"That's great! Should I give them your number or..."
"Use mine, I'll have it with us," she grunted.
"Alright, Evelyn," that deep voice said. "It's time to push."
"Do we have everything in place?" Atticus demanded. "The nurses? The NICU?-"
"Lexie, I need to go," Evelyn said. "I'll keep my phone on and anyone who asks for sanctuary will be granted it immediately. You already have it so you should be safe."
"Thanks, now go take care of yourself and those babies." I hung up the phone and headed back in.
The guys looked up at me as I came in. I repeated what Evie had explained to me.
"At the rate they keep putting people in the hospital, it won't be long before they kill someone," Ethan bit out.
"I don't believe so." Miles had his thinking face on. "If the witches insisted on that being a requirement in the treaty, then they know exactly what they’re doing. They'll be very careful not to cross that line."
I cursed. The suite door opened, Zeke and Isaac walked in, both wearing gym clothes.
Zeke's gaze ran over all of us. "What happened?"
My cell rang, it was Louis. I went out on the balcony, letting the others catch them up.
"Yeah?" I answered.
"The situation has escalated." Louis's voice was a few notches above a growl.
"We saw it on the news," I sighed.
"Things are out of hand, today we're getting the leaders of the different supernatural groups together for a meeting to decide on a course of action. And then we'll see if we can get a meeting with the council's witches to try and get them to back off," he said. "I want you there to see how it works between the species."
"Alright, just tell me when and where," I answered. He gave me an address and a time for the afternoon. "I'll be there but I’m going to spend a few hours wrangling souls to cross."
"What about injuries?" he asked. “They’re going to fight back.”
I grinned. "I'm not giving them a chance. I’m going to grab and hold their arms so they can’t scratch me."
He chuckled. "Unfortunately, that may be exactly what is needed."
"And quite frankly I'm fed up," I muttered.
"Alright, I'll see you this afternoon."
"Wait." I managed before he hung up. I explained to him what I learned from Evelyn and Atticus. He started cursing in French.
"That'll definitely change our approach. See you there." Louis hung up.
I put my phone in my pocket and looked over the railing at Bourbon Street. Mostly ghosts were milling around.
Could I reach them from here? I reached out with my will and wrapped it around a ghost on the street. He looked up at me shocked. I dropped.
Half an hour later, I was still out on the balcony grabbing souls and crossing them. Though most of the other ghosts had caught on and ran. The street was almost empty now. Damn, I had gotten twelve across already though.
Zeke leaned against the rail beside me. “What are you doing?”
I grinned. “Grabbing the dead off the street and forcing them to cross.”
He chuckled. “Having fun?”
“Yep. But I guess I’m out of targets.” I sighed as I saw that the street was deserted of the dead. I turned to him. His scruff was trimmed down, his hair still wet from the shower. “Come on, I’ve got something for you.”
I walked into my bedroom and went to my dresser. Zeke shut the door behind him and eyed me. Grinning, I pulled the wrapped gift out of the nightstand and held it out to him. “Happy Birthday.”
His eyes were shadowed when they met mine. “Lexie...”
“I know you don’t like to celebrate your birthday. But...” I shrugged. “I can’t let your birthday go by without... showing you that I'm glad you were born.” My face caught fire under his gaze. I dropped my eyes to his chest. “So, just take it.”
It was several long heartbeats before he took the present from me. My stomach knotted as he started to pull off the vintage car gift wrapping. Oh shit, what if he didn’t like it? What if he got mad? He was really serious about his privacy.
He pulled off the last of the wrapping and set it on the dresser. His broad fingers ran over the black leather cover before he opened it.
My heart leapt in my chest as I chewed on the corner of my bottom lip.
He was silent as he turned to the next page of photos. And the next. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as he looked through the photo album.
“How?” he rasped.
“Sylvie.” I swallowed hard. “She helped me find the photos while you were at work.”
He closed the album full of pictures of him and his mom then set it down on the dresser. When he turned back to me his face was as blank as a stone wall.
“You mad?” I cringed a little.
He bent down and picked me up with an arm under my butt. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and buried my face in the crook of his neck. I smiled against his skin and squeezed him tight as relief left me shaking. His other hand went to the back of my neck and squeezed.
“Thank you,” he said in a soft rough voice.
“You like it?” I asked, my voice uncertain.
“Yeah, I like it.” His hand ran down my spine.
I pulled back enough so I could look down at him. “You’re not mad? I know you’re super private about your stuff.”
His fingers tucked a stray curl behind my ear. My heart raced as I met his warm eyes. Warmth washed through me as his fingers trailed down my neck. I missed him like this, close and looking at me like I was everything he wanted. His eyes went to my lips. Not thinking, I leaned down and kissed him. His lips moved gently with mine, his fingers going to my spine. My hands moved to his neck. One kiss melted into another, and another. I couldn’t seem to stop kissing him, it was as if I was starving for him. His touch. His kiss. It was exactly what I craved, it just wasn’t enough. The tip of his tongue stroked my bottom lip. I opened my lips.
A knock on the door had me lifting my head.
“We’re going to be late,” Miles called.
Zeke’s eyes were soft as he reached up, held my chin in his fingers and ran his thumb along my bottom lip. “I’ve missed you, Baby.”
I smiled. “I’ve missed you too, Tough Guy.”
His eyes were full of promise as someone knocked on the door. “We’ll talk later.”
I nodded as dread filled my heart. What did I just do? Zeke set me down. I adjusted my clothes as he picked up the album from the dresser. I followed him out into the living room. It was time to get to work.
"Where'd he go?" I gasped as I reached Ethan. Ethan pointed down the alley to the right as he tried to catch his breath. I turned and ran, my heart pounding against my ribs. We'd been at it for two hours and managed to drop sixty-four souls into the Veil. Each and every one fought the entire way. Thankfully I was able to keep them from scratching the hell out of me this time. Footsteps followed. So far only Isaac and Miles had been able to keep up with me. Isaac was starting to lag a bit while Miles seemed to have infinite stamina.
I spotted the soul about to run through a building. "No, you don't!" I threw my will at him, that gold ribbon wrapped around his ankle and jerked him back through the wall toward me. He fought as that ribbon wrapped around him like a vice. I skidded to a stop and dropped.
After I dropped that shithead in the Veil, I came back and opened my eyes. The guys were standing around me, gasping for breath. I grinned. "Having fun?"
Asher shook his head. Isaac, Zeke, and Ethan flipped me off. I snickered.
Miles checked his phone. "We need to get going if we're going to make it to that meeting."
I wiped the sweat from my face. "Who's going with me?"
"I am." All of them answered in unison. The guys shot each other looks.
I snorted. "Okay then, let's get out of here."
Miles led us to a bus stop just in time for us to get on. We took several seats in the back. Isaac sat beside me. Zeke and Asher stood i
n the aisle while Ethan and Miles sat across the way.
“Damn, when we get back I’m taking a shower,” Ethan muttered under his breath.
“So, where are we going for dinner for your birthday?” Isaac asked as he reached over and threaded his fingers with mine.
Miles shifted in his seat. “Zeke?”
Zeke was looking at Isaac’s hand in mine, his brow drawn down. My stomach dropped. He turned away to Miles. “I don’t care.”
“It’s your pick,” Miles reminded him.
Zeke shrugged and began looking out the window.
I had a thought. “What about burgers?”
Zeke’s eyes snapped to mine.
I smiled a sweet smile. Asher shifted his footing, his eyes finding my hand in Isaac’s. My gut knotted, Isaac wasn’t being subtle at all.
Zeke sighed and turned back to Isaac. “No birthday surprises.”
Isaac grinned. “I swear I won’t tell anyone it's your birthday.”
Zeke sighed. “Fine.”
“I can cook at our hotel suite,” Asher offered, turning away from me and Isaac.
Zeke turned to him, his shoulders relaxing. “You sure?”
Asher gave him a strained smile. “Yeah, it won’t be as good as at home but I can pull it off.”
“We’ll run by a grocery store on our way back.” Miles decided. Zeke relaxed a little more. He really did hate large crowds.
The rest of the ride, I fought not to pull away from Isaac. That’d just bring more attention to us. What the hell was I thinking? I should have gotten my own damn seat. The bus came to a stop, all of us got up and hurried out into the nacho cheese humidity.
The address Louis gave us was downtown in a tall glass building in the business district.
The guys and I squeezed into an elevator and hit the button for the thirtieth floor. In the cramped elevator, fingers brushed mine. I recognized Miles long fingers and laced my fingers with his. When the door opened, we both let go and walked out with the guys. We found the office number and walked in. It was a bustling law firm, at least that's what the sign said. The receptionist smiled as we walked in.
Miles took the lead. "Excuse me, we're supposed to meet Louis here."
The receptionist eyed Miles then turned to me. "Lexie Delaney?"
"Yes." Did Louis leave a note or something?
Her gaze ran over the guys then came back to me. "I've been told to only allow you in."
"By who?" Louis wouldn't, he knew I had one of the guys with me all the time.
"Mrs. Tibbons."
"And she is...?"
"The head of the local witches," she supplied.
I snorted. "I'm not a witch."
"This isn't the place for normals," she tried again.
"Then luckily they have the Sight," I countered. She eyed the boys again. Her mouth pressed into a tight line before she got to feet. "Follow me." She led us down the hall. Walking after her, my stomach knotted.
At the end of the long hall she opened a door and stepped aside.
I walked in first and suddenly had the attention of the entire room. Louis was on the other side of the table with the chair beside him empty. There were only three other people in the large meeting room.
A woman with long silver hair who had to be in her late sixties turned toward us. Vivid blue eyes ran over all of us. Her triangular face was wrinkled with age but still pretty. "I believe this is a meeting only for supernaturals, so, if you gentlemen could wait outside."
I met her hard gaze. "They go, I go." I wasn't even kidding.
The corners of her lips twitched. "We don't have time for this foolishness."
"Then I suggest you let us sit down and get to it," I countered.
Her eyes warmed a fraction. "Alright."
We walked around the table to the empty chairs. I sat next to Louis, Miles sat beside me while the others took chairs down the table.
Louis grinned at me before turning to the others. "This is Lexie Delaney."
"Can you really cross the dead?" A man in his late forties asked. Copper skin, amber eyes, and black hair. His sharp eyes narrowed at me.
"Yeah," I said. "Managed to cross seventy-seven this morning."
"Only seventy-seven?" Another woman asked with a raised eyebrow.
The guys shifted in their seats as I turned my attention to her. Short, fringed hair with streaks of green through the blonde. Her gray eyes were smug. It irked me.
"Well, considering we had to chase them down and force them to go to the Veil, I'd say that wasn't bad for a couple of hours." I shot back. "We've got the French Quarter cleared at the moment."
She smirked. "I like her."
"Of course you do," a man's exasperated voice sounded from the phone in the middle of the table. "Can we get to business now?"
Louis sighed and gestured to the phone. "That, is Samuel. He's the Master Vampire for the Dupont house. They've been the only vampire nest in New Orleans for a hundred years or so."
"It’s nice to meet you, after a fashion," Samuel greeted me.
"You too." What else could I say?
"Lexie, this is Hallis." Louis gestured to the man with amber eyes. "He's the leader of the local werewolf pack." Hallis gave me a small bow from the neck.
"The loud one… " Louis's voice was warm as he gestured to the woman with dyed hair. "Is Bella."
"Bella?" I bit back a grin.
She shot me a threatening look. "Make one Twilight joke and I'll kill you."
I snorted. She tried not to grin.
“She's the representative for the other shapeshifters that have joined together since they don't have enough numbers in the city to have groups of their own." Louis turned a little in his chair and gestured to the woman with silver hair. "And this lovely woman, is Willow Tibbons. She's the head of the local coven of free witches."
“Let’s get started, I've got work to do today," Samuel’s voice came from the phone again.
"Her friends are, in order down the table, Miles, Isaac, Asher, Ethan and the large one is Zeke." I bit back a grin.
"Now, back to the subject," Willow began. "The council is attacking normals and bringing the attention of the nation to New Orleans."
"While that would be good for the economy, it's not great for us," Samuel added.
"At this point, they're following our members and threatening them." Willow continued.
"Same here." Bella leaned forward. "We all know the problem, now what are we going to do about it?"
"We're arranging a meeting with their people for after this one," Willow announced.
I raised an eyebrow. "For what? They just want everyone under their thumb. Their demands aren't going to change from one conversation."
"I agree with the noob," Bella said. “We'd be better served coming up with a plan to evacuate or at least a counter attack."
"Oh, you shapeshifters, always running," Samuel taunted.
"It saves our asses," Bella countered. "We don't have your numbers."
“We should launch a counter attack,” Samuel suggested.
"A counter attack?" Willow brought us back to topic. "That would start a war."
"Hate to say it but it looks like you already are at war," I pointed out.
Samuel chuckled through the speaker. "The little Necro isn't wrong."
Willow took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We're not going to take action that leads to an escalation."
"They are the one escalating this situation. They're driving it forward," Miles spoke up. "And from what we understand, they know exactly what they're doing."
"What do we understand?" Bella’s eyes narrowed on us. "Did I miss a memo somewhere?"
I met Louis's gaze. He nodded.
I turned to the rest of the table. "I had a talk with my gargoyle contacts." All eyes snapped to me, and not all of them were friendly.
Willow looked like she'd bitten into a lemon. "Gargoyles? They're all dead."
"Their numbers are lower so t
heir role has changed in the last year," I continued. "They have a treaty with the Witch’s Council to police magic users."
Every one of the leaders cursed.
"But they aren't supposed to be doing this and frankly, the gargoyle I spoke to was pissed." I leaned forward. "But they can't interfere unless a normal dies. Not without violating the treaty. And while people are pretty sick, no one has died."
Bella scoffed. "Then we're on our own."
"Not completely," I said. “We have options here. If any of our people call them and ask for sanctuary, I've been told that they will receive it. " I was met with doubtful stares "Once the gargoyles are involved and protecting those with sanctuary, the Witch’s Council will have to back off. Won't they?”
"Our people?" Willow asked with a raised eyebrow. "You don't live here. You have no horse in this race."
"I wouldn't be sure of that." Louis turned to her. "They've already contacted her, threatened her and know what she is. And she's only seventeen."
Willow blinked. "That... is against our laws."
"Yeah, I don't think they're going to play by the rules anymore," I added. Then gestured down the table at the boys. "Hell, I'm worried about them. And they only have the Sight."
"This is a mess," Willow said. "There hasn't been a supernatural war on American soil for at least a hundred years."
"A hundred and fifty-three, since the end of the Civil war," Samuel supplied.
"That still isn’t many options," Willow sighed.
"The little Necro laid it out rather efficiently," Samuel said with laughter in his voice. “I think I need to meet this one.”
Louis straightened in his chair. "Samuel."
Samuel chuckled deeply on the phone.
"I don't see what this has to do with my wolves," Hallis announced. Everyone turned to him.
"I tried contacting the shapeshifters in Florida since the council took over," Louis announced. “I haven’t managed to get ahold of anyone.”
“That’s not a good sign,” Willow added.
“I’ve been in touch with a survivor on the run,” Samuel announced. “Every shapeshifter, vampire, and the majority of magic users are dead.”
Secrets From the Grave (The Veil Diaries Book 6) Page 15