you. He’ll do whatever he can to learn your true identity.”

  Because according to Silas, there was no other reason to want to sleep with me. “Unless you’re offering to step up to the plate, you don’t get to be annoyed every time someone else wants to have sex with me.” The words just came out before I could stop them. My brain couldn’t move faster than my mouth when he was around. It was definitely a disorder of some kind.

  “Being annoyed at your sexual escapades is apparently a full-time occupation,” Silas griped back.

  “For the last time, Silas, I didn’t have sex with Atticus! And you have no say in who I do sleep with.”

  Both men shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact.

  Okay, maybe I’d overreacted a tiny bit, but I didn’t appreciate his commentary. If he wanted to be involved in my sex life, I’d already given him an embarrassingly obvious invitation. I’d made it pretty damn clear how I felt, and he was the one pushing me away. He didn’t get to have opinions from the sidelines.

  I took a deep breath and tried to be logical. “There’s nothing to be worried about. I’ll go on this date, find a way to spend some alone time with Elias’s personal console, and get our list of potential defectors.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Later that evening, Elias’s servant arrived and took me to Elias’s suite at the City Centre instead of his personal residence. When I realized where she was taking me, I almost backed out right then. Silas’s intel had been about locating the consoles at House Marius, including the layout of the rooms. I’d planned to use the restroom adjacent to the study as an excuse to slip in and get what I needed. Silas had even given me a small device that had been preprogrammed to find and transfer the right records from Elias’s console.

  Now I had no idea if any of that would work. I didn’t even know if Elias kept a console at his suites in the Council Centre. But I couldn’t just give up. I had to try, even if that meant I had to go in completely unprepared.

  I smoothed down the fitted, knee-length tunic with damp palms as I followed the servant—surrounded by my handful of guards—across what seemed like the entire length of the Council Centre to Elias’s suites.

  Elias’s personal quarters were huge, at least five times the size of the space they’d put me in. Floor-to-ceiling windows made up the entire city-facing wall. I took in the amazing view as Elias poured us glasses of till.

  “I never tire of the view,” he said, handing me a fluted crystal goblet.

  He wore a loose shirt and linen pants in an olive-green color that complemented his complexion and set off his brown eyes. The man was handsome, powerful, manipulative, and knew how to dress in style. I was so far out of my depth, it wasn’t even funny.

  “I guess being Lord Councilor has its perks.”

  He chuckled softly. “Some. Although I must admit I don’t spend much time here. I prefer the comforts of House Marius.”

  “Oh? Work doesn’t keep you here late very often?” I took another glance around, hoping to see a console lying out somewhere. No such luck.

  He sighed. “Only when my duties keep me, like this evening.”

  I gestured to the various buildings built out from the cliff face. “Is your house up there somewhere?”

  He took the opportunity to position himself behind me and adjust my pointing hand. “Yes, just there,” he said in my ear. His hand trailed along my bare arm.

  I took a sip of till and moved to set it on the nearest surface, creating distance between us. I needed to avoid sexual tension at all costs. And I needed a reason to explore and find one of his consoles with access to the database. “Would you give me a tour of your suites?”

  His brow crinkled in amused confusion. “A tour?”

  “Oh, is that not a thing here? In Earth, people show each other their homes. It’s a way to get to know someone on a date. I can see how you live your life, the things you treasure, what you do in your spare time.”

  He unleashed the full wattage of his celebrity smile. “It would be my pleasure.”

  He offered me his arm, and I curled my hand around his bicep while he led me through the open living space, pointing out art and items he’d collected. Along the way, he maneuvered his arm around my waist, stroking my bare shoulders at times with his free hand, and keeping his body close to mine.

  There were no consoles or work stations in sight.

  We moved through the various rooms including a formal dining room, a sitting room, a well-equipped exercise room, and a small art gallery, until finally he led me through a hallway lined with closed doors. “These are the bedrooms—”

  “What about an office?” I hoped the edge of panic didn’t show in my voice. “You must do so much, leading the Council. I’d love to see where you work.”

  He frowned. “I have a separate office located near the Council’s chambers.”

  Damn it. The whole night would be a waste if I couldn’t get my hands on a nonrestricted console. “I thought someone as important as you would be working all the time.” God, I was laying it on thick. “Don’t you have a space where you work here?”

  He smiled, apparently pleased at the compliment, and opened one of the doors. “This is my personal library.”

  T
he room was lined with bookshelves, and just like the other rooms on this side of the suite, it had an entire wall of windows. A cushioned bench ran the entire length of the wall, complete with pillows. The three other walls were lined with built-in bookshelves, and in each corner sat a pair of comfortable armchairs. In the center of the room sat an impressively large wooden desk.

  Various papers, files, and other items lay across the top of the desk. A small, portable console sat on top of a stack of papers. Bingo. My fingers itched to pick it up and run, but I forced myself to casually scan the bookshelves nearby. I ran my fingers along a row of book spines. “Wow, there must be thousands of books in here.”

  He hummed as he came up behind me, and his hand glided over my hip. “You like books?” His voice was low and seductive.

  “It’s an impressive collection.” I twisted free of his wandering hands and used the motion to reach inside my bra and palm the electronic storage device Silas had given me. I flashed him the flirtiest expression I could muster as I made my way around to the desk and scanned the surface. “So, this is where you work.”

  He came up behind me again, trapping me between him and the desk.

  Holding my fingertip over the device, I activated the preprogrammed transfer function. I twisted around in Elias’s arms and plastered a smile on my face. His hands traveled to the sides of my neck, stroking the sensitive skin as he pressed closer to me.

  “Have you learned enough about me?” His eyes lowered to my lips. “Is my nest feathered enough to impress the lady bird?”

  I forced the smile to stay on my face. “It’s all very impressive.”

  He pushed closer, forcing me to sit back on the desk. My hand landed on top of the console, and the file transfer device vibrated slightly under my palm as it connected.

  The console’s screen lit up, and Elias glanced down at it.

  Shit. I stretched up and kissed him.

  Elias kissed me back, pushing himself between my legs and forcing them around his hips.

  The transfer device was supposed to vibrate a second time when it finished. Silas said it would take only a few minutes. But with Elias’s hands and mouth all over me, a few minutes seemed like an eternity.