by Lauren Dane
He could not afford to feel for her this way but that didn’t stop it from happening anyway.
He thrust, over and over as she wrapped an arm around his neck, her calf wrapped at his ass, pulling him closer, holding him in place as he loved her.
He lost all his patience when she was involved. He wanted to gorge himself of her before he even managed to get her alone to touch her. And this way, just the two of them? He pressed deeper and deeper as their magick rose and mingled on the steam.
When he came, he knew he’d want her again within minutes.
* * *
HE lay in bed as she brushed her hair out. His muscles were pleasantly loose; his skin smelled of her. He smiled, utterly satisfied.
They’d gone to sleep an hour or so after their shower sex and he hadn’t woken up a single time. It tended to be like that if they made love before they went to bed.
“You’re better than warm milk,” he murmured as she pulled a pair of underpants on.
She laughed. “Um. Thank you?”
“It’s a compliment. I was just thinking about how well I sleep when we fuck right before.”
“Ah. Well, I agree. Not that I’m akin to warm milk. But it does tend to unknot my muscles. You’re good with magick and handguns and sexing me into unconsciousness. While I love Faine, he’s not nearly as fun as you are as a guard.”
He rolled from bed, pausing to kiss her on his way to the bathroom. “Good to know my services are so unique.”
He brushed his teeth and washed his face, listening to her as she got dressed and began to prepare to leave. Shortly, the scent of coffee began to waft through the air.
She looked crisp and feminine all at once as she smiled up at him. “I figured I’d have to make coffee to wake you up.”
“I smelled your perfume. That’s what woke me first.” Well, in total truth, he woke when she got out of bed. It was as if his system came to full alert when she wasn’t next to him.
He poured them both a mug and got the milk out.
“Do you want a bagel? There’s fruit and cheese here too. I won’t ask if you want hummus. There’s cream cheese in the fridge.”
“Yes to a bagel.”
He settled in across from her. “I like those earrings.” Her hair was pulled back, as she so frequently wore it. The earrings he knew had been a gift from Lark. Deep blue beads dangled below a pearl. Nothing showy, but feminine like their wearer.
“Thank you.” She chewed on her lip and he knew she wanted to say something but was trying to figure out how to put it. He wasn’t sure if he should brace himself or tell her to just say it.
In the end he waited for it, trusting that she’d say it when she was ready to.
“I feel really dumb for not knowing this. But, does your magick get stronger as you age? Or if you train more?”
“Don’t feel stupid about not knowing. To answer your question, yes, in part. You don’t have much magick you can use when you’re a child. It grows as does your awareness of it, once you hit puberty. You have however much power you have. But like many skills, you can harness your power more and use it more effectively if you train at it.”
“I . . . I think my magick has gotten a great deal more powerful since the Magister.”
He paused because he’d had the same thought. Many Others had related the same thing over the last weeks.
“It’s more than being trained and knowing new spells. I feel like”—she sighed, looking for the right words, he knew—“yes, I can do more things, but my ability is stronger. At first I thought it was being taught how to use my othersight. I had all this stuff but really didn’t know how to use it. But even the stuff I did before seems to work better. My signal is boosted, I guess. Or that’s how it feels. When I’m addressing a crowd I’ve always had the ability to adjust my message, to know in my gut how to do it and make myself heard. But now? Now it feels like I’m a conductor. I can see how they’re all feeling, or I know it.” She shook her head and ate for a few minutes.
“The problem with magick is that the terms to describe it all seem so imprecise.”
He laughed then. “I know how that bothers you.”
She sent him raised brows, underlined by a haughty sniff. “Nothing wrong with liking precision. When I reach down to use my magick, the well of my power seems deeper.”
“Many of us are feeling the same thing. Meriel says her magick has grown by an order of magnitude.”
“Nina Warden told me she can shift back and forth with far more ease and less pain than before. I heard a rumor that the vampires need to take less blood now.”
Wow. Not just witches then. “Did you tell Meriel this? Or Lark?”
“I’m telling you.”
“This . . . well, it’s interesting. I need to consult with Meriel. Do you mind if I share this with her?”
Molly shrugged. “Of course not.”
He knew it was early. But he also knew Meriel rose at five anyway so he called.
“Meriel Owen.”
“Meriel, it’s Gage. I’ve got Molly here with me and you’re on speaker. I need to talk to you about something Molly just told me.”
“Well, that got my attention.” In the background Meriel said Dominic’s name. “Go on.”
“You know how we talked last week about the rise in our power?”
“Yes. And I’ve heard the same from other witches as well.”
“Molly tells me there’s a rumor the vamps need less blood now. And that the wolves have had an easier time with multiple shifts.”
“Hi, Meriel. Nina Warden also told me that young wolves, ones who often have trouble resisting the call of daytime moonrises, have had an easier time resisting over the last two months as well.”
“Well now. This is all quite interesting. I’m going to have Simon contact the Fae to see if they can shed any light on this. They’re the only ones who know much about the Magister. The people who came to us a few weeks after the Magister left have moved on, trying to find it so they can’t help us.”
“Seems to me it’s a question of chicken and egg. Did the rise in power or magick happen because of the Magister? Or something the Magister did? Or defeating it?” Dominic spoke for the first time in the call.
“Yes, or some variation of that. The Kellys might be a good place to start with this.” The Archives had put two witches on researching the Magister full time in the wake of the final confrontation with it.
“Good idea.” There was a brief moment or two of silence and Gage knew Meriel was taking notes so he just waited for her to finish.
She finally spoke again. “You’re on the way to D.C. this morning?”
“Yes. We’ve got to leave in about ten minutes.”
“I’m going to send my notes about the call I had last night with the attorneys for the wolves held in jail in Indiana. I want to know right away what you hear about this bill they’re floating. Camps. I think not. Please do feel free to speak on my and Simon’s behalf on this issue. In my absence you speak for the Owen. We are diametrically opposed to this legislation.”
Molly nodded, though Meriel couldn’t see her. “I’ve prepared a statement so check your inbox. I’ve got a meeting with the Council of Others when we arrive and then I’m on my way to the television station. I’ll be checking my mail frequently. Rita has my schedule so you can always check in with her to see what’s up.”
“Good luck. Keep her safe, Gage.”
He disconnected. “You ready to go to D.C. and kick ass?”
“Ready as I’m gonna be.”
“Pretty much all you can ask for in life.”
Chapter 24
WHEN they landed it was to find that the Senate version of the Domestic Security Act had been introduced. Molly fixed her hair and makeup on the way over to the hotel where the rest of the Others would be waiting.
As she did that, she also put in a call to Tosh.
“I’ve just arrived. On my way to the meeting now.”
�
��I take it you got my message about the Senate version of the House bill?”
“Yes. You need to be aware that none of us is going to be pleased about this. And by not pleased, I mean we do not support any provisions in either bill.”
“I know. I know. I’m working on creating an opposition coalition here. We’ve got a solid group forming. Then again, there’s a sizable number in support of the bills in both houses, on both sides of the aisle. And a lot of undecideds. Our hearing has been moved to Monday. They want to fast track the legislation.”
“Has anyone even contacted my office to see if I’m available? Or does it just not matter at all what the perspective from those who’ll be affected is?”
“Molly, I want you to know that I will fight this with everything I have. This is not my country. This is not what we do in America. I knew you’d be here so when they called my office I figured I’d just tell you when you arrived.”
She huffed a sigh. “Fine. I’ll see you later today. I’ve sent the information about my escort to your assistant.”
“Can you get that number down a little? Things here have tightened up since the riots in Indiana. One guard would suffice. You’ll be here. It’s safe here.”
Gage narrowed his gaze at her, shaking his head. “No, Molly. You’ve been assaulted at the capitol more than once. You’ve had death threats. We can’t trust anyone but our own people. You have three guards. Period.”
“Did you hear that?” she asked Tosh.
“Yes. I’ll see what I can do.”
She disconnected and closed her eyes, finding her center. Now was not the time for upset. Now was the time to let anger make her a weapon. Her brain and her magick would do that for her if she just didn’t let herself get twisted up.
“I’m not even going to comment on how he doesn’t take your safety seriously,” Gage spoke to her in an undertone as they arrived at the hotel.
“I don’t have the energy to argue with you right now. I think you judge him unfairly.”
“Why would I do that?” He took one side of her while Faine got the other.
“Because you’re jealous.” She moved ahead of him before he could reply to deny what was so totally obvious. Molly did allow herself a smile though.
* * *
MOLLY sat in that room of angry Others and never lost her cool a single time. Sometimes Gage wondered if she was a robot or a superhero. Hell, he’d wanted to punch people at least a dozen times, but she maintained her calm and because of it the room would back off from the edge over and over.
Using his othersight, he watched the magick pour from her, mix and combine with the Others in the room. She was a conductor it seemed. The energy moved through her and she seemed to sort of guide it, push it when necessary. He’d never seen anything like it. She seemed to get better at it each time, perhaps as she’d gotten her legs on this new job. Or maybe, maybe it was connected to the way magick seemed to be growing more powerful for many Others.
Whatever the case, she was brilliant at it. So brilliant he pretended her little jibe about being jealous of Sato wasn’t true.
“If we can stay on task, please.” Cade Warden, the Supreme Alpha of the United States, attempted to keep the meeting on track. He and Molly worked well together.
“What are you doing about these illegal arrests in Indiana? I’ve got to tell my pack something. Everyone is nervous and angry. How much are we supposed to take?” One of the wolves from a Midwestern pack spoke.
“We’ve got an entire staff of attorneys working on it. Because of Meriel Owen and Gabe Murphy from Pacific, the Justice Department has sent people in to investigate the situation. The wolves have been able to finally see their families and speak with their attorneys. It’s our goal to get them out by the end of this week.”
“What about the humans? Why haven’t they been arrested?”
“Because their police department and prosecutors are bigots.” Molly spoke, still remaining seated. “I wish this weren’t so, but it’s clear to anyone with half a brain. The location of the bar that was attacked, the property that was destroyed, all in a shifter-dominated part of town. There’s surveillance video of the humans entering the bar that the police have lost twice now. Senator Sato and Representative Carroll are working on this from their end as well.”
“Working? How? How long do we have to wait? You told us to defend ourselves at a meeting last month. And now three of us are in jail for it. Why should we listen to you at all? What’s your agenda?”
Gage fisted his hands until Faine snorted, clearly amused. He leaned in close. “Your female is made of tougher things than to let herself get ruffled by such silly commentary.”
Gage let go of some of the rage. “People have no idea how hard she works on their behalf.”
“It’s easier to complain than to understand.”
Lycians were a lot more complicated than Gage had thought at first.
“I understand that you’re upset and frustrated. We all are. Every time I hear about kids being picked on in school, Others losing jobs or being kicked out of their homes I get frustrated too. My agenda is the same as it’s been since the first time we all met. I’m working to broker an equitable relationship between Others and humans. There are times this seems more possible than others. But for right now, it is my continued, stated agenda to continue to secure our rights as American citizens. I don’t mean to push this topic aside, but I have another meeting to get to and I wanted to bring up the reason for it. House Bill 877 and its Senate companion.”
He watched, amazed, as she unraveled the bills for them, pointing out what each provision would mean and the possible cascade of other events. The picture she painted was bleak.
And at the lowest point, she had them all in the palm of her hand. She stood, her voice still calm and sweet. She looked out over the room as it seemed like everyone held their breath.
“My friends, we will not stand idly by as groups of bigots in this nation tear it apart by stripping us of our rights. They are, most assuredly, the rights and responsibilities we were born with. We were Americans before the Magister and we are Americans now. They expect silence and compliance? They’ll have our voices, and the strength of our will. We helped build this nation and we will not tolerate the dismantling of it by heartless vandals. One of my foremothers, upon coming to this nation and deciding to build a home for witches where we could be safe, once spoke to the largest convocation of witches ever held. We are kings and queens, handmaids and blacksmiths. We are more than the filth they try to make us by their actions and we will underline that for them until they remember that once and for all. Rebecca Owen was right then and she’s right now.”
Cade Warden stood and began to clap. People joined until the entire room was filled with deafening applause. Magick pulsing through the space. She drew it back into herself, probably not even purposely. But she shone through his othersight like a star.
* * *
“YOU’D make an excellent Lycian.” Faine spoke to her as they hustled back to the car to head toward Tosh’s office. “Should you ever want to come visit us, I have no doubt the males who would find you appealing would fill an auditorium.”
Molly laughed, patting Faine’s arm. “That’s a very wonderful compliment. Thank you.”
Gage frowned, but kept his gaze roving over the landscape outside. “You handled them well.”
“I get their anger. I wish I had better news to give them.”
“You’re doing all you can. And you’re effective.”
She squeezed his hand and he kept it, not caring if Faine saw.
“I don’t know if I’d say I was effective. I feel pretty useless right now. Pissed off too.”
“Anger is a gift. That’s not a quote from my foremother, but it’s a Rage Against the Machine lyric, which I think is just as important.”
She laughed, leaning into him for a brief moment.
* * *
TOSH’S assistant had her hold back, ushering her
through a side door. “The senator would like to speak with you privately before the meeting starts. Can you please wait here? He’ll be right in.”
Molly turned to Gage and Faine. “I’ll be right out.”
“We’re not leaving.” Gage’s mouth was set.
“Yes, you are. I appreciate that you want to do your job. But some things need to be said in private. He’s asked that of me and I can respect it. You’re right outside the door. I’ll be fine. Also I’m a witch; it’s not like I’m defenseless if something should happen.”
He heaved a sigh, but went out. “If I hear as much as a raised voice, I am busting through the door.”
“Thank you.”
Just moments later Tosh came in. She paused to admire him. Tall and broad shouldered, the suit he wore fit him perfectly. His dark hair and eyes only framed his face. He wore his power like his tie, or the suit coat he had on. If it hadn’t been for the witch outside the door and more to the point, the witch whose boobs he kept sneaking looks at, she might have pursued something romantic with him.
He was courageous. Starting off his work career in the military, like his father and grandfather before him and then ending up in law school and as a JAG. By the time he was thirty he’d ended up running for a Senate seat in his home district. There was a lot about him to admire.
“Thank you for meeting with me.” He clasped her hands and kissed her cheek. “I won’t take too much of your time, but I wanted to assure you about this bill. My family was sent to an internment camp. My grandmother and her sisters and her father. My grandfather enlisted to prove his loyalty to this country. They took his home and put his family in a camp where my grandmother nearly died having my father because there was a shortage of medical care. My father was career military, as were two of my uncles, and now me and my sister. I love this country very much. But I don’t pretend to love its mistakes, like interning the Japanese. This is not what we do. This is not how we act. I will not be silent and watch this happen to anyone else.”