by Lauren Dane
She was giving him information, what she could anyway, about Simon and Faine. That trust was important to him.
“If we lose the wolves and cats as well as the Vampires, I’m not sure we can stop a declaration of war by the COO. There’s only so much we’re going to take and we’re going into scary territory.”
“I know, believe me, I know. I’m hoping you can sway them.”
“I’m not sure I should, to be totally honest with you. We’ve been turning the other cheek and we’re bleeding. Our children are being killed. We’re not safe in our homes. Talk isn’t protecting us anymore. It is not our nature to allow harm to our people to go unchallenged. Cade has been holding things together but he’s out of patience.”
Tosh knew he had a seemingly insurmountable task ahead of him. The Others he’d met and knew were good people. They deserved to be safe in their own damned country. “I understand. But if we can get them to hold back until I can convince the president to issue an executive order to declare all Others to have the same citizenship they had before, things might calm down.”
“Maybe. But again, that’s words. I don’t know if words are enough.”
She shrugged and he hoped they were enough to get them through before even more people got killed.
• • •
THEY’D been taken to an outbuilding on Cascadia land. They’d been sniffed and searched and one of Helena’s witches was there to examine them as well.
“They’re making sure we haven’t been spelled on any level.” Delilah had softened in some ways. Tosh wasn’t sure if it was him or the fact that she now had dual loyalties. But in other ways, her humanness had muted and that Otherness she had moved to the forefront.
She moved differently and, heaven help him, Tosh thought it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Other wolves cast their eyes down when she walked past, and occasionally, she was the one who did the casting of her eyes away.
Dominance politics were nothing new to Toshio. This was just a different type, but he understood it and felt more relaxed for it.
“I wonder where Molly and Helena are?”
Delilah looked around the huge space. “I don’t know, but there’s something up. It might just be that Simon and Lark’s home was attacked and things are very bad. But it could be something else.”
“Great. Something else. Because we didn’t have enough stuff.”
A woman he recognized as Nina Warden came out, all business. She clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Please take your seats. There are cards so do sit where your card is.”
“Hierarchy dominance,” Delilah murmured, explaining.
“Not so different from how we sit on the dais in committee meetings.”
She gave him a lopsided smile. “True.”
Luckily he was seated next to Delilah so he’d be nearby someone who could save him from making a horrible etiquette faux pas.
Helena and Lark came out with several other witches. Helena gave a loud, piercing whistle to shut people up. “If everyone could be quiet for a bit, we’re going to cloak this space and dampen the sound so we can’t be listened in on.”
There was an uproar as people shouted out the question on Tosh’s mind.
Finally, Nina frowned them all into total silence. “We will explain once the process is finished. Now kindly do be quiet as you’ve been asked.”
Tosh kept his questions to himself as he watched the sisters work. Hands moving in concert, speaking under their breath as they traced the outline of the room.
Finally, they stepped back and it was like when a plane reached cruising altitude. His ears felt the pressure and then it eased.
Helena nodded to Nina and the sisters moved to their places at the table.
“Meriel Owen is going to address the committee about some new developments.”
Meriel stood. “Just half an hour ago I received some information that changes everything. What I’m going to say is not known by many people. But it’s necessary now. When we defeated the Magister, several weeks later we received visitors from the other side of the Veil. They had new information for us about how the Magister works.
“We didn’t destroy the Magister. From what we understand, it’s nearly indestructible. It may as well be as no one seems to know how to destroy it. Each time the Magister manifests and is overcome, it is shoved into another world. But the people whose world it attacks don’t know that. We wouldn’t have known it either if those people hadn’t come to tell us. They’re jumping from world to world to find it and stop it once and for all.”
The table erupted into three dozen shouted questions and multiple conversations.
“We’re chronicling all this information in our archives, sharing it as we can with other places on the other side of the Veil. The more we know, maybe it can help in the future. But from what we can tell, the Magister is a being of chaos. The way it comes and goes is part of it. It’s beyond our ability to understand the full scope. Old magicks like that defy explanation, so we’re being clumsy but it’s not on purpose.”
Tosh reeled. Other worlds? Veil?
Delilah leaned close. “I’ll explain later if she doesn’t now.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” one of the Vampires asked.
“Because right after that visit the attacks began and we’ve been dealing with this brink-of-war stuff. We’ve been trying to keep the existence of other worlds out of human knowledge. If they’re this rabid knowing about us, what would happen if they knew there were countless worlds on the other side of the Veil?”
Meriel looked to Tosh. “If the military knew, what would they do?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head, caught in the middle. “This is conjecture, understand, but some might see it as a threat. What’s out there? Can we control it before it controls us? Are they more powerful? If so can we get their technology? Some would want diplomacy.”
“Yeah, not the ones who have been trying to kill us since they found out we existed though. What would they do if they knew Simon and Faine came from a world of beasts who could take two forms? Where those beasts ruled their world in warrior castes? Hm? What if they knew about the existence of Fae? We could not take the risk.” Meriel said this all in a calm, measured voice. Tosh understood it and he agreed. There was no telling just what might happen if and when this information got out.
“We’ve been investigating some leaks within Clan Owen, and the de La Vega Jamboree also had a leak. And this afternoon, Helena got a phone call.” Meriel paused for a brief moment. “It has come to our attention that Carlo Powers, along with Marlon Hayes and the people at Humans First, has been working with the same mages who were helping the Magister. They’re trying to bring it back, thinking that they can either control it or wipe the rest of us out.”
Total silence engulfed the room and nausea rose in a wave through Tosh. If what she was saying was true, Senator Hayes was taking part in a plot that could end in genocide.
Worse, he had no reason to think Helena would lie about it.
“Owen found a leak toward the time we defeated the Magister. This is how we uncovered a network of Others giving PURITY and the mages intelligence on how we operate, who our leadership is. And some of what went down with the Magister.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Our people are working with the rest of the COO enforcement ranks to investigate the leaks in their groups as well. The information seems to have come from several places and we haven’t uncovered anything we believe could actually bring the Magister back. But it boils down to this. We’ve got traitors in our midst and they’re helping our enemies to attempt to bring the Magister back.”
Then chaos erupted once again.
Cade stood and all the wolves instantly got quiet. Max de La Vega stood and all the cats shut up. Another man Tosh had never seen stood and the rest quieted. Then the three sat again.
Helena spoke again. “Here is what we know. The mages have been working with the anti-Other groups for so
me time. An outclan witch, turned witch, and her human husband were working with one of the de La Vega jamboree members. The cats took care of this issue, though the turned witch is still at large, whereabouts unknown. The mages have been working with the turned witches. Turned witches are junkies. They’ve used stolen magic to boost their own. Each time they do, they eat away at their connection to their natural magick. Until there’s nothing left of that. Their ability to pull magick and use it in any type of spellcraft is destroyed. They have no ability to use the Font of their home clan because it won’t recognize them as witches. They sort of lose who they were before. It changes them into something else. Most of the time a turned witch dies within six months or so of that complete termination with their magick. Some seem to have found a way to live sometimes three or five years after that.
“But they’ve been working with these mages. Just recall, mages are humans who have enough natural ability to steal magick from Others to use to work spells. They don’t die like turned witches do, but they’re crazy and violent . . . and addicted, just the same. So the turned witches and the mages worked together to kidnap witches and Others to steal their magick. It’s how they first got the attention of the Helper, the being who procured for the Magister.”
“How is it they didn’t get used by the Magister then? How many of them are there that they could lose numbers like we did and still be enough to be a threat?” Gibson de La Vega, one of the cats, asked.
“Because neither the mages nor the turned witches have their own magick. We have magick, you know, with a k. Stolen? It’s not natural, it’s magic, no k. It’s cheap and used up fast. It’s not renewable. You won’t recharge when you run out. The Magister only fed on Others who possess magick. It was like it didn’t notice them and they were spared. I guess it didn’t like or couldn’t use what they had.”
None of this was anything Tosh knew.
“When we overcame the Magister, we also eradicated all those who were on the scene helping. We were able to kill the Helper. But their operation was worldwide. They had a network who stalked, kidnapped and transported Others to be drained. We figured they’d fallen apart after the Magister. The disappearances had stopped and in the face of the rising attacks by humans, we had to put our efforts on keeping our members alive.”
One of the people at the table shouted at Helena. “How could you let this threat go unchallenged? It was a mistake to let the witches head this up!”
Faine growled. Helena gave him a look.
Cade stood, gaze narrowed as he addressed the wolves. “We knew about this issue. The leadership of every Pack knew about this. And we all made the same decision based on the information we had. The disappearances had stopped. We had bigger threats to deal with. If you have problems with those decisions, look to me and the heads of your clans. It was the witches who saved us by getting rid of the Magister to start with. Don’t forget that.”
The wolf who’d been so angry was just afraid. Tosh could see it. Hell, he understood it because if these people were afraid, things were far worse than he’d ever understood.
“What’s our next step then? What do we do?”
Helena took a deep breath. “Our informant tells us the mages have let Carlo Powers know about some arcane magickal texts that might help bring the Magister back. We’ll let him continue to think that, but I’ve seen those books and they didn’t have anything like that in them. However, those books contain other things we don’t need PURITY or Hayes and their ilk knowing. We’ve worked with the leadership of the rest of the Others here and they’re already investigating their own leaks. We need to plug up that information immediately.”
Meriel stood, putting a hand on Helena’s shoulder. “There is a reason we remained secretive for so long. The powers we have come with responsibility. We don’t know what the mages know, nor do we have the total extent of the information that’s been shared with Hayes. We do know it has to be addressed before any more damage can be done.”
Meriel turned her gaze to Tosh. “Senator Sato, we’ve revealed things totally unknown to humans. Well, or so we thought. But we’re heading into some more controversial territory in a moment and I need you to make a choice. You can leave now and we’ll escort you back to the airport and be sure you’re protected until you get home. Or you can stay and help us.”
“That’s not a fair choice if I don’t even know what you’re going to say.”
“Life isn’t fair, Toshio.” Molly finally spoke. “Meriel’s mother was murdered after she’d helped send the Magister out of our world. We all lost people close to us. We continue to because of monsters like Powers. He is hell-bent on our genocide. He is colluding with the same people who preyed on us before the Magister and who worked with it to bring our end. We are done with peaceful attempts at problem solving when it comes to these groups.”
A chill worked through Tosh at that. “I understand. I do. And in your place I might very well make the same choices. But the fact remains that I’m an elected official. I can’t be here while you discuss illegal things. I’ll continue to support you all through the legislative process. You know I believe in your right to exist safely. I am dedicated to helping you. But I can’t break the law. Or know about it. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll stay.” Delilah remained in her chair.
“May I speak with you before I go?” he asked Delilah.
She nodded.
Meriel turned her attention back to the group. “Let’s open this to a question-and-answer session while they’re talking.”
“We can’t just let him leave here knowing this,” one of the wolves at the table spoke up.
“If Carlo Powers and Senator Hayes know this, Senator Sato can know it. He is under protection. No one is to harm him or impede him in any way.” Cade Warden spoke and his tone shut all the wolves in the room up immediately.
“Thank you all for the opportunity you’ve extended to me. My door is always open to you and I’ll keep Molly apprised on the legislative developments.”
He and Delilah left the room.
Molly and Helena caught up with him just outside.
“Tosh! Before you go I wanted to say thank you. Your help has been immeasurable to us and our cause. I’m sorry it has to end this way.”
Tosh took Molly’s hands, squeezing them. “I’m sorry too. But I understand why you’re reacting the way you are. And I respect it.” He hugged her and then Helena.
“My people will get you back to the hotel or the airport. Whichever you choose.” Helena kissed his cheek and she and Molly were gone, leaving him alone with Delilah, who frowned.
“I’m sorry I can’t stay.”
“I’m frowning because you smell like another female now.”
“What?”
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, over the spot Helena had. Then he turned his head and caught her mouth the way he’d wanted to for so long. He pulled her against his body as she wrapped her arms around him.
“Now you smell like me,” Delilah spoke against his lips before stepping back. “I approve. Will you stay at the hotel? I’ll come back once I’m done here. I don’t know what will happen after I hear whatever I hear. But I’d like that drink and dinner you promised me.”
“What if they propose violence?”
“I hope they do. Toshio, they want to eradicate my people. To think they can control something like the Magister is insane. It doesn’t just endanger us. There’s no way to stop a cancer like Carlo Powers, not when he’s dead set on destroying us. Not with words. This is my family. These are the people who have suffered with me after the Magister killed so many of us. And Powers and Hayes, for that matter, have been working to bring that creature back? No. It ends here. It’s time to make a real stand. I understand that you can’t take that step. But if you would fight in a war against a nation that threatened ours, you should be able to get why my choice is different.”
He blew out a breath. “Put that way . . . yeah, I understand, and
yes, I’ll go back to the hotel. Come to my room when you finish up.”
He left with a heavy heart.
Chapter 14
HELENA had been thoroughly shaken by the phone call from the witch who’d uncovered the leak to Hayes’ office. Worse, what they’d found in the man’s computer had exposed a network of Others who’d been working with the anti-Other groups and the mages.
To bring the Magister back.
Why? Why? Who’d want that after what had happened?
One of the witches they’d uncovered had been a male who’d known the location of the haven in Indio. A Gennessee witch. Someone Helena knew on a casual basis had sold out innocents to the Magister.
She was sick about the entire thing.
The witch who’d been the leak in Owen—the one Lark had uncovered just before the Magister had attacked the final time—had compatriots spread across different groups of Others across the country.
Helena had seen a lot in her time. Had dealt with stupid people, selfish ones. Greedy ones. But this was something she could not comprehend at all. What Other would cooperate with beings who wanted to eradicate them from existence?
Lark was handling the questioning of the witches that’d been identified as leaks. Money seemed to be the main factor for them. But if there was more to it, Lark would find it.
Helena blew out a breath. It was over and done. All they could do was root out anyone left and tighten up their security.
Delilah Sperry came back in and Helena nodded to Meriel, who rapped her knuckles on the table to get everyone’s attention.
“Clan Owen, along with Gennessee and our confederation of covens and Clans, proposes a declaration of war.”
“Lycia has declared war and will sit on your council.” Simon spoke, his voice rumbling through the hall.
Helena narrowed her eyes at Faine. Clearly that’s what he’d gone and done while she’d flown back to Seattle. That he hadn’t just told her was an issue they’d have to work through, because right then she wanted to punch him for it.