Alterations

by Lucretia Stanhope

  “Don't be snippy. Tell me what you want. I will make it happen.”

  She looked at him, seeing the face that allowed her to think of him as a man, a kind, gentle man at that. “I want to see Mikhail. I want to see Sebastian. I want to know why Lucian was taken away and to where. I want Kyna home safe. I want to go to earth again.”

  His features changed and anger appeared behind his eyes.

  Reflexively, from all of her time with Matvei, she shrunk back at the look and braced for a smack.

  “Gwen, I would never hurt you. No matter how unreasonable you behave.” He took her in his arms and held her tight.

  Grateful his temperament did not match his son's, she realized a second chance landed in her lap. “I'm sorry. I'm just worried. I don't know what sort of power it will take to carry this new life for you. Last time I suffered greatly.”

  “For us, it's our family. I won't let you suffer.” He stroked her with a tenderness she found hard to believe came from such evil. “If you feel even remotely off, you tell me, tell Matvei and it will be fixed. I will bring you to Percy if I have to.”

  She nodded. “I will, thank you. I want to try something.” She took his hand and started out of the room.

  He followed her outside. They walked to the woods by the lake.

  “What are we doing?” He looked at her puzzled.

  “I have a gift for you. A thank you for looking so hard for Kyna, and for letting me see Mikhail.” She reached a hand out, palm up.

  He put his hand in hers and she repeated what she had done to Matvei. It took more effort with Timofei. She had to wrench his rage out. By the time she felt him flip to unease rather than rage she was exhausted. Her hands trembled and her legs felt like jelly. It took her last bit of magic to push peace and happiness at him.

  When she opened her eyes, she gasped to see the rose bushes around them were taller than her. The thorns appeared bigger than her palm and looked deadly. The leaves of the blooms were pitch black and shimmered with silky darkness.

  The smile that spread across his face was deeper and more genuine than she had ever seen from him. His eyes glistened with something she couldn't place. Pride? Was he proud of her new gift? Proud of his treasure? Proud to own the only creature able to soothe his beast?

  He kissed her deep, leaving a copper taste. Kisses danced across her face, her nose, her eyes. He hugged her close. “Astonishing. When did this develop? Does it tire you? Do you need food?” He ran his hands along her, feeling her aura.

  “I'm a little tired.”

  He wrapped her in his arms, swooped her off the ground, and carried her through the bushes and into the house. He made a stop in the kitchen to order her a meal and then sat with her on the couch, stroking her hair.

  He usually left to the compound when he arrived later in the day, but he sat with her and hand fed her when her food arrived. The whole time she watched him looking at her with something she would have considered love if she didn't know better.

  Docile, she thought. Worth the effort. She was already feeling better but he continued to pamper her. She allowed herself to relax and enjoy his attention. He needed to feel it was worthwhile. The extra attention would serve several purposes. It would annoy Matvei, and it would delay war efforts, giving Kyna time for whatever she was working on.

  It was hours later when Matvei walked in. His face held both frustration and confusion. “I felt your arrival. I expected you at the compound.”

  Timofei sat up straighter, still holding Gwen in his lap. “I was occupied.”

  “Occupied?” Matvei eyed Gwen.

  Gwen smiled and sat up to sip her drink. “Don't let me keep you, my love.” She used her best purring tone and laced her fingers in his. She wrapped him as best she could in a relaxing wave of magic. “I have some things to get ready for classes tomorrow.”

  He ran a finger over hers and looked at Matvei with a little agitation peeking out from behind his smile. “Go to the compound. I will be there momentarily.”

  Gwen could tell when he flashed her a glance that Matvei was trying not to stare at her.

  “Of course.” Matvei turned to leave.

  Gwen kept her celebration internal. He was thrown, he knew she had soothed his father. Was he jealous? Frustrated? He was certainly put out. It was a start.

  Once they were alone, Timofei started to pet her again. “I do have to handle some matters with Matvei that wouldn't interest you. If possible, I will make time before I leave to see you to bed.”

  Gwen could feel the weight of his stare. Was it possible to make him crave her too much? She did not want to be locked away again. “I would like that. I have missed you.”

  They both stood and he kissed her deeply. “I didn't think it was possible to treasure you any more than I did. You are perfection.”

  She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him again. “I love you.”

  “G wen already has more ability to steal fire than all of our fire witches combined.” Matvei paced the starkly lit room.

  Timofei reached out and spun him around. “She will never see battle. Do you understand me?”

  “She should be training them, Brac at the very least. She would if you asked her to, they need that kind of mastery.” Matvei stepped away from his father and continued pacing. “Did you lose any more men to the rogue witches?”

  “Yes. I will talk to her. I am sure I can make her understand the value of her help. Witches have turned on her before, it isn't something unfamiliar.”

  Matvei paused. “And Kyna?”

  “No trace.”

  Gwen watched them talking from above, happy to see Timofei remained peaceful. This time, he did not seem so full of venom, or call for Kyna's head. While not her main goal she found it a nice side effect that he seemed less inclined to hurt Kyna. She did not like hearing Timofei wanted her to teach the fire witches. The thought of teaching witches how to hurt each other did not appeal to her, especially when it came to Brac and Kyna.

  “Go get Mikhail. I asked you already to arrange a meeting for Gwen,” Timofei continued.

  Matvei frowned. “He had no news for her.”

  “She wants to chat with her old friend. It makes her happy. Go get him.” The volume of his voice filled the air.

  “Yes, Sir.” Matvei rapped his fingers against each other. “I don't trust him. He has a strange bond with Gwen.”

  Timofei laughed. “He's a child. Gwen is a queen. Go get him. They can meet while we organize the next set of attacks.”

  Matvei and Timofei walked out together. They parted ways and Gwen decided to follow Matvei with the wraith since he was going off realm.

  She counted doors, the room they were in was five doors after the main entrance. Matvei walked another three doors and opened one, walking into another hallway. It had doors on both sides. Four doors on the right he opened another door. This time he walked in an unlighted room.

  She watched as he vanished into what she guessed was a tear in the veil. She let the wraith linger to confirm he returned with Mikhail. As soon as they both stepped out, she released the wraith and refocused on the room where she sat.

  Matvei and Timofei would be busy, but not so busy that she wanted to risk showing him the cloak or her new aura trick. This visit, she would get some facts and save the rest for a safer time. She sat casually sipping coffee when Mikhail walked in. She sensed he was alone.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, and walked over to her. “Timofei said you wanted to see me.”

  “I did. I do. I have a million questions.” She stood and walked over to him.

  He shook his head no. “Gwen, you understand the position I am in.”

  “You said you would help me. You promised.” Gwen watched the disbelief on Mikhail's face as he continued to shake his head.

  “I will, but I have to be alive for that. You can't summon me for chats.”

  She reached for his face and rubbed a finger on his jaw. “Before they come, please
let's not waste this time.”

  He closed his eyes at her touch and then reached up and removed her hand. “What is it?”

  “What would make Timofei attack Konstantin?”

  He pulled back and wrinkled his features. “Insanity?”

  “Seriously, we don't have time for your smart mouthed double speak.”

  “It would be suicide. If he managed to plan a successful surprise attack, all of his siblings would team up to take his rule.”

  “Okay, so his siblings would need to be gone?”

  He reached out and held her hands. “Stop. You can't do what you are thinking. You would be found out. They are cunning creatures.”

  “But he could beat Konstantin? If his siblings were gone?”

  “No, he would need Matvei, and possibly Malvina, maybe even his oldest brother as well. Then, with those combined, they might stand a chance, and that would only be if the soldiers were distracted. Not a single soldier would fight with them against Konstantin.”

  “Distracted, like with the ongoing wars? Do you know all of his siblings?” She let his hands go and started pacing as she rethought her plan to include his siblings.

  “Assume you managed to somehow topple all of his siblings short of Malvina and Roman, then what?”

  “Then I give them a reason to fight Konstantin.” She stopped walking. “Me.”

  “You?” He looked away. “First, that is an awful bait. Let us assume they take Konstantin. Next, we hope Matvei and Timofei succeed against Malvina and Roman, who would fight him to claim the throne. Best case, Timofei rules and you are still stuck.” The whole time he spoke he shook his head.

  “But then I have two to deal with, not twenty. And the expansion is stopped.”

  “That doesn't free you, and that is what I said I would help you to do.”

  “Who says that is all I plan? I have children to save. I am already pitting father and son one against the other. It will not be hard to push the buttons of that reckless maniac.”

  “Matvei is a dangerous reckless maniac. More so than his father. He has the temperament of Konstantin.”

  “Right, but hear me out, once Timofei is in power, if I can.” She stopped, not wanting to give him her entire plan in case they looked in his mind. “Look, can you please trust I have this planned out? I need your help. I will be able to sneak off, but I need you to give me a surprise meeting with his youngest sibling.”

  “This idea of yours is madness. If it fails, Timofei will destroy you and every witch he finds, or worse, Konstantin will devour you.” He paced. “Just talking about it is dangerous. Besides that, where will it leave me?”

  “Better off. If the old ones are gone, it has to be better for you.”

  “No, it was worse, things were a constant fight. You would set us back thousands of years. No, I can’t help you.” He stopped pacing and looked at her. “Don't do it, with or without my help, it's too risky.”

  “Fine, I never believed you anyway. Show me how to navigate the veil and I will do it myself.”

  He put both hands on her shoulders. “No, you need to stay here. Let Timofei beat back this resistance and enjoy your life.”

  “Enjoy? They are going to kill Kyna, she's part of this resistance. They want to use Brac and, they made me, I'm having another baby. Stronger, who knows what it will be capable of. I am alone and I have to act now before the time to act passes. Mikhail, you are my only hope. Teach me the veil and I won't ask you for anything else.”

  “No, if I teach you that and you run off and get killed, that is on me. I couldn't.”

  “Fine, then do what I asked. All you have to do is arrange a happenstance meeting. You are a game player; you can make it seem like you didn't even mean for it to occur.” She looked at him, her eyes filled with hope. “You know at the very least I can handle the youngest. What do you lose? No one will know, if things look dodgy at any point, we pull back and rethink.”

  “You will have limited time to carry it all out. If we do this, as soon as the numbers start to dwindle, Konstantin will be here. He will think Timofei is making a claim, and he will come sniffing around. He will find you and take you for his own. Why do you think Timofei never took you to meet him?”

  “That's what I want. Before they come back, please.”

  “I don't like it. I can't be here, and even if I could, I can't fight any of them. I can't help you.”

  “You can help me.” She thought a minute. “Have a small bite, tell me if I really am as intense to feed from as they let on. The whole plan requires them to fight for, and then over me.”

  He stepped closer to her, took her arm, and pulled it to his mouth. “Gwen, I can't. I don't want to hurt you.”

  “Hurt me?” She laughed. “Do you think your bite will hurt me? I live with Timofei and Matvei. I know pain.”

  “You realize if this doesn't work, you won't end up with Timofei, you will end up with Konstantin, that will be forever, done.”

  “That's what you said about Timofei.” She held an arm toward him.

  “Yes, well, I never assumed you would want to trade up, boss.” He bit into her wrist.

  Gwen flinched at the sharp pain from his teeth and felt the slight tug of feeding. “Okay, that's enough. Tell me, will it work?”

  “Yes.” His tone was a low hiss and his eyes looked glazed over. “You say you can do more? Like you did with me back at council?”

  “Yes, but I can't now, not while they are on realm. Trust I can pull away rage, add that to what you just tasted. Will they war?”

  “Yes.” He pulled her in his arms. “Come with me, we can hide you with Percy. Don't ask me to do something that might sic Konstantin on you. He is rage, he is hate, it will be worse.”

  She put her hand on his cheek. “Casper, I know that. It will only be worse for a little while. Timofei will come, Matvei will help, and the strongest will be eliminated. I will worry about the rest after that.”

  “You do know I always cared for you. I never needed to know what you had to offer. I cared for you, for who you are.”

  “I do know. Help me, Mikhail. If it works, I won't forget you. You won't be a casualty of the resistance.” She smiled at him. “Maybe we can hide you with Percy.”

  He shook his head. “Be so careful. He won't be easy to manipulate. He is thousands of years into this game.” He paused and looked at her again. “Your elixir makes me agreeable, even though I know better. How long does this last? It's a wonder they get anything done.”

  “Not long for them. If they are agitated, it can be gone in minutes.” She walked over to the couch and sat down. “I had a million other things to ask you, but then everything changed. I don't want to be the mother of some new breed of monsters.”

  “I don't understand why they would want to alter you. You are perfect. Your blood is magic.” He still held a look of happiness that she found strange on his face.

  She shook her head. “They found a man, Lucian, he is just like me. We are a power couple. But with the altered blood we have, our child will be different. It will be affected by the vampire blood. I am altered so deeply I imagine even if Lucian were not, any children I have would be some vampire witch hybrid.”

  Mikhail turned his head and looked thoughtful. “Shh.”

  “Wrap this conversation safely away. How soon can you arrange a meeting?” She stepped closer and kissed his cheek. “So, Kelly switched to cookies and tea for real? Tell her I miss her, will you?” she asked and then smiled as Timofei walked in.

  “Yes, she loves mint tea. I can tell her tomorrow, how does that sound?”

  “Perfect, thank you.”

  Timofei walked over and kissed her. “Are you two having a nice chat?”

  “Yes, thank you. It seems the demon summoner is more slippery than any of us imagined.” Gwen wrapped her fingers in his. “It was nice to hear about Kelly. I do miss her so much.”

  “Once it is safer you can have a visit. Say goodbye to your surrogate friend,
he has affairs to handle for me.” Timofei nodded to Mikhail. “I'm ready to have you to myself.”

  “Give Kelly my love, please.” Gwen looked to Mikhail, her eyes pleading.

  He pursed his lips. “Yes, boss.”

  “You are dismissed, Mikhail.” Timofei didn't walk him out, he turned to Gwen. “Happy?”

  “He's no Kelly, but yes, thank you. Now that you are back, I am better. Are you staying a bit longer?” She hugged him to her and rested her head on his chest.

  “I wish I could, but I have to get back and keep the pressure on. I worry if I let up they will press forward. I would never want this to reach you.”

  She wanted to distract him if she could. Kyna was involved and she knew they were not really pressing forward to attack witches. Kyna would never do that. “That doesn't sound like fun. I thought maybe we could share a dream.”

  He made a soft growl. “That sounds very tempting but…” He paused. “I can spare a few more hours for my queen.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “T each Brac.” Matvei followed Gwen from her last class of the day as she headed toward the fortress.

  She didn't bother to stop walking. “Teach me. What do you have to offer that is as valuable?”

  “Those witches, Brac included, will be fighting to protect you.” He snatched her arm and spun her to face him. “I could teach you what your pain threshold is.”

  “If that is all you offer, I wish you and Gina luck. If you will excuse me.” She started walking again.

  He fell into step beside her. “Where does Mikhail fall into your games? You understand he won't survive should I get annoyed with him.”

  “You touch my friends, any of them, and you will find out what it is like to work against me for real.”

  “Oh, mother, you sure are feisty today.” He pulled her wrist to his mouth, but she snatched it back. He smiled at her. “Teach the fire witches.”

  Henry walked up and handed her a paper. “Pardon me, I just wanted to make sure you had the newest list of replacements to consider for Yvette.” He looked at Matvei, smiled a forced smile and left.