by Neva Bell
“What?” he asks, confused by the sudden change in topic.
I smile. “Your watch. I like it.”
“What are you talking…” James stops and looks down at his wrist. His watch is encased in ice.
I smirk.
“What the hell?” James taps the watch with his pointer finger. His attempts to break the ice are futile.
“I thought you’d like an iced-out watch,” I explain with a cocky grin.
A laugh escapes Whitney’s mouth. She bites down on her lower lip when James glares at her.
Willa extends her hand and pats my arm. “Enough Chloe.”
I roll my eyes. “Fine.”
Except I’m not done playing yet. For a second, James’s watch catches fire. He throws his chair back and waves his arm in the air frantically. He stops when I put the fire out.
“There, all better,” I say in a singsong voice.
He growls at me. “You bitch.”
Frank starts to move, but I grab his arm.
I smile at James again. “You’ve got it all wrong. I’m a witch, with a ‘w’’’.
Poor Whitney is trying desperately to hold back a fit of laughter.
“James,” Ivan snaps. “Apologize. Now.”
James looks at Ivan in disbelief. “She set my watch on fire! She could have killed me!”
Such a drama queen.
“You were never in any real danger. If I wanted to kill you, I would have.”
James chortles. “Oh please. You have no control over your abilities.”
“Yes I do,” I argue back.
“Really? Is that why you blew a wall out of an apartment?”
I slam my hands on the table and stand up. I point a finger at James and give him my best evil glare. “Don’t you ever, ever talk about that day again! If you do, or if I hear my sister’s name cross your lips, so help me God, you will be a pile of ash just like those other assholes I incinerated. You got me?”
James stands across the table fuming. Both of us locked in a death stare.
Finally, Willa steps in. “James. Chloe. Look at me.”
We both slowly turn to look at Willa, neither wanting to be the first to give in.
Willa’s face is distraught. “Please. Enough of this. We won’t make any progress like this.”
Ivan nods. “Willa is right. We need to be a united force. It’s not going to be easy, but we don’t have to make it harder.”
James and I sit down, both crossing our arms over our chests. I give him the side eye until Ivan suggests he share his family story with me.
Willa approves. “Excellent idea Ivan.”
“As you know, I am the leader of the werewolf pack. I have held the position since I was twenty-five years old. Unlike witches, our leadership passes down in a hierarchy. My father was the pack leader, as was his father, and so on and so on.”
Ivan’s eyes glaze over, lost in his own story. “I have two sons - Richard and Julian. Whitney and James are Julian’s children.”
Whitney smiles at me when Ivan says her name, but I ignore her.
“My eldest son Richard is standing in as pack leader while I am gone,” Ivan explains. “Richard does not have any children. When he passes, the position of pack leader should go to his younger brother - Julian. But for reasons I will explain to you, Julian will never be our pack leader.”
I look at Whitney and James. So these two are in line for pack leader. I know very little about werewolves, but I believe only a male can hold the position. Which means douche bag James will be in charge when Ivan and Richard step down or pass away.
Great.
“Julian was never happy being second fiddle,” Ivan continues. “He could have held many high ranking positions in our pack, but he wanted to be pack leader. At one point, he even tried to kill Richard so he would be next in line.”
Ivan pauses and rubs his temples. This is obviously a sore topic. If I didn’t despise him, I’d feel sorry for him.
“Julian left our pack six years ago. He left my grandchildren behind without any word of where he was going. We tried finding him, but it was no use.”
I glance over at Whitney and James. Whitney wears a small frown, her eyes focused on her grandfather. James is watching his grandfather as well, but his face shows nothing more than casual indifference.
Ivan sighs. “A year ago, when we found out the new Verhena was killed…”
I interrupt. “Her name was Barbara.”
Ivan nods. “Yes, Barbara. When we heard about Barbara’s murder, I reached out to Willa to let her know the act was not authorized by myself or anyone in my pack.”
I turn to Willa and she confirms Ivan’s statement. “We’ve been working together ever since Barbara’s death to find Julian,” she explains.
“What makes you think you’ll be able to find him now?” I ask.
“There’s been a bit of a development.” Ivan looks at James. “Julian has reached out to James.”
James’s face is holding its emotionless gaze. I look down meaningfully at his scorched watch and smirk. He grits his teeth when he notices my expression, then quickly returns to his stone face.
I shift my attention back to Ivan. “So what’s the plan?”
“James is keeping in contact with his father. We don’t know where Julian is, but we’re hoping we’ll get to a point when Julian trusts James enough to reveal his location.”
“Won’t that all fall apart when Julian realizes James is here? When he sees you’re helping Willa?”
Ivan shakes his head. “Julian already knows James is here with me.”
“What?” I ask in disbelief. I turn to James, “You told your dad you’re here? Why?”
“I told my father I’m here on a reconnaissance mission. He believes I tricked my grandfather into bringing me here so I can spy on the new Verhena.”
I put my hands up. “Wait, wait. Your father knows I’m here?”
“Yes.”
I glare at Ivan and Willa. “Are you crazy? I thought my location was supposed to be top secret!”
Neither say anything.
I look over my shoulder at Frank. “Did you know about this?”
His face reveals it all. He knew.
I turn back to the others. “Let me get this straight. We’ve spent months trying to keep my location a secret and now it’s okay for my biggest enemy to know where I am?”
Ivan tries to explain. “Chloe, when your identity was put online, you were outed.”
I huff. “That may be true, but did you have to tell him exactly where I am?”
James interjects. “My dad knew you were here. We didn’t have to tell him anything.”
“How?” I ask.
James responds again. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the Guard would bring you here. It’s the safest place for you. You should have been here the entire time.”
Frank’s grip tightens on my chair again.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Julian knows where I am. I hope Willa’s wards will keep him out, but as I learned the hard way, wards are not fail safe.
I open my eyes when I’ve gathered my thoughts. “Okay. Your dad knows I’m here. He also knows that you two are here.” I point to James and Whitney.
“Yes,” James answers.
“And he thinks you are here to double-cross me?”
James nods. “He thinks I’ll give him inside information about you, Willa, the Guard, the entire operation.”
“But you’re actually double-crossing him?”
“Exactly,” Whitney answers this time.
I shoot her a look and she wilts. This girl needs to work on her backbone.
I ask the question again in a different way. “You expect me to believe you are going to double-cross your own father to help me?”
James doesn’t hesitate. “I expect you to believe I’m double- crossing my father to help my people.”
James is making it clear he isn’t doing any of this for my benefit.
“Chloe,” Ivan says, “we are here because our people don’t want a war with you. My son has found a group of lunatics and rebels to follow his lead. Our pack is terrified of what a war with the witches could mean. We are strong and smart, but we can’t compete with magic. Especially the type of magic you and Willa possess. A war with you would mean the end of my people.”
“Then why does your son insist on pursuing one?”
“He’s unstable. He always has been. The only positive thing he has ever done is leave me with two wonderful grandchildren.” Ivan reaches out and grabs Whitney’s hand. “He doesn’t understand what he’s doing. He thinks if he defeats the witches, he will usurp my older son and take the pack leader position.”
I sit quietly for a minute and consider everything they’ve said. They could be a tremendous help to me, if for no other reason than finding out Julian’s location. I can’t find any glaring holes in their story, but more importantly, Willa and Frank trust them.
“You’re sure it is Julian who is behind all of this?” I ask.
Ivan nods. “Yes.”
“How? How are you sure?”
“Two ways,” James answers. “First, he gave me details about Barbara’s death he wouldn’t know unless he was involved. He also bragged about killing your sister.”
I cringe at this.
James continues unfazed. “Also, we’ve seen the surveillance video of your apartment prior to the power going down and footage from the other cameras at Leviston. My dad is in the backseat of the getaway vehicle.”
I’m momentarily frozen by the thought of footage from our apartment. What exactly is on it? Did the wolves shut the power down before or after they entered the apartment? Are my sister’s last moments caught on tape?
I shiver, then refocus on the conversation.
“One of the men in your apartment was a cousin of ours who went missing at the same time as our dad,” Whitney says. Realizing I’m the one who killed her cousin, she quickly adds, “We didn’t like him anyway.”
I shake off the mental image of charred bodies and turn to James. He is the one I need to worry about.
“You’re sure your readings are right Frank?” I ask without looking away from James.
Frank doesn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
My eyes burn into James. “How do I know I can trust you?”
He returns my stare, green eyes glowing. “You don’t.”
---
We lay out the initial steps of our plan for the remainder of the meeting. James is going to return to his home in the west and bring back five of his best men. Frank will read each one of them before they are allowed to enter the building. I also insist Frank read James again when he returns.
“Just to be on the safe side,” I explain.
James is annoyed by this, but agrees.
In the meantime, Whitney and Ivan will work with me and Frank to prepare for potential combat with werewolves. James will stay in contact with his father and maintain their relationship. He will give Julian false updates about my progress. All with the goal of Julian revealing his location. Once he does, we attack.
This all sounds good, in theory. But Ivan admits his son is a wild card and the game can change at any moment.
I glance at the clock on the wall and see that it’s 9 p.m. I’m absolutely exhausted.
Willa must sense my tiredness. “It’s been a long day for all of us. Why don’t we call it a night?”
“Agreed,” Ivan says. “We have the basic idea of where we need to start. Anyone have anything they want to add?”
We all shake our heads no.
“Alright then, I’m out of here,” I say. Frank pulls my chair out and I stand up. I stretch my arms to the sky and yawn.
James stands next. “I’m off to the airport.”
“Now?” Whitney asks.
“Yes, now. The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can get back.”
“Okay.” Whitney seems disappointed to be left behind. Not that I blame her. She is in enemy territory.
We all exit the conference room and head for the elevator.
I can’t help but snicker when I hear Whitney say, “Man, I smell burnt hair.”
---
The next morning, I head down to breakfast in my pajamas. I don’t see the point in putting clothes on when I’ll be changing into my training gear immediately after we eat.
My usual dining companions are already seated, but I’m annoyed when I see Ivan and Whitney are at the table with them. I wondered how chummy we will be with the wolves while they are here, and I guess I have my answer.
I say a general “hi” to the group and they all return the greeting. Everyone is chowing down on pancakes, but I won’t be indulging with them. Beth brings me my usual bowl of strawberry oatmeal, a Greek yogurt and a banana.
I thank her and dig into my oatmeal.
“Good morning Chloe. Did you get a good night’s sleep?”
I look up and see Whitney with a big smile on her face.
Ugh. I can’t stand morning people.
I shrug my shoulders. “I guess so.”
Jessica turns to me. “Your TV is being installed today.”
“Sweet!”
“And while you are at training, I’m going to visit a few stores to see if I can find furniture for your office.”
“My office?” I ask in between spoonfuls of oatmeal.
“Yes, your office. I’ll bring back photographs of different furniture configurations and you can let me know what you like best.”
“Okay.” I’m totally confused. I’m trying to kill werewolves. What do I need an office for?
Jessica continues, “And, if you don’t care, I’ll order you the same desktop computer and tablet I got Willa not too long ago. They were a great price and they work wonderfully.”
“They are fantastic Chloe. I think you’ll like them,” Willa affirms.
I set down my spoon and grab the banana. “Sounds good to me.”
The conversation switches to news stories, celebrity gossip and weather patterns. While everyone is chatting, I ponder my future office. I don’t think I need one, but it will be nice to have internet access. Plus, I have four empty rooms on my floor. Might as well fill one of them with office equipment.
I stand up from the table. “I’m heading upstairs to change and then I’ll be down for training.”
“Oh, you don’t plan on training in that?” Frank asks.
I glance down at my cotton t-shirt and pink plaid pajama pants. “I guess this will work. I mean, I can kick your ass in just about anything.”
Frank rolls his eyes, but doesn’t return the jab.
I change quickly and hit the gym fifteen minutes later. I walk to the center of the mats to stretch. I close my eyes and begin a Pilates routine I have memorized.
I’m about halfway through the routine when I hear someone walking toward me. I open my eyes and do all I can to not sigh loudly.
It’s Whitney. She’s wearing skin-tight black yoga pants with a hot pink tank top. Her hair is pulled up into a high ponytail. She has on jewelry and full makeup. She looks like a member of the Real Housewives of New York City gym.
“Hey Chloe!” she says, her ponytail swaying side to side behind her.
I keep stretching. “Hey,” I respond with much less enthusiasm.
“Is it okay if I stretch out with you?”
“Yeah. Sure.” What am I supposed to say? No?
As I move through my flow, Whitney copies my movements. I don’t know if I should laugh or be pissed. She’s trying very hard to play nice with me, but I can’t be bothered.
After a few minutes, Frank saves me. “Alright Chloe. Let’s go.”
Whitney is right on my tail as I walk over to Frank.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” I ask, anxious to get started.
“Ivan and Whitney are walking us through werewolf fighting techniques.” Frank waves Ivan over, who’s been standing agains
t the wall.
Ivan slowly makes his way over to us, leaning heavily on his cane. The softness of the gym mats doesn’t help his stability. Nice to see we’ve brought in some real heavy weights. I’d find this hilarious if my life wasn’t at stake.
Ivan reads my thoughts. “I may look rough young lady, but I created our wolf training and fighting protocol. So I know a thing or two. And this one,” he points to Whitney, “trained side by side with her brother when they were young.”
I give Whitney another onceover. She is in great shape, but she doesn’t look like much of a fighter. Although to be fair, I probably don’t either.
With Ivan’s instructions, Whitney goes through combat techniques with me and Frank. Like fighters shadowboxing in the ring, we are not landing full blows or doing takedowns, just moving through the steps. When we’ve got some of the moves down, Frank shoos Ivan and Whitney off the mat.
“You ready?” he asks.
I nod my head. “Bring it.”
Whitney gasps as Frank and I charge toward each other. I summon my power spells and make myself ten times stronger. We practice the moves Whitney and Ivan showed us and incorporate some of the moves Frank has already taught me. I’m spent and exhausted after twenty minutes of going full force.
I start to walk off the mat, but Frank stops me. “Where are you going?”
I turn around to see him standing with his hands on his hips. “Aren’t we done?”
“Not quite.”
I drop my head, but make my way back to him.
“This time,” he instructs, “I want you to use nothing but magic to stop me.”
Sounds easy enough. Until he says, “But you can’t freeze me in place or use fire.”
Dammit. Those are my go to tricks!
I quickly rack my brain, trying to think of other techniques I can use.
“Time’s up!” Frank yells.
He charges toward me and I temporarily freeze.
Whitney screams, “Move Chloe!” and breaks me out of my stupor.
Remembering what Dean Lucas taught me, I run toward the closest wall. I leap out of the way just before Frank grabs me. I plant my feet and hands on the wall. I scramble up and climb high enough to be out of Frank’s reach.
Frank stares up at me from ten feet below. “That was good.”
Whitney cheers as I climb down. “You looked like Spiderman!”